When you are involved in a car accident and suffer injuries, your life can feel like it has been turned upside down. If you have been injured and unable to work, it can make meeting your monthly obligations difficult, not to mention the mounting medical bills you have likely now incurred. Consider calling an injury attorney in Lake Charles Louisiana.
Your only concern should be recovering from your injuries and not the escalating stress of financial insecurity. Lundy Lundy Soileau and South’s legal team are passionate about helping victims of car accidents in Lake Charles Louisiana navigate the complex legal system to receive commensurate compensation they are entitled to for over 33 years.
Our team of experienced attorneys have helped the injured and their families in the following areas:
- Fatal Car Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Impaired Driver Accidents
- 18-Wheeler Accidents
- Commercial Truck Accidents
- Distracted Driving Accidents
- Uninsured and Under Insurance Motorist Accidents
Car Accident Statistics
According to SaferAmerica.com, there are more than 143 million Americans commuting on our roadways daily. Considering human error, distracted driving, impaired driving, improperly maintained vehicles, manufacturer recalls, drowsy driving, speeding, and new drivers, it’s easy to see why there are roughly 6 million accidents a year in the U.S.
- Of the 6 million accidents per year, nearly 3 million result in injury, and 2.6 million emergency room visits.
- 47,327 people were involved in fatal car accidents in 2017. That means nearly 111 people every day don’t make it home to their families.
- Saturday night between midnight and 3 am are the deadliest 3 hours of the week, followed closely by 6 pm – 9 pm Saturday.
- 95% of all fatal accidents involved passenger light trucks and cars (light trucks include SUVs, pickups, and vans).
- Large Trucks (18-wheelers, semi-trucks, commercial trucks) accounted for 8% of fatal accidents.
- The accident fatality rate is lower for females than males in every age bracket except children.
- Car accidents are higher among 16-19-year-old drivers than other age groups. Males in this age group are twice as like as females to be involved in a fatal accident.
Impaired Driving Statistics
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, marijuana, after alcohol, is the most common drug linked to impaired driving. During a lifetime, approximately 3 out of 5 people will be involved in an accident due to a drunk or impaired driver. Additional statistics:
- An impaired driver is 36 times more likely to be involved in a car wreck.
- 12.8 million drivers over 16 years of age drove after using illicit drugs.
- Among drug-positive drivers involved in fatal accidents, 4% tested positive for a combination of opioids and marijuana, 16% tested positive for opiates, 38% tested positive for marijuana, and 42% tested positive for other drugs.
- According to the Govenors Highway Safety Association, the number of fatal traffic accidents involving at least one drug positive driver has doubled over a decade.
- In a 2016 USA Today report shared that 50 mg of diphenhydramine (a popular OTC antihistamine) impairs a driver more than a BAC of 0.10%. The legal BAC limit is under 0.08% in most states.
- DrivingTest.org reports that driving while sick with a common cold can decrease a driver’s reaction time by as much as a BAC of 0.08%, not including the medication that might be taken to treat the cold
- In accidents involving motorcycles, 90% were drug or alcohol-related, compared to 33% of automobile accidents.
Distracted Driving Statistics
Distracted driving represents a growing problem in the United States. The CDC estimates 3,276 fatalities and 364,000 accidents a year are due to distracted driving in the United States. Distracted driving is defined as anything that takes your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road or mind off driving.
The most common driving distractions are:
- Eating while driving
- Changing radio stations
- Adjusting car controls
- Setting a GPS device
- Talking to car occupants
- Talking on a cell phone
- Texting on a cell phone
- Checking email on a cell phone
- Checking on children in the rear seat
- Retrieving a fallen object
Accidents are more likely to happen close to home.
ACCIDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN CLOSE TO HOME
Most drivers worry about accidents during long-distance travel, during the holidays or while on vacation. But most accidents occur within 5 to 15 miles of your home. This is attributed to drivers letting down their guard in their comfort zone. A comfort zone is a regularly traveled route when not much thought is required to get to and from the destination.
Most drivers worry about accidents during long-distance travel, during the holidays or while on vacation. But most accidents occur within 5 to 15 miles of your home. This is attributed to drivers letting down their guard in their comfort zone. A comfort zone is a regularly traveled route when not much thought is required to get to and from the destination.
Most travel occurs within ten miles of a person’s home, from dropping children off at school, going to work, grocery shopping, to fueling your vehicle, most drivers conduct these daily activities within that 10-mile radius. Surprisingly, only 1 percent of accidents occur 50 or more miles from a driver’s home.
Need help after your car accident?
The team of car wreck lawyers at Lundy Lundy Soileau & South are dedicated victims’ advocates, who work diligently to obtain compensation for their injured, dismembered, and wrongful death clients. Allow yourself the benefit of enlisting a professional, knowledgeable in car accident laws in Louisiana. You have one chance to obtain the compensation you need and deserve. Make the right choice, call today (337) 439-0707.
