Caldwell Car Accident Lawyer
Idaho Auto Accident Statistics
Across the globe, there are an average of 3,287 deaths every day from automobile accidents. In the United States, more than 37,000 people die from car crashes annually, with an additional 2.35 million being disabled or injured. In the state of Idaho, traffic deaths increased in 2015, with 210 people dying on Idaho roads. Between the years 2010 and 2014, about 40 percent of all accidents in the state of Idaho occurred on the weekend, and males, between the ages of 20 and 24 accounted for the age group most often involved in auto accidents.
Aggressive driving was a factor in nearly a third of all fatal and serious car collisions in Idaho over the past five years, while distracted driving was a factor in about 16 percent of those collisions. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that mental distractions can last as long as 27 seconds after a driver changes the radio station, sends a text using voice commands, or dials a cell phone.
Facing the Consequences of a Caldwell Car Accident
If you have been in a Caldwell car accident, you are likely aware of the long-term repercussions you face. Your injuries could be serious enough to prevent you from returning to work for weeks, months, or even indefinitely. Your medical expenses could be mounting alarmingly, and, if you are unable to work, you could also be unable to pay your regular monthly bills.
The best thing you can do at this point is to take care of your health, while allowing an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney to take care of the legal aspects of your accident. Not only will you be relieved of having to deal with insurance companies and to be aware of the statutes of limitations, you are also likely to receive a much larger settlement when you have a knowledgeable auto accident attorney working hard on your behalf.
What You Should Avoid Following Your Caldwell Car Accident
Hopefully, if you have been in an auto accident, you contacted a Caldwell car accident lawyer quickly, and therefore you have made no mistakes which could affect your future. If you have not yet been involved in an auto accident, it is good to know about the mistakes which could adversely affect you, including:
- Failing to be medically evaluated following the accident. Injuries sustained in a car collision can be extremely serious, and some injuries can take a few days, or even weeks, to manifest. When you are involved in an auto accident, adrenaline floods your body and can mask symptoms of an injury. The best way to ensure you are not seriously injured is to go to the hospital or to your regular physician immediately following the accident in order to be checked out. Further, any advice you receive from your doctor should be closely adhered to. If your doctor tells you not to return to work for at least a week, then follow those instructions to the letter. If you don’t follow your doctor’s instructions—or don’t see a doctor at all—you risk having a future personal injury claim denied when the defendant’s attorney asserts you must not have been injured in the crash or you would have sought medical help.
- Providing too much information to the insurance company. You may be contacted by the other driver’s insurance company soon after the accident. It is extremely important that you understand you are only obligated to give your name, address and insurance information, and the bare facts of the accident. You are not required to give a recorded statement—and should not do so—and you are not required to allow the insurance company access to your medical information. You should avoid saying anything to the insurance company until you have spoken to your Caldwell car accident attorney, as the insurance company will not hesitate to take your statements out of context and use them against you to deny a future claim.
- Admitting fault for the accident. Never, ever admit fault following an automobile accident. First of all, you may not be aware of all the facts surrounding your car accident, so saying you were at fault is extremely premature. Even saying “I’m sorry” to the other driver could imply you were at fault, so do your best to say as little as possible after your accident.
- Failing to bring an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney on board as quickly as possible. Far too many people wait for weeks or months to contact an attorney. During that time, you could inadvertently make mistakes which could cost you a significant amount in the future. Having a knowledgeable car accident attorney by your side from the very beginning can ensure your rights, your future and your health are all properly protected.
Top Causes of Car Accidents
If you wonder what causes most car accidents, then you will be interested to know that in the United States, the majority of car crashes are the result of human error. As you are probably aware, you could be the very safest driver around, and still be involved in an auto accident due to the negligence of another driver. The following factors in auto accidents are the most common reasons for collisions:
- Distracted driving is quickly moving up to the top reason for auto accidents. We have become a nation of multi-taskers, and see no reason to curb that multi-tasking even when we are behind the wheel. We talk on our cell phones, text, eat, read, apply makeup, comb our hair, turn around to see what the children are doing in the back seat, talk to passengers, fiddle with the radio or GPS or daydream about what we will be doing on the weekend rather than paying attention to the road and the other drivers around us.
