Just about everyone speeds at one time or another. Many people don’t even realize they’re doing it at the time. But even if they don’t really mean to do it, the results can be horrible. The attorneys with Sand Law will be ready to help if you’ve suffered an injury due to another driver’s speeding. Give us a call at 651-291-7263 or use our online form for a free case review.
Speeding Statistics for Minnesota and US
Speeding is dangerous – even when a driver only does it by mistake every once in a while. According to the National Safety Council, speeding played a role in one-quarter of all deaths in traffic accidents – nearly 9,500 – in 2019.
Over the last 20 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding was the third-leading cause of vehicle accidents overall, and it’s responsible for more than 30% of all fatal accidents.
Here are some statistics that show how much of a role speeding plays in Minnesota traffic accidents.
- Motorists traveling at an unsafe or illegal speed caused 387 fatal accidents, leading to 425 deaths, from 2013-2017.
- Speeding played a role in 30% of all deadly accidents that were related to drunk driving.
- The fatalities from those cases cost that state an estimated $639 million.
- Nearly 70 percent of all fatal speeding-related accidents took place on roads in rural areas.
- Speeding was a factor in nearly 70 percent of fatal crashes involving drivers younger than 30. On the other hand, it contributed to only 7% of fatal accidents involving motorists aged 65 or older.
Why People Speed in Minnesota
Again, a lot of people don’t really set out planning to drive faster than the legal speed limit. When someone’s in a hurry, they might not be as observant as they normally would be. But others simply don’t care. They love driving fast, and they have no regard whatsoever for others sharing the road with them.
No matter why someone drives at an unsafe speed, it’s a very, very dangerous way to drive. Mistakes get magnified when vehicles are going too fast, and those mistakes can, obviously, be fatal, or lead to a lifetime of debilitation. Someone could be stopped on a shoulder because they have a flat tire, and a speeding car may have to swerve for whatever reason and slam into the back of that disabled vehicle.
Even though the penalties for excessive speeding in Minnesota can be harsh, that doesn’t seem to be enough for those who simply insist on driving as fast as they can, whenever they can.
How Big of a Role Does Speeding Play in Accidents?
When someone speeds, they have a very hard time avoiding an accident. These are just some of the reasons why this is the case.
- They don’t have as much time to react should a dangerous situation develop, such as a pedestrian or animal running across a highway, or debris in the road.
- Drivers who are speeding can’t stop their cars as quickly as those who are traveling the speed limit.
- Speeding makes it more difficult to avoid safety structures on the road, such as concrete barriers, guardrails and others.
Can You Prove You Were Hurt Due to the Other Driver Speeding?
When speeding results in a vehicle accident, that will often result in severe injuries to most – if not all – of the motorists and passengers involved. If the accident wasn’t your fault, and you were hurt, how can you gather the evidence you’ll need in order to obtain the compensation you deserve?
Your first move should be to get in touch with a skilled vehicle accident attorney quickly. An experienced attorney will have the resources and knowledge needed in order to find the proof it will take for you to be able to realize a successful outcome to your case.
Your attorney can, for example, work with accident reconstruction professionals, who can recreate the accident and show that the other driver’s speeding was a contributing factor. Also, there are many instances where an accident will be caught by a nearby surveillance camera. It could be positioned outside a convenience store, shopping center or other location. An attorney will be able to obtain that footage on your behalf.
The police accident report can also be a very compelling piece of evidence. Police officers have a lot of experience investigating accidents, of course, so they’ll have a very good idea of why your accident occurred. That report could be a very powerful ally.
At Sand Law, we’ve represented many clients who have been hurt in accidents caused by speeding. In many of these instances, a truck driver was to blame. Truckers are under extremely tight deadlines to deliver cargo, and will sometimes have to drive extremely fast in order to meet them. But no matter who caused your accident, we’ll get to the bottom of why it happened.
What are Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
When someone is hurt in any kind of accident, whether it involves a vehicle, a slip and fall, or anything else, that person suffers losses of one kind or another. In legal parlance, a victim’s losses are known as damages.
There are both economic and non-economic forms of damages. Economic damages are ones that are pretty easy to put a “price tag” on, so to speak. These include lost wages, potential future lost income, medical bills, property damage and others. Non-economic damages are more subjective. They include issues such as emotional trauma and pain and suffering.
An effective attorney will know how to help an accident victim obtain compensation for economic as well as non-economic damages, uncovering the evidence needed to prove a client’s case.
Other Reasons to Seek Legal Representation
You’ve already learned that an experienced attorney can gather the evidence needed to provide you with the strongest case possible. But there are a couple of other reasons you should get legal help.
One of the biggest is that a good attorney knows how to convince an insurance company that it would be much better off making a fair settlement offer rather than trying to go to court. Another is that attorneys can protect their clients from annoying – and possibly even intimidating – calls from insurance adjusters.
The earlier you contact an attorney, the better off you’ll be.
Contact Sand Law Today for a Free Consultation
The professionals with Sand Law will be ready if you’ve been hurt due to a speeding motorist. Please schedule a free consultation by giving us a call at 651-291-7263 or contacting us online.