You should not:
o Give or make any statements that outright or infer your guilt- Don't state anything but the facts regarding the accident, if you slip up and say the wrong thing it could come back to haunt your claim.
o Hesitate in providing your insurance company with complete information regarding the accident- Be 100% honest with your insurance company, withholding or lying about information is illegal and can hurt your chances of receiving their assistance.
o Sign any documents before reviewing them or having your car accident injury lawyer look at them- Don't feel pressured to sign anything you are not comfortable with it or do not understand.
o Accept a settlement before seeking advice from an attorney- Don't attempt to represent yourself if your injuries or damages are severe or you feel disadvantaged by not having an attorney on your side.
Auto Accident Injury Lawyers Warn You of the Leading Cause of Death
In the U.S., a leading cause of death is automobile accidents. The studies made by auto accident injury lawyers reveal that about 6,000,000 such accidents occur every year, resulting in almost 40,000 fatalities. It is estimated that one out of every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related automobile accident at least once in their lives.
Auto Accident Injury Lawyers Show You Death in Numbers
Statistics from the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) show that every year approximately:
3,000,000 people are injured in automobile accidents
41,300 die
40% of fatalities are alcohol related
2,600 children under the age of 15 are killed
7,500 of drivers involved in fatal crashes are aged 16-20
3,000 motorcyclists are killed
4,700 pedestrians are killed
63% of fatalities are due to the improper use of seatbelts
Year after year, these alarming figures seem to do nothing to teach Americans to be more cautious. Even now, automobile accident injuries are the leading cause of death for people between 60 to 33 years old.
How to Minimize Auto Accident Injuries
To minimize the risk of being involved in vehicle crashes, automobile accident injury lawyers advise the following.
Always obey all the rules of traffic
Drive defensively
Wear your seatbelt
Avoid driving when inebriated or incapacitated
Make sure that all passengers buckle up before hitting the road
You may be wondering, "Why 'minimize' and not 'eliminate'?" Consider this: while you may be the most responsible motorist, pedestrian or cyclist out there, there is nothing you can do to predict when you'll be on the same road as some reckless or incapacitated driver.
Automobile accident claims are so common that there are probably more of them than all other types of personal injury claims put together. If you or a family member has been injured due to the fault or neglect of an automobile accident, you have a legal right to recover damages.
Present Your Case with the Help of an Auto Accident Injury Lawyer
Though most times a driver is the at fault party, the issue of liability is not always cut-and-dried. If the at fault party is a professional driver such as a bus driver or trucker, could his employer have done something to prevent the accident? Is the vehicle designed and manufactured with safety in mind? Could the automobile manufacturer or designer be held liable then? Is the road irresponsibly maintained? These are just some of the questions that need to be answered to determine the identities of all who are at fault. On top of all that, there's still the complicated issue of insurance to worry about.
Despite their commonplace nature of car crashes, automobile accident injury law can get quite complex. The more serious your injuries, the more likely you would need an auto accident injury lawyer to help you with the complications of your case.
