Preventing Auto Accidents with Injury

At Joseph Joy and Associates, our personal injury lawyers are highly experienced at recovering damages for plaintiffs that have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. From rear-end accidents to head-on collisions to multi-car accidents, we have taken cases all the way to trial and others to settlement as we recover what our clients are owed.

Obviously, none of us has control over the driving habits of other motorists on the roads here in South Louisiana and Acadiana. But we do have control over our own actions and we can all take steps to help safeguard us should another driver hit your vehicle while driving.

Wear your seatbelt
It’s a simple enough action to buckle up, whether as passenger or driver. It makes a tremendous difference. According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among those aged 1 – 54 in the United States. Most crash related deaths in the United States occur to drivers and passengers. Seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to save lives and reduce injuries in car accidents. Yet, millions do not buckle up.

The LSU Highway Research Group recently published some sobering statistics about car accidents in Louisiana last year.

• Highway deaths totaled 771 last year, compared to 757 in 2016
• The Louisiana safety belts survey shows that the front safety belt use is at 86.9% in 2018. According to the report, that’s about the same as in 2017 (87.1) and 2016 (87.8)
• The main contributing factors to Louisiana’s 2017 traffic fatalities for alcohol and a low-percentage use of safety belts. Of the 771 fatalities, 187 involved a driver with blood alcohol level of 0.08 or above. In cases where safety belt usage is known, 55.7% of all occupants who died in a crash did not use a safety belt.

Additionally, last year in Louisiana, car accidents accounted for 76.6 thousand injuries  and 117.8 thousand property-damage-only crashes.  Too many.  The full report is  available at http://datareports.lsu.edu .

Don’t tailgate on the road
Leave the tailgating to the parking lots before football games. Following too closely is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents resulting in personal injuries. The law in Louisiana on following vehicles is below:

LA Rev Stat § 32:81 Following vehicles

A. The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.

B. The driver of a motor truck, when traveling upon a highway outside a business or residential district, shall not follow another motor truck within four hundred feet, but this shall not be so construed as to prevent one motor truck from overtaking and passing another.

C. Motor vehicles being driven upon any roadway outside of a business or residence district in a caravan or motorcade, whether or not towing other vehicles, shall be so operated as to allow sufficient space between each such vehicle or combination of vehicles so as to enable any other vehicle to enter and occupy such space without danger. This provision shall not apply to a funeral procession.

Acts 1962, No. 310, §1.

How to determine if you are following too closely?  The “Two Second Rule” is recommended “reasonable and prudent” by Louisiana’s driver’s license guide book.  According to a presentation by Louisiana State Police, Troop C, choose an object ahead of the vehicle in ahead of the vehicle in front of you like a sign,  pole, or a tree. As the vehicle passes the object, begin counting two seconds  (one thousand one, one thousand two).

If it takes less than two seconds for your car to pass the object,  you are following too closely. The “Two Second Rule”  is preferred in optimal conditions. The distance should be increased to 3 or 4 seconds in inclement weather or other hazardous driving conditions.

Loss of life and personal injury is the ultimate price to pay for vehicular accidents. At Joseph Joy and Associates, our personal injury attorneys have recovered millions for clients and their families who have suffered damages due to someone else’s negligence. If you have the unfortunate experience of being seriously injured in an accident involving a car, truck or big rig, give us a call: 337-232-8123 or visit us at 900 S. College Rd., Ste. 204, Lafayette, LA.