Missouri Auto Attorney Blog - Car Accident Lawyer St. Louis

Personal Injuries Related to Auto Accidents

St. Louis Car Accidents Involving Pedestrians

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Of all the types of crashes that happen on the roads of St. Louis, pedestrians accidents are among the most tragic.

The reason is that pedestrians have no protection, and are frequently severely injured or killed. If you or a loved one ever get into one of these accidents, it is a good idea to speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney about your to learn more about your legal right to compensation.

pedestrian car accident

Frequency

In 2015, 5,376 pedestrians died in car accidents. This was a 9.5% increase from the previous year, and the highest number since 1996 (Source: NHTSA). Though more recent data is not available, it is reasonable to assume that this number has stayed relatively static. Additionally, that same NHTSA report found that roughly 70,000 pedestrians were injured by vehicles throughout the year.

Causes

Though there are a variety of circumstances in which a pedestrian accident can occur, there are a few common culprits that are worth highlighting.

Alcohol – Just like all other types of car accidents, alcohol plays a crucial role in pedestrian accidents. The reason is that intoxication comprises a person’s reaction time and ability to make smart decisions. The result, for both drivers and pedestrians, is unsafe behavior and a high chance of injury.

Distraction – The second factor that leads to pedestrian accidents is distraction. This works both ways, as a distracted driver is more likely to hit a person, and a distracted pedestrian is more likely to put themselves in a dangerous situation.

Aggressiveness – While most drivers are civilized on the road, others are very aggressive. This frequently leads to pedestrian accidents. Additionally, an aggressive pedestrian can put themselves in danger by jaywalking or carrying out some other unsafe behavior.

Avoidance

Depending on which party you are, your avoidance strategies will be slightly different. As a driver, you should resist drinking and driving, distractions, and aggressiveness. Each of these changes will significantly increase your chances of not hitting a pedestrian.

As a pedestrian, your list of avoidance tips is similar. What surprises some is that alcohol plays a significant role on the pedestrian side of this equation, too. Drunk people are more likely to jaywalk, fall into the road, or pass out in a high traffic area. The result can be fatal. Additionally, a distracted pedestrian is more likely to be hit. To avoid this, you should put away your phone and any other distractions while walking. Lastly, you can resist aggression. This will mean looking both ways before crossing a street and being defensive when you think a driver might be dangerous.

Legality

Though you might think that the driver is always at fault in these situations, this is not necessarily the case. Despite a pedestrian being much more vulnerable than a driver, they can still be found negligent. On the other hand, the driver is often at fault, and they will likely pay a hefty sum due to the severity of the pedestrian’s injuries.

When a driver hits a pedestrian, the result is often tragic. Additionally, the severity of that pedestrian’s injuries can make their future personal injury case incredibly valuable. No matter which party you are in this situation, if you ever find yourself in it, it is important to discuss your case with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.

What You Need to Know About Construction Site Car Accidents

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Road construction brings a significant amount of danger with it, including car accidents.

Though road construction is often necessary, it comes with its frustrations. Among the most prominent of them is the car accidents. If you ever find yourself in a construction site collision, call a St. Louis auto accident attorney for assistance. That being said, educating yourself on the subject may help keep your out of harm’s way entirely. Below, we help you do so by explaining types of accidents, common causes, avoidance tips, and legality associated with construction site accidents.

Types of Accidents

Though there are a significant amount of accidents that can take place in a construction zone, there are a few that happen most frequently.

Pedestrian – A driver may be traveling too fast in a construction zone and hit one of the workers. Additionally, when construction closes roads, it typically closes bike lanes as well. When bikes have to merge with cars, they are sometimes struck. Both of these situations will likely lead to the driver needing to pay benefits.

Sideswipe – Just like with bikers, cars may collide with each other near construction sites. The reason is that the workers often cut off an entire lane, which forces every car in it to merge. This maneuver can go wrong, and a vehicle can sideswipe another.

Rear End Collisions – Another thing that often happens near sites is a sudden slowing of traffic. If the driver behind you is not paying attention in this situation, there is a high likelihood that they could rear-end you.

Common Causes

The most common causes of these accidents are lanes being closed, poor traffic directing, improper signage, distraction, and aggression.

Avoidance

The best thing you can do to avoid these accidents is to drive slowly and defensively. There is a lot more going on when there is road construction, which means there are more factors for you to worry about. Traffic could stop quickly in front of you, a person could start to change lanes into you, or any other dangerous situation could present itself. When you drive at low speeds and keep your attention up, you can react to possible dangers quickly.

Legal Complications and Liability

What makes these cases so complicated is the fact that the construction company is often involved. When they are not, it is simple. An example of this would be you slowing down for the construction zone and the car behind you rear-ending you. In this case, they alone will likely be held liable. A more complicated scenario would be if a construction worker caused an accident by directing traffic poorly. In this case, the construction company could be found partially liable.

