Car accidents occur all too frequently on U.S. roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 33,963 people died in car accidents during 2009. On average, approximately 40,000 deaths and more than 2.5 million injuries occur as a result of motor vehicle accidents each year. Viewed another way, statistics indicate that an auto accident occurs every five seconds, an individual is injured in a car crash every 10 seconds and a person dies in a car accident every 12 minutes. Sadly, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death among Americans, and are the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers, and for people ages one through 34.
Auto accidents may include a variety of passenger vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs), cars, minivans, vans and pickup trucks. Car crashes may also involve tractor trailers, drunk drivers (DUI, DWI), motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and uninsured or underinsured motorists. The causes of motor vehicle accidents are many, chief among them:
- Driver inattention: cell phone use, fatigue, GPS use, texting while driving, tuning the radio;
- Dangerous driving behavior: speeding, tailgating, aggressive driving, failure to signal, frequent lane changes, failure to yield, failure to obey traffic signals, impaired driving;
- Defective vehicle design or manufacturing: rollovers and brake, tire, steering and other mechanical problems and failures; and
- Unsafe roadways: obstructed views, poorly designed or maintained surfaces, faulty traffic controls, debris on the roadway, construction, poor wintertime maintenance.
In addition to being frightening, a car accident can result in serious injuries such as brain damage, spinal cord injury or crushing. While motor vehicle accidents account for a significant number of personal injury and wrongful death claims, they are often complex and should always be treated as unique. The personal injury lawyers of Scartelli Olszewski provide sound counseling and representation of car accident victims and their loved ones. Our attorneys not only understand the rules of the road affecting who was at fault in an accident, but are prepared to take motor vehicle accident matters to trial to fight for the rights of our clients. Our experienced Pennsylvania injury lawyers appreciate the complex scientific and engineering principles that come into play in demonstrating how an accident occurred and who was at fault. We also understand the medical and financial hardships that can arise as a result of car accidents.
The attorneys of Scartelli Olszewski have handled accident matters including rear-end collisions, intersection collisions, drunk driving accidents, pedestrian accidents, driver and passenger injuries, motorcycle accidents, tractor trailer crashes, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims and bicycle accidents. We have represented accident victims in alternative dispute resolution forums such as mediation and arbitration, and before state and federal courts. We can help you obtain all of the compensation to which you may be entitled as a result of your motor vehicle accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact us today at (877) 353-0529.
