Approximately 6 million motor vehicle accidents take place each year in New Jersey and around the country, and government data suggests that the vast majority of these crashes involve human error of one type or another. Even more alarming are the figures revealing that fatal accidents surged in the United States in 2015 and 2016 despite significant advances in automobile safety systems and improvements to the nation’s roads.
Many crashes are blamed on excessive speed and impatience, but several studies, including an analysis of 6,950 car accidents by researchers from the University of Michigan, found that more than 1 in 5 fatal accidents are caused by drivers who fell asleep behind the wheel. This problem has become more pronounced in recent years due to the increasingly busy schedules of many Americans and automobiles that have been engineered to cosset motorists and isolate them from the road.
The data suggests that a further 11 percent of crashes are caused by motorists that lost control of their vehicles. Research has found that the majority of people greatly overestimate their ability to handle highway emergencies, and road safety experts say that most modern vehicles are far more capable than the people driving them are. Common causes of this type of crash include taking corners or curves too fast, not adjusting speeds to account for wet or icy road conditions and unexpected maneuvers from other road users.
All motorists owe a duty of care to other road users, and drivers that act recklessly and cause accidents may face civil sanctions. Experienced personal injury attorneys may pursue lawsuits on behalf of accident victims when drivers ignore speed limits, get behind the wheel while impaired or drowsy or fail to adequately maintain their vehicles. Victims could seek compensation for financial setbacks, including lost income, medical expenses and property damage.
