Approximately one lawsuit is filed every 2 seconds throughout the United States. If you go by the statistics, every year, there is an average of about 6,000,000 car accidents in the country. This means that this type of accident is the cause of a large number of lawsuits. According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released in 2014, motor vehicle crashes in 2010 cost close to $1 trillion in loss of life and loss of productivity. NHTSA reports that in 2014, there was an estimated 2.34 million people injured in motor vehicle crashes. A large percentage of car accidents are caused a defect or problem in one of the vehicles, poor road conditions or last but not least, driver negligence.
Driver Negligence
In most personal injury lawsuits and injury-related insurance claims, the issue of legal liability and fault boils down to establishing who the negligent party was. In any car accident case, there is one apparent way that the driver can be negligent – under the influence of drugs or intoxicated while driving. Additionally, a driver can also be deemed negligent if they are taking certain prescription drugs. Everyone has seen commercials that advise against taking a certain medication while operating heavy machinery, including a car. Hypothetically, if you are involved in a car accident while taking such medication, you may find that you are accused of being negligent. However, a more common form of negligence is not paying attention to the road. Cars are heavy and large devices and there is always a lot going on the roads. It can be negligent to take one’s eyes off the road, even for just a second. There are many different ways that a driver can be negligent, including:
- Looking at someone or something by the side of the road
- Looking at a piece of paper, such as a map
- Reading a book or the newspaper
- Changing the station on the radio
- Texting
- Looking at a cell phone
- Adjusting the car seat
- Getting an item out of the glove compartment
- Getting something out of the pocket
- Getting something from the backseat or looking for something
- Looking at your children to reprimand them or even just to talk to them
- Eating or drinking while driving – even non-alcoholic beverages
- Putting on makeup
- Shaving – believe it or not, this has actually happened
Car accident attorneys have used all these examples, as well as many others, as a means to prove negligence. If you have been in a car accident with another driving who was doing these actions mentioned above at the time of the crash, this is the evidence you need to ensure that you get fair compensation or settlement.
The Finest Law Firm in Existence
If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence or recklessness, you should hire the services of a reliable car accident lawyer from Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. We know the law. We know the legal system in the Big Apple. The first meeting is free. We have been winning cases for years – give us a shot. Give us a call – it will cost you nothing. We know what a winning case looks like and we know what legal buttons to press and when to press them. RMFW Law delivers for its clients. We keep you informed every step of the way. We are not paid until you are paid; we only take a percentage of the final settlement or verdict – so really it is like you never pay us at all. RMFW Law looks forward to hearing from you.
