The leading cause of car accidents in this country is driver error. The National Highway Safety Administration released a study that revealed that in 2012, an estimated 421,000 people were injured in car crashes involving a distracted driver. Mississippi recently passed a law making it illegal for anyone to text while driving in the state. But sometimes, we as drivers have little to no control over an accident, and the injuries we sustain because of an accident or collision are the fault of someone else. If the car crash is not your fault, and it wasn’t caused by another driver, then who, exactly, is to blame?
Types of accidents resulting from non-driver related problems
When driver error or negligence plays no part in your accident, then you may be the victim of:
- Poor vehicle design or construction. In order for everything to go right on the road, your car has to be in proper working order. However, most of us are not mechanics, and rely on service professionals to tell us if a problem needs attention – and we expect that auto manufacturers will let us know if there are potential problems, though it appears that they often don’t. Allegations are all over the news about GM’s faulty ignition switches which cause cars to shut off for no reason, or Takata’s exploding airbags causing injuries, or Volkswagen’s misrepresentations regarding their vehicles emissions and poor design or construction problems like these can be deadly, and the negligence falls at the feet of the manufacturers.
- Poor roadway maintenance. When roadways are badly maintained, they affect your ability to properly operate a vehicle. Potholes cause drivers to suddenly swerve out of their lane of travel. Malfunctioning traffic signals and poor highway maintenance can cause distraction and accidents. One of the leading causes of train accidents comes from defective warning signals, and with the Canadian National/Illinois Central railroad line running right through Southaven, you need to be aware that sometimes these warning signals can malfunction and put you and your family at risk of a serious crash.
- Bad weather. Bad weather can make the first two problems exponentially worse. Heavy rain can make poorly maintained roadways dangerous, and foggy mornings with low visibility like this morning can make matters worse. The rain can also cause leaves to fall on the roads, make them slippery and dangerous, or wash out gravel and debris onto the roads. Even sun glare can lead to accident or a collisions with a stationary object if you are driving around curves or up and down hills.
If you have been injured in an accident, it might not have been avoidable. A skilled Southaven auto accident attorney can make sure that you are protected from improper charges and get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries and property loss. We invite you to contact Taylor Jones Taylor to make an appointment in one of our offices in Southaven, Olive Branch or Hernando.
Benjamin L. Taylor is a lifelong resident of DeSoto County and has distinguished himself in the area of products liability and personal injury law. He has a reputation as a fierce advocate for his clients and has obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements over his career. He has been listed in the publication Super Lawyers of the Mid-South in the area of product liability. To learn more about Mr. Taylor, please refer to his biography page.
