Reckless Driving Accident Lawyer

Have you been on the road and followed too closely by an impatient driver or had a near miss with a person running a traffic light? These are types of reckless driving that can have devastating consequences. The term reckless driving includes driving behaviors that endanger the safety of other people.

Recent findings by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that speeding incidents are rising, and more than 20,000 people died in accidents during the first half of 2021. If you are involved in a reckless driving accident, it is important to speak with an attorney, so you can protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

What Is Reckless Driving?

Reckless driving covers a broad group of behaviors behind the wheel that show a willful disregard for traffic safety laws or the well-being of other drivers, passengers or pedestrians. These are serious driving offenses because individuals demonstrate a conscious decision to violate public safety rules.

Reckless driving accidents frequently have catastrophic outcomes, with victims suffering long-term or permanently debilitating injuries and racking up large medical bills and financial losses in the process. An attorney assesses the merits of your claim and helps you seek compensation for your losses as well as undue pain and suffering.

What Are the Types of Reckless Driving?

Four main types of reckless driving occur regularly on roadways. However, other incidents of negligence fall under the umbrella of irresponsible driver actions.

1. Speeding: Driving faster than the posted speed limit or too fast for conditions are common speeding violations.
2. Disregard for traffic laws: Drivers who show a deliberate disregard for traffic safety laws, such as running stoplights or failing to yield, are engaging in reckless driving
3. Aggressive driving: Driver aggression is an increasingly greater public threat. Forceful actions such as tailgating, weaving in traffic, overtaking other cars and harassing other drivers through erratic vehicle operation are all incidents of aggressive driving infractions.
4. Distracted driving: Distracted drivers have long been a problem with regard to unsafe vehicle operation. Driver attention is diverted while eating, talking and adjusting controls inside a vehicle or looking at other sights instead of the road. Texting added an entirely new level of safety concerns. Distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in a recent report by the NHTSA.

Operating a vehicle known to be mechanically unsafe is also a form of reckless driving. Cars with defective breaks or other serious problems that cause an accident can place responsibility on the driver. Your lawyer knows the laws that apply to these types of reckless driving issues and uses this information to build your case after an accident.

Why Do You Need a Reckless Driving Accident Lawyer?

In a reckless driving case, it is imperative to establish who is at fault. In some cases, the laws may need careful interpretation by a skilled attorney to fit the circumstances of your claim. You may need to file a personal injury complaint, and an attorney carefully prepares the details of your case backed by evidence and available witnesses that verify your claim.

If your case goes to trial, you may need expert witnesses to provide testimony about the conditions at the time of the accident and the specific circumstances that support your assertions about the defendant’s responsibility. Your lawyer walks you through this sometimes long and complicated process and keeps you informed of case developments.

What Types of Injuries Result From Reckless Driving?

An auto accident caused by a reckless driver can inflict serious injury to victims. These are some injuries that a personal injury lawsuit covers:

• Soft tissue: whiplash or other damage that causes bruising and tears
• Orthopedic: broken bones or joint dislocations that may require surgery and can be debilitating
• Spinal cord: chronic pain, mobility and paralysis issues related to the spinal cord and spinal column
• Disfigurement: burns, cuts, loss of limbs or any injuries that cause permanent scarring or visible changes to the body
• Traumatic brain injury: permanent damage to areas of the brain

The CDC reports that almost 20% of brain injuries result from car accidents. Therefore, you need an experienced attorney who handles auto accident and personal injury lawsuits to defend your personal and financial interests after an accident.

How Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Work?

There are four things you must prove in a personal injury lawsuit for your case to hold up in court:

1. Presence of a Duty: Personal injury cases begin with a defendant’s duty to a plaintiff. In a reckless driving accident, the duty may be driving safely or following traffic laws. The plaintiff must prove this duty is owed to them at the time the accident occurred.
2. Breach of Duty: The plaintiff must show the defendant was in violation of this duty. In a reckless driving case, disobeying traffic laws is a breach of duty.
3. Claimant Damages: A plaintiff needs to sustain harm to proceed with a case. If no injuries or financial losses are incurred, no claim exists.
4. Cause of Injury: A plaintiff must prove the defendant’s breach of duty caused is the cause of injury.

Your lawyer will gather evidence to support your claims in court. A personal injury attorney builds your case with these elements in mind.

What Steps Does Your Attorney Take?

These are essential steps your attorney takes when representing you in a reckless driving case:

• Reviews the merits of your claim
• Sends an informal or formal demand for damages
• Coordinates discovery
• Negotiates settlement offers
• Represents you in meetings and court
• Collects payments

Your attorney oversees all the lawsuit processes, prepares the paperwork and communicates information to you promptly.

Find the Right Attorney To Protect Your Rights

At Fielding Law, we take pride in our personalized and trustworthy approach to legal representation. If you’ve been injured in a reckless driving accident, we ensure your rights are protected, and you receive the compensation you deserve. Our primary focus is on auto accident and personal injury claims, and our experience makes the difference for our clients. Get started today with a free case evaluation.