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Auto Accidents: What to Expect When the Unexpected Occurs
For the past two decades, over 10 million car accidents
have occurred each year in the United States. Collisions
occur unexpectedly and can be traumatic for everyone
involved, not just physically, but financially and
emotionally.
Injuries may occur at the time of collision, but often do not show up until days or sometimes weeks after the incident has passed. In the most serious cases, injuries can result in crash-related deaths. The Chicago Tribune reported that for the second straight year, Illinois traffic fatalities rose in 2013. Based on data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, 973 fatalities occurred due to collisions on the road, nearly a two percent increase from the year before.
Common injuries that auto accident victims sustain include:
- whiplash;
- back pain;
- dizziness; and
- migraines.
Costs for care can add extra stress to the situation. When dealing with pain and treating injuries, it is hard to focus on the claims process that follows.
Trucking Regulations Enforced to Prevent Fatigued Drivers, Collisions
Truck drivers have specific
rules designed to prevent accidents
and ensure safety for everyone on the road. Commercial
truck drivers are allowed a maximum of 14 consecutive
hours drive time with an allowance of 70 hours a work week
on average. They are required to abide by the rules set
forth or face penalty.
Both drivers and their trucking companies can be cited and fined a maximum $11,000 per offense. Drivers can face a separate $2,750 civil penalty.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) implemented new federal regulations with the goal of reducing truck driver fatigue. The FMSCA estimated that these regulations would prevent 1,400 crashes and hundred of injuries a year.
In addition to the drive time limitations, the regulations include:
- a 30-minute shift break during the first eight hours;
Avoiding Injury in a Severe Car Accident
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common
reasons for serious injury. According to Fine
Chiropractic, every 14 seconds, someone in the United
States is injured in a car accident. Two million of these
people will suffer permanent injuries as a result of the
crash. The statistics are not any better internationally.
Fine Chiropractors reports that car accidents are the
leading cause of acquired disability worldwide.
The good news is that the rate at which people are seriously or permanently injured in car accidents has steadily declined, primarily resulting from better safety technology inside vehicles, as well as safety initiatives aimed at driving better, curbing drunk driving, and enforcing strict punishments for avoidable accidents.
Spinal cord, neck, head or brain injuries are the most common severe injuries that result from car crashes. Spinal cord injuries can cause permanent paralysis. Neck and head injuries can range from as minor as whiplash, to as severe as cranial hemorrhaging. Being in a serious car accident does not have to be so grave, however. Even in the most severe accidents in which the potential for injury is high, there are several things you can do to mitigate the severity of injury.
What Truck Drivers Are Responsible for on the Road
A commercial truck driver should be aware of the proper
functioning of their truck, any updates to city, state,
and federal driving guidelines and laws, and the
limitations put into place for driving time. These
specific regulations are necessary due to the length of
shifts truck drivers sustain and the heavy amount of cargo
they carry.
There are limits on what roads a commercial motor vehicle can travel. According to the Illinois Secretary of State, federal law takes into account:
- vehicle weight on the Interstate System;
- the width of a vehicle on the National Network;
- the maximum length of a vehicle on the National Network.
It is important that all road rules and attention to vehicle maintenance are followed by truck drivers because when neglected, accidents can happen.
Earlier this year, a California man was involved in a fatal accident with a tractor trailer. His family filed a lawsuit alleging poor truck maintenance and a lack of experience on the part of the man driving the truck. They have requested a grading system for the trucking industry to rate the experience levels of drivers and the difficulty of roads traveled.
The Most Dangerous Pedestrian Intersections In Chicago
Pedestrian accidents are usually relatively well covered
by the news, as they can be some of the most deadly motor
vehicle incidents that occur. In major cities in which
more people get around on foot (as opposed to the suburbs,
for example), the rate of pedestrian accidents is higher.
Regardless, the rate of pedestrian accidents in Chicago has consistently declined in recent years. According to the City of Chicago Pedestrian Crash Analysis, the past decade has seen a dramatic downward trend in the number of people injured or killed in pedestrian–motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, for example, the 3,130 pedestrian crashes “represented a nine-year low, dropping eight percent since 2005 and more than 22 percent since 2001,” according to the Pedestrian Crash Analysis.
Chicago was just outside of the top ten of American cities when it came to number of pedestrian accidents for data kept between 2005 and 2009. The city, in fact, had the lowest pedestrian fatality rate in large cities with a population density more than 5,000 people per square mile. Chicago ranked 11th on the list, just behind New York. Phoenix, Arizona had the highest rate of pedestrian accidents, with just more than three fatalities per 100,000 residents.
