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Crash Not Accident: How Words Can Affect Actions
Have you or a loved one been hurt in a situation where another car or truck collided with your vehicle? If so, would you really call the situation an “accident?” It is highly unlikely that the driver hit your car on purpose, so it might be an accident in that sense, but when a wreck occurs, intent and fault are two vastly different ideas. In fact, many people believe that using the word “accident” actually benefits insurance companies and lawyers who defend at-fault drivers. With this in mind, there are national efforts in motion to reduce the use of the word “accident” and to raise awareness regarding how the term can be misleading.
Making Assumptions Subconsciously
In recent years, several advocacy groups have come together to create a national campaign that discourages the word “accident” in car crash cases. Starting in 2015, Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets launched an online educational program and pledge drive intended to eliminate assumptions caused by using “accident.” According to Amy Cohen, who founded Families for Safe Streets after her son was hit by a car and killed in 2013, her son and others like him did not die in accidents. “An ‘accident,’” she maintains, “implies that nothing could have been done to prevent their deaths.”
Five Mistakes to Avoid After a Colorado Car Crash
There is no question that a car wreck is a frightening experience. Unfortunately, this fear—along with the shock of the crash, adrenaline, and maybe a misplaced sense of blame—can cause problems for you as you consider the possibility of filing a personal injury claim for damages. While such feelings are normal after an accident, it is important to know how to set them aside and focus on keeping your composure. With this in mind, here are five things you should never do in the wake of a car crash:
Car Crash Mistake #1. Underestimating the Damage
This applies to both your body and your vehicle. Initially, the crash might seem to be a minor fender bender, but assuming the damage is minor might belie serious hidden problems. With your vehicle, for example, the frame might be bent, despite the external damage seeming trivial. Likewise, you might feel physically okay, but adrenaline could be masking more severe injuries that present themselves later. Have a mechanic check out your car, and be sure to seek medical attention as soon as you can after the crash to be sure you know how extensive the damage and your injuries really are.
Understanding Colorado's Laws About Distracted Driving
It is very well-known that distracted driving is dangerous. A driver who allows virtual goings-on to take his attention from the road around him is putting everyone in his vicinity at risk. Driving while manually using a cell phone is not only risky, but it is also illegal in Colorado in many instances. While drivers may use their phones for the limited purpose of voice calling or in an emergency situation, it is generally not legal to drive with a cell phone in hand. If a driver who causes an accident can be shown to have been breaking a traffic safety law, they may be automatically considered negligent in causing your injuries. The legal concept of negligence per se effectively provides a shortcut to proving negligence in this situation. Breaking a law that is in place to keep people safe certainly appears to reflect a disregard for the safety of others. If you were injured by a driver who appears to have been texting or manually operating their cell phone, we may be able to help you recover compensation.
Who Can Apply for Workers' Compensation in Colorado?
The law in Colorado regarding which companies are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance and who is eligible to use it is relatively straightforward compared to some other states. Any company in Colorado that has at least one employee within the state is required to use the workers’ compensation program, meaning that there is generally no reason a worker in Colorado should not have access to these critical benefits when they are needed.
Workers’ compensation is an incredibly important program. No matter what line of work you are in, there is nearly always a chance that you will suffer an injury related to your career. Even white-collar employees who mainly sit behind a desk to perform their job duties may suffer an injury, whether due to a defective office chair or repetitive stress, as is the case with many who develop carpal tunnel syndrome. If you have been injured due to your work and are in need of workers’ compensation benefits, an attorney may be able to help you obtain the temporary or permanent benefits you need.
The Prevalence of Road Rage Explained
Road rage incidents are greatly on the rise and have been for over a year. These emotion-driven incidents can result in deadly accidents or even intentional assaults. Drivers with road rage may be unable to make logical decisions after considering the probable consequences of the course of action they are contemplating. Road rage drivers who cause an accident with injuries may appear calm very quickly after the car accident, or they may continue behaving aggressively until forced into compliance by the police. While many drivers who harm someone out of anger quickly regret their actions, their victims are left with injuries that could affect their way of life for years to come. If you have been injured in a road rage incident, you may be entitled to recover significant compensation from the driver who caused your injuries. An attorney may be able to guide you through the process of filing a claim and collecting the finances you are owed.
