Jacksonville Car Accident Injury Lawyers
Auto Accident Injuries
Before you ever get into an auto accident you should know something about the types of injuries car crashes can cause. The more you know, the less likely you are to be careless and let down your guard enough to be involved in an accident.
Every 10 seconds someone in the U.S. is involved in a car crash. Car crashes claimed nearly 34,000 lives in the U.S. in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a slight decline of about 10% from the year before. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for young Americans ages 15 to 19.
The frightening thing is that everyone is likely to experience at least one auto accidents, and with more cars and trucks on the road, and more people driving distracted, and road rage an acceptable way by some to express frustration on the highway, those numbers only go up.
The injured person is known as the plaintiff and they are required to prove that the defendant caused the accident. The first order then is to determine your injuries.
There are so many types of injuries that can result from auto accidents, but by far one of the most serious is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Head injuries can result from head-on accidents, rollovers, or a T-bone collision.
TBI occurs when the vehicle occupant is not properly restrained or when the roof crushes into a driver or passenger's head.
One of the best ways to stay safe is to use a seat belt. Not only does it keep you in place where the airbags can do the most good, generally we find someone who was ejected from a vehicle or partially ejected was not wearing his or her seat belt. These types of accidents rarely have a happy ending.
Research shows that properly worn lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
According to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 2,983 people were killed in motor vehicle related crashes in 2008. Of these deaths, 1,795 individuals were drivers or passengers in vehicles equipped with safety belts and 60 percent (1,085) of them were not wearing safety belts. Not only adults, but children need to be buckled in too. State statistics show that 68 percent (54 of 79) of children up to age 17 in traffic crashes were not using safety equipment.
Other times injuries can result when a safety measure within the car is defective, such as a seat belt that does not stop the passenger in a crash, a lap belt that cause more harm to a child than it helps or an airbag that does not deploy.
New roof crush standards are being phased in on new cars over the next several years that will protect against head injuries. For year safety advocates have been encouraging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to toughen up roof strength standards so they do not crush below four or five inches and for years auto manufacturers have resisted.
With more than 10,000 people dying every year when their unstable SUVs rolls over, a strong roof to act like a cage is essential to surviving an auto accident.
The Transportation Department reports there were 5,300 people who died in crashes with commercial trucks or busses in 2006. In the majority of accidents between a motor vehicle and truck, the automobile occupant will suffer the traumatic injury.
Even a minor accident can result in joint, muscle and soft tissue injuries, back and spine and neck injuries that you might not feel at the scene. That's why it's important to pay attention to all injuries following a car accident and seek medical attention.
Whiplash occurs when a person's head is thrown forward violently then backward. A whiplash can result in injuries to muscles, nerves joints and discs in the neck which can last a lifetime.
Auto accidents can result in pain and suffering, mental anguish and inconvenience.
But not all auto accident injuries involve damage to your body. Damages for pain and suffering fall into the non-economic category, then there are the economic damages which may include your medical expenses for today and in the future; your lost income; a loss of services and support; a loss of the fair market value of your vehicle and any other economic losses you suffer.
Following a car accident it's important to get the police involved even if the injuries seem minor. A Florida accident attorney and investigator should be brought in to determine fault, interview witnesses, take pictures and gather information while everyone's memory is fresh.