Personal injury claims are on the rise in the United States. From slip and fall injuries, to dog bites and car accidents, more and more incidents are occurring on a regular basis. While they are all significant, those involving speeding cars, in particular, can cause severe injuries that could affect a person’s life forever. This is Why speeding is so dangerous. The level of damages awarded in personal injury cases rises too because greater speeds create worse injuries when an accident does occur. Furthermore, if you are injured in a car accident that was caused by speed, you may well be entitled to more damages as well as having a good case against those at fault in the accident.
Greater Chance of Injury
When drivers speed they reduce the chance of stopping in time when a collision could otherwise have been avoided. This is why so many accidents are occurring each day that need not have. It creates work for the personal injury lawyer, meaning that there will be many specializing in this area of the law in recognition of the demand.
You just have to make sure that you find a lawyer that is experienced in injury claims and so has a success rate at claiming significant damages for injured parties. Always seek to check websites for reviews or go on word-of-mouth recommendations. It might affect the size of the damages claim awarded as well as affect your chances. You might, for instance, be taking on the expertise of the lawyers that insurance companies employ to receive a fair payout.
Greater Injury Risk
Speeding cars create a greater risk of personal injury and this has been recognized in personal injury law. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speed is a factor in more than one-third of all fatal accidents. This means that if you are involved in an accident where speeds were excessive, your injury case will be strengthened by the knowledge that speed was a factor in your accident.
Speed is a factor when it comes to determining who was at fault in an accident and so responsible for paying damages. The driver who was speeding will more than likely have the finger pointed at them. The police will measure skid marks on the highway to determine the speed the driver was traveling, and this can be presented in evidence in court when apportioning fault.
Higher Damages Awarded
In personal injury cases, damages are awarded in proportion to the severity of injuries. This means that if you were injured while speeding, the level of damages you receive will likely be higher than if you had been driving at a more reasonable speed. Also, personal injury claims are much more likely in the first place when excess speeds have been involved.
Insurers are well aware of how much driving too fast makes a difference, which is why they charge more premium to those with high-performance cars. As well, it is considered that younger drivers may not know how to cope with speeds so well. It is about not driving too fast around pedestrians and sticking to the road limits. It is not just about the law because it has been made for a reason – speed does kill, whereas it might otherwise have been an injury that was sustained. If not a death, it is a more significant injury and a large payout because the recovery time is longer or not possible at all completely. Many have had to give up working after a car accident and their damages have to cover their living and carer costs now. It is a morbid thought but a reality for many.
Personal injury claims are happening all too frequently and speed is a significant factor in that. The level of damages awarded in personal injury cases also rises because greater speeds create worse injuries when an accident does occur. If you are involved in an accident due to excessive speed, you may end up with greater injuries and so entitled to more damages than if the speed was more sensible and suitable for the road and conditions.
