Injured in a Car Accident

St. Louis Wrong Way Car Crash

August 7, 2018 By Christopher

Some of the most dangerous accidents that take place on the streets and highways of St. Louis are wrong-way collisions.

When a wrong way car crash happens, both vehicles almost always experience severe damage, and often one or both of the drivers will be injured. If this ever happens to you, it is an excellent idea to speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney to discuss your options. Below, we explain the statistics, causes, danger, avoidance tips, and liability surrounding wrong-way collisions.

Statistics

The 2012 Highway Special Investigation Report, compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board, provides detailed statistics on these types of accidents. The following are a few of their key findings:

Wrong-way collisions result in somewhere between 300 and 400 deaths every year, with the instances of non-fatal crashes being much higher.
The majority of these crashes come on divided highways, which are roads that have traffic going two ways without a divider between them.
It has been found that over half of wrong-way drivers are drunk when they collide with a driver on the right side of the road.

Causes

Though a wrong-way collision can happen for a variety of reasons, there are a few common causes that come up over and over again. The four primary factors are distraction, intoxication, aggression, and fatigue.

Why They Are so Dangerous

The primary factor that separates harmless accidents from severe ones is speed. As you can imagine, a crash that happens at 5 MPH is less likely to cause severe injuries. On the other hand, wrong-way collisions often combine two critical factors. First, the cars are going very fast. Second, they are headed straight at each other. In this case, the considerable momentum of both vehicles is fully transferred to the other, and the consequences are dire.

Avoidance Tips

The best way to avoid a wrong-way collision is, of course, to never drive on the wrong side of the road. To achieve this, simply do the opposite of the four causes we cited above. Pay attention to the road, never drive intoxicated, be defensive, and resist driving while fatigued. As far as dealing with other drivers on the wrong side of the road, your best shot is following general safe driving guidelines.

Liability

As far as liability goes, wrong-way collisions are usually fairly simple. Whichever driver was driving on the wrong side of the road is generally found liable, and they are required to pay damages. This doesn’t mean you are safe to fight this case alone, though. The most prudent way to approach any car crash case is with a lawyer at your side.

Though the results of a wrong-way collision are often incredibly damaging, the legal process that comes after doesn’t have to be. If you happen to be involved in one of these types of crashes, don’t hesitate to give us a call for FREE legal advice. Call us 24/7 at (314) 361-4242.

The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents

August 2, 2018 By Christopher

While a fair amount of St. Louis car accidents happen due to strange circumstances, the vast majority happen because of a specific set of common causes.

Understanding those causes can do two things for you. First, you can avoid those behaviors yourself, which will significantly decrease your risk of getting into an accident. Second, you can recognize when another driver is driving dangerously, and choose to keep your distance from them. With education and behavioral shifts, you can drastically increase your chances of safety.

Speeding

Cars driving over the speed limit get into accidents at a much higher rate than cars moving at appropriate speeds. This is because a speeding vehicle is hard to steer and slow down. If a speeding driver needs to stop quickly or make an evasive maneuver, they are much more likely to get into an accident than a driver that is going to speed limit.

Intoxication

Drinking alcohol or being on drugs significantly affects driving in a variety of ways. Drivers will often experience slower reaction times, poor judgment, aggression, and a tendency to become distracted. All of these factors combine to make intoxicated driving one of the top causes of accidents.

Distractions

Though most people are guilty of some sort of multitasking while on the road, it is incredibly unsafe and should be avoided. They eat, do makeup, take phone calls, text, and a variety of other distracting activities. The result is taking their eyes off the road and hands off of the wheel. This kind of distracted driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving and is a significant cause of crashes.

Weather

The only common factor that is not behavioral is the weather. In the rain or snow, drivers will often lose control of their vehicles and the results will be dire. The best way to avoid this is taking all necessary safety precautions and avoiding the road entirely when conditions are especially dangerous.

Running Red Lights

Running red lights leads to a significant number of accidents every year. Overly aggressive or distracted drivers can do it, but either way, the consequences are dire. Given that these accidents come at high speeds and are often in a T-Bone alignment, the fatality rate of red light incidents is very high.

Fatigue

Drivers that are fatigued are a liability to themselves and the drivers around them. Much like drunk drivers, their reaction time and ability to stay focused suffer greatly. It may not get as much publicity as some other factors on this list, but fatigued driving is actually one of the most deadly.