Road construction brings a significant amount of danger with it, but if you drive responsibly, you increase your chances of avoiding an accident. Still, a collision may be unavoidable. If this is the case, it is a good idea to speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney. They will asses the situation and help you come to a conclusion about the potentially complex liability situation. Once they do, you can go forward with pursuing benefits.

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The Dangers of a Multi-Vehicle Car Crash

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When we think about car accidents, we generally envision a crash between two cars. While this is the most common type of car accident in St. Louis, there are a variety of other types that happen frequently.

One of these alternate scenarios is multi-vehicle crashes, which are handled a bit differently than regular collisions. What makes them different comes down to three primary factors: A heightened chance of injury, hectic aftermath, and complex liability. Below, we explain the basics of these three factors. If you ever need more information on the subject, don’t hesitate to contact a Missouri car accident attorney.

car accident damage

High Chance of Injury

Your first priority should always be your health. That is why we need to talk about injuries before anything else. When it comes to multi-vehicle crashes, your injury risk is significantly higher. The reason for this is that speed that is generally associated with this type of accident. For typical two car accidents, there is a range of speeds they take place at. When that speed is low, the risk of severe or life-threatening injuries is generally lower. When it is higher, crashes become much more dangerous. Multi-vehicle crashes almost always involve high speeds because it usually takes a certain level of speed to cause a chain reaction. If you are ever caught in an accident like this, you need to take stock of your health and ensure that you are not in immediate danger.

A Hectic Aftermath

The aftermath of a car accident is often very hectic when there are just two drivers involved. When there are more, things can get out of control. With more people involved, there is a higher chance of one of them being aggressive and further escalating the situation. Because of this effect, it is imperative that you stay calm after an accident. If you can, try and be the cool-headed leader of the situation. If not, you can still be a polite and level-headed party.

Complex Liability

Two car collisions are often simple. One driver runs a red light, doesn’t brake in time, is texting, or behaving in some other negligent way, and they are found liable. When there are multiple vehicles involved, assigning fault is much more complicated. We can explain this using two scenarios. In the first, the car in front comes to a sudden stop. Three vehicles behind it do not hit their brakes in time, and they form a chain of rear-endings. Here, the first car will likely not be held liable, while the other three may be held liable for the damages they caused to the vehicle in front of them. In scenario two, the three front cars are stopped when the fourth car hits the third car at high speeds. This collision causes each vehicle to move forward and hit the car in front of them. Here, only the fourth car will likely be held liable.

Though we believe hiring a lawyer is the right decision in any car crash case, doing so in an accident that involves multiple vehicles is especially important. Considering the high chance of injury, chaotic aftermath, and complicated liability of these types of crashes, you’re going to want to have an experienced attorney on your side.

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The Most Dangerous Days and Times of Day For Driving

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Doing your best to avoid driving at these times will increase your odds of avoiding an accident.

When it comes to driving safety, there are two primary factors. The first is behavioral. That includes not drinking and driving, staying off of your phone, resisting distractions, and anything else that involves your personal habits. The second factor is environmental. These are the elements of safety that are mostly outside of your control. Some examples are weather, the behavior of other drivers, and the times at which you drive. In this article, we focus on how timing affects car accidents. That means which days of the year, days of the week, and times of day are most dangerous. Doing your best to avoid driving at these times will increase your odds of avoiding an accident.

Holidays

On certain days of the year, St. Louis car accident attorney offices receive a significant spike in calls. These are the days after major holidays. You might be able to guess a few of the holidays that are the most dangerous, but some of them will surprise you. According to the US Department of Transportation, the six holidays that are most dangerous are Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Christmas, and New Years Day (source: NHTSA). The primary reason for this is alcohol consumption. On these days of the year, the majority of people have work off. They frequently drink alcohol at parties with friends or family, and some of them choose to drive afterward. The results are often fatal.

Days of the Week

Something that might come as a surprise to you is that the most dangerous day of the week does not have a rush hour. Instead, it is Saturday (source: NHTSA). The reason for this seems to be the same as for holiday danger: Alcohol consumption. Given that the second and third most dangerous days are Friday and Sunday, this theory holds up. One more contributing factor is the speeds people are going at due to lack of traffic. Though road congestion is frustrating, it does not usually lead to fatal crashes. When the roads are clear, drivers have more freedom to drive fast, making their accidents much more severe.

Times of Day

The last metric you should know about is time of day. The most dangerous time range is 4:00-6:59 PM, followed closely by 7:00-9:59 (source: NHTSA). Three factors contribute to this trend. First, rush hour can be a dangerous time. Drivers are often frustrated after a long day at work and want to rush home. The result is speeding and aggressive driving. The second factor is visibility. As the sun sets, people lose their ability to see the road. This leads to making mistakes. Lastly, alcohol is a significant contributor again. The later in the day it gets, the more likely it is for people to be drinking. This raises the frequency of fatal crashes significantly.

