A recent article in the New York Times questioned whether we truly should be calling car crashes “accidents” when in most cases the crash is caused by someone’s actions and, specifically, human error of one kind or another. Put another way, the article notes that it is misleading to refer to collisions between or involving motor vehicles as “accidents” when the cause of nearly 95 percent of these collisions is human error.
The article notes that roadway fatalities are up more than 50 percent over the past century, even as vehicles have become equipped with more and more safety features. It also notes that recent National Safety Council research shows deadly crashes rose by nearly 8 percent in 2015 over the previous year, resulting in over 38,000 fatalities.
The safety advocates spearheading the campaign for this change in terminology from “car accident” to “car crash” note that human error is the cause of virtually all vehicular crashes. Indeed, they note that only 6 percent of vehicular crashes are due to vehicle equipment malfunction, the weather, or some other non-human error type factor. The rest are caused by human error or behavior of one kind or another, whether it be distracted driving, driving under the influence, or something else.
Some state and municipal governments, including both the state of Nevada as well as New York City, have even taken measures which reflect the same sentiment, replacing the word “accident” in various parts of their state statutes or city ordinances. Even news organizations like the Associated Press have encouraged reporters not to use the word “accident” where the negligence of a driver is claimed or proven in a vehicular collision.
All of the actions above stems from a growing awareness of the role that human error plays in causing car crashes. As discussed below, the personal injury attorneys of Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. have extensive experience dealing with vehicular collisions and it has been our experience that human error is normally the cause of nearly all car crashes. Indeed, our clients often experience significant injuries and financial losses as a result of vehicular collisions caused by someone else’s negligence.
At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., our experienced and aggressive personal injury attorneys represent those who have been injured in car crashes caused by someone else’s negligence throughout the Greater Chicago area as well as throughout the state of Illinois. It has been our experience that most of what are called “accidents” are in fact caused by human error of some kind rather than resulting from some type of accident. In the typical car crash, this human error leads to financial losses and/or injuries for those unlucky enough to be involved in the car crash. For those unfortunate souls unlucky enough to be involved in a car crash, the injuries which they suffer often can require extensive and costly medical treatment as well as costly car repairs. At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., we work hard to recover full and fair compensation for those injured in collisions as a result of someone else’s negligence.
Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. has a long track record of success in representing the victims of vehicular crashes caused by another person’s negligence. We have successfully recovered the costs of medical treatment for injuries suffered in a car crash, the amounts our clients have had to pay for repairs for the damage to their cars in vehicular collisions, any lost wages our clients have suffered as a result of a vehicular collision as well as recoveries for our clients’ pain and suffering caused as a result of the injuries they have suffered in a vehicular collision.
At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., many of our clients have been injured in car accidents or other types of accidents involving roadways, such as motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, and pedestrian accidents. We are experienced personal injury attorneys who have also successfully represented clients for medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, premises liability, workers’ compensation, product liability, and police brutality.
Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. If you have been involved in a vehicular collision in the city of Chicago or in the state of Illinois, and have been injured by someone else’s negligence, please call us today for a free consultation with one of our accident and personal injury lawyers at (312) 236-2900.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
