Every day there are car accidents in Pennsylvania and most of them are caused by some kind of negligence by at least one driver. What is more unfortunate is that there are many people who die in auto accidents, putting the families through a great deal of pain and confusion.
If you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one was killed in a car accident that was due to someone else’s negligence, it is important to seek the representation of an experienced and dedicated Philadelphia car accident lawyer. Most car crashes are caused by driver error.
There are a number of things that drivers do while driving that cause car accidents. These things can include tailgating, poor lane discipline, failure to signal, speed, texting while driving, distracted driving, and drugs and alcohol. These are just some of the most common causes of car accidents in Philadelphia.
This is a highly dangerous activity that drivers do frequently because they can do it without thinking. While some who realize they are tailgating will pull back to allow for some distance between vehicles, there are others that tailgate deliberately, making them the most dangerous of tailgaters. They may want you to go faster and flash their headlights while driving extremely close. When the driver in front has to stop for any reason, the tailgater may not have enough distance to stop without hitting the car in front of them.
There are drivers out there that are all over the place, not staying in their own lanes. Because of this, they leave their lanes and hit other drivers. The most common type of accident that occurs when not being able to stay in a lane is sideswiping. Rather than a rear-end or head-on accident, the side of the car collides with the side of another.
Some drivers don’t feel it is necessary to signal when changing lanes or making a turn. This can be very dangerous since signaling tells other drivers what the driver is going to do. If other drivers don’t know what a driver is going to do and they suddenly initiate a maneuver without the proper signaling, a devastating accident can occur.
Speed is a major contributor to car accidents. A large number of car accidents occur because of excessive speed. Just five or ten miles per hour over the speed limit can be the difference between life and death. The faster a vehicle is going, the easier it is to lose control of it. A crash at 75 mph is also going to result in more serious injuries than a crash at 55 mph.
It’s also important to note that car crashes also happen when drivers are driving below the speed limit. If someone is not going with the flow of traffic, they can be an obstacle. Many drivers having to change lanes to get around a slow driver presents a risk.
Texting while driving has been a hot topic because so many people do it, resulting in too many accidents. Even when a driver puts their eyes back on the road, it still takes them 15 seconds to adjust. This means reaction time is slowed down for an additional 15 seconds after reading or sending a text. So even when a person causes an accident after texting, texting is still a contributing factor.
Although texting while driving is a type of distracted driving, there are other activities that can distract a driver. They include putting on makeup, fixing hair, shaving, tending to children, eating, operating radio controls, talking on a wireless phone, and operating a GPS system. There are many activities that can cause a person to take their eyes off the road and cause an accident.
Driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol is a major contributor to car accidents because judgment is seriously impaired. Most people can’t walk a straight line while intoxicated, let alone operate a motor vehicle. DWI-related accidents can be so serious that the innocent parties commonly suffer serious injuries or death.
You didn’t ask to be injured when you got in your car that day. Instead, you had an agenda in your mind and expected that you would get back home safe and sound. Because you didn’t due to someone else’s negligence, it is your right to hold them accountable for your injuries. To learn more about your rights and options, call The Brotherly Law Office at 215-545-8500 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
If you have been injured due to no fault of your own, you may be able to hold the responsible party accountable for the monetary damages resulting from the accident. Fill out the form below to request a free consultation so we can evaluate your case.