Common Causes of Car Accidents in Durham
The most common cause of car accidents in Durham is distracted driving. Distracted driving can include people  driving under the influence, texting and driving, or just not paying attention. Sometimes, product defects cause a car accident as well, such as faulty brakes or faulty early warning system, but the majority of the time distracted driving is the number one cause of car accident cases. If the driver can be proven negligent in a car accident, such as an individual is driving under the influence and hits another car, it will greatly impact the personal injury case, and increase your chances of bringing forth a successful claim with a Durham accident lawyer.
Distracted Driving
Texting while driving in many jurisdictions is a crime. Since it can be proven by obtaining cell phone records or the actual time the texts were sent and received, it is a good tool to use in proving someone is at fault in causing a car accident.
Unsafe lane changes happens when an individual is not paying attention or may not see another car in their blind spot and crosses over into another lane on an interstate or in a high-speed situation. This could cause people to overcorrect and lead to an impact.
Driving Under the Influence
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a crime. Therefore, in a civil case, a case where you are seeking money damages, a crime can be a reason to ask for punitive damages. Punitive damages are punishment damages which are over and above the normal damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Wrong-way driving is sometimes seen in DUI cases when somebody is so impaired that they drive the wrong way on the road. This is a very dangerous situation. If somebody was doing that and not able to avoid it in a period of time, they may be responsible under the laws of contributory negligence and not be able to recover damages
Speeding
Speeding is another situation that, if proven, can help establish liability, because when an individual is speeding, they are not able to stop the vehicle in the appropriate amount of time. If they are speeding and distracted, they have a significantly less likelihood of being able to stop the vehicle in time, thus causing an impact. Speeding is often a contributing factor to many car accidents in Durham.
Red Lights & Stop Signs
Running red lights creates a dangerous situation in an intersection. Often people that run red lights cause car accidents. If it can be proven, they can be held liable in the accident.
Stop signs are similar to stop lights. When a driver ignores the traffic sign and it causes an accident, it is often good evidence to suggest that they should be held liable for damages, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Poor Driving Conditions
Bad weather is a situation in which visibilities may potentially be lower or conditions of the road may be deteriorated. Any time a driver encounters those types of conditions, whether it be low visibility or slick road surfaces due to rain, snow, or ice, that driver has a duty to have a higher sense of awareness. That duty may be to drive at a reduced speed, lower than the speed limit, and drive in a manner specific to the situation that is conducive to being able to stop their vehicle in adverse weather. If they are not, they could be held liable in a civil lawsuit.
Driving at night, much like driving in adverse weather requires the driver to be more aware and be able to stop within the appropriate distance such that they can prevent having a car accident. In addition, some people have worse vision driving at night and wearing glasses may be required. If they choose to ignore that requirement, they could be held liable in a car accident.
Icy Roads
Icy roads are very dangerous, especially for people who are not used to driving on them, which is often the case in Durham, where drivers do not have a lot of experience with ice. An icy road means that the vehicle may not be able to stop or be controlled in the way that the driver is used to. A driver can prove that ice was the cause of an accident through admission of the parties, evidence telling the police officer that there was ice, or weather reports from historical data for the moment the accident occurred. Even when ice is on the road, the ultimate cause of the accident tends to be a driver who is not paying attention or is travelling at an unsafe speed and cannot stop, given the road conditions.
A lawyer can help individuals obtain monetary damages when they are hurt in a car accident by a driver who was driving too fast on an icy road. Having an attorney ensure that the insurance company treats the individual fairly and compensates them adequately for the damages to which they are entitled. The claimant may be able to obtain monetary damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages, as well as expenses that may be recovered for having their car repaired or replaced. In addition, if the insurance company attempts to get out of the claim or absolve their insured of responsibility for the claim, the attorney can make sure that the insurance company and their insured driver are held accountable.
Improper Turns
Improper turns can disrupt the traffic flow situation. When an individual is making an improper turn, they are catching other drivers off guard, so may have an overcorrection or a situation where someone ends up causing an accident in their attempt to avoid the person conducting the improper turn.
Tailgating
Tailgating is when an individual is following someone too close. The rule is that when an individual is following another vehicle, they do so within a distance that allows them to have time to stop completely at the speed that they are traveling. The faster a person is going, the more car lengths they must have between themselves and the car in front of them. It can impact the case by people being found liable of following too close, having to stop, and there not being enough distance to stop at that particular speed.