- Impaired driving is also a top reason for auto accidents, with as many as 25,000 people dying in alcohol-related accidents each year. It is estimated that one out of every two Americans will be involved in an auto accident in which alcohol is a factor in his or her lifetime. Further, where younger Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are concerned, alcohol-related car collisions are the leading cause of death. It is estimated that from the 200 to 2,000 alcohol-impaired drivers on the road at any given moment, only one will be arrested, therefore your chances of being involved in an alcohol-related auto accident are significant.
- Excessive speed is, at least in some research, considered the second-most common cause of auto accidents. Speed limits are meant to reduce road fatalities and accommodate for road conditions, and ignoring those speed limits can negatively affect a driver’s ability to safely operate his or her vehicle. The cost of speeding—assuming you do not have an auto accident—involves the speeding ticket costs, as well as the increase in your insurance premiums. The NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts of 2008 estimated the cost of speeding-related crashes to be as high as $40.4 billion annually, and also estimated that nearly a third of all fatal auto crashes in 2008 were caused, at least in part, by excessive speed.
- Reckless driving factors in to a significant number of auto accidents. Reckless driving occurs when a driver shows disregard for traffic laws and signs or does any of the following: tailgates another driver, weaves in and out of traffic, fails to obey traffic signals or signs, exceeds the speed limit, brakes suddenly, fails to use turn signals, drives while distracted, fails to use headlights at night or in inclement weather, or makes an illegal turn.
- Inclement weather is the cause of many auto accidents, primarily because drivers fail to slow down when the weather turns bad. Rain can leave a road slick, and fog or wind can greatly reduce visibility. When the weather is bad, driver’s must slow down, or pull over until the storm passes.
Other potential causes of auto accidents include low visibility during night driving, design defects in roadways or vehicles, young, inexperienced drivers, potholes or other instances of roads in disrepair, tire blowout, animals crossing the roadways, and driving through a construction site.
Contact Caldwell’s Auto Accident Attorney for Your Auto Accident
Proving fault in your auto accident will be a highly fact-specific issue, and could end up being quite complex. Fault is generally established by showing the other driver was negligent. Negligence usually occurs when a person fails to exercise proper care when performing an activity. In this case, when a driver fails to act with the same level of care another driver would have done, under the same circumstances, he or she may be judged negligent.
To establish negligence, it must first be shown that the other party had a legal responsibility to look out for your safety. Next, it must be shown that the defendant deviated from the required standard of care—often called a breach of duty of care. It must next be shown that there was a connection between the breach of standard of care and your injuries, and that you sustained real harm. If you have been injured in a Caldwell car accident it is important that you speak to an experienced Caldwell attorney early on in order to receive the settlement you deserve.
Additional Resources
Idaho Auto Accident Statistics
Across the globe, there are an average of 3,287 deaths every day from automobile accidents. In the United States, more than 37,000 people die from car crashes annually, with an additional 2.35 million being disabled or injured. In the state of Idaho, traffic deaths increased in 2015, with 210 people dying on Idaho roads. Between the years 2010 and 2014, about 40 percent of all accidents in the state of Idaho occurred on the weekend, and males, between the ages of 20 and 24 accounted for the age group most often involved in auto accidents.
Aggressive driving was a factor in nearly a third of all fatal and serious car collisions in Idaho over the past five years, while distracted driving was a factor in about 16 percent of those collisions. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that mental distractions can last as long as 27 seconds after a driver changes the radio station, sends a text using voice commands, or dials a cell phone.
Facing the Consequences of a Caldwell Car Accident
If you have been in a Caldwell car accident, you are likely aware of the long-term repercussions you face. Your injuries could be serious enough to prevent you from returning to work for weeks, months, or even indefinitely. Your medical expenses could be mounting alarmingly, and, if you are unable to work, you could also be unable to pay your regular monthly bills.
The best thing you can do at this point is to take care of your health, while allowing an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney to take care of the legal aspects of your accident. Not only will you be relieved of having to deal with insurance companies and to be aware of the statutes of limitations, you are also likely to receive a much larger settlement when you have a knowledgeable auto accident attorney working hard on your behalf.
