Tupelo Car Accidents

Almost all car accidents are the result of another driver’s negligence. This means that the driver acted carelessly or failed to exercise the care and caution that a reasonable driver would have.

Distracted drivers are an example of someone negligent behind the wheel. If you think a negligent driver was at fault for your accident, reach out to a Tupelo car crash lawyer as soon as possible.

What is Negligence?

Negligence occurs when a driver behaves recklessly or carelessly. There are two types of negligence. The first is when a driver performs an unsafe action, placing others in danger.
The second is when a driver fails to take action, putting others in danger. If a driver is acting dangerously or failing to do something to ensure safety, and someone is injured as a result, they can be found negligent and held liable for any resulting damages.

Examples of Driver Negligence

Many actions could be considered driver negligence. Some of the most common kinds of negligence include:

• Running a stop sign or stoplight
• Distracted driving
• Reckless driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Speeding
• Aggressive lane changing
• Not obeying road signs and traffic signals
• Aggressive driving
• Failure to maintain the vehicle in a safe condition

If you were injured in a Tupelo car accident due to someone else’s negligence, you might have an uphill battle in front of you. From medical bills and lost income to insurance adjusters trying to devalue your claim, you need a strong advocate on your side.

The simplest way to get your life back after a Mississippi car accident is to speak with a personal injury attorney in Tupelo. Your attorney will handle the details of your case and ensure you understand your rights while you focus on your recovery.

Distracted driving has become an epidemic not only in Mississippi but throughout the United States. Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shown that distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Despite the statistics that clearly show the dangers of driving while distracted, people still continue to text and drive.

Texting isn’t the only form of distraction drivers are engaging in either. Numerous actions could be viewed as distracting when performed by someone behind the wheel.

Many different actions can be considered distracted driving, but all of them fall into one or more of three categories.

• Manual Distractions: Manual distractions happen when you need to take your hands off the steering wheel to do something unrelated to the task of driving. This includes eating, changing the radio station, and adjusting your seat. Both hands need to be on the wheel to drive safely.
• Visual Distractions: Visual distractions take place when you look at something other than the road or your mirrors. It is important to keep your eyes on the road. It only takes a fraction of a second for another driver to swerve into your lane or for a child to wander into the street. Accidents involving visual distractions can also cause drivers to drift across a centerline or median, causing head-on crashes and fatal pedestrian accidents.
• Cognitive Distractions: Cognitive distractions involve anything that takes your mind off of driving. You shouldn’t be thinking about an incident that happened at work or daydreaming. You should be focused on the road in front of you and your driving.

Many distracted driving behaviors come under two or three of these categories. For example, texting while driving is so dangerous because it is a cognitive, visual, and manual distraction.

Examples of Distracted Driving

While there is no comprehensive list for what counts as distracted driving, some of the more common examples include:

• Personal grooming/applying make-up
• Making phone calls
• Texting
• Checking social media
• Sending and receiving emails
• Looking for an address
• Reading a map or using GPS
• Changing the radio station
• Watching a video
• Drinking or eating
• Interacting with passengers
• Taking pictures

Aggressive drivers don’t make the news as often as drunk or distracted drivers, even though they are just as dangerous. Aggressive drivers endanger everyone on the roadway. If you or a family member was injured due to an aggressive driver, you should speak with a car accident lawyer in Tupelo as soon as possible.

What Is Aggressive Driving?

Many different behaviors could be labeled as aggressive driving. Almost any kind of driving that is done deliberately that puts others in danger is considered aggressive. Tailgating and speeding are two of the most common examples of aggressive driving. Both of these actions are deliberate on the part of the driver and present a danger to anyone on the road, including the offending driver.

Different Types of Aggressive Driving

There are many forms of aggressive driving. The most common types of aggressive driving are as follows:

• Lane blocking
• Excessive speed
• Following too closely
• Sudden lane changes with no signal
• Explicit hand gestures
• Aggressive or excessive horn use
• Improper parking
• Inappropriate use of headlights
• Stopping traffic
• Threatening eye contact

Over the years, we have all seen manufacturer defects ranging from faulty brakes and defective ignition switches to fatal airbag deployment. In addition to these manufacturing defects injuring and killing innocent victims all across the country, the manufacturers themselves did not immediately recall these faulty products when they learned about the risks they posed, leaving consumers in dangerous and potentially fatal situations.

In almost every car accident case, fault can be attributed to at least one person. Aggressive and distracted driving are two examples of easily attributable fault but what happens when neither driver seems to have been negligent? What if only one car was involved, and the driver was acting appropriately and safely? Sometimes accidents like these can be attributed to defective auto parts.

Defective auto parts can cause catastrophic and fatal car accidents. When these parts fail, especially those designed to keep vehicle occupants safe, drivers have a much greater risk of having a serious car accident.

There have been defective ignition switches that cause vehicles traveling at high speeds to lose power, disabling their steering and brakes. There have also been child car seats where the latches won’t open, trapping babies and small children in their seats during an emergency.

Different Kinds of Manufacturing Defects

Any car part has the potential to be defective, causing it to be dangerous. Some defective auto parts include:

• Defective ignition switches
• Exploding airbags
• Faulty tires
• Defective car seats
• Faulty seat belts
• Defective heated seats
• Collapsing seatbacks