Car Accident Attorney Serving Milwaukee, WI
Drunk driving, speeding, traffic violations, texting while driving – the potential causes of car accidents are both varied and numerous. Whether it boils down to driver negligence or wrongdoing on the part of an automaker or another, third party, the outcome is the same: a collision has occurred and someone is liable. As Milwaukee car accident attorneys, we at Cannon & Dunphy S.C. recognize how important it is to properly identify cause and liability in the wake of an accident.
If you are to pursue compensation from the individual or company that is responsible for causing your accident, you will need to prove how they caused the collision and why they should be liable for your medical bills, lost earnings, property damage and other expenses or losses associated with your injuries. This is where a legal professional can make all the difference.
Our team works together to represent the interests of car accident victims across Wisconsin; we can handle cases involving collisions caused by:
- Drunk and drugged drivers
- Speeding or racing
- Distracted driving
- Texting while driving
- Red light or stop sign violations
- Failure to yield
- Driver error
- Driver fatigue
- Traffic violations
- Defective auto parts
- Poorly designed vehicles
- Roadway defects and hazards
Leading Causes of Car Accidents in the U.S.
Although there are many different causes of car accidents, several stand out from the rest. The following are the most common causes of collisions in the United States:
- Drunk Driving –Â According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one-third of traffic fatalities in the U.S. occur in drunk driving accidents, collisions involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or greater, which is above the legal limit to operate a vehicle. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, even prescription medication, can impair judgment, reaction time, vision and motor skills, increasing the risk of a collision.
- Speeding –Â NHTSA statistics show that about one-third of traffic fatalities occur in accidents involving a driver who was speeding or racing. This includes drivers who were exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for current road, weather or traffic conditions. Speeding not only increases the likelihood of a collision by affecting maneuverability and increasing the time it takes to stop a vehicle, but it increases the force of impact and therefore the severity of injury in an accident.
- Distracted Driving –Â A growing epidemic on U.S. roadways, distracted driving accounted for about one-tenth of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2012. Drivers who text, talk on the phone, talk to passengers, apply make-up, eat, drink, smoke or do anything else other than driving place themselves and everyone on the road at risk of being involved in a collision. A recent Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) study, for example, showed that texting while driving may place a driver at 23 times more of a risk of an accident than a driver who is not distracted.
- Other Driver Error/Negligence/Wrongdoing –Â All three of the above causes of car accidents can be considered some form of driver error, negligence or wrongdoing, making poor driving behavior the leading cause of motor vehicle collisions in the U.S. From minor traffic violations like following too closely to serious criminal offenses like drunk driving, driving behavior can cause or contribute to a serious crash that leaves one or more people with catastrophic injuries. Drivers should take care to obey traffic laws and drive with reasonable caution and care for the safety of others.
Ask a Milwaukee Auto Accident Lawyer
If you are interested in finding out what caused your accident and therefore who may be held accountable, call a Milwaukee auto accident lawyer at our firm. We work with investigators, expert witnesses and other professionals to thoroughly analyze every aspect of a collision. We can determine cause and liability to pursue maximum compensation on your behalf.
Contact our offices today!