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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury due to trauma in the United States. According to recent data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NHTSA), over 37,000 lives are lost and over 1.7 million people are injured annually from approximately 6 million crashes.
About one-third of all injury or death related collisions occur at high speeds with a significant impact and damage to the vehicles involved. There are interesting trends that clearly demonstrate that the incidence of fatal and serious injury crashes is actually on the decline. In my opinion this derives in significant part from the efforts of lawyers and lawsuits. They have forced auto manufacturers to build safer cars. Furthermore, lawyers, judges and legislators (many of whom are attorneys) have dramatically stepped up efforts to force drivers to operate such vehicles more safely. As shall be discussed infra, this decrease is probably most evident in the area of alcohol related collisions.
The remaining two-thirds of injury causing collisions occur at relatively low speeds, with minimal or no vehicle damage. Typically, though not always, low speed crashes lead to whiplash or soft tissue injuries. Juries are frequently skeptical of low speed crashes so they are frequently the subject of disputed litigation that can become drawn out and lead to client frustration if not handled expertly. Unlike many Illinois Injury firms, the attorneys of Shea Law Group have achieved excellent results litigating both high and low speed collisions.
