Most people believe that a motor vehicle accident is traditionally between two or sometimes more vehicles. Although this is true many times, the truth is that a single vehicle accident in Kentucky is more common than a multiple vehicle crash. According to statistics from the Federal Highway Administration and compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 56% of all motor vehicle crashes in Kentucky were a single vehicle accident. This is slightly above the average in the United States, which is 55%. Our car accident lawyer in Lexington, Kentucky knows that this often leaves occupants in those vehicles seriously injured or wrongfully killed.
That’s why, here at the Maze Law Offices, we offer victims and their families a FREE case evaluation to learn more about their rights to compensation under Kentucky law. Many single vehicle accidents in Lexington are due to negligence and could have been avoided. But most victims do not know where to turn and who may have been the cause for the accident and their injuries. If you or a loved one were injured in a single vehicle accident, call our experienced car accident lawyers in Lexington to learn more about your rights to compensation.
There are many possible causes of a single vehicle accident in Kentucky. These causes often focus on the driver, but they can also be due to passengers, vehicle maintenance, roadwork, and other vehicles that do not cause an impact. Some of the most common causes of a single vehicle accident in Kentucky include the following:
One of the most common causes of single vehicle accidents is inclement weather. Drivers who fail to slow down and drive reasonably during rain, sleet, snow, icy conditions, fog, or other adverse weather may be liable to passengers who are injured in their vehicle. This may require a driver to go slower than the speed limit, as Kentucky law prohibits a personal from “driv[ing] at a greater speed than is reasonable and prudent, having regard for the traffic and for the condition and use of the highway.”
This danger is often magnified when a driver has poorly maintained his or her vehicle, such as driving with balding tires, improperly repairing a hole or damage to the tire, failing to repair or replace out or dim headlines, and other conduct which may be dangerous in operating a vehicle. That means that a vehicle could lose control and hydroplane out of control and off a roadway.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 11,000 people die each year in motor vehicle accidents involving a drugged or drunk driver. Although drugged and drunk driving in Kentucky carries stiff penalties, far too many drivers will unlawfully drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, the problem is increasing in Kentucky, which has seen a 31.8% increase in drunk driving-related traffic fatalities.
Many of these drugged or drunk driving accidents are single vehicle accidents where a driver injures passengers. Liability in these types of cases can be tricky if the passenger knew or should have known that the driver was intoxicated. In that situation, a passenger’s compensation may be reduced by his or her proportional share of fault for getting into a vehicle with a drunk driver. However, where a passenger does not know that the driver is intoxicated, it is often a full-liability case.
Some other common causes of single vehicle accidents include the following:
Other causes that may result in a single car wreck that our attorneys in Lexington can handle for you.
Most people are hesitant to seek compensation in a single vehicle accident because it often involves blaming a friend, family member, or colleague for your injuries. Some people may even see it as creating a rift in a family, especially when a parent driving causes injuries to a child and the other parent has to be the representative to recover compensation. The same is true in a sibling – sibling accident, where one sibling is driving and the other is injured.
Fortunately, over 95% of civil cases settle before trial. And most single vehicle accidents settle before a lawsuit is even commenced, especially if there are serious medical bills, lost wages, and other damages caused by the crash. This means that most claims will never be formalized into a lawsuit, but settle (and often quickly).
Thus, victims who have been injured in a single vehicle accident need to contact a car accident lawyer in Lexington like ours. We can identify all liable parties, including whether a third-party may be at fault and you may not even realize it (such as a municipality). We will then work with the insurance carriers to obtain the compensation that you deserve.
Contrary to popular belief, when you begin a car accident claim against another driver, you are not forcing them to pay you out of their own pockets. Yes, you won’t take any money out of their bank account or threaten their house. Rather, most car accident claims are handled through insurance policies. There are rare and exceptional cases where you may be able to go after a person’s assets, but that is the exception to the rule and often not necessary – and it rarely happens, only in the most extreme of circumstances. It is also only done on your election too.
Thus, there is no threat that you may bankrupt a friend, family member, or colleague by filing a claim against them for medical bills, lost wages, and for your conscious pain and suffering.
Rather, your road to compensation for a single vehicle car wreck will look like this:
At any point if you are not fairly being compensation, you may need to commence a lawsuit. But that is okay, because sometimes just the act of filing a lawsuit can trigger a settlement. It is also highly unlikely you’ll go to trial given that 95% of all cases settle before trial.
If you or a loved one were injured in a single vehicle accident in Kentucky, call our experienced legal team members at the Maze Law Offices. We understand that it may be uncomfortable to assert a claim against a family member, friend, colleague, or another individual. But if your unexpected medical bills, lost wages, and if your permanent or disabling injuries were caused by their errors, you are entitled to get that compensation back. And you won’t have to take it from their bank account or their pocket.
Learn more about your rights to compensation by calling to schedule a FREE case evaluation with our personal injury law firm. All calls and appointments are confidential and there is no obligation to sign up right away. We will answer any and all questions and, should you hire our law firm and if we accept your case, we will take particular care in obtaining the compensation that the insurance carriers pay, and not taking what is owned by your family member, friend, or colleague.
Call us today by dialing 859-900-9000 or by contacting us through our easy-to-use “Contact Us” box available here. Our car accident lawyer is committed to victims and their families who have suffered avoidable injuries in Kentucky. Give us a call to hear how we will be committed to your case and how we can help you.
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