Auto Accidents
Car crashes on North Carolina roads claim an average of 1,500 lives each year with many more people suffering injuries—some permanent or even catastrophic—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If you have a serious auto accident in the Charlotte, NC area, the law firm of Dozier, Miller, Pollard & Murphy LLP may be able to help.
Personal injury lawyers at Dozier, Miller, Pollard & Murphy LLP have provided excellent legal counsel, skilled negotiation, and successful outcomes to clients suffering from a serious car accident in Charlotte since 1979.
Main causes of auto accidents
The biggest cause of automobile accidents is lack of attention due to drowsiness and external distractions. The trucking industry is well aware of the dangers of putting in too many hours behind the wheel without adequate rest and regular breaks. Truck drivers must follow strict rules to avoid falling asleep at the wheel or losing concentration. One in nine accidents between a truck and a smaller vehicle results in fatality. There are serious consequences for truckers who do not follow these rules.
The same problems that beset truck drivers can be equally dangerous for non-commercial drivers. Fatigue from lack of sleep, eye strain from driving too many hours without a break, and just plain boredom force many drivers to take their eyes off the road. In today's connected world, distraction from electronic devices such as GPS units, cell phones, iPods, and even laptops take driver attention off the road, sometimes turning motor vehicles into dangerous weapons. Texting, talking with other passengers, eating, applying makeup are other common distractions.
Other causes of automobile accidents include:
- Driving while intoxicated: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a deadly factor in
- Driver error: Mistakes in handling or driving a vehicle are often to blame for auto accidents. Such errors include driving too fast or too slow for the flow of traffic, improper lane changes or lookouts, and failure to follow road signage.
- Negligence: Failure by an automobile or truck driver to use reasonable care avoiding an automobile accident.
- Road conditions:
- Automobile defects: Death and catastrophic injury may be caused by defects in automobile design or manufacturing, as evidenced by the NHTSA's recently launched investigation into the recall of