Now that you know what days and times are most dangerous, you can do your best to avoid them. Sometimes, you cannot pause your life just for road safety, but other times you can. This is especially true of holidays. If you can, it is often a good idea to try staying in one place all day and avoid the roads altogether.

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3 Things You Should Know About St. Louis Bicycle Accidents

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If you understand bicycle accidents and the safety tips associated with them, you will hopefully be able to avoid a collision altogether.

bike accident stl

When two cars get into an accident, there is a broad range of outcomes. Often, crashes are at relatively low speeds, nobody gets hurt, and vehicle damage is minimal. On the other hand, St. Louis bicycle accidents are very often severe. While the person in the vehicle is usually safe from harm, the cyclist is likely to sustain a severe injury. This leads to more complicated personal injury cases with higher stakes. Ideally, if you understand bicycle collisions and the safety tips associated with them, you might be able to avoid a collision altogether.

The Statistics

Below, we list some relevant statistics regarding bicycle collisions. Each of them comes from the NHTSA 2016 Traffic Safety Facts report.

Frequency – While fatalities from bicycle collisions are relatively uncommon, they still happen every day. In fact, the NHTSA found that these crashes caused 840 deaths in 2016 alone.

Location – As you might imagine, the majority of bicycle collisions happen in urban areas. The official breakdown is 71% urban and 29% rural. This makes sense, as cities feature more bicyclists, drivers, and dangerous driving behavior.

Timing – The NHTSA reports that the most fatalities happen between 6:00-9:00 PM. There are two reasons for this. First, it is dark for part of this time range, which decreases visibility. Second, this is a prime commuting time, which means there are more cars on the road.

Avoidance Tips

The following are two critical behavioral tweaks you can make to increase your chances of avoiding an accident.

Don’t Multitask – The best way to avoid collisions is by giving the road your full attention. When you take your eyes off of the road, you increase your chances of hitting bicyclists and other cars.

Check Your Blind Spot – One of the most common ways vehicles hit bikes is when the bicyclist is in the driver’s blind spot. This often happens when a driver is taking a right turn and ends up unknowingly swerving into the rider.

Liability

You might think that because a car is much larger and a cyclist is more likely to get injured, liability is always placed on the driver. This is not the case. Bicycles are considered a vehicle, and thus have to follow the rules of the road. Just like if you get into an accident with another car, if the cyclist is breaking the law or being excessively careless, under some circumstances they could be found liable.

If you were on a bicycle and were hit by a car, it is a good idea to speak with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer to ensure your legal rights are protected. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE consultation.

How to Prevent Road Rage

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Road rage affects the majority of drivers and contributes to many fatalities each year.

how to prevent road rage

Some people are saints out on the road. They are polite, defensive, and never lose their cool. Others are the exact opposite. Their tempers flare easily, and they get caught up in a fit of road rage. Unfortunately, this kind of behavior is hazardous for them and the people around them. After a few months or years of doing this, they may unfortunately end up in a severe auto accident. The best way to avoid this is to keep your cool when driving. Below, we explain common triggers, why road rage is so dangerous, and how to prevent it.

Common Triggers

A few typical situations that elicit road rage are being cut off, not being allowed to pass, being tailgated, receiving obscene gestures, and being caught behind a slower driver.

Why It Is Dangerous

Though drunk driving steals the headlines, experts believe that aggressive driving is the number one cause of accidents in the US. In fact, AAA believes that over half of all car accident fatalities are due to at least one party being angry and aggressive. If you think about times you or somebody else have been mad on the road, this makes a lot of sense. A person filled with rage not only loses their concentration, but may deliberately start driving in an unsafe manner. They may engage in some of the most dangerous driving acts, like rapid lane changing or tailgating, to try and battle it out with another driver. These acts lead to crashes, and crashes often lead to deaths.

Tips for Avoidance

Fighting against road rage is very similar to suppressing anger in other contexts. A few of the most useful tips include:

Listen To Soothing Music – A tough day in traffic is not the best time to break out your most hardcore music. It will only contribute to your anger and make you more unsafe. Instead, opt for calming music like classical or jazz.

Calmly Get Away From Annoyances – If a car in front of you is going too slow or a car behind you is tailgating, getting angry is not going to solve your problem. If you can, get some distance between you and whoever is bothering you.

Don’t Engage With Angry Drivers – One of the most common ways people get roped into road rage is when other angry drivers start to show aggression. When this happens, take a deep breath and remember that there are more important things in life. Do not make eye contact or be aggressive with the other driver and they will soon lose interest.

Another finding from AAA is that 80% of drivers have experienced significant road rage within the last year. That means that this anger on the road is not a small issue. It affects the majority of drivers and contributes to many fatalities every year. You can do your part to reverse this trend by recognizing your road rage triggers and doing your best to avoid losing your temper. If you end up in a St. Louis car accident with an aggressive driver, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney who can help you get the compensation you are entitled to. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.