Many of the common causes that have lead to these incidents on the road could have been avoided. While there is always the potential for a motor vehicle accident to occur outside of your control, a large majority of them are due to driver error or negligence.

• Driving while texting

• Driving while checking GPS

• Driving while distracted by a passenger

• Driving while distracted by other causes

• Driving while intoxicated

• Road rage confrontations

• Hazard road conditions

• Vehicle malfunction due to poor maintenance or manufacturer error

All of these can have an effect on a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle safely, resulting in an accident with another driver, a pedestrian, a motorcycle or bicyclist. These types of accidents include but are not limited to:

• Hit and run

• Head-on collision with another vehicle

• Collisions with inanimate objects

• Chain reaction crash

• Rollover accidents

• Impact with a pedestrian or bicyclist

Experiencing a car accident of any magnitude can have a significant impact on your quality of life. You don’t need to be in a major wreck in order to sustain an injury that can stay with you for months, years, or even the rest of your life.

Some of the most common injuries that might come from a car accident are:

• Spinal cord injury

• Neck injury

• Head trauma

• Brain damage

• Severed limbs

• Facial injuries

• Internal bleeding

• Broken or fractured bones

• Impaired or complete loss of vision

These are just some of the injuries that people just like you have sustained as the result of a car accident in which one or more other drivers were reckless or negligent in the operation of their vehicle or vehicles.

If you have been in a crash, you must seek medical attention. An injury may not be apparent at first glance and with the rush of adrenaline you are likely feeling in the minutes after impact, you may never realize you have sustained an injury until your adrenaline decreases.

With your life and livelihood at stake, it pays to be safe on the road. Every driver has a responsibility to operate his or her motor vehicle in a safe and respectful manner so as not to injure other drivers going about their way. Here are some helpful tips to consider:

Properly maintain your car

If your vehicle is not road-worthy, you are putting yourself and others at risk and increasing the chances of getting into an accident. Having your car inspected regularly is vital for ensuring that you are always driving safely to reduce the risk of an accident.

No drugs or alcohol

This should be a given, never operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Even buzzed driving is intoxicated driving and with more states legalizing marijuana use, drivers must take care not to imbibe and get behind the wheel. While the use of marijuana may be legal in your state, driving while under the influence of marijuana is still very much against the law.

Avoid distractions

One of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States is distracted driving. Texting, playing with the radio, dialing a call on your cell phone, even checking your GPS can all take your attention off the road and even if you are distracted for a split second, you could travel as far as 60 feet without seeing where you are going. In such a short period of time, you could impact yours and other people’s lives forever.

If you are ever involved in a car accident, what you do and say can have a major effect on your ability to get the compensation you deserve for any injuries you may have sustained.

Remain calm

The first thing to do is not to panic. Stay calm and collected. Make sure you are not trapped in the vehicle and you are not in any danger when you exit.

Check for injuries

If you are not hurt, check for injuries anyway. Feel around for any blood or broken limbs. In the event you have a passenger in the car with you, check to make sure they are okay as well.

Call 911

This is essential if you or anyone else on the scene has been injured, but if there are no injured parties have the police come out to the accident location. You may want to have a police report filled out which can outline the details of the scene.

Exchange information

Get all contact and insurance information from the other driver or drivers. If there are any witnesses present who can attest to what happened, get their information as well so you may contact them later to help support your claims

Gather evidence

If and when you are able, get out your smartphone and get as many photos of the accident site as you can. Take pictures of everything, your car, the other car, the flow of traffic, surrounding signs, and road conditions.

The more information you have to support your case, the better your chances of getting maximum compensation for your injuries after a crash. The insurance companies are going to make it very tough for you to collect and may even offer a substantially lower cash settlement. Don’t take on the insurance companies yourself, get an experiencing personal injury attorney on your side, one who has decades of experience winning car accident cases.

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