Frequently Asked Questions about auto safety and auto injuries

How frequent are motor vehicle injuries and fatalities in the U.S?

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2006, the most recent year for which numbers are available, 42,642 people died in the United States as a result of motor vehicle crashes, about one person every 12 minutes. In any year, a person’s chances of being injured in a motor vehicle collision are greater than one in a thousand.

How often are alcohol and other drugs involved in causing auto accidents?

About 39% of all motor vehicle fatalities involved alcohol and/or other drugs.

What is my risk of being involved in an alcohol-related crash?

Three out of 10 Americans will be involved at some time in their lives in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash, many as innocent victims.

Are people other than drivers and their passengers at risk for auto accidents?

Approximately 15% of those killed in auto accidents are pedestrians, bicyclists or otherwise not drivers or passengers in vehicles.

What are the other causes of auto accidents?

Excessive speed, especially on roads with low speed limits; dangerous roadway design, distracted drivers, sleepy drivers, defective or badly designed vehicle parts.

Are some times of the year more dangerous for auto accident injuries and deaths?

The highest rate of collisions and fatalities occurs between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Do safety belts and air bags make a difference?

About 68% of people who die in auto crashes and auto accidents were not wearing safety restraints, or were using them improperly.

What are the financial consequences of failure to use seatbelts?

The cost of hospital care for an unbelted occupant of a vehicle involved in a car accident averages $5,000 more that the cost of care for a belted occupant. Eighty-five percent of those costs are passed on to the general public in the form of higher insurance premiums and higher taxes.

Do I have a right to seek compensation for loss of earning capacity if I am injured as a result of another person’s negligence?

Casey Gerry car crash attorneys will help you with your right to make a recovery for your loss of earnings or loss of earning capacity. For example, if you earn a regular salary, and because of your injury you miss several weeks or several months of work, you are entitled to be reasonably compensated for the entire loss of earnings from the time of your injury until you are reasonably able to return to full time work.

After an auto accident, what resources will I have to pay my medical expenses?

Most people will have insurance that will help pay medical bills, either their health insurance or through the healthcare provision in their automobile insurance policy. These are called first party benefits, and they are the usual first resource for payment for medical expenses for injuries in an auto accident. At Casey Gerry our auto collision lawyers ask our clients to bring in copies of all their policies so that we can determine their rights of recovery under all policies that may apply.

If my insurance company pays some of my medical bills, when I make a recovery will they be entitled to reimbursement?

Most insurance policies have a contractual provision stipulating that the insurance company has a right to seek recovery for reimbursement. At the conclusion of your case Casey Gerry automotive collision lawyer will negotiate the best possible terms with your insurance company for reimbursement from the proceeds of your case.

How important is it to have automobile insurance?

It is very important to have automobile insurance coverage whenever you drive a motor vehicle in California. Without coverage, you may be denied the right to recover your physical and emotional losses even though the accident was caused by someone other than you!