Many millions of Americans are driving on the roads and highways of the United States at any given moment, and most of them will be responsible and safe drivers who obey traffic laws and watch out for cars and pedestrians. Sometimes, however, a driver is impaired or distracted while on the road, and getting hit by a car is much more likely when a drunk or distracted driver is present. Getting hurt by another driver like this is quite common across the United States today, and when someone is hit by a car, they may be badly injured and seek a car accident attorney. Tragically, some of these cases may even result in fatalities, in which case the victim’s family may seek wrongful death litigation. When someone survives getting hurt by a car, they may look for auto accident attorneys at local law firms, and many law firms may in fact specialize in this sort of legal representation. How often are Americans hit by a car, and what might happen during litigation or court?
Why Car Accidents Happen
Most drivers are safe and responsible on the road, but some are not. Drinking and driving is common, and as the law sees it, a person is driving drunk when their BAC (blood alcohol content) is 0.08% or higher. Some American states have an even lower threshold than that. And some drivers incorrectly think that driving “buzzed” is an acceptable alternative, but it isn’t. Any driver with alcohol in their system has impaired coordination, judgment, and reaction times, and these drivers may speed, run red lights and stop signs, fail to avoid other cars or pedestrians, or erratically shift lanes or go the wrong way down a one-way street. Many police officers are able to spot and pull over drunk drivers based on the drunk drivers’ erratic behavior on the road.
Distracted drivers are a problem, too. They aren’t drunk, necessarily, but they’re preoccupied with handheld electronic devices or even the car’s dashboard features, so their attention and eyes are not on the road. This makes them much more likely to speed through red lights or stop signs, and fail to notice cars or pedestrians in time to avoid striking them. Finally, a driver or pedestrian may be hit by a car in the case of bad weather, such as snow, ice, or heavy rain. Weather like that may reduce visibility and make the roads slick or wet, making accidents more likely. This may happen even if no one involved was drunk or distracted, so drivers should exercise caution during heavy rain, snow, or when the roads are snowy or iced over.
Hire That Lawyer
Someone who was hit by a car and badly injured may have some medical bills to pay, and in fact, their injuries might prevent them from performing paying work in the future. The victim is also likely in an emotionally charged and subjective state, and all of this makes them typically ineffective in pursuing litigation alone against the at-fault party. Instead, after being hit by a car, a victim is urged to hire an auto accident attorney, and they may find such law firms in nearly any town or city. The victim may (with assistance, if needed) look up these law firms online and visit them in person, and consult the lawyers who work there (this may or may not incur a fee). The victim may then hire a lawyer whose expertise, experience, and success rate are to their liking, and hire them.
This attorney will have a clear, cool head and an objective view of the case, allowing them to effectively use their legal expertise to represent their client. Many such lawyers can also factor in the victim’s complex financial impact due to the accident, and use that to get settlement money. What is more, these lawyers can handle tricky obstacles in court or during litigation, such as if multiple parties are involved. Assigning blame and distributing compensation money may be complex otherwise. An attorney will also know what to do if the at-fault party’s insurance company acts in bad faith or attempts to stonewall the prosecutors. A victim acting alone may find themselves stymied by such acts.
