St. Petersburg Car Wreck Lawyer
While we live in a very safe society, compared to generations past, car wrecks are one of the most common causes of long term pain, disability, and emotional harm. Traffic collisions take roughly 40,000 American lives each year, and cause hundreds of thousands of serious injuries. If you were injured in a car wreck, you need to contact an experienced St. Petersburg car wreck lawyer to ensure that you are compensated fairly and promptly for your damages. The Law Office of Steven G. Lavely is here for you in your time of need.
Common Causes of St. Petersburg Car Wrecks
There are over 400,000 traffic collisions every year in Florida, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles administration. In these collisions, a quarter million people are injured, and over 3,000 lose their lives. Almost all of these collisions are preventable, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 94 percent of all traffic collisions are caused by human error. The most common causes of car wrecks include the following:
- Distracted Driving—Eating, drinking, texting, talking on the phone, using a GPS device, adjusting the music, and daydreaming are all forms of distraction. Anything that requires the driver’s hands, eyes, or mind to be taken away from the steering wheel or road ahead and to the sides is considered a distraction.
- Aggressive Driving—Following too close, speeding, changing lanes rapidly and without warning, speeding up through intersections to make yellow or red lights, and honking or swerving at other road users are all examples of aggressive driving, which has reached unprecedented numbers in the last few years.
- Impatient Driving—Most people probably do not consider themselves to be aggressive drivers, though another way to classify an aggressive driver is as an impatient driver. Impatient driving also consists of speeding, rapid lane changes, tailgating, passing around double yellow lines, making left turns as the light changes from yellow to red, and otherwise putting their own speed and timeliness ahead of others’ safety.
- Drunk Driving—Drunk drivers cause nearly a third of all traffic fatalities. Much was accomplished in the 1990s in terms of bringing down the number of car wrecks caused by drunk driving, but we still have a long way to go.
Common Injuries Sustained in a Car Wreck
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Spinal cord injury;
- Fractured vertebrae;
- Fractured arm, leg, pelvis, or collarbone;
- Lacerations;
- Burns;
- Contusions;
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement;
- Whiplash;
- Facial trauma;
- Torn ligaments;
- Internal bleeding or internal organ damage; and
- Fractured or heavily bruised ribs.
Our St. Petersburg Car Wreck Attorneys Can Help Lawyer
As a survivor of a car wreck, you almost certainly have medical bills to pay, property damage, and lost wages due to disability while recovering. Other serious damages include pain and suffering, loss of joy of life, lost earning capacity, and emotional distress. No matter the severity of your injuries, you need to contact an attorney in order to be made financially whole again. Call the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely today at (727) 550-8800 to schedule a free consultation.