Hasner Law | Car Accidents | August 31, 2017
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, as many as 1,130 people lost their lives in car accidents across the state in 2016, while a further 112,526 sustained injuries. Car crash-related injuries can leave victims permanently disabled, unable to work, or in chronic pain for the rest of their lives, which can make it all but impossible to stay on top of medical bills and household expenses. Fortunately, in Georgia, injured parties may be able to collect compensation for their losses if they can demonstrate that another party’s negligence caused or contributed to their car accident.
Common Car Accident Causes
Predicting when a car crash will occur is extremely difficult, if not impossible, which is why car accidents often leave victims so shaken and disoriented. However, there are some behaviors that are known to increase a person’s chances of being involved in a car accident, including:
- Consuming drugs or alcohol prior to driving
- Driving while fatigued or otherwise distracted
- Speeding or driving aggressively
- Swerving to avoid road debris
- Changing lanes in an unsafe manner
- Making improper turns
- Tailgating
While driver error is one of the most common causes of car accidents, some crashes are the result of a third party’s negligent actions. For instance, many accidents are caused by a vehicle malfunction that can be traced to a defect in the vehicle’s design or production. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), estimates that around 60 percent of fatal car crashes involve a single vehicle that crashed as a result of a defect.
Potential Injuries
The severity of the injuries suffered by a car accident victim depends largely on a series of factors, including:
- The age and health of the passengers
- The speed at which the vehicle was traveling prior to the collision
- The size of the vehicles involved in the crash
- Whether the parties were wearing seat belts
- The number of cars involved in the collision
However, there are certain types of injuries that occur regularly in car crashes, including:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Mild to severe lacerations
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Paralysis and nerve damage caused by spinal cord injuries
- Burns
Many of these injuries are difficult and expensive to treat. Furthermore, even after a person receives treatment, he or she may continue to struggle with scarring, disfigurement, or disability. In fact, some injured parties are forced to pay for ongoing medical expenses, such as medication, physical therapy, and specialized medical equipment, for years after their accidents.
Being forced to pay for these expenses can be especially frustrating for those who sustained injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence. Fortunately, negligent or reckless individuals can be required to compensate those injured by their actions for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Contact an Experienced Atlanta Car Accident Attorney at Hasner Law PC Today
Although no amount of compensation may be able to return a car accident victim to his or her pre-accident state of health, collecting damages from the responsible parties can go a long way toward helping him or her begin the long road to recovery.
For more information, please contact the Atlanta car accident law firm of Hasner Law P.C. at our nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in Fulton County, Chatham County, and its surrounding areas:
Hasner Law PC – Atlanta Law Office
2839 Paces Ferry Rd SE #1050
Atlanta, GA 30339
(678) 888-4878
Hasner Law PC – Savannah Law Office
221 W York St
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-2334