Next time you’re out on the road, keep on eye on yourself and other drivers. If you are driving in a way that puts you at risk, then it is time to start removing that habit. On the other hand, if another driver is driving dangerously, then do your best to get away from them and towards safer drivers. If you end up in an accident for whatever reason, you can always contact our St. Louis car accident attorneys to discuss your options. Call us 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.

Should I Go to Work After a Car Accident? – St. Louis Lawyer

May 31, 2017 By Christopher

An automobile accident may leave you severely injured and unable to go back to work.

If you have been invovled in an auto accident, and as a result have taken some time off work, you may be wondering when you should return. In this post, our St. Louis accident attorney answers some of the common questions regarding returning to work after a car accident.

Will going back to work ruin your case?

It is important to keep in mind that returning to work does not end your legal case. As a plaintiff, you have the responsibility to minimize your losses. If you do not return to work within a reasonable amount of time, you could hurt your claim. When you go back to work as soon as you are able to, you fulfill your responsibility to minimize losses. You will still be able to claim the time you took off in the past to recover from the injuries. Additionally, you may be able to claim future income loss if your injuries reduced your capacity to work.

Can you still claim accident benefits if you go back to work?

Generally, you can still claim no-fault benefits.

Does going back to work mean you are fully recovered?

In most cases, individuals return to work out of financial necessity. If you go back to work, it doesn’t mean you are all better or that your symptoms have gone away.

There should be a medical basis

Being involved in an accident does not automatically entitle you to wage loss benefits. In order to claim wage loss, you have to prove that there is a medical basis for your inability to return to work after a car accident. Your treating doctor must recommended that you take some time off work to recover.

Will going back to work make my condition worse?

In many cases, it actually does the opposite. As long as the injuries do not prevent you from performing your job, returning to work may actually reduce discomfort and pain. Additionally, it will ease many of your financial burdens. It is important though, that you do not go back to work against your doctors orders, as this could actually jeopardize not only your legal case but also your health.

If you have been involved in a St. Louis automobile accident, give our experienced attorneys a call today at (314) 361-4242 for a free case evaluation.

Providing a Written Statement After an Auto Accident

March 4, 2016 By Christopher

Should you answer insurance investigator’s questions or provide a written statement after a St. Louis automobile accident?

Recorded and written statements are a part of almost every car accident case, whether it is a simple claim or a full blown lawsuit. However, the question is whether a person should agree to give a recorded statement or not? Is there an advantage to providing a written record rather than answering the investigator’s questions? Consider the following.

Insurance Companies Often Want Recorded Statements

Insurance companies are known to use pressure tactics to get the claimants and witnesses to provide a recorded statement during investigation. The insurance adjuster may demand a recorded statement during the initial call itself. This happens because the insurance adjusters and even the investigators usually have a script for recorded statements and as they ask questions they tend to focus in the information they think is relevant to the claim even though it may not be relevant to the claimant. Also, adjusters find recorded statements easier to control, and they are often able to ambush the claimant with a request for recorded statement. For this reason, most recorded statements are provided without any input from a St. Louis Car Wreck Lawyer. The claimants should understand that the statement they provide can have a direct effect on the insurance company’s decision regarding liability, which could mean the difference between obtaining rightful compensation and nothing at all.

In short, insurance companies prefer recorded statements over written statements as they are more likely to benefit the insurance company.

Do I Have the Right to Give a Written Statement?

The claimant has the right to provide a written statement. Depending on the insurance policy, the claimant may not have the right to deny providing a recorded statement, however, the claimant is never prevented from providing a written statement stating his/her version of events. In spite of this, many people let go of this opportunity to narrate their side of the story.

Giving a written statement to the insurance company lets the claimant narrate exactly what happened leading up to the claim with as much detail as he/she wants. The advantage of a written statement is that it can be done in your own time and there is no pressure to get it right the first time. The claim can control the message and is not dependent on the adjuster who may ask the questions that distort the story or suit his interests.

Injured in a St. Louis Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a car accident, you will have to give a statement to the insurance company, it would be in your best interest to seek help of a St. Louis Injury Attorney before speaking with or providing insurance adjusters with a statement. This will ensure that your best interests are protected. Call (314) 361-4242 to schedule a free and private consultation with an experienced car accident attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm L.L.C. today.