Causes of Car Accidents in Pittsburgh

Goodrich & Geist, P.C. Will Help You Investigate Your Car Accident Case And File For Compensation

Common causes of car accidents in Pittsburgh include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, distracted driving, drowsy/fatigued driving, speeding, reckless driving, ignoring traffic control signs and signals, and underage driving, as well as driving without the experience or licensing required to operate a motor vehicle. These are all examples of driver negligence. Other causes of car accidents include unclear road markings, missing or defective signs and signals, the actions or mistakes of other drivers, poor weather, poor vehicle maintenance, slippery surfaces, damaged roads, road debris, and poor road design.

Depending on how your accident occurred, you may be able to hold another driver, a vehicle owner or operator (such as the owner or operator of a commercial truck), a vehicle service/maintenance team, a road service/maintenance team, a product manufacturer, or a government entity at-fault for your accident. Contact Goodrich & Geist, P.C. to investigate your case. Our qualified attorneys will identify the cause of your accident in Pittsburgh and will walk you through every step of the claims process.

The Leading Causes Of Car Accidents Take Thousands Of Lives Every Year

Roughly 30,000 people lose their lives every year in motor vehicle accidents. Millions more suffer serious, long-term injuries that can cost tens of thousands of dollars to treat. The medical treatment costs, lost business productivity, lost income, pain, suffering, and vehicle/property damage that these accidents cause run in the hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

The leading causes of car accidents include:

• Speeding: The faster you are traveling, the harder it will be to stop your vehicle, and you will also have less time to react to changes in road conditions or traffic patterns. Speeding accidents are often deadly, especially when they involve large vehicles.
• Distracted driving: Texting while driving has been labeled a national health crisis. In many ways, texting is worse than many other causes of car accidents since it involves distraction of the hands (which are sometimes taken off the wheel to compose a message), the eyes (which are taken off the road to focus on a handheld device) and the mind (which is taken off driving to deal with a message). These distractions can significantly increase your response times and can cause you to miss important road signs or signals, ultimately leading to an accident.
• Drunk driving: Drinking and driving is illegal, and driving while impaired leads to sluggish responses, poor reflexes, poor judgment, and reckless driving.
• Poor road and vehicle maintenance: A failure to check your brakes, tire pressure, cargo that is secured to your vehicle, and the overall condition of your vehicle before hitting the road can lead to an accident. Poor road maintenance can also increase the likelihood of an accident, since road debris, cracked roads, and poor road markings can lead to blown tires, rollovers, T-bone accidents, and both frontal as well as rear-end collisions.

These factors can lead to every conceivable type of motor vehicle accident, including:

• Sideswipe accidents
• T-bone accidents
• Intersection accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Commercial truck accidents
• SUV and passenger vehicle accidents
• Bus accidents
• Construction vehicle accidents
• Rear-end accidents
• Jackknife accidents
• Rollover accidents
• Underride/undercarriage accidents
• Blindspot accidents
• Highway accidents
• Guardrail accidents

The car accident lawyers at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. will help you handle these and similar accidents you may have suffered.

Our Team Investigates The Causes Of Car Accidents And Quantifies Injuries and Damages

According to the Mayo Clinic, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of new spinal cord injury cases every year. Spinal cord injuries can be prohibitively expensive to treat and may require life-long care and physiotherapy.

Other injuries commonly seen in car accident cases include head injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, cuts, bruises, and paralysis.

In addition to physical injuries, other losses and damages that you may have to deal with after a car accident include:

• Property damage
• Vehicle damage
• Lost income or lost earning potential
• Medical treatment expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Caretaking or other incidental service fees
• Funeral or burial expenses

Contact the Qualified Pittsburgh Car Accident Attorneys at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. For a Free Case Evaluation

Many of the causes of car accidents in Pittsburgh, discussed above, are different types of driver negligence. However, because of Pennsylvania’s no-fault laws, you and any at-fault drivers can recover compensation for some of your damages using your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. In some cases, you may even be able to use your uninsured or underinsured motorist policy, as will apply if you suffered an accident that was caused by or involved an uninsured, underinsured, or unidentified driver, as would be the case if you were involved in a hit-and-run. You typically cannot sue for damages unless you suffered long-term, life-changing, permanent, or fatal injuries in an accident. Contact our team for a free and confidential, no-obligation case evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Causes Of Car Accidents