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Perhaps you attend UNC Wilmington or work there, and during your drive to and from the campus, you were in a car accident. It could be that you had an advanced driver-assistance system on in your car or that the other driver did. It should be kept in mind that ADAS is not without its flaws. This may play a crucial role in your personal injury case here in Wilmington, North Carolina. There’s no doubt that the global market for ADAS is growing. Market research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates that it will grow from $27 billion in 2020 to $83 billion by 2030. This comes to a growth of 12% each year. Keeping drivers out of accidents ADAS has so far been successful in preventing many accidents. LexisNexis Risk Solutions says that vehicles with ADAS experience 27% fewer bodily injury claims and 19% fewer property damage claims. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says about blind-spot detection, one ADAS feature, that it lowers crash involvement rate by 14%. The way ADAS works is simple. Its main features are forward and rear collision warning and automatic emergency braking. The one alerts drivers to an impending crash while the other applies the brakes in time if drivers cannot. ADAS also includes safety features like: Adaptive cruise control Lane departure warning Pedestrian detection Traffic-sign recognition ADAS can be linked with unsafe driving Though proven safe, ADAS can experience glitches and, for instance, apply the brakes at the wrong times. Drivers who mistakenly think ADAS can replace them at the wheel may use it as a pretext to distract themselves. In addition, ADAS is expensive, so auto insurers are unlikely to offer insurance discounts to those vehicles that are equipped with it. Retaining a lawyer for your injury case You may be wondering how you can be compensated for your injuries and how soon you can return to a normal life. Your medical expenses, lost wages and other losses could be covered under personal injury law if you file a claim against the driver responsible for your crash, but it may take a lawyer for the case to be successful. You may want to see one for a case evaluation.

If you were injured at the hands of a teen driver here in Wilmington, North Carolina, you’re not alone. Teenagers are inexperienced and tend to be negligent and even reckless behind the wheel. While they can be a safety threat all year round, they are especially so during what are known as the 100 deadliest days: that is, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that between 2008 and 2018, more than 8,300 people died in accidents with teen drivers during the 100 deadliest days. This comes to an average of over seven deaths for every day of summer in that 11-year period. How dangerous teen drivers can be The 100 deadliest days coincide with summer break, so it’s not hard to see why there would be an increase in teen driving crashes and fatalities during this time. School is out, teens are out on the road more and there are more chances to go to parties where, as is often the case, alcohol and drugs are served. Impaired driving is not the only issue. In a recent AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index, 47% of respondents aged 16 to 18 admitted that in the past 30 days, they had driven 10 miles over the speed limit in a residential area. Forty percent admitted to speeding on the freeway, 35% to texting and 32% to running red lights. What parents can do to prepare teens Before the 100 deadliest days hit, parents can talk to their teen about safe driving, making sure that they themselves provide a good example of it. Parents can also coach their teen in-vehicle. AAA recommends at least 50 hours of these practice driving sessions and offers plenty of resources. A lawyer to protect your rights North Carolina holds to the strict rule of contributory negligence, which means that victims of an MVA cannot recover damages if they are so much as 1% to blame. Assuming that your case holds up to this, you may want a lawyer to give it personal attention and protect your right to compensation at every step.

You may have been involved in a crash with a drowsy driver, and now you’re wondering if you can file a claim here in North Carolina. First, it would be a good idea to know in what way drowsy driving is dangerous. Drowsiness impairs judgment and reactions Fatigue can make drivers three times more likely to crash. If they drive after being awake for 20 hours straight, it won’t be surprising if they’re pulled over for suspected DUI. This is because they’ll act like someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .08, which is the legal limit in this state. When drivers fail to achieve the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep a day, they become slow in their reactions and inattentive. It may get so bad that they experience four- to five-second bursts of inattention called microsleep. At highway speed, drivers in microsleep will travel the length of a football field as if they were blind. How common are drowsy driving crashes? There are some 100,000 police-reported drowsy driving crashes every year, but since drowsy drivers can escape detection, the number of crashes is higher, as the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety puts it at 328,000 each year. Of these, an estimated 109,000 end in injury and 6,400 in death. Fifty percent or more of drowsy driving crashes involve drivers under 25, a sizeable portion being male. Parents of teen drivers may help reduce the number of crashes, though, by setting up clear rules against drowsy driving. Universities may do their part with educational programs aimed at their students, many of whom don’t even get six hours of sleep. A lawyer to protect your rights While North Carolina operates under an at-fault system, it does follow the strict rule of contributory negligence. This means that victims of car crashes must not have contributed even slightly to the crash; otherwise, they cannot recover damages. To see how your case holds up to this, you could schedule a consultation with a personal injury lawyer.

Distracted driving is a big problem in North Carolina. In fact, it is the second leading cause of crashes caused by driver error. It accounts for 19.7% of these crashes. Only speeding, which leads to 33.3% of these crashes, ranks above it. Because of the prevalence of distracted driving crashes in this state, there are specific laws that address the problem. For example, all drivers are forbidden from emailing or texting while they drive. Failing to obey this law can lead to a $100 fine on a first offense. Drivers who are under 18 can’t even use the hands-free options that are available. Many causes of distracted driving Some individuals become so focused on cellphones when they discuss distracted driving that they forget there are other causes. For example, it is legal to eat while you drive in North Carolina, however, this isn’t a good idea because drivers should have two hands on the wheel. When you eat something, you take a hand off the wheel and your mind focuses on eating. You might even look at the food instead of the road. Drivers should keep their full attention on driving. This includes keeping their eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel and mind on making decisions about their driving duties. When any of these three is missing, they are putting other people at risk of being involved in a crash. Even short distractions are dangerous It takes an average of just under 5 seconds to check a text message. In that short time, your vehicle will traverse the length of a regulation football field if you’re driving at 55 miles per hour. Many accidents can occur in that vast distance. Even if you are driving slower than that, you can still cause serious damage to other vehicles and people if you aren’t paying attention. It’s especially important to remain vigilant when there are others around you, including motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists. All drivers matter You can only do your part to keep the roads safe. It’s possible that another driver might cause a distracted driving crash even if you’re watching the road as you should. If you’re the victim of one of these wrecks, make sure you contact the police to file a report. You should also seek medical care if you need it. Seeking compensation is possible, but be prepared to show that the other driver was negligent and that contributed to the wreck and your damages.

