One of the most common type of pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents in the United States, are accidents at intersections. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report in 2008, around 40 percent of all accidents in the United States occurred at intersections. Around 40 percent of all accidents in the United States occur at intersections. Usually, an intersection accident takes place due to the following reasons:
- Failure to stop at a red light
- Failure to come to a complete stop at an intersection before turning right
- Failure to give right-of-way to another driver
- Ignoring No Turn on Red warnings
- Failure to yield
- Making both illegal and legal U-turns at intersections
Causes of Intersection Accidents
In the NHTSA report, 55.7% of the incidents of all intersection accidents pegged recognition error as the most common driver-attributed reason. Distraction, inattention, or failing to perform adequate surveillance before entering the intersection all constitute a recognition error. Decision error came in at 29.2% with factors such as speeding, aggressive driving, driving too fast for road conditions, or misjudging the other driver’s speed being high on the list.
Red Light Cameras
There are many states in the US where red-light cameras are installed at intersections so as to enforce laws requiring drivers to stop when the light is red. But according to a report released by the Federal Highway Administration, a red light camera at an intersection only increased the likelihood of a rear end collision and the number of injuries at an intersection.
Pedestrian Accidents
Most of the pedestrian accidents take place in non-intersection locations. But around one-quarter of all pedestrians who are killed by motor vehicles are in an intersection. Out of these, almost 9 percent claimed to be in the crosswalk when they were hit.
The Importance of an Attorney in a Personal Injury Lawsuit
In the NHTSA report, 55.7% of the incidents of all intersection accidents pegged recognition error as the most common driver-attributed reason. If you have been a victim of an interaction accident for which you feel you may be liable to receive compensation, the very first thing you need to do is contact a personal injury lawyer. A qualified attorney will take care of all the paperwork for you and build your case on the events that occurred. If someone in your family, or you are injured in an intersection accident, the last thing you probably want to concern yourself with are the endless rounds of paperwork, reports, medical bills, and negotiations with insurance companies. Your attorney will organize all the seemingly mindless stacks of paper into streamlined data, will close loopholes, track deadlines negotiate with insurance agents and gather supporting evidence from experts. And most importantly, a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney will make sure that you receive the financial compensation you deserve for the pain and suffering that was caused to you. When you hire an attorney to take your case, they will begin to organize that endless stack of paper into streamlined information. They track deadlines, close loopholes, gather supporting evidence from experts, and negotiate with insurance sharks (yes, that is an accurate label).
Your Lawyer’s Role
Allow them to take over that world that you are not prepared to deal with and never have before (most likely, right?). You worry about getting back to normal so you can rejoin your team at work, get back to school if you are a student, and certainly continue on with your life regardless of what stage you are at in life.
