When you’re driving in Dayton, Ohio, it’s important to remain alert behind the wheel. Being aware of vehicles around you, foot traffic, and keeping your mind focused on the task at hand will reduce your chances of becoming involved in an auto accident. However, when another driver acts negligently, there may not be much you can do to prevent a car crash. If another driver’s negligence caused you to suffer a catastrophic injury in a motor vehicle collision, a Dayton car accident lawyer on our legal team at Thomas Law Offices can help.
Our Dayton car accident attorneys fight for our clients to get the justice they deserve after a negligent driver caused them harm. When you’re dealing with a legal matter, having an experienced accident lawyer at your side can help you protect your rights. Before learning more about how our personal injury firm can help you, let’s go over some examples of negligence that can lead to car accidents.
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How Does Negligence Cause Car Accidents?
When drivers make risky decisions behind the wheel, it can often result in an auto accident. Some common examples of negligent driving include:
Aggressive or Reckless Driving
Reckless driving is the operation of a vehicle in an unsafe way that may endanger the lives of the motorist, their vehicle’s occupants, and drivers and pedestrians. Some examples of this aggressive driving include:
- Operating a vehicle above the speed limit
- Following other vehicles too closely
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Making unsafe lane changes
These driving behaviors reduce a motorist’s control of their car and limits their reaction time if they need to quickly reduce their speed or steer to avoid an object.
Dayton has had issues with aggressive drivers in the past. This led to the City of Dayton implementing a photo enforcement program specifically to identify speeding motorists along targeted roadways.
Distracted Driving
Another type of dangerous scenario that can put others at risk of getting hurt in a Dayton car accident is sharing the road with distracted drivers. The latter motorists are more apt to make dangerous decisions when behind the wheel of their cars, which results in a distracted driving accident.
Examples of distractions that often grab a motorist’s attention more than operating their vehicle include:
- Texting and driving
- Reaching for objects in the passenger seat or backseat
- Trying to eat while driving
Each of these distractions decreases a driver’s safe operation of their vehicle. It can be tempting to multitask, but distracted driving increases the chances of causing a Dayton car accident.
Drunk Driving
Some drivers may make the dangerous decision to get behind the wheel of their car when they’re intoxicated. Alcohol, drugs, and other substances can impair a driver’s:
- Judgment or responsiveness to stimuli
- Vision
- Ability to remain in control of the vehicle
If you were in an accident that was some other driver’s fault, it might have happened because the at-fault driver exhibited one of the negligent behaviors above. However, it’s also important to know that the other driver may not have been at fault, either. Let’s address who else might have been responsible for causing the crash other than the other driver.
Third-Party Negligence for Auto Accidents
There are some scenarios where another driver isn’t responsible for a Dayton car accident; however, a third party, such as an auto part manufacturer, may be.
For example, a driver’s car may have had a defective auto part installed in it. If they were driving when the brakes failed or the tire blew out, it could have caused them to lose control of their vehicle. While their vehicle failed, it wasn’t because the driver was negligent. In this case, the manufacturing company may be at fault.
Going up against a manufacturing company and filing a car accident lawsuit can seem intimidating. However, our Dayton car accident lawyers are committed to being by your side every step of the way throughout the legal process.
The attorneys at our personal injury law firm will investigate the car crash to find out how the auto part failed and how it led to the auto accident—and your resulting injuries.
It may not be apparent how your car accident occurred. That’s why having an experienced Dayton car accident lawyer representing your interests is important throughout the personal injury claims process.
Our car accident lawyers are skilled in analyzing crash scenes and gathering information from the police report when trying to figure out why your collision occurred. An experienced car accident lawyer will know how to best utilize that information to build your case to secure maximum compensation for what you’ve been through.
What Are Common Car Accident Types?
Aside from determining negligence, another important aspect of your personal injury claim will be identifying the kind of Dayton car accident you were involved in. Some common types of automobile accidents include the following:
Rear-End Collision
A situation in which a car strikes the back of the motor vehicle in front of them is called a rear-end collision. These car accidents commonly occur in heavy traffic, at red lights, and at stop signs.
One of the most common causes of rear-end car accidents is distracted driving. In this instance, these motor vehicle accidents most commonly occur because drivers:
- Take their eyes off the road
- Don’t see the stopped car in front of them
- Fail to look up in time before they collide with another vehicle
Crashes like these can cause vehicle occupants serious injuries if they occur at a fast rate of speed, thus causing occupants to strike their heads on the dashboard or windshield. Additionally, any impact that travels deep into the passenger compartment may put those individuals seated in the rear portion of the vehicle at significant risk of crush injuries, which can result in them suffering significant harm.
Sideswipe Accident
When two cars drive next to each other, they may get too close and hit each other. A car accident of this sort can be alarming. If both drivers remain in control, they may try to correct their steering to put distance between the vehicles. Unfortunately, one of the drivers could overcorrect and lose control of their vehicle in the process. Severe accidents often result from completely preventable scenarios like this.
Broadside Collision
Also known as a T-bone crash, this type of car accident is when a vehicle strikes the side of another automobile. A car accident like this is most likely to occur at an intersection. A driver making a turn may misjudge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic, or the other driver may not anticipate that the car will turn, resulting in a crash.
