Driving is a privilege that comes with immense responsibility, and when motorists fail to uphold this responsibility, it often leads to dangerous accidents and serious injuries.
If another driver’s negligence causes you or someone you love to be injured, it’s time to consult with an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer. Brady M. Larrison with The Larrison Law Firm Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys is a skilled lawyer who understands what’s necessary to identify liability, negotiate with insurance and help families move forward.
Contact us by phone at 770-626-7895 or online to request a case evaluation.
The Other Driver’s Negligence
Most car accidents are predicated on driver negligence, and unfortunately, this negligence comes in far too many life-threatening forms.
Speeding
Motorists are not only responsible for not exceeding the set speed limit but also for adjusting their speed downward in response to the conditions on the ground, including:
- Traffic’s flow
- The dangerous effects of bad weather
- Low visibility
- Poorly maintained roads
- Road construction
- Debris on the road
- Accidents ahead
- Any other adverse condition
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 11,258 people lost their lives to excess speed in 2020 alone and that speeding is closely associated with all the following dangerous consequences:
- Excess speed increases the potential that a driver will lose control of their car.
- Excess speed increases the risk that any ensuing accidents will be deadly.
- Excess speed reduces the efficacy of occupant protection devices, such as seatbelts and airbags.
- Excess speed increases the stopping distance a driver needs in response to a risk factor ahead.
Speeding motorists on our roads are far more than just nuisances — they significantly increase the number of fatal accidents on our roadways and feature far too prominently in traffic accident statistics.
Distracted driving
NHTSA makes it clear that distracted driving is exceptionally dangerous driving. In 2020 alone, 3,142 vehicle occupants were killed by driver distraction. While dangerous distractions can range from eating and drinking behind the wheel to grooming while driving and well beyond, NHTSA reports that texting takes the cake when it comes to dangerous distractions – calling it the most alarming of all.
Consider the following:
- It takes an average of about five seconds to read or write a text.
- A motorist who is traveling at highway speeds travels about the length of a football field in five seconds.
Drunk Driving
The fact that drunk driving is exceptionally dangerous does not escape anyone, but drunk drivers are not going away anytime soon. Drunk drivers experience impairments in all the following categories, each of which significantly decreases their ability to drive safely:
- Cognitive impairments
- Sensory impairments, including vision
- Physical impairments, including the ability to handle a vehicle safely
- Impairments related to decision-making and impulse control
Drowsy driving
Exhaustion does not play out well behind the wheel. In fact, drowsy drivers can suffer impairments that rival those experienced by drunk drivers. To make matters more frightening, there is less public focus on the dangers of drowsy driving, which decreases awareness and does nothing to help halt this risky practice.
Aggressive driving
Aggressive drivers are not only very dangerous drivers but also tend not to care all that much. Aggressive drivers have a habit of taking their frustrations out behind the wheel, and while the hallmark of aggressive driving is an exceptionally high speed, these motorists often engage in multiple forms of the following dangerous practices:
- Tailgating
- Passing illegally, including using the shoulder to pass
- Refusing to yield the right-of-way
- Attempting to engage other motorists via verbal taunts, obscene gestures, or even physical actions such as tapping their vehicles
- Ignoring traffic signs, signals, lights, and warnings
- Zipping in and out of lanes
- Cutting off other drivers
When you share the road with an aggressive driver, allow them all the room you can, and if you believe the situation warrants it, call 911. You can help diffuse a very dangerous situation.
Recoverable Damages for Car Accidents in Georgia
To reach your fullest physical and emotional recovery, you’ll need to recover on the legal damages – or losses – you experience. These losses are generally grouped into several basic categories.
Property damage
If you’re injured by someone else’s negligence in a car accident, your vehicle will almost certainly be damaged, and this category of loss is called property damage. The same is true of any damage to the contents of your vehicle.
Medical bills
You’ve suffered an injury, and to heal, you’ll need medical care and attention. If your injuries are more serious, the associated medical costs can stretch into the future, and if you encounter complications or secondary health concerns, the matter will be even more financially challenging.
Lost wages
While you are in the process of recovering, it is very likely that you’ll be off the job, and the resulting lost income can be a real financial blow – especially in the face of those mounting medical bills. If your earning potential or career path is affected, your losses will be that much more significant, and there can be an emotional component.
Pain and suffering
The emotional consequences of being injured by another driver’s lack of care have their own devastating effects, and the same goes for the physical pain you endure. This category of loss is more difficult to demonstrate and quantify, but this does not alter the fact that it is all too real and that you shouldn’t lose sight of it in your car accident claim.
To recover to the degree possible, it’s paramount that all your losses are well represented.
Turn to an Experienced Georgia Car Accident Lawyer for the Help You Need
If you or someone you care about has been harmed by another driver’s wrongdoing, professional legal guidance can help you recover fully on your losses, thus supporting your healing.
The Larrison Law Firm Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys team has an impressive array of experience guiding challenging claims like yours toward advantageous outcomes, and we pour the full force of our legal insight and skill into every claim we take on.
Your claim and your recovery are important. Do not wait to reach out and contact or call us at 770-626-7895 for more information about what we can do to help you today.