A car accident can happen when you least expect it. One moment you are driving home after an evening out with friends and, the next, you are fighting for dear life en route to the ER. If you are involved in an accident, it helps to note that you may be eligible for compensation for the resulting economic and non-economic damages. 

Fault is the basis upon which car accident claims are litigated and determined. In other words, to pursue the other party for damages, you must prove that they were at fault. But how do you do this following a car wreck in Missouri?

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There’s been a disturbing trend in the last few years all over the nation: While the total number of motor vehicle wrecks decreased, the total number of fatalities rose. In fact, between 2019 and 2020, fatal wrecks per mile driven rose 21% – the largest yearly increase since records started being kept.

The news is equally grim on a local level, here in Missouri. Recently released data from 2022 indicates that roadway fatalities increased for the third year in a row.

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Delivery fleets are much bigger than they were even a few years ago. The average American household receives far more packages now than in years past, thanks in no small part to the rise of online shopping. People buy everything from their groceries to their wardrobes online, resulting in huge delivery fleets for the largest package delivery companies and even proprietary delivery fleets working for large retailers and popular restaurants.

The surge in demand for delivery services has been a boon for those looking for a second job or a way to control their personal income stream. People can work part-time as delivery drivers or take a new position where they work several long shifts a week delivering hundreds of packages.

Unfortunately, more delivery vehicles on the street have also led to more crashes. Delivery drivers may perform unpredictable maneuvers and park in very unsafe locations. What protection do you have after a collision involving a delivery vehicle?

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The initial aftermath of a road traffic collision can be very traumatic. You may be in severe pain and have suffered injuries that are obviously quite serious. In some instances, the pain will subside, and your injuries will recover relatively quickly. In other cases, the opposite can happen.

Your accident may result in you suffering from something that’s referred to as chronic pain syndrome. Essentially, this means that you’re suffering from pain that has lasted for more than six months and has impacted your day-to-day living. This can be a tough condition to manage, but outlined below are a few tips that will hopefully aid you.

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Your seat belt in your car is something that you probably take for granted – especially if you aren’t old enough to remember a time when cars didn’t automatically have them, and nobody had ever heard of a car “beeping” to remind you to put one on.

Seat belts can (and do) play a major role in some car accident claims. Here’s how:

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There is no doubt that smartphones have transformed life. On your smartphone, you can check and reply to your emails, texts and charts, catch up with family and friends on social media, listen to your favorite music and check the GPS for directions all instantaneously. 

However, while cell phones make life fun and easy, their use while performing sensitive tasks like driving a motor vehicle is a different ball game altogether. In fact, phone distraction is one of the leading causes of auto accidents.

But exactly how do cell phones cause distractions? Here are three types of distractions that are caused by cell phone use:

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Car crashes occur because of driving mistakes, the failure of important vehicle systems and sometimes road conditions. Certain factors, like the time of day, can also contribute to the likelihood of someone getting hurt on the road.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the nighttime is when your risk of a motor vehicle collision is at its peak. More crashes, especially more fatal crashes, occur after dark than at any other time of day.

During the winter months, roughly half of the day may involve low levels of light or transitional light during sunrise and sunset. Even during the summer when the nighttime is relatively brief, crash risk increases as light levels decline. What makes nighttime driving so dangerous?

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Most drivers have been distracted behind the wheel at some point. Any time a driver talks on the phone, texts, eats something or looks at a passenger in the vehicle, their attention is diverted from the task of driving. 

Unfortunately, accidents can happen in seconds and result in serious injuries and fatalities. Learning more about distracted driving can help drivers see why this is so dangerous and why it should be avoided. 

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Fog can be scary. This is especially the case when your visibility is reduced significantly. 

For some, the best option is to pull to a safe location and wait for the fog to dissipate. However, if you have somewhere urgent to be, you may not have a choice but to keep going. In these cases, you should take steps to protect yourself and others on the road. 

If you are hit while driving in the fog due to someone else’s recklessness or negligence, you have legal options to recover compensation. However, it is in everyone’s best interest for you to use the tips below:

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It is a cold comfort to know that the other driver is the one at fault for a crash. Especially when they do something obviously dangerous and illegal, like driving while intoxicated, you may want more justice than just a determination of fault.

You want them to pay for the injury they cause to you and the damage they cause to your property. Thankfully, state law does multiple ways for those affected by a drunk driving collision to pursue justice.

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