How Does Speed Affect Accident Injuries?

How Does Speed Affect Accident Injuries?

Car Accidents

When you’re driving, you will most likely be sharing the road with drivers prone to speeding. For example, going slightly over the speed limit might seem like the norm in some places like open roads and highways. However, don’t be fooled – the speed limit everywhere exists for a reason. When you surpass the limit, you are risking getting into a serious crash, causing significant injuries and damages to yourself and those around you. Therefore, before you accelerate above the maximum MPH while behind the wheel, you must consider the following resulting scenarios:

Pedestrian Accidents: When a vehicle strikes a person who is traveling on foot, the injuries caused to the pedestrian tend to be most severe – and likely lethal. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), about 40 percent of people struck by a vehicle going 30 MPH or more will be fatally injured. Therefore, you must obey the speed limit in residential areas and places with frequent foot traffic for the safety of the pedestrians and yourself.

Single Car Collisions: Single car collisions happen when the driver, often impaired, crashes into an object or anything that isn’t another vehicle or pedestrian. This could be a traffic pole, a street sign, or a tree, among other entities. This can cause immense harm to the driver if traveling at a speed higher than the speed limit. Alternatively, if a driver hits something going at or under the speed limit instead of speeding, it could lessen their injuries and property damage and even potentially save their life.

Multi-Car Collisions: In multi-vehicle collisions, it is likely that a vehicle gets hit by more than one car in a pileup accident. A vehicle might even be deflected off of the roadway, potentially overturning or hitting another object in some cases. A multi-car collision can be a frustrating fender-bender, at the very least. When high speed is involved, though, it could cause mass amounts of destruction for all parties involved. As a result, cars can get totaled, and the drivers in the vehicles have a significantly higher chance of suffering severe injuries.

Important Tips You Should Know:

  • First and foremost, wear a seatbelt. When you collide with something without a seatbelt going at any speed, your body (and other passengers’) continues to go that speed until it hits a surface hard enough to stop the forward progress. Therefore, when you buckle up, you will be secured from being ejected forward and could prevent serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and at the very least, whiplash.
  • Seek medical attention immediately following a serious crash. You may have suffered injuries that have not manifested yet, and refusing treatment due to feeling “fine” could set you up for disabling injuries that require long-term care.
  • Speak with the right car accident attorney to guide you through the insurance claims process and help recover the best possible compensation for your experience. No matter how serious your injuries and damages were from your accident, your insurance company’s goal is to give you the lowest settlement possible to save them money. So when a car accident lawyer intervenes, they know just what to do to win you the compensation you deserve to proceed with your daily life.

Kansas City Car Accident Attorneys Are Here to Help 

At The Goss Law Firm, we take the time to listen to your story and approach your case like we would our own. We put your safety above all else and expect everyone to practice great caution when driving, but it is easy to feel helpless when you find yourself in an accident through no fault of your own. Let our attorneys help you towards the best possible compensation for subsequent medical bills, damages, and pain and suffering under the law. In addition, we will face your insurance company head-on, so you are treated with the fairness that you deserve throughout the entire process. Have you or a loved one been hurt or harmed in a car accident? Contact The Goss Law Firm by submitting a form on our website or calling our office toll-free at 816-888-5000 for a free legal consultation today.