I wanted to race cars. I didn’t like school, and all I wanted to do was work on cars. But right before I graduated, I got into a really bad car accident, and I spent that summer in the hospital thinking about where I was heading. I decided to take education more seriously and go to a community college.
— George Lucas
The post-modern world from the time of the Second Industrial Revolution has driven the development of the motor vehicle, including the engine’s ability to travel faster than ever before. The continual need to stay at the cutting edge of motor vehicle technology with respect to the speed versus the vehicle’s fuel efficiency that cars can travel is primarily driven by Formula One racing cars.
Additionally, up-to-date research published in Psychological Science shows that people are becoming more individualistic; this fact in itself isn’t a bad thing. The consequence of individualism is an increase in autonomy and self-sufficiency. However, the negative trend associated with self-sufficiency is self-centredness. Extreme levels of self-centredness result in a society that only thinks of, and takes action that benefits, the individual and not the collective whole.
Motor vehicle accidents: The statistics
Unfortunately, the rapid development in automobile straight-line speed, coupled with the increase in self-centred drivers, has led to the increased risk of a motor vehicle accident. Statistics show that the odds of being killed in a motor vehicle accident are one in one hundred and three. In other words, one in every one hundred and three vehicles on the road will be involved in a fatal car crash.
Additionally, car accident statistics quoted by thecarinsurance.net show that 2.5 million people are seriously injured in America annually. The same statistics quoted also show that America has more than 220 million licenced drivers versus about 329 million residents.
Therefore, the risk to a driver of being in a car accident at least once in his or her life is reasonably high. According to Forbes, a driver will file a motor vehicle accident claim about once every 18 years.
Why you should hire a car accident legal specialist
Now that the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident has been extrapolated, it’s logical to assume that all drivers will be involved in an accident at least once. The next step is to look at how to recover from a car crash.
There are the obvious aspects like ensuring that you need to make sure that you have the other drivers’ details as well as the car make and license numbers of all the cars involved in the accident. You also need to claim from your insurance to repair the accident damage to your car.
Even though these “must do’s” sound simple. They can be challenging in their execution. Thus, it makes sense to hire a specialist motor vehicle accident attorney, even if it is for, say, the settlement of a simple accident like a rear-end crash.
There are a couple of other reasons why you should hire a lawyer to manage your motor vehicle accident:
Debilitating injuries. It is a simple matter to talk about everything that must be handled post-accident. But what happens if you are injured and are unable or find it challenging to sort out all these details? A professional and knowledgeable attorney will make sure that the necessary evidence from the accident is gathered.
Complexities of tort law. Depending on whose fault the accident is, it is often necessary to file a personal injury claim from the other drivers’ insurance. Even if you are not injured, it is still preferable to hire a professional to negotiate the personal injury claim. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing the lawsuit because you are not experienced in navigating your way around the civil court and the tort law.
Final words
A car accident can happen to anyone who drives on the road. Unfortunately, the accident can often have life-changing consequences. Thus, it’s wise to have a backup plan and to be prepared for all eventualities.
Photo Credits: easyworknet
Thomas Peterson says
My sister’s car was struck in a hit and run and she’s been having some pains after. Maybe with a lawyer on her side, they’ll be able to identify the offender and put them to justice.
Len Penzo says
Sorry to hear that, Thomas. If you’re looking to find the person who committed the crime, I think you’ll have better luck with law enforcement, rather than a lawyer.
RD Blakeslee says
“… the odds of being killed in a motor vehicle accident are one in one hundred and three. In other words, one in every one hundred and three vehicles on the road will be involved in a fatal car crash.”
Wrong.
Some fatal crashes kill more than one person and some fatal crashes involve multiple vehicles. The number killed does not equal the number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes.
Len Penzo says
You are correct, Dave. Thanks for the clarification.