A drive through Lexington can often bring you a little too close to all the other vehicles traveling the city. The chances of another driver beside you or behind you becoming distracted are always high. It may be a phone call, a text, a music app, or even children in the backseat that cause inattention.
The car behind you may not see you stop until it’s too late to prevent a rear-end collision. At rush-hour or at night these accidents come out of the blue to ruin your day and in some cases, the impact can leave you with severe injury.
Rear-End Crash Dangers
If you’re going to get in a vehicle accident, the odds are it’ll be a rear-end collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring type of collision and accounted for around 29 percent of all crashes.
The Washington Post reports there are around half a million people hurt in rear-end accidents each year on U.S. roads. Another 17,000 people lose their lives in these accidents.
We take them for granted today, but the high-mounted back window brake light became a requirement on all cars starting in 1986. The idea was to help prevent rear-end accidents. Unfortunately, the statistics only show a 4% reduction in incidents since the addition of the third red light.
These accidents are still common and they can leave you facing a long, expensive medical recovery. The at-fault driver should be held accountable for your financial, physical, and emotional hardships. Contacting the Lexington Law Firm of Kaufman and Stigger can help you begin the process of filing a claim to get compensation from the driver and his or her insurance company.
Common Injuries in Rear-End Crashes
Rear-end crashes aren’t always just fender benders to be waved-off or dismissed. The statistics show the many injuries and fatalities that result from these crashes. They can do real damage to a vehicle and the bodies of anyone inside during the collision.
Some of the more common injuries that emergency room doctors see are:
- Hyper-extension and hyper-flexion injuries – Often referred to as whiplash, the neck structure is injured as a result of the sudden and often violent movement of the neck and head from impact. Some victims can suffer a cervical disc injury requiring surgery.
- Fractures – The fractures that are most common to rear-end impacts involve a driver’s hands, feet, and spine. Spinal fractures resulting from rear-end collisions are more common in the neck and middle back. A severe spinal fracture can damage the spinal cord and result in severe and permanent injury with paralysis.
- Traumatic brain injuries – The injury can cause mild concussions that pass within a few days, but other brain damage can be debilitating and permanent.
- Permanent disfigurement – Often the victim of a rear-end collision will hit a steering wheel, dashboard, side window, or side door frame and receive deep and severe lacerations requiring surgery. They might also get cut by personal property flying inside of the vehicle or broken glass.
Getting Compensation After A Rear-End Accident
Kentucky law provides victims one year from the date of the accident to file a claim for damages. The lawsuit will attempt to recover money for your expenses and your hardships from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
The accident attorneys with The Kaufman & Stigger Lawfirm don’t recommend waiting until the end of this period to file. The more time that passes after an accident the harder it will be to collect evidence, contact witnesses, and secure documents you’ll need to build a strong case.
Damages that an accident victim or the victim’s family are entitled to recover from the driver’s insurance may include:
- Hospital and medical expenses.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Past and future permanent physical disability such as a limp, scars, loss of a limb.
- Emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
Contact a Lexington Car Accident Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a rear-end accident you’ll need an experienced Lexington attorney on your side to help you receive the help you’ll need in recovery. The driver’s insurance company will have experienced agents and lawyers working against you. You need someone just as experienced to help you level the playing field.
Talk to a Lexington Car Accident Attorney you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.
