personal injury
Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries
Many people who suffer an injury in a motor vehicle accident in South Australia, are entitled to claim compensation. A claim for compensation in South Australia can include awards of compensation for pain and suffering, loss of income, domestic and gardening expenses, and medical expenses.
Any person wishing to claim compensation for their injuries needs to take action within three years. There are lawyers who specialise in undertaking claims on behalf of people who are injured in motor vehicle accidents, and who will be able to obtain the best possible outcome for any claimant. It is important to find the right personal injury lawyer to handle your claim as this can make a massive difference in the outcome of your matter.
Motor Vehicle Accidents – Distracted Driving, the New Drunk Driving
When I was young, drunk driving did not have the stigma it has today. Police officers who pulled over a drunk driver would often follow the drunk driver home to make sure that they – the drunks! – made it home safely. I remember one incident that occurred in my home town when I was a kid. A gentleman who was known around town as a heavy drinker damaged his car while pulling out of a restaurant parking lot after “last call”. As a result, his car would only travel in reverse. He attempted to drive home from the restaurant in reverse. He was pulled over by a local cop who literally escorted this man to his driveway while the man drove drunk backwards. It became the talk of the town. A lot of people thought it was funny. The drunk driver was considered “a character”. This was in the late 60′s or early 70′s, and the designated driver didn’t exist. At that time, there was relatively little social stigma attached to drunk driving.
Due to the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other similar organizations, all of that has changed. Drunk drivers are now almost universally seen for who and what they are – a menace to society who should be prosecuted, not protected, by law enforcement. Nobody thinks drunk driving is funny anymore.
Commercial Vehicle Accidents – Who is Liable?
Truck accidents are one of the most dangerous road mishaps that happen each year. This is because their structure can be quite deadly once it runs out of control. Studies have shown that one out of every eight accidents that resulted in fatalities involves a truck. This just goes to show that trucks can be very lethal once their drivers fail to navigate them properly. This is why in most road networks, separate lanes for large trucks are usually provided. Such things, nevertheless, sometimes fail to prevent trucks from veering off, resulting in collisions with other vehicles that are on the same road.
So what usually cause these accidents to happen? Trucks can be very hard to handle during extreme situations like the need to immediately step on the brakes or suddenly spinning the steering wheel to make the truck veer to one side in order to avoid another vehicle. Doing these things sometimes, however, may even make matters worse because the driver might find his truck suddenly become a deadly weapon. It could also be that the brakes on the truck did not function very well and made the truck skid sideways. Under such circumstance, the forward momentum of the truck will continue to propel it onward even though the wheels already run counter to the thrust. This may even cause the truck to knock over its side and in the process, mowing down small vehicles in its path. Liquor intoxication of the driver is also one of the causes why trucking accidents happen. It obliterates the driver’s ability to make clear and proper decisions while holding the wheel of a massive vehicle.
The Benefit of a Vehicle Accident Attorney in Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end collisions are arguably the most common example of automobile collision that plagues our roads and freeways. The majority of state auto regulations provide for vehicle operators to drive behind cars leading them at a careful distance, or what can be thought adequate distance to stop for the auto in front of you. Consequentially, the driver of the rear-ending car is almost always thought to be responsible from tailgating or quick stops.
There are exceptions to this automatic fault however. Examples include:
