Auto accidents can happen in seconds, but the results have the potential to last for the rest of your life. Care for your injuries may be extensive. As you’re missing work and trying to focus on recovery, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to afford the medical expenses. If your auto accident happened because of someone else’s negligence, you can explore your legal options with a Pascagoula auto accident lawyer. Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law is ready to assist you and will protect your rights.
Serving the citizens of Mississippi is a matter we take seriously. We understand how the aftermath of an accident is often full of confusion and turmoil. This is where we step in to put you on the path to moving on from the accident.
Let’s look into the various types of auto accidents, what causes them, and how we can help you.
Common Types of Mississippi Car Accidents
Many people use cars for transportation. While responsible drivers keep safe driving practices in mind, such as keeping their mind on driving, eyes on the road, and both hands on the steering wheel, other drivers may not be as careful. Their negligence can cause accidents that result in severe injuries.
It takes an experienced eye to analyze accident reports and assess the scene or other facts of the case to determine what happened. There are a few types of crashes that are most common:
- Rear-end crashes
- T-bone
- Sideswipe
In a rear-end crash, the negligent driver hits the trunk of the car in front of them. This typically happens when the driver isn’t looking at the road. They either crash into the car because they didn’t see the vehicle was stopped or they finally see the car but it’s too late to avoid the accident. Rear-end crashes can sometimes cause chain-reactions if there is a line of stopped cars. While the negligent driver collides with one car, the impact can travel through the chain and end up causing injuries and damages to multiple people.
T-bone collisions, or broadside collisions, are when a car strikes the side of another vehicle. A broadside collision may occur if a car is turning at an intersection. They could collide with oncoming traffic.
Sideswipes occur when cars are traveling in the same direction and one of the drivers hits the other. When drivers don’t check blind spots or lose control of the wheel, they could collide with the vehicle next to them.
The Dangers of 18-Wheeler Accidents
Truck accidents usually cause severe consequences because of their increased size and weight. In a recent fatal truck accident, an 18-wheeler rear-ended a car on a bridge, which caused the car to fall into the Pascagoula River. The driver of the car lost their life.
There’s also a chance a truck accident could result in catastrophic injuries. If you are no longer able to be gainfully employed, you and your family may experience stress. You may need continued medical care or other forms of assistance to maintain your quality of life.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a big rig accident, you should explore your legal options. Our attorneys will determine the liable party through careful investigation. It’s possible for an inexperienced or negligent truck driver to cause a crash. In some cases, there are other possible liable parties that could have caused your accident.
The trucking company may have put an unsafe vehicle on the road or had negligent hiring practices, so they knowingly put a dangerous driver on the road. They could also push their drivers to have unsafe schedules where the driver will have to ignore regulations to meet the schedule’s demands.
The manufacturing company that makes the truck’s auto parts may have produced a faulty part, such as brakes. If the driver cannot slow down and stop the vehicle, they could lose control and cause a terrible accident.
Filing a claim against a large company may seem intimidating. We’re not afraid to stand up to companies that have caused wrongful injury. Our Pascagoula lawyers will be at your side every step of the way.
Motorcyclists and Pedestrians Are at Risk of Severe Injury
Both motorcyclists and pedestrians lack the protection a car provides. Because there’s nothing to absorb impact, severe injuries and fatalities are common when accidents happen.
Some drivers may not be used to sharing the road with motorcyclists. While they’re used to looking for and passing other cars, they may not see a motorcyclist or know how to safely pass one. If a car hits a motorcyclist, it’s highly likely the biker will lose control and may be thrown from their vehicle.
Motorcyclists are at risk of road rash—where the ground damages the skin. In severe accidents, road rash can cause permanent nerve damage, scarring, and may affect the person for the rest of their life.
Pedestrians have little to no protection in accidents. A negligent driver could ignore the rules of a crosswalk or make a turn too quickly and hit someone. In the United States, the fifth leading cause of injury-related deaths for children and teenagers between the ages of 5-19 is pedestrian accidents.
These accidents are more likely to occur:
- In urban areas
- At non-intersections
- At night
Our lawyers understand the difficulties that severe injuries can cause. When we’re at your side, you’ll have peace of mind a professional is looking out for your rights.
When Negligence Causes an Auto Accident
Our experienced lawyers have assisted auto accident victims in the past and we’ve seen numerous reasons that caused the wrecks. Some of the common reasons accidents happen include:
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Reckless Driving
- Fatigued Driving
Drunk driving accounted for 18% of traffic deaths in Mississippi in 2016. When a driver is impaired, they cannot respond quickly to things on the road or process information about what’s happening around them. Drunk drivers may speed or swerve out of their lane, and can easily lose control of the vehicle.
Using phones, eating food, gawking, or doing any other form of multitasking is considered distracted driving. These actions often take the driver’s eyes off the road and a hand off the wheel. A distracted driver may not have enough reaction time to either brake or avoid something in the road. Distracted driving typically cause rear-end crashes.
Reckless drivers may choose to speed or follow other cars too closely. Drivers that go above the posted speed limit could lose control of their vehicle. If they’re tailgating other cars, they will likely crash into them if the car in front of them has to stop suddenly.
Fatigued driving can affect any driver, but is a common factor in truck accidents. Truckers are often on the road for multiple hours a day, over a span of days at a time. While they’re trying to meet their strict schedule, they may choose to drive when they’re tired instead of stopping to rest. Fatigued drivers can fall asleep at the wheel and cause devastating injuries.
Get Trusted Representation in Pascagoula
When you need assistance with your auto accident claim, you need a lawyer who will fight to get you results. Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law will carefully assess the economic and non-economic losses of the accident and determine your rightful compensation.
Contact the firm today to get started on your case. We’ll schedule an obligation-free consultation to go over the merits of your case and find a way to help you move forward.