Illinois “Drive Now, Text Later” Campaign Helps Combat Texting While Driving
Texting while driving is not only dangerous, it is also
illegal in 44 states, including Illinois. When it comes to
using a mobile device while driving, Illinois law has
banned:
- all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for bus drivers;
- all cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for drivers under the age of 19;
- text for all drivers;
- cell phone use while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone; and
- handheld devices for all drivers.
- the likelihood of a motor vehicle accident increases by 23 times for the duration of time a driver is sending a text;
Faulty Takata Airbags Result in Massive National Safety Issue
In late October, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) urged any consumers who purchased a
car in the early 2000s to see their car dealer
immediately, according to the Chicago Tribune.
According to the Tribune, any car outfitted with
Takata Corp. airbags that was manufactured during the
years in question may have a fatal airbag flaw that could
lead to serious injury or even death. Toyota, Honda,
Nissan, Mazda, BMW, and General Motors vehicles all have
models outfitted with Takata Corp. airbags. The warning
affects more than 4.7 million vehicles, with some
estimates, according to The Guardian, closer to 20
million vehicles currently on the road in the U.S.
This is not the first time that Takata airbags have resulted in recalls—most prominently, those issued by Toyota Motor Sales. Perhaps because of this, Toyota Motor Sales issued its own Takata-related warning this fall, according to the Tribune, saying that 247,000 of its Lexus SC, Tundra, Corolla, Matrix, and Sequoia models manufactured between 2001 and 2004 were equipped with the Takata airbags in question. According to The Guardian, thus far there have been four recorded deaths because of the issue and multiple injuries. “This message comes with urgency,” the NHTSA said in a statement reported by The Guardian.
Mitigating the Risk of Motorcycle Fatalities in Illinois
The rate of motorcycle fatalities has climbed in recent
years in Illinois, even as the number of
accidents involving motorcycles
has decreased, according to the Insurance Journal.
Illinois State Police told the Journal no one
single contributing factor was the culprit, but experts
“say the increase in fatalities comes as more people—some
of whom may not have had proper training—a riding.” In the
past 10 years, the number of registered motorcycles has
increased more than 55 percent in the state.
One reason for the consistently high motorcyclist fatality rate in Illinois could have to do with the fact that Illinois is only one of three states that does not have a law that requires all motorcyclists to wear a helmet while riding. More than 75 percent of people who died in 2011 were not wearing helmets at the time of crash, according to the Insurance Journal. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the first helmet laws were passed in 1967, when the federal government required states to pass such legislation for highway safety funds. All but three states (Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire) had complied by 1975. One year later, Congress unauthorized the federal government to enforce such laws; following this many “states began to weaken helmet laws to apply only to young or novice riders,” according to the GHSA.
Minor Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries May Still Have Long-Lasting Effects
It may seem like a relief when only minor injuries are
listed on
motor vehicle accident
reports since all too often, these types of collisions can
prove fatal. However, minor injuries may still have a
long-term effect on car accident victims, impacting both
their future quality of life and financial stability.
According to the CDC, more than 2.5 million drivers and passengers sought treatment in emergency rooms in 2012 after being involved in motor vehicle accidents, the leading the cause of death in the United States. This number coincides with the reported increased cost of $80 billion in medical care and losses in productivity which result from motor vehicle accident injuries.
Minor injuries often take significant time to fully heal or manifest as a recurring injury. Examples of common car accident injuries include:
- whiplash;
- spinal injuries;
Who Is At Fault in a Multi-Vehicle Collision?
In early November, six people were injured on Lake Shore
Drive in a grisly
multi-vehicle accident
caused when an SUV struck a Jeep. When the SUV hit, both
vehicles went spinning. The SUV, a Tahoe, continued to
drive down the highway after the Jeep spun out, hitting
the concrete barrier and flipping onto its cab, according
to the Chicago Tribune. While five people were
taken to area hospitals because of injuries they suffered
in the crash, officials later reported that none of the
injuries were life threatening, reports the
Tribune.
What to do in the immediate minutes following a multi-vehicle crash can be daunting and, at times, overwhelming. Determining who is at fault—especially if there are more than two vehicles involved—can be tricky. Illinois is a modified comparative negligence state, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. This means that responsibility for an accident can be shared between multiple parties directly involved. Compensation is made depending on percentage of fault. Yet in Illinois, reports the Department of Insurance, “an injured party may recover damages only if he / she is less than 50 percent at fault for the injury.”
Contact a Lake County Vehicle Accident Attorney Who is Ready to Help You
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our office. Call 847-662-3303 to set up a free initial consultation at one of our four convenient locations. There is no risk because we only collect fees if you collect compensation. With offices in Libertyville, Waukegan, Richmond, and Chicago, we represent clients in Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, and McHenry County.
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