Staying safe on the roadways takes a driver’s full attention. Some might not realize that aggressive driving is something that can lead to crashes. One behavior that people must be careful about is speeding. Driving too fast for the current road conditions is never acceptable. When speed limits are set for roads, they are based on what speeds are safe when the conditions are optimal. It is never a good idea to drive faster than that or to try to reach those speeds when the weather isn’t the best. Reasons for speeding vary People speed for a variety of reasons. Some become aggressive when they’re running late. Others might just always feel as though they have to go faster than everyone else. Some people don’t view their vehicles as the deadly weapons they are. Instead, they think that they’re immune to anything going on around them. It’s also possible that some just don’t have any regard for the laws or safety of anyone who’s on the road with them. Handling aggressive drivers Coming into contact with a driver who’s speeding and driving aggressively is dangerous. When it is possible, allow them to pass you so that you don’t have to be in close proximity to them. If the driver is harassing you or refusing to pass, you may have to call police to get them to lend a hand. Aggressive driving is dangerous A person who’s driving aggressively isn’t only putting their own safety at risk. They’re also taking a chance on the safety of everyone around them. It will take longer for them to stop if they’re driving faster. They might lose control of their vehicle and strike someone else. Faster speeds mean that the injuries possible can be worse than if the crash occurred at a slower speed. People who are injured in a crash with a speeding driver or one who’s driving aggressively can suffer catastrophic injuries. These can be costly, and they are often associated with high medical care costs. If you’re in this position, you might choose to seek compensation from the aggressive driver through a personal injury lawsuit. This is a way for you to pass that financial burden back to them while you focus on healing and returning to a life as close as possible to the one you had before the wreck.

Now that the holiday season is here, anyone on the road needs to ensure that they are aware of the signs of a drunk driver. If you spot someone who you suspect is driving under the influence of alcohol, try to stay away from them. This might be challenging; however, it could help you remain safe on the road. There are several signs that a driver might be impaired. These include behaviors like swerving between lanes, driving off the road, stopping in the middle of the traffic lane, failing to obey traffic signals or tailgating. Some impaired drivers won’t turn their headlights on once it gets dark outside. Others might straddle the centerline, accelerate quickly, drive too fast or too slowly and drive against traffic. All of these behaviors are dangerous and put innocent people in danger of being struck. One thing that you should do if you see a driver who might be drunk is to report them to the police department. Try to have a passenger in your vehicle do this or use a hands-free device so that you can avoid becoming distracted. Don’t try to match the driver’s actions. You might only be able to relay a make, model and color along with the route of travel and the direction when you contact the police. It isn’t always possible to avoid a drunk driver. If you are struck by an impaired individual, contact emergency services so that you can have the police and an ambulance come out. You might opt to pursue a claim for compensation for the damages that you suffered, but you need to do this before the time limit for filing expires.

Most people know that wearing a seat belt is the law, but what they might not realize is that there is a chance that this life-saving feature could cause injuries. The seat belt stops your body from flying around the vehicle, and possibly out of it, if there is a crash. Occupants of vehicles have to realize that the benefits of wearing a seat belt far outweigh the hazards of not wearing one. The risk of having it on comes from the impact of your body pushing against it when the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop. Some of the more common injuries that can come from a seat belt include things like whiplash, bruising, chest injuries, abdominal injuries and internal bleeding. The higher impact the crash, the more likely the occupants are going to suffer injuries related to the seat belt. One factor that can also impact the severity of the injury is how the seat belt is worn. If it isn’t put in the correct position, internal injuries might occur. For example, pregnant women should wear the lap belt over the hips. If she is in an accident and it is over the abdomen, the force can lead to a placental abruption, which is life-threatening to her and the baby. If you are injured in an accident, you might choose to seek compensation. If the injury is from a seat belt, determining what happened is a priority. You can seek compensation from the party who struck you, but you might also be able to launch a product liability claim if the seat belt was defective.

Car wrecks lead to many types of injuries, including fractures. These occur when one of the bones in the body is broken or cracked as a result of pressure put on them. This is an injury that is usually noticed at the accident site because it causes intense pain in the area of the break. You might also notice discoloration, and the bone might poke through the skin in more serious breaks. The violent force of a crash can break even the largest bones in the body. Broken legs, including the femur, are common in car wrecks. It is also possible to break the neck or spinal cord, the pelvis, the arms and the clavicle. The breastbone might also fracture, which can put some of your internal organs at risk of damage. This type of break is usually due to the body flinging forward and being stopped by the seat belt. Skull fractures are also possible, and these are usually very serious. There is a good chance that the brain might have suffered damage in the crash. These fractures aren’t always easily noticed because there may not be any visible signs and a headache could be the only symptom. A victim of a car wreck who has severe pain in an area might undergo a medical evaluation to determine what’s going on. This can include imaging scans, