Drunk driving, poor maintenance, running red lights, all of these are common causes of St. Louis car accidents. When you have suffered as a result of a negligent driver, you need to consider working with an attorney who can try and set things right. A trial lawyer could evaluate the extent of your losses and fight for you right to compensation from any wrongdoer involved with your injuries. Start today by calling our law offices.
Common Causes of Car Wrecks in St. Louis
Some of the most common car collision cases in St. Louis involve rear-end accidents and “T-bone accidents”, where the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle. Rear-end and T-bone car accidents happen most commonly because of inattention, such as texting and driving, drunk driving, talking with somebody in the vehicle, bending down to pick something up off the floor, paying attention to the radio or the phone or any other form of inattention.
Weather conditions may play a large role in car crashes as well. When roads are wet or covered in snow or ice, drivers must drive according to the road conditions. When drivers fail to respect the road conditions, they are more likely to slide into your car, into oncoming traffic, or otherwise cause an accident.
Medical conditions could also cause car accidents. Poor eyesight makes it more difficult to see well at night which may lead to a collision. Other medical issues such as color blindness, seizures, and heart attacks could cause accidents as well.
Effects of Drunk Driving on a Case
Injuries are often more extensive when drunk driving is involved. People who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs tend to be traveling at a high rate of speed and may be weaving on the roadway, both of which increase the severity of the injured party’s injuries. Not surprisingly, there is a potential argument for punitive damages in the event of a drunk driving accident because of the aggravating circumstances associated with making a decision to operate a vehicle while intoxicated.
Speeding and How that Influences a Case
In most cases, driving over the speed limit is illegal and therefore considered negligent. A high rate of speed increases the injuries which, in turn, increases the dama associated with pain and suffering. Speeding is predominantly going to be a negligence issue and not a punitive issue, but there is no question that the higher the rate of speed, the more likely the injuries would be more severe. Injuries can be severe at low rates of speed, but generally, the higher the rate of speed, the likelihood of the injuries being more severe is heightened.
Running A Stop Sign or Red Light
An accident caused by running a stop sign or red light would be determined by the same standard as every motor vehicle accident. Attorneys ask: was there negligent conduct that caused the accident which, in turn, caused the injuries? Was it negligent for the individual to run the stoplight or the stop sign? If the answer to that is yes, then did that negligence of running the red light cause them to hit the vehicle that the injured party was in and, as a result, cause the individual’s injuries?
When a person is driving in the wrong direction or driving at excessive speeds, there needs to be an additional analysis of whether the driver was operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs which would certainly lead to a secondary analysis of whether the case is one that could be viewed as a punitive damages case.
Speak to an Experienced Trial Lawyer
There are a number of common causes of St. Louis car accidents. With that in mind, it is also important for you to know that you are able to recover losses from wrongdoers in the event that a negligent driver caused your wreck. Speaking with an experienced trial lawyer is the first step. An attorney can evaluate the extent of your injuries and bring a claim against the negligent party while keeping in mind the maximum compensation you need. Call today.