How Pregnancy Affects Car Accident Settlements
Getting injured in a car accident is always a scary and unsettling experience but it is even scarier for pregnant women who are protecting a fetus in their womb. A serious accident while pregnant can cause medical complications for both the mother and unborn child, including premature labor. When you factor in the additional potential for damages – injuries and expenses related to the accident and resulting injuries – it is reasonable to ask: how much can pregnant women get from a car accident settlement?
In this article, we will discuss the risks to a pregnant mother and her fetus from a car accident and car accident claims for pregnant women.
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Determining Fault in Accidents Caused by a Medical Emergency
It can be tricky to determine fault in any motor vehicle accident but when the driver who caused a crash was experiencing a medical emergency, it adds to the confusion. Insurance companies are just as interested in determining fault in accidents caused by a medical emergency as they are in any other accident.
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident with a driver who experienced a medical emergency, it is in the injured party’s interest to seek help from a local car accident lawyer to help fight for the settlement you deserve.
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Will I Automatically Get a Car Accident Settlement?
People injured in car accidents because of the negligence of another driver have the legal right to file a claim that seeks compensation for their losses. This right should not be conflated with a guarantee; people injured in car accidents will not automatically get a car accident settlement and, in fact, not all insurance claims for car accidents result in settlements. At-fault insurance companies will do just about anything they can to weasel out of paying a fair settlement – or any settlement at all – if they can get away with it. They will use the lack of damage to your vehicle or your prior medical history to claim that you could not have been injured by their driver. This is why it is so important to seek the help of an experienced car accident lawyer who knows all the insurance industry tricks.
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What To Do If You are Hit by an Unlicensed Driver
Because of the risks involved with driving, all drivers in the United States, including Washington State, are required to have a driver’s license to operate a vehicle. Unfortunately, there is always a percentage of people who don’t comply. At any given time, there are people driving on U.S. roads without a valid license; most often because their license was suspended or revoked. This selfish choice puts other drivers on the road with them at risk of being hit by an unlicensed driver.
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What to Do If You are in a Hit and Run Accident
A hit and run accident makes the stress and trauma of a car accident even worse, especially when someone is seriously injured or killed in the collision. When the person who may be responsible for the crash flees the scene without exchanging information with the other driver, there is a legitimate fear that the driver may not be held responsible for the accident and injuries they caused.
As car accident lawyers, we have seen an increase in hit and run accidents in the last 24 months. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), overall traffic crashes and injuries were down in 2020 but fatal crashes and fatalities increased and deaths in hit-and-run crashes jumped by 26 percent.
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What Not to Say After a Car Accident
Anyone who has been in a car accident knows the amount of adrenaline that starts pumping through your body. It’s a very stressful situation that can make us drop our guard right at the time we need to keep our cool. It’s safe to assume that anything said to the other driver or a responding police officer after a collision will be used against you, making it more difficult to file a claim and get fair compensation for your losses. Read on to learn what not to say after a car accident so you can protect yourself.
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Distracted Driving Awareness Month Kicks Off in WA State with Extra Distracted Driving Patrols
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Across the United States, Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a unified effort to raise awareness about the risks of distracted driving to help put an end to preventable deaths and injuries on our roads.
As reported by khq.com, in Washington State, law enforcement agencies are stepping up patrols for distracted driving behaviors for a week, starting today through April 11, 2022. These extra patrols will be stationed at intersections and other areas with a focus on finding drivers who are engaged in driving behaviors that take their attention away from the road. A citation for a first offense is $136 and a second offence jumps up to $234.
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Failure to Secure a Load Leads to Fatality
Debris of any kind that lands on the roadway is a serious safety hazard. Every year in North America, road litter causes 25,000 accidents and almost 100 fatalities. Washington State has more than 400 accidents annually caused by road debris; failure to secure a load is a common part of this problem. Many of these accidents and injuries could be prevented by properly securing a load.
Typically, debris ends up on the road because it is either not loaded properly or secured properly and then goes flying when the vehicle is moving. When material of any kind falls off of a vehicle because it isn’t properly secured, it is littering. According to Washington State Patrol Records, approximately 37 percent of all litter-related citations issued by Washington State Patrol are for a failure to secure a load. An additional 22 percent of citations are issued for debris escaping from loads.
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Factors Involved in Distracted Driving
As drivers, we have a duty to pay attention to what’s on the road. Distracted driving is when drivers engage in another activity that takes their attention away from driving; it is a known risk factor for increasing the chances of car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving was responsible for the loss of 3,142 lives in 2019.
There are four main types of driving distractions:
- visual (taking eyes off the road)
- Manual (taking hands off the steering wheel)
- Auditory (oral distraction)
- Cognitive (mental distraction)
Fatal Bellingham Head-On Collision Leads to Suspected DUI
While we have made great strides on education around the consequences of drinking and driving, there are still far too many accidents involving alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each day about 28 Americans die in DUI crashes. In the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, more than 10,000 people died every year in drunk driving car accidents.
We Fight for Victims of DUI Crashes
Tario & Associates, P.S. has over 40 years’ experience representing victims of drunk driving car accidents. When you have been seriously injured through no fault of your own you may need a legal advocate who will fight for the settlement you deserve. Free consultations and no up-front fees make hiring a car accident lawyer the right choice for many accident victims. Contact us today!