What You Should Avoid Following Your Caldwell Car Accident
Hopefully, if you have been in an auto accident, you contacted a Caldwell car accident lawyer quickly, and therefore you have made no mistakes which could affect your future. If you have not yet been involved in an auto accident, it is good to know about the mistakes which could adversely affect you, including:
- Failing to be medically evaluated following the accident. Injuries sustained in a car collision can be extremely serious, and some injuries can take a few days, or even weeks, to manifest. When you are involved in an auto accident, adrenaline floods your body and can mask symptoms of an injury. The best way to ensure you are not seriously injured is to go to the hospital or to your regular physician immediately following the accident in order to be checked out. Further, any advice you receive from your doctor should be closely adhered to. If your doctor tells you not to return to work for at least a week, then follow those instructions to the letter. If you don’t follow your doctor’s instructions—or don’t see a doctor at all—you risk having a future personal injury claim denied when the defendant’s attorney asserts you must not have been injured in the crash or you would have sought medical help.
- Providing too much information to the insurance company. You may be contacted by the other driver’s insurance company soon after the accident. It is extremely important that you understand you are only obligated to give your name, address and insurance information, and the bare facts of the accident. You are not required to give a recorded statement—and should not do so—and you are not required to allow the insurance company access to your medical information. You should avoid saying anything to the insurance company until you have spoken to your Caldwell car accident attorney, as the insurance company will not hesitate to take your statements out of context and use them against you to deny a future claim.
- Admitting fault for the accident. Never, ever admit fault following an automobile accident. First of all, you may not be aware of all the facts surrounding your car accident, so saying you were at fault is extremely premature. Even saying “I’m sorry” to the other driver could imply you were at fault, so do your best to say as little as possible after your accident.
- Failing to bring an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney on board as quickly as possible. Far too many people wait for weeks or months to contact an attorney. During that time, you could inadvertently make mistakes which could cost you a significant amount in the future. Having a knowledgeable car accident attorney by your side from the very beginning can ensure your rights, your future and your health are all properly protected.
Top Causes of Car Accidents
If you wonder what causes most car accidents, then you will be interested to know that in the United States, the majority of car crashes are the result of human error. As you are probably aware, you could be the very safest driver around, and still be involved in an auto accident due to the negligence of another driver. The following factors in auto accidents are the most common reasons for collisions:
- Distracted driving is quickly moving up to the top reason for auto accidents. We have become a nation of multi-taskers, and see no reason to curb that multi-tasking even when we are behind the wheel. We talk on our cell phones, text, eat, read, apply makeup, comb our hair, turn around to see what the children are doing in the back seat, talk to passengers, fiddle with the radio or GPS or daydream about what we will be doing on the weekend rather than paying attention to the road and the other drivers around us.
- Impaired driving is also a top reason for auto accidents, with as many as 25,000 people dying in alcohol-related accidents each year. It is estimated that one out of every two Americans will be involved in an auto accident in which alcohol is a factor in his or her lifetime. Further, where younger Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are concerned, alcohol-related car collisions are the leading cause of death. It is estimated that from the 200 to 2,000 alcohol-impaired drivers on the road at any given moment, only one will be arrested, therefore your chances of being involved in an alcohol-related auto accident are significant.
- Excessive speed is, at least in some research, considered the second-most common cause of auto accidents. Speed limits are meant to reduce road fatalities and accommodate for road conditions, and ignoring those speed limits can negatively affect a driver’s ability to safely operate his or her vehicle. The cost of speeding—assuming you do not have an auto accident—involves the speeding ticket costs, as well as the increase in your insurance premiums. The NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts of 2008 estimated the cost of speeding-related crashes to be as high as $40.4 billion annually, and also estimated that nearly a third of all fatal auto crashes in 2008 were caused, at least in part, by excessive speed.
- Reckless driving factors in to a significant number of auto accidents. Reckless driving occurs when a driver shows disregard for traffic laws and signs or does any of the following: tailgates another driver, weaves in and out of traffic, fails to obey traffic signals or signs, exceeds the speed limit, brakes suddenly, fails to use turn signals, drives while distracted, fails to use headlights at night or in inclement weather, or makes an illegal turn.