Top 4 Causes of T-Bone Collisions
T-bone collisions can be particularly risky for the occupants of the struck vehicle. A modern vehicle’s “crumple zones” are located at the front and rear of the vehicle, offering some degree of protection against rear-end or head-on collisions. The passenger doors offer little in the way of shielding against the impact of a t-bone collision, making it a very commonly deadly type of accident. These car accidents occur when two drivers cross paths at a perpendicular angle, and the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another. Because one driver must run their vehicle directly into the broad side of another vehicle to create a t-bone collision, these accidents would generally be quite easily avoidable if the at-fault driver is properly looking in the direction in which his vehicle is moving. If you have been injured in a t-bone collision, it is quite likely that the other driver was negligent in causing the accident. An attorney may be able to recover financial compensation on your behalf.
What if I Cannot go Back to Work After a Motor Vehicle Accident?
A person’s ability to work and support themself is paramount to their independence and, often, their self-esteem. For someone who is proud of the work they do and the life they have built, being unable to work because of an accident caused by a negligent driver can bring major life changes. You may worry about how you will support yourself and your family after having your ability to earn income taken from you. While nothing can restore you to your way of life before the motor vehicle accident, there may be compensation available that can make up for your lost future earnings. Those with short-term injuries can recover compensation for their lost wages - as can those with permanent injuries.
The policy goal behind personal injury compensation is to leave you in the same position you were in before a negligent actor injured you, at least to the extent that money can make up for the harm inflicted. A skilled lawyer can fight for you to receive the best possible settlement or award.
The Potentially Life-Altering Effects of a Motorcycle Accident
Even when a motorcycle rider is intensely cautious, they cannot always prevent accidents caused by negligent drivers of larger motor vehicles. A motorcyclist may not be seen by a driver who is operating inattentively, at an excessive speed, or otherwise engaged in a negligent driving practice. Catastrophic injuries may be inflicted on a motorcyclist, who lacks the protection of an enclosed vehicle.
Rather than enjoying modern protections such as seatbelts, airbags, and the security of a metal structure surrounding them, motorcyclists typically bear the full force of a crash impact. While helmets and other gear offer some degree of protection, such measures are frequently insufficient to prevent grievous bodily harm. A motorcycle accident may inflict substantially life-altering injuries, both to the physical body and to the mind. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, an attorney may be able to recover compensation on your behalf.
Recovering Compensation After a Pile-Up
Pile-ups can be scary, especially if you were one of the first vehicles to get involved in the crash. You may have been hit by one car and forced into another, then hit again. You may even have been trapped in the center, watching helplessly as other drivers came from behind and kept adding to the large-scale car crash. One of the more difficult aspects of recovering compensation after a pile-up is finding out who exactly is liable when multiple drivers made mistakes that contributed to the crash.
Understanding Who May be Liable to You
If a driver’s negligence caused or worsened your injuries, that driver may be liable to you. In the context of a large crash involving multiple vehicles, this could mean that multiple parties are liable to you. In fact, it is likely that you have a claim against more than one driver.
If only one driver on the road is careless and causes a crash, odds are, they will not manage to hit more than one or maybe two careful drivers before coming to a stop. Pile-ups often happen when one careless driver causes a collision while sharing the road with other careless drivers, who cause more collisions.
Be Careful on Social Media While Your Car Crash Claim is Pending
Just as nothing you post on the internet is ever really gone, nothing you post on the internet is ever really private. There is a saying - three people may keep a secret if two of them are dead. If you post something that you make visible to two people, you should assume that way more than two people could see it. While you are injured after a car accident, you may find yourself wanting to use social media even more than you usually do. You might be home from work and unable to do much physically, driving you toward digital entertainment. Plus, making a quick social media post can be a convenient way to keep your loved ones updated on how your recovery is going. However, a misstep on social media could derail your case. You should speak to your lawyer about what you should not do on social media while your case is pending.
Tips for Cautious Social Media Use During an Open Case
There are a few guidelines that may help head off any potential social media-induced problems in your case. Tips include:
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