Auto Accident Overview
An auto accident, no matter how small, can throw your life off balance. If you add serious injuries, hospital stays, chronic pain, or the loss of a loved one, it can feel overwhelming. But you don’t have to face it alone. Beasley Allen’s personal injury lawyers are here to help.
With decades of experience, our team can guide you through the process and fight to get you the justice you deserve. We will thoroughly investigate your accident, inspect vehicles for defects or product liability issues, identify liable parties, file lawsuits, handle legal documents, and maximize your compensation.
Many factors can affect the value of your claim. Once we establish that you have a valid car crash claim, we will gather other information that may affect your claim’s value, including the severity of your injuries, recovery time, medical expenses, insurance coverage, and any vehicle defects to ensure you get the best possible outcome. Let us be your ally in this challenging time.
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Chris Glover Managing Attorney (Atlanta) Atlanta, GA -
Alyssa Baskam Principal Atlanta, GA -
Ben Baker Principal Montgomery, AL -
Evan Allen Principal Mobile, AL -
LaBarron Boone Principal Montgomery, AL -
Mike Andrews Principal Montgomery, AL -
Stephanie S. Monplaisir Principal Montgomery, AL
Crashworthiness
When investigating serious injuries or deaths from car accidents, one key factor is “crashworthiness,” which refers to how well a vehicle protects its occupants during a crash. This is crucial for everyone’s safety inside the vehicle. Crashworthiness involves looking at the vehicle’s structure and safety features, like seat belts, airbags, and the overall strength of the vehicle’s frame.
Crashworthiness is important for all types of vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and heavy trucks. Each vehicle type has specific design features to protect occupants in a crash. For example, heavy trucks and buses need cab guards and reinforced structures.
If a vehicle’s crashworthiness is compromised due to a defect, it can lead to serious injuries or fatalities. In such cases, manufacturers or other responsible parties can be held accountable. Common issues affecting crashworthiness include weak roofs, malfunctioning airbags, defective seatbelts, and inadequate child safety seats. These defects can greatly reduce a vehicle’s ability to protect its occupants, making it a critical area of focus in car accident lawsuits.
Catastrophic Crashes
Car accidents happen for many reasons, most of which are preventable human error.
Single Vehicle
These crashes can occur due to driver distraction, intoxication, fatigue, recklessness, or road obstacles. However, vehicle defects are another common cause. These defects can include tire blowouts, faulty brakes, or failing safety devices like airbags and seatbelts. Unfortunately, these issues can turn a survivable crash into a deadly one.
When a vehicle defect causes or worsens a crash, it often leads to product liability lawsuits. Notable cases include the Ford-Firestone tire issues, Toyota’s sudden unintended acceleration, GM’s defective ignition switches, and the Takata airbag recalls. These cases have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, leading to significant settlements and verdicts to compensate victims and their families.
15-Passenger Vans
15-passenger vans are among the most dangerous vehicles on U.S. roads due to their high rollover risk. Despite numerous warnings from the government, these vans remain legal. They are often used to transport children, teens, carpoolers, church groups, and seniors. The vans’ design, which includes a high center of gravity and narrow track width, makes them prone to rollovers, especially when fully loaded. Research shows that the rollover risk increases by 9%-12% with each additional occupant, and they are three times more likely to roll over when carrying more than ten people.
Beasley Allen has been actively pursuing product liability lawsuits to address the dangers of 15-passenger vans. These vehicles have been involved in numerous fatal accidents, with 235 people killed in rollover crashes from 2010 to 2019. The firm continues to fight for safer alternatives and holds manufacturers accountable for the risks associated with these vans.
Auto Injuries
In 2022, there were 42,514 deaths from car accidents in the U.S., and 1,664,598 crashes caused injuries. Overall, police reported 5,930,496 car accidents that year.
With over a quarter-million people injured or killed on U.S. roads each year, it’s clear we face a serious issue. This means there’s no room for careless driving or unsafe vehicles.
Common injuries from these accidents include traumatic brain injuries, facial injuries, broken bones, spinal injuries, paralysis, organ damage, amputations, burn injuries, and PTSD.
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