Lake Charles Speeding Attorneys

Have you been the victim of a speeding accident? Contact the experienced legal team at Veron Bice, LLC for valuable information on your potential case. We can assess your situation, review the circumstances of your accident, and advise you of the best legal options for your situation. If you are worried that one check from an insurance company isn’t going to be enough to cover everything you’ve lost, contact Veron Bice, LLC for help. Call us today at 337-310-1600 to schedule your risk-free consultation.

It feels like we live in a fast-paced, non-stop world where the faster something is, the better it must be. From internet connections to food service, the faster we get what we want, the better. Unfortunately, some people take the “faster is better’ mentality too far because when it comes to getting behind the wheel, faster is not better and speed can kill. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in 2018, speeding killed 9,378 people on U.S. roadways. The organization also estimates that over the past two decades, at least one-third of all motor vehicle-related fatalities involved speeding. Speeding is more than just breaking the law, it is aggressive and reckless driving behavior that puts lives at risk every single day.

All too often people involved in speeding accidents find themselves filing an insurance claim, accepting whatever the company offers, and then they move on. What many individuals involved in speeding accidents don’t realize is that they may be missing out on recovering the compensation they are truly owed. At Veron Bice, LLC we diligently work to ensure reckless drivers are held accountable for their actions and that insurance companies pay victims of speeding accidents the compensation they deserve. That includes money that will cover medical expenses, property damage, and time missed from work.

How Speeding Causes Accidents and its Consequences 

The act of speeding is covered under an umbrella of driving behaviors known as “aggressive driving”. Aggressive driving is typically defined as any type of unsafe or reckless driving behavior that is deliberate. This complete disregard for the laws that govern safe driving practices, together with willful misbehavior, can have negative consequences. The impacts of speeding are far-reaching and can lead to serious accidents in a variety of different ways. Some of the most common ways that speeding contributes to accidents include:

• Inability to properly stop
  • It’s physics. The faster an object is moving, the longer it will take the object to come to a stop. When a speeding driver is suddenly faced with a change in traffic patterns, an accident, or something in the road, it can become almost impossible to stop in time. Speeding and not being able to stop in time to respond to a traffic situation is the main cause of serious rear-end accidents.

• Greater potential to lose control of the vehicle
  • If a driver needs to make a sudden change or take evasive action, they can lose control of the vehicle, spin, or rollover. They may not be able to avoid colliding with other vehicles on the road and can even cause serious accidents as they attempt to overcorrect.

• Exponential increases in energy on impact
  • Again, it boils down to simple physics. The faster something is moving, the harder the impact it can make. Speeding significantly increases the amount of damage a motor vehicle can do when it impacts another vehicle or a fixed object. The higher the speeds, the greater the damage to property and the more serious the injuries.

• Reduced effectiveness of some safety equipment
  • Speeding can decrease the effectiveness of some safety features, increasing the chances of serious injuries from an accident.

• Failure to adjust for the season
  • Speeding can be more than just not following the posted speed limit signs. Drivers are expected to change their driving behavior when conditions call for it, such as in inclement weather. 

Common Reasons for Speeding

Ask any law enforcement officer, they have heard over a million excuses for speeding. Drivers will attempt to justify their actions when confronted because they may not believe that any harm could possibly come from going just a “few” miles over the speed limit. Speeding is against the law. Why? Because driving in excess of certain speeds in certain areas or conditions significantly increases the risk of dangerous accidents.

If speeding is so dangerous then why do so many drivers continue to do it? Some drivers so routinely engage in speeding, or they may be caught so infrequently, that they forget there can be real and life-threatening consequences when they speed. The fast-paced world we live in may also contribute to the feeling that people need to get to where they are going quickly. Point A and point B matter, not the journey from one to the other.

While there should never be an excuse for speeding, these are some of the most commonly cited reasons for the behavior:

• Traffic
  • From congestion to construction zone slowdowns to wanting to get ahead of other drivers, traffic is the number one contributing factor to speeding according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Running late
  • Running late for work, school, or an appointment is another commonly cited reason for speeding.

• Distracted driving
  • When a driver is distracted by a phone, video, or GPS, they may unintentionally begin to speed because they’re unaware of what they’re doing. They may also miss a posted speed limit sign advising them of a change in speed.

• Rural settings
  • Drivers sometimes feel more “comfortable” speeding on rural roads because they lack the same law enforcement presence as major roads. Rural settings also tend to have less traffic, which contributes to a false sense of security and makes a driver feel “safer” about traveling above the speed limit.

• Disregard for the law
  • All people who engage in speeding have some degree of disregard for the law, but some individuals may be more inclined to disregard the law as a means of thrill-seeking. Some people may feel a sense of exhilaration from speeding or using reckless driving behaviors.

• Anonymity
  • Just like the internet, getting behind the wheel offers some people a sense of anonymity. This feeling of detachment may make some drivers heedless of the consequences of their actions. Someone making a mean comment online doesn’t see the direct implications or consequences of their actions. In the same way, the anonymity of being in a vehicle can make some people indifferent about the way their driving may impact others around them until their actions result in a serious accident.

Injuries from Speeding Accidents 

High-speed collisions are some of the deadliest types of accidents. The force of the impact of a speeding vehicle can cause catastrophic damage and injuries. These injuries may be so severe that they limit a victim’s ability to return to work and lead a productive life. The medical bills alone can be enough to devastate a victim’s financial security, even if they are able to return to work. Some of the most common types of injuries associated with speeding accidents include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Concussion
• Paralysis
• Neck and spinal injuries
• Lacerations
• Burns
• Chest and rib injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Fractured bones
• Wrongful death

Compensation for Speeding Accidents 

The compensation a victim may be able to recover following a speeding accident will vary. The circumstances surrounding the accident are a major factor when it comes to assigning fault and determining how to allocate damages. Louisiana is called an “at-fault” state. “At-fault” means that the party responsible for causing the accident is the party responsible for compensating victims of that accident. A victim who is injured in a speeding accident in Louisiana, therefore, has several options available to them for seeking compensation, these include:

• Filing an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s company
• Filing an insurance claim with their own insurance company
• Filing a personal injury lawsuit in court

When it comes to awarding damages, either in court or through an insurance settlement, Louisiana follows the “pure comparative negligence” rule. This law assigns compensation based on the percentage of fault each party is assigned. It works by first determining what percentage of blame each party has for causing the accident.

As an example, say a speeder is 90 percent responsible for an accident but the victim was distracted at the time and they are 10 percent to blame for the accident as well. The victim is entitled to recover the total amount of damages minus 10 percent. If the total was $100,000 that means the victim can recover $90,000 and the at-fault driver or their insurance is responsible for paying that $90,000.

Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney for Help 

Speeding accidents are frightening in more ways than one. They can end up changing how you live your life because of serious injuries or financial strain. When a driver engaging in reckless behavior, they should not be let off the hook for the damage they cause. At Veron Bice, LLC we make sure that victims are protected and can seek the compensation they deserve.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a serious accident with a speeding driver, contact Veron Bice, LLC today. We can help you negotiate with an insurance company, or take the driver to court to recover the money you need to cover your expenses. Get in touch with our team today by calling 337-310-1600 to schedule a no-risk consultation.