More than 37,000 people die on America’s roadways each year as the result of a car accident, with an additional 2.35 million being injured or disabled. Of those who die as the result of a car accident, 1,600 are children under the age of 15, and 8,000 are between the ages of 16 and 20. Despite the fact that there are roughly 6 million car crashes in the United States each year (including everything from minor parking lot bump-ins to serious and deadly car collisions) we still know relatively little about car accidents. Although our technology continues to increase, it seems to have little effect on the number of car accidents. In fact, the largest jump in crash fatalities happened in 2015—an increase of 8 percent, and in 2016, the number rose yet again, with more than 40,000 deaths attributed to car collisions. When we drive by an accident and the cause is not readily apparent, we often dismiss the accident as being caused by an “idiot driver.”
However, a landmark study, published in 2008, went through the accident scenes of 6,950 crashes to determine just what caused each accident. Much can was learned, even after the fact, by carefully studying the anatomy of a car accident, including:
When you look at these statistics, it is reasonable to assume that lane departure warning systems, Electronic Stability Control systems and Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems installed in all cars could drastically reduce the number of car crashes. The condition of the vehicle involved in the accident, driver-attributable errors, failure of vehicle systems, roadway design and adverse environmental conditions were all factored in to the determination of the cause of the accidents.
About 41 percent of driver errors were errors of recognition (inadequate surveillance, external distractions, internal distractions and inattention). About 34 percent of driver errors were errors of decision (driving too fast, driving aggressively), and about 10 percent of driver errors were errors of performance (improper directional control, overcompensation). Other factors included driver distractions, including having a conversation with other passengers, talking on a cell phone, texting, and fatigue.
In cases where weather or roadway surfaces were a factor in the crash, slick roadway surfaces due to ice or debris were the most common reason for a collision, followed by driver vision obstruction. More studies are being undertaken which equip cars with sonar, multiple video cameras, sensors which track driver input, and even accelerometers.
Further Reading: Does Tensing Up Before an Accident Help or Hurt?
One of the more common causes of car accidents is the rolling right on red error. This occurs when a driver approaches a red light, with the intention of turning right. The driver glances to the left, yet does not come to a full stop prior to turning right. Because the focus is on cars coming from the left, the driver fails to see a bicyclist or a pedestrian crossing the street, crashing into them. This mistake is made often, usually because many drivers are not aware they are legally bound to come to a complete stop prior to turning right on red, and because we are all so used to multi-tasking that we think we can do it while driving as well. The rolling right on red accounts for at least 6 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.
Fatigue is yet another common cause of car accidents; it is believed that at least 21 percent of fatal crashes occur when a driver is a bit fatigued or drowsy. Loss of control of a vehicle, accounting for 11 percent of all collisions, yet more than half of us believe we are in the top 20 percent regarding driving safety and driving skills. That belief is tested by the fact that a full five percent of us routinely take corners too fast, while another 2 percent do not slow down for water in the road—two hazards that cause a significant number of car collisions each year.
And, finally, hitting the car in front of us accounts for nearly 30 percent of all car crashes. This is due to the fact that we drive too fast, tailgate, and surround ourselves with distractions inside of our vehicle. Rear-end accidents are almost always preventable—leave several car lengths between yourself and the vehicle in front of you, slow down, and get rid of distractions which take your focus off the road and other drivers. Hopefully, we will learn more and more about car accidents, making them easier to prevent.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Arvada, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, or anywhere in Colorado, do you know what to do? At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed car accident lawyers are ready to fight aggressively to obtain the compensation you need to put your life back together again. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our car accident lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
Easy
to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole journey.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull & Zimmerman. Thank
you
- 
– R. Hamilton
I
would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the
most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will
continue to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my
family. Mr. Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly
appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you
– D. Hassoun
would
just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the most
professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will continue
to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my family. Mr.
Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly appreciate all you
have done. Again Thank you.
– Jason B.
I was
injured in a fall and the nightmare began. I found Mike Zimmerman on the
internet, read his background history and contacted his office. The Office Staff
was wonderful, patient, and helpful, even though I was probably a pain to them.
Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy. He will tell you exactly what he feels about
your case and will not sugar coat it. You will know exactly what to expect and I
appreciated the honesty! I would recommend Mike to anyone who has their life
spinning out of control because of an accident. He help me get my life back.
– Mary T.
Working through divorce and custody issues is an extremely difficult and
emotionally trying experience. Mike Zimmerman represented my interest in a
highly professional manner and protected my rights as a parent at a level that
exceeded my highest expectations. This firm’s expertise, ability and
professionalism earned my respect as well as my continued business for any legal
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– Michael D.
We
came across mike Zimmerman when we were involved in an accident awhile back, we
had been negotiating with the insurance company for some time and getting
nowhere with a settlement. Never knowing Mike Zimmerman when we had gone and
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was really concerned for his clients. Mike was very upfront with us a our
lawyer, and advised us every step of the way. His associates were very
professional and office personnel was very friendly also. Mike got almost double
the settlement we were expecting and we just were very satisfied and would
highly recommend him to anyone that needs a good honest lawyer.
– Clarencec & Joy W.
We
were hit by an uninsured driver in 2006 and my husband was unable to work for
some time. Initially our own insurance really didn’t want to help us. On the
recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mr. Z and with his advice, suggestions
and hard work, we were able to get the what we needed from our insurance to help
us with our bills and medical costs. His staff was very patient with us as well
and was always available to reassure us and to answer our questions. We hope
nothing like this ever happens again, but if it was to happen, we would contact
Mr Zimmerman in a heart beat.
– G. & B O.
Rick –
Smart and nice! We were nervous and Rick put us at ease. Kept us informed. Never
thought we made a bad choice. Also, the first time I called, I talked to
Rick…impressed us very much.
– D. & S. Bratrovsky
Exceeded expectations!
– T. Thiel
I
liked the fact that I was kept up to date throughout the process. When the
accident first happened, Rick went to bat for me right away to make sure that I
was compensated for my loss of transportation. The end result in my case
exceeded my expectations and I was very pleased.
– D. Hughley
I
appreciated the effort Rick Hull presented during the difficulties that occurred
throughout the settlement and following. I felt completely at ease during the
whole process.
– Michele Wolf
I
appreciated the fact that Rick Hull always explained everything to me. No matter
how insignificant I thought the question was, he encouraged me to ask and was
very patient when I didn’t understand some aspect of the legal procedures. I
also appreciated the fact that Rick was a real person, he wasn’t stiff or
unapproachable. He was easy to talk to, to understand, and get along with. In
addition, he explained certain aspects of Colorado law thoroughly to me so that
I could make an informed decision that best suited my needs.
12:11 am
December 20th, 2017