Serious car accidents occur across the country every day. While there are several causes of these, one of the most common is speeding. Federal and state transportation departments are constantly conducting studies and researching the causes of traffic accidents. Knowing why they occur will help put measures in place to prevent these accidents and help save lives.
According to information from the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), speeding is still the cause of over 25% of all fatal accidents nationwide. Speeding is a choice. It is a form of negligence that can result in serious consequences, including fatalities.
If you are involved in an accident caused by someone speeding, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for your injuries and losses. It’s smart to contact a Daytona Beach car accident lawyer for help with this claim and to ensure you get the quality representation your case deserves.
Learn more about speeding and its impact on roadway safety here.
Speeding Is the Leading Cause of Car Accidents Across the Country
When you are in school, you learn Newton’s Second Law of Motion. This describes the relationship between acceleration, mass, and force, which is expressed in the equation F=MA, or force equals mass times acceleration. When an accident occurs with high levels of force, they are extremely dangerous and have the potential to be fatal. They also typically involve large mass (such as commercial trucks or other large vehicles) and high acceleration (speeding).
If a driver increases their speed, it means there’s more force when an impact occurs. This also means the likelihood of serious injuries and fatalities is much higher.
Commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when they are fully loaded. As a result, they are extremely dangerous when the driver speeds. The mass of these trucks is more than 20 times what a passenger vehicle weighs and when the driver speeds, the potential force of an impact is significant.
Besides resulting in more serious accidents, speeding has several other consequences. These include:
- Losing control of the vehicle. When a driver speeds, it is challenging to control their vehicle, especially if they encounter a hazard on the road or a reckless driver. Speeding also makes it more challenging to safely maneuver around curves and sharp turns.
- Safety equipment is less effective. Airbags and seat belts are important safety equipment; however, if someone is speeding when an accident occurs, the potential of them preventing an injury or fatality is low.
- Increased stopping distance. When a vehicle is speeding, it requires more stopping distance, which may not be possible in an emergency and can result in a serious accident.
- More expensive accidents. Speeding results in more serious accidents (as mentioned above) and increases the cost of medical care, property damage, and how long a victim must remain out of work.
- Increased fuel consumption. When someone speeds, they are using more gasoline.
Common Injuries Caused in Speeding Accidents
When a driver speeds, it causes more severe accidents, which result in more serious and catastrophic injuries for the victims. Bicyclists, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians who are struck by a speeding driver are much more likely to die because of the collision. If a victim does not pass away at the time of impact, they may still pass away due to their injuries. If this happens, the victim’s family has the right to file a wrongful death claim. It’s smart for the deceased person’s family members to contact a Daytona Beach car accident lawyer from Zimmet & Zimmet to protect their rights and recover the compensation they are entitled to.
Some of the most common potentially fatal injuries that can occur because of a speed-related accident include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
It’s possible for a driver or passenger to experience a TBI in almost any car accident. However, they are much more likely when excessive speed is involved.
If a driver or passenger’s vehicle is struck by someone speeding, it can cause a blow or jolt to their body or blunt force trauma to their head. A TBI injury, like a concussion, will have mild symptoms after the accident. However, more severe TBIs can result in loss of consciousness, paralysis, and death.
Many victims of a TBI injury mistake their symptoms for disorientation or confusion due to a traumatic event. Unfortunately, many brain injuries considered mild at first can have debilitating effects on a victim’s life.
Sometimes, a severe TBI can result in permanent impairments or even a fatality at some point in a person’s life. In some situations, the complications of this injury can cause death soon after the accident or reduce the victim’s quality of life and result in death several years down the road. Serious TBIs can result in blood clots or a brain bleed that are also potentially deadly.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Another injury commonly seen in car accidents involving a speeding driver is a spinal cord injury. In some situations, this injury can also be fatal. The damage that occurs from this type of injury will usually depend on where the cord was damaged. Usually, the higher on the spine an injury occurs, the worse the symptoms, and there’s an increased likelihood of the injury causing the victim’s death.
Suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident can result in lifelong issues for the victim. Because of the long-term effects of this injury, it’s smart to hire a Daytona Beach car accident lawyer for assistance when filing a lawsuit.
Don’t Wait to Contact Our Legal Team for Help with Your Accident Claim
When drivers speed, they put their lives and the lives of others at risk. Being struck by a speeding driver can result in serious, long-term injuries that will affect your life forever. Because of the seriousness of these accidents, it’s important to contact a Daytona Beach car accident lawyer from Zimmet & Zimmet to help you file a personal injury lawsuit.
Our legal team has years of experience representing accident victims just like you and will use our knowledge and resources to help you recover the compensation you deserve. The first step is to contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation.
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