Roads and highways, both rural and urban, can be found across the United States today, but the unfortunate truth is that these roads are not always safe to drive on, and even pedestrians and bicyclists are sometimes at risk of sustaining damage from semi truck accidents or distracted driving or worse. Trucks, cars, and motorcycles can all cause an accident on the road if someone was operating a motor vehicle while impaired, and distracted driving is also a recent but common problem, and sometimes, even the weather can be the issue, with slick roads and poor visibility. Trucks may cause the most damage due to their size and momentum; damage from semi truck collisions can be serious to other vehicles or property, and whenever there is a crash on American roads, someone may get injured or even killed. If a driver or pedestrian is hurt from damage from semi truck incidents or drunk drivers, what should they do next after they recover from their injuries? Personal injury law can be the route to a fair settlement, and a person can visit an injury law firm to find an attorney who specializes in such cases who can be a big help.

Rates of Accidents

A number of factors can lead to accidents and injuries on the road, and many statistics are compiled every year to keep track of what is happening on American roads. Drunk driving is a common culprit; many thousands of people drive drunk in the United States every day, but only a fraction of them are arrested for this illegal behavior. Even if a collision does not occur, driving with a BAC (blood alcohol content) above 0.08% is a crime, and in some states or areas, the threshold may be even lower than that. Some drivers believe that they can safely drive “buzzed,” but this is also very dangerous and could easily result in a crash. 1.5 million drunk drivers are arrested every year, but many others are not, so other drivers should be wary of them at all times.

Distracted driving is a relatively recent phenomenon but no less dangerous. This describes when a driver is occupied with a handheld electronic device such as a cell phone or is using the car’s dashboard features, and therefore is not watching the road and will react too late to sudden developments. Such drivers may drift out of their lanes, run red lights, and worst of all, hit other vehicles, pedestrians, or property. Just like with drunk driving, there are laws against cell phone use while driving.

Finally, the weather itself may be an issue. Even if no one on the road is drunk or distracted, accidents with cars or trucks are more likely due to the slick conditions and reduced visibility cause by heavy rain or snow, so drivers should take caution. Damage from semi truck accidents may be more likely if the roads are icy or if a truck driver cannot see cars through torrential rain.

Finding Legal Help

Trucking accidents, cars hitting pedestrians, and more results in injuries, and any injured party will want legal aid. A victim will benefit greatly from the lawyer’s assistance, such as the attorney’s clear-headed, objective approach to the case, and by contrast, the victim may be too emotionally riled to pursue litigation alone. What is more, in a case (trial or not), the insurance company of the at-fault party may act in bad faith and refuse to cooperate, and this can stonewall a victim acting alone, and a case with multiple parties can overwhelm a victim acting alone. However, a car accident attorney will have the expertise and experience to deal with complicated cases like those and reach the settlement.

Finding a lawyer is a matter of looking up the right law firms that specialize in auto accidents and damage, such as damage from semi truck collisions or cars hitting pedestrians. The client may get consultations with the attorneys there (which may or may not cost a fee), and find a lawyer whose skills, experience, success rate, and personality are all to the client’s liking. They must trust each other and be able to build an effective case so that a settlement can be reached.