According to national statistics, almost 50 percent of all fatal vehicle accidents occur at night, yet only 25 percent of all vehicle travel takes place during the nighttime hours. This means your chances of being injured or killed in a car accident dramatically increase once the sun sets. Knowing what some of the factors are that often contribute to these night accidents can help you minimize your risk when you do have to travel at night.
Alcohol-Related Accidents
The number of DUI car accidents that occur at night compared to during daytime hours is dramatic. During the day, alcohol is a factor in less than 20 percent of all fatal car accidents, yet it is a factor in more than 60 percent of all fatal crashes that occur at night. This stark difference is due to more people being out at bars and restaurants drinking after work and at night than during the day. Being aware of the increased risk and watching out for drunk drivers can help lower your risk of a crash.
Speeding
There are more speeding drivers on the road at night than there are during the day. In fact, it is estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that there are twice as many fatal crashes at night caused by speeding than there are during the day.
Driver Fatigue
Fatigued driving is also a more frequent cause of fatal car accidents at night than during the day. This is likely due to people driving home after a long day at work, feeling tired, having slower alertness, and delayed reactions due to that fatigue. Truck driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of tractor-trailer crashes, despite the service hours regulations that truck drivers have.
Contact a Virginia Injury Lawyer
Car crash victims often suffer from injuries that require a long-term recovery process. This often involves high medical expenses, as well as lost wages from work, and pain and suffering. And it is not uncommon for victims to suffer life-long damage from these injuries.
A Virginia car accident attorney from Shapiro, Appleton & Washburn can also provide you with extensive legal experience when it comes to successfully negotiating with the insurance company for a fair and just settlement amount. When a victim tries to negotiate a settlement on their own, it is not uncommon for the insurance company to try to pressure them into a quick settlement that will not cover the full amount of future losses, such as medical expenses or lost wages.
Determining what the full amount should be can get complex and this is where a skilled and experienced car accident attorney can help you get the amount you deserve. Having a skilled attorney on your side also means that if the insurance company refuses to give you what you are entitled to, the attorney will not hesitate to move forward with litigation and file a civil lawsuit.
Insurance companies will often try to pressure car crash victims to settle their claims quickly and for much less than what the victim deserves. That is why it is critical to contact a skilled personal injury attorney immediately following a collision for advice and direction. Call our office today to schedule a free and confidential consultation. For more information, download our free guide to car crash injuries in Virginia.
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An experienced personal injury attorney with dual licensure in Virginia and North Carolina, Eric Washburn received a B.B.A. in Finance from James Madison University—initially worked in the information technology field before obtaining his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Once an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Danville, Va., Eric has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” Super Lawyer in Virginia since 2014.
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