Car accidents lead to physical wounds and emotional trauma. To add to that, there are legal procedures to follow as well. Every city in the U.S. has its share of car crashes. But for St. Louis, the frequency of fatal collisions is high.
CBS News, in June 2023, reported on a teenage Tennessee volleyball player, Janae Edmonson’s, fatal car crash. She filed her lawsuit against two drivers in St. Louis after she lost both her legs in the accident.
In March 2024, Fox2now.com reported a person getting killed in north St. Louis in a car crash. It was a two-vehicle accident that led to severe damage. Three victims were hospitalized, and the collision scene is being reconstructed by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
This article will focus on the probable causes of car crashes in St. Louis and the legal action victims should take.
Are St. Louis Drivers to Be Blamed for Car Crashes?
In July 2023, RiverfrontTimes.com reported on St. Louis drivers being the worst. One can count this as a leading cause of why the city is becoming infamous for car crashes. A ‘Consumer Affairs’ study done recently evaluated several statistics about city accidents.
It highlighted that questionable driving led to the maximum number of street fatalities. That aside, many drivers in the city are also guilty of drunk driving and speeding. The study also found that close to one-third of the drivers had a high alcohol content in their blood while driving. It equaled 32.39%, the highest of all the cities in the top five, which included Louisiana, New Mexico, Georgia, Michigan and California.
If you face a car crash, it is necessary to get in touch with a St. Louis car accident attorney. A lawyer will determine if you qualify for a lawsuit. Once you do, they will help you address the legal procedures with the correct guidelines. They will obtain fair compensation for you based on the cause of the car crash.
They will use their years of experience and expertise to ensure your sufferings are represented accurately in the court. That way, you have a chance to get your settlement payout on time, rather than waiting for it endlessly.
You can use this amount to treat your injuries. Tor Hoerman Law states that the most common injuries because of car crashes in St. Louis include:
- Broken bones
- Brain and head injuries
- Burns
- Back and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal injuries
You must share relevant medical documents about your injuries with your lawyer. It will help them to build a solid case that will ensure the final verdict is in your favor.
The Causes of St. Louis Car Crashes
Car crash victims must know the cause of their accident so that they can proceed with their legal complaints accurately. It will help them file a lawsuit and also stay careful in the future. The common causes that make this city infamous for car crashes include:
Aggressive Driving
There’s a point where most St. Louis car drivers witness road rage. It leads to aggressive driving tendencies, such as brake checking, tailgating, and weaving in and out of the city lanes. The reason for this rage can be long wait times in traffic or running behind schedules.
Any irresponsible action while driving can lead to car wrecks that comprise side-swipe crashes and rear-end collisions.
Speeding
Speeding doesn’t just result in crashes, it can also cause death. Drivers who tend to speed can lose control of their car and hit another vehicle. Also, their stopping distance and time increase. If there is a collision taking place at high speed, the impact is vast. In such situations, security devices such as airbags aren’t very effective.
Lack of Readiness to Yield
Simply put, to yield means to enable another pedestrian, bicyclist, or driver to move ahead of you. Based on the situation, the drivers possess a legal duty to yield to others. Failing to yield can lead to collisions.
Similar to any other state, Missouri offers the ‘right-of-way laws’. It suggests that a driver in the city has a right of way and should also yield to others. Any violation of the laws results in civil and criminal repercussions.
Unsafe Lane Changes
When drivers switch from one lane to the other, it is necessary to turn signals. That aside, they should change lanes when there is adequate space to do so correctly. Also, some drivers have a habit of driving recklessly. They tend to move in and out of lanes to go ahead of the traffic quickly and are susceptible to car wrecks.
To sum up, the streets of St. Louis are known for frequent car crashes that lead to fatal injuries and even death. While one can blame it all on the drivers, it is also necessary to know the causes of the dangerous crashes. It will be helpful to avoid the situation in the future and also seek legal aid after a crash.