Single-Vehicle Car Accident
In a single-vehicle car accident, the driver can veer off the road or strike a fixed object like a tree or telephone pole. A car accident in Dayton like this often occurs due to driver errors, such as the ones listed above.
Rollover Accident
A simple tap on another driver’s bumper while the driver responsible for the strike is traveling at a high rate of speed can cause a rollover type of car accident. A motorist can also cause their own rollover accident if they travel too quickly for conditions or stop suddenly. A rollover can also occur when a driver takes a turn too quickly or hits an object that lifts its wheels.
When a car tips over, drivers have little to no control over the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle can roll into the lane next to them or hit other vehicles on the road.
Your collision may have been different than the examples above. However, rest assured that no matter what kind of accident you were involved in, our Dayton car accident lawyers can determine what happened and who was negligent for it. Reviewing your crash report is the first step in this investigatory process. It’s critical if you plan to file an insurance claim to recover compensation.
All these kinds of car accidents can cause serious injuries. So, let’s take a look at the kinds of physical injuries that can arise after a car crash.
How Severe Are Car Accident Injuries?
Dangerous car crash injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: The impact of a car accident can make the head jolt forward, get bumped, or otherwise suffer blunt force trauma. This can result in traumatic brain injuries like concussions, swelling, or bleeding. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have permanent consequences that make it difficult for you to concentrate, remember events, and speak.
- Neck Injuries: Whiplash can occur if the head snaps back and forth. This condition can be extremely painful and can cause chronic pain.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: If the spinal cord is injured, paralysis can occur below the injury site. Paralysis can be partial or complete. Partial means there’s still some feeling or function below the injury site. Complete means there’s a loss of all feeling and movement.
- Internal Organ Damage: The car accident victim may not know if internal bleeding occurs because it’s not always obvious or visible. Internal organ damage needs immediate medical treatment, or the patient can lose their life.
- Nerve Damage: If certain nerves are permanently damaged in a car accident in Dayton, the victim could lose partial or full feeling and function at the injury site.
- Burn Injuries: If gasoline ignites in the car, the resulting fire can be extremely dangerous. Burn injuries can cause pain, infections, nerve damage and disfigurement.
- Broken Bones: Arms and legs can get crushed in an accident—especially if the other vehicle travels into the passenger compartment. If a bone breaks the skin and protrudes from the wound, the risk of infection increases. Injury victims who have suffered suspected bone fractures in an accident should immediately seek medical attention.
- Lacerations: Broken parts of the car, like shattered pieces of the windshield, can cause dangerous cuts. If debris gets in the wound, it can get infected. This is why car accident victims should receive immediate medical attention to clean the wound to minimize the chances of an infection.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Sprains and other soft tissue injuries may not be noticeable at first, but you may notice pain in your wrist, arm, ankle, or leg. These will also need time to heal and may worsen if a patient doesn’t seek medical care.
You may not be aware that you’ve suffered injuries after an accident. You could walk away feeling shaken but fine. This does not mean you’re free of injuries. After an accident, the adrenaline caused by shock can mask painful symptoms. It could take hours or days for you to notice pain in certain areas.
No matter how you feel, it’s vital for you to see a doctor as soon as possible. They’ll be able to tell you the extent of your injuries and begin starting treatment, putting you on the path to getting your life back on track.
However, full recovery isn’t always a guarantee. If you sustain particularly severe injuries, you may heal to an extent, but it may not get better after that point. Permanent injuries like the loss of a limb, nerve damage, or paralysis could inhibit your ability to return to your job or work, causing you to incur significant medical expenses and lost wages. Your Dayton car accident attorney will compile your medical records to clarify how significantly your injury has and will continue to impact your life.
Damages Our Dayton Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Secure
When you work with the personal injury lawyers at Thomas Law Offices, we calculate your medical bills and research how much future health care may also cost. This composite amount is what we document when making a demand for medical expenses as part of car accident claims we file with an insurance company.
In addition to existing medical bills and future medical costs, the Dayton car accident attorney handling your case may request pay stubs or employment records to show how much lost wages you’ve incurred. Again, car accident claims filed with an insurance company often request reimbursement of lost income as a component of a fair compensation offer. It may also be possible to obtain compensation from the insurance company for any future lost earnings you may have, depending on the extent of your injuries.
While economic damages like the ones above are recoverable by filing a claim with an insurance company, so too are non-economic damages such as ones associated with:
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Losses of enjoyment of life
One detail that you can rest assured of is that when you’ve suffered injuries in a crash, and you work with a car accident attorney from our Dayton law firm, we won’t settle with an insurance company until we recover compensation that’s ample to cover the expenses you’ve incurred or will do so in the future.
Get Help From an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Today
You should have a Dayton car accident attorney representing your case to give yourself the strongest chance of receiving full compensation for all that you’ve endured. Get in touch with Thomas Law Offices today to discuss your car accident.
We’ll review your police report, assess your property damage, and analyze your medical records during a free consultation to determine how clear liability is. We’ll then calculate the losses you’ve amassed due to the other driver’s negligence.
Together, we can go over your options and find the best way for you to move forward. When you have peace of mind that your Dayton car accident lawyer from Thomas Law Offices is handling your case, you can return your focus to your recovery.
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