The number one cause of lawsuits in America deal with traffic accidents — a whopping 54.7 million of them. We don’t often think about just how dangerous it is to drive around a two ton box of metal at high speeds, but many of us do it multiple times a day. The reality is that though driving is so common that it can become an automatic behavior that we don’t much think about, it can also be very dangerous and cause many deaths and injuries.
By the numbers:
- There are about five and a half million car accidents in the U.S. every year.
- About 40,000 people die in the U.S. each year from auto accidents.
- Car accidents cause more than three million injuries annually.
- One pedestrian is injured every seven minutes in the United States.
What you can do
As a driver, there are a number of precautions you can take to help make the roads a safer place. You should never drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol since these can affect your judgment and reaction time. This includes narcotics and over the counter medicines like cough syrup. You should also never engage in distracting behaviors while driving like texting, talking on the phone, or using other devices. Take more caution when driving near common pedestrian crossings and pathways, especially at night. Drive more carefully at night and in inclement weather.
If you’ve been injured
If you have been injured in a car accident, the first thing you should do after receiving medical treatment is to hire a car accident lawyer. He or she can help you through the process of filing a personal injury claim and getting fairly compensated for your injuries and any property losses. You should make sure that you find the right car accident lawyer who has experience handling your type of case. When you’re searching for personal injury lawyers, find one who you can communicate well with. Find more on this topic here: www.foryourjustice.com