What Is The Most Common Cause of Car Accidents in Georgia?
Posted in Car Accidents
Car accidents in Georgia have a variety of causes, though some are more common than others. Speeding, distracted driving, and operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol often play a role in Georgia car accidents, but the most common causes of crashes throughout the state might be surprising. Learn the most common factors underlying car accidents in the state and how to reduce risk of a crash.
Failure to Signal
Surprisingly, the most common cause of all car accidents in the state is failing to signal. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds that driver error is responsible for most car accidents nationwide, but few research reports show this reason as being the primary factor in crashes.
Many car accidents occur in Georgia when a vehicle makes contact with another in a parallel lane. Improper lane changes can be dangerous and lead to serious injuries, especially when they occur at high speeds such as on freeways. An improper lane change may occur through any number of factors, including:
- Failure to use a turn signal
- Failing to check mirrors and blind spots
- Failure to observe surroundings
- Straddling two lanes
- Failing to provide sufficient space for a lane change
- Failing to account for inclement weather when making a lane change
- Changing lanes when prohibited, such as on a hill or at a steep curve
Who’s at Fault for an Improper Lane Change Accident?
Accidents that involve failures to signal or improper lane changes often create a presumption of fault for the driver who makes the lane change. However, insurance companies can view each scenario differently. Often, claims adjusters will try to pay as little on a lane change claim as possible, citing that since both vehicles were moving in the same direction at the same relative speed, damages should be minimal.
Georgia law holds that everyone who operates a motor vehicle must exercise reasonable care while driving around others. A victim of an improper lane change accident may be able to collect compensation for his or her injuries, pain, and suffering if the following elements apply:
- The driver making the turn owed the victim a duty of care.
- He or she violated that duty of care, committing negligence (e.g., failing to signal or check a blind spot).
- That negligence caused the victim’s injuries or property damage.
- The victim suffered monetary or non-monetary harm as a result.
Collecting compensation for an improper lane change accident can be difficult, especially when it comes to negotiating with an insurance company. In seemingly minor accidents, the full consequences of an injury may not appear until hours or days after a crash. In some cases, an insurance claims adjuster may try to argue that a victim’s injuries could not have resulted from the car crash and must be from something else.
This highlights the need for an Atlanta personal injury attorney to help in the claims process. An experienced car accident attorney can aggressively negotiate on a victim’s behalf and demand fair compensation for the full extent of his or her damages. A car accident claim can also provide compensation not only for a plaintiff’s economic losses, but the intangible costs associated with the accident. These include things like pain, suffering, and loss in life quality.
Improper lane change accidents can be dangerous, leading to serious injuries. In many cases, the driver making the lane change will be at fault for the accident. As a result, he or she will likely be civilly liable for any damages that a victim experiences – both monetary and non-monetary.