- Inclement weather is the cause of many auto accidents, primarily because drivers fail to slow down when the weather turns bad. Rain can leave a road slick, and fog or wind can greatly reduce visibility. When the weather is bad, driver’s must slow down, or pull over until the storm passes.
Other potential causes of auto accidents include low visibility during night driving, design defects in roadways or vehicles, young, inexperienced drivers, potholes or other instances of roads in disrepair, tire blowout, animals crossing the roadways, and driving through a construction site.
Contact Caldwell’s Auto Accident Attorney for Your Auto Accident
Proving fault in your auto accident will be a highly fact-specific issue, and could end up being quite complex. Fault is generally established by showing the other driver was negligent. Negligence usually occurs when a person fails to exercise proper care when performing an activity. In this case, when a driver fails to act with the same level of care another driver would have done, under the same circumstances, he or she may be judged negligent.
To establish negligence, it must first be shown that the other party had a legal responsibility to look out for your safety. Next, it must be shown that the defendant deviated from the required standard of care—often called a breach of duty of care. It must next be shown that there was a connection between the breach of standard of care and your injuries, and that you sustained real harm. If you have been injured in a Caldwell car accident it is important that you speak to an experienced Caldwell attorney early on in order to receive the settlement you deserve.
Additional Resources
Idaho Auto Accident Statistics
Across the globe, there are an average of 3,287 deaths every day from automobile accidents. In the United States, more than 37,000 people die from car crashes annually, with an additional 2.35 million being disabled or injured. In the state of Idaho, traffic deaths increased in 2015, with 210 people dying on Idaho roads. Between the years 2010 and 2014, about 40 percent of all accidents in the state of Idaho occurred on the weekend, and males, between the ages of 20 and 24 accounted for the age group most often involved in auto accidents.
Aggressive driving was a factor in nearly a third of all fatal and serious car collisions in Idaho over the past five years, while distracted driving was a factor in about 16 percent of those collisions. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that mental distractions can last as long as 27 seconds after a driver changes the radio station, sends a text using voice commands, or dials a cell phone.
Facing the Consequences of a Caldwell Car Accident
If you have been in a Caldwell car accident, you are likely aware of the long-term repercussions you face. Your injuries could be serious enough to prevent you from returning to work for weeks, months, or even indefinitely. Your medical expenses could be mounting alarmingly, and, if you are unable to work, you could also be unable to pay your regular monthly bills.
The best thing you can do at this point is to take care of your health, while allowing an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney to take care of the legal aspects of your accident. Not only will you be relieved of having to deal with insurance companies and to be aware of the statutes of limitations, you are also likely to receive a much larger settlement when you have a knowledgeable auto accident attorney working hard on your behalf.
What You Should Avoid Following Your Caldwell Car Accident
Hopefully, if you have been in an auto accident, you contacted a Caldwell car accident lawyer quickly, and therefore you have made no mistakes which could affect your future. If you have not yet been involved in an auto accident, it is good to know about the mistakes which could adversely affect you, including:
- Failing to be medically evaluated following the accident. Injuries sustained in a car collision can be extremely serious, and some injuries can take a few days, or even weeks, to manifest. When you are involved in an auto accident, adrenaline floods your body and can mask symptoms of an injury. The best way to ensure you are not seriously injured is to go to the hospital or to your regular physician immediately following the accident in order to be checked out. Further, any advice you receive from your doctor should be closely adhered to. If your doctor tells you not to return to work for at least a week, then follow those instructions to the letter. If you don’t follow your doctor’s instructions—or don’t see a doctor at all—you risk having a future personal injury claim denied when the defendant’s attorney asserts you must not have been injured in the crash or you would have sought medical help.
- Providing too much information to the insurance company. You may be contacted by the other driver’s insurance company soon after the accident. It is extremely important that you understand you are only obligated to give your name, address and insurance information, and the bare facts of the accident. You are not required to give a recorded statement—and should not do so—and you are not required to allow the insurance company access to your medical information. You should avoid saying anything to the insurance company until you have spoken to your Caldwell car accident attorney, as the insurance company will not hesitate to take your statements out of context and use them against you to deny a future claim.
