The Commonwealth of Virginia operates the nation’s third-largest state-maintained highway system. Millions of residents and visitors travel the state’s 57,867 miles to get to work, run errands, and travel for pleasure and business. While many of those commuters do arrive at their destination safely, thousands end up seriously injured or dead because of the negligent actions of another driver. Although any vehicle crash can potentially cause serious to severe injuries, accidents that occur on highways are often more catastrophic, usually due to the higher speeds at which vehicles are traveling. The following are some of the most common causes of highway accidents that our Norfolk personal injury attorneys see in the cases we handle.
Distractions
Distracted driving is quickly becoming one of the most common causes of car accidents. Whenever a driver takes their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, or their mental focus off of driving their vehicle, they put themselves and everyone around them at risk of being injured or killed in a crash. And because vehicles are traveling at higher speeds on a highway than local roads, they require more time to slow down if something requires the driver to decrease speed, such as another vehicle coming into their lane. A driver who is looking at their phone when another vehicle drives in front of them may not notice them in time and fail to decrease their speed in time, causing a horrific rear-end crash.
Speeding
Whether the road a vehicle is on is local or highway, speeding can cause crashes. Speed limits are already higher on highways, so when a driver exceeds those limits, the impact of a collision can be even more devastating than at lower speeds. When a vehicle travels at high speeds, its safety restraint systems are greatly limited in how effective they can be in the event of a crash. The vehicle braking system is also affected, taking longer to slow the vehicle down or come to a complete stop. There is also a much higher risk of the driver losing control of the vehicle when traveling at excessive speeds.
Lane Changes
A driver who fails to check to make sure the lane is clear and check their blind spots before they switch lanes can cause a terrible crash. A lane change while traveling over the speed limit is another common cause of highway accidents. When a driver changes lanes while speeding, they are putting themselves and any other motorists near them in danger.
Driver Fatigue
More than 325,000 vehicle accidents each year are related to driver fatigue. Many of these occur on highways due to the monotonous stretches of road, with nothing to look at but miles and miles of white lines. Commercial truck drivers are particularly susceptible to driver fatigue due to the long hours they spend driving, often on highways. Any driver who feels like they are having a hard time focusing on staying awake should immediately pull over to a safe area to get some rest.
Call Our Personal Injury Law Firm
Unfortunately, no matter how many precautions we take, negligent drivers are always on the road who ignore safety and do not take the same precautions. If you are injured in a crash caused by another driver, a Norfolk personal injury lawyer can assist you in obtaining financial compensation for any losses you have suffered as a result of those injuries. These losses include medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, permanent disability, scarring, and more.
Contact the legal team from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp today to set up a free and confidential case evaluation and learn your legal options.
For over twenty years, Mr. Sharp's law practice has focused on serious personal injury claims, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury claims. He also handles nursing home neglect cases and medical malpractice claims. Mr. Sharp has counseled numerous clients about the complexities concerning litigation of both pediatric and adult brain injury. Mr. Sharp has been awarded the AV Preeminent ranking by Martindale, the highly respected and widely utilized directory of lawyers throughout the world. AV Preeminent status is awarded only to those lawyers who achieve the highest level of success within the legal field and is a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers and Judges rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been recognized as a "Best Lawyer" by U.S. News for personal injury, an accolade awarded to only a small fraction of lawyers. Mr. Sharp has also been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top personal injury lawyers in Virginia. This recognition is awarded only to those lawyers who have achieved the highest level of success and have been recognized by their peers as demonstrating the highest level of professional excellence.
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