- Admitting fault for the accident. Never, ever admit fault following an automobile accident. First of all, you may not be aware of all the facts surrounding your car accident, so saying you were at fault is extremely premature. Even saying “I’m sorry” to the other driver could imply you were at fault, so do your best to say as little as possible after your accident.
- Failing to bring an experienced Caldwell car accident attorney on board as quickly as possible. Far too many people wait for weeks or months to contact an attorney. During that time, you could inadvertently make mistakes which could cost you a significant amount in the future. Having a knowledgeable car accident attorney by your side from the very beginning can ensure your rights, your future and your health are all properly protected.
Top Causes of Car Accidents
If you wonder what causes most car accidents, then you will be interested to know that in the United States, the majority of car crashes are the result of human error. As you are probably aware, you could be the very safest driver around, and still be involved in an auto accident due to the negligence of another driver. The following factors in auto accidents are the most common reasons for collisions:
- Distracted driving is quickly moving up to the top reason for auto accidents. We have become a nation of multi-taskers, and see no reason to curb that multi-tasking even when we are behind the wheel. We talk on our cell phones, text, eat, read, apply makeup, comb our hair, turn around to see what the children are doing in the back seat, talk to passengers, fiddle with the radio or GPS or daydream about what we will be doing on the weekend rather than paying attention to the road and the other drivers around us.
- Impaired driving is also a top reason for auto accidents, with as many as 25,000 people dying in alcohol-related accidents each year. It is estimated that one out of every two Americans will be involved in an auto accident in which alcohol is a factor in his or her lifetime. Further, where younger Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are concerned, alcohol-related car collisions are the leading cause of death. It is estimated that from the 200 to 2,000 alcohol-impaired drivers on the road at any given moment, only one will be arrested, therefore your chances of being involved in an alcohol-related auto accident are significant.
- Excessive speed is, at least in some research, considered the second-most common cause of auto accidents. Speed limits are meant to reduce road fatalities and accommodate for road conditions, and ignoring those speed limits can negatively affect a driver’s ability to safely operate his or her vehicle. The cost of speeding—assuming you do not have an auto accident—involves the speeding ticket costs, as well as the increase in your insurance premiums. The NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts of 2008 estimated the cost of speeding-related crashes to be as high as $40.4 billion annually, and also estimated that nearly a third of all fatal auto crashes in 2008 were caused, at least in part, by excessive speed.
- Reckless driving factors in to a significant number of auto accidents. Reckless driving occurs when a driver shows disregard for traffic laws and signs or does any of the following: tailgates another driver, weaves in and out of traffic, fails to obey traffic signals or signs, exceeds the speed limit, brakes suddenly, fails to use turn signals, drives while distracted, fails to use headlights at night or in inclement weather, or makes an illegal turn.
- Inclement weather is the cause of many auto accidents, primarily because drivers fail to slow down when the weather turns bad. Rain can leave a road slick, and fog or wind can greatly reduce visibility. When the weather is bad, driver’s must slow down, or pull over until the storm passes.
Other potential causes of auto accidents include low visibility during night driving, design defects in roadways or vehicles, young, inexperienced drivers, potholes or other instances of roads in disrepair, tire blowout, animals crossing the roadways, and driving through a construction site.
Contact Caldwell’s Auto Accident Attorney for Your Auto Accident
Proving fault in your auto accident will be a highly fact-specific issue, and could end up being quite complex. Fault is generally established by showing the other driver was negligent. Negligence usually occurs when a person fails to exercise proper care when performing an activity. In this case, when a driver fails to act with the same level of care another driver would have done, under the same circumstances, he or she may be judged negligent.
To establish negligence, it must first be shown that the other party had a legal responsibility to look out for your safety. Next, it must be shown that the defendant deviated from the required standard of care—often called a breach of duty of care. It must next be shown that there was a connection between the breach of standard of care and your injuries, and that you sustained real harm. If you have been injured in a Caldwell car accident it is important that you speak to an experienced Caldwell attorney early on in order to receive the settlement you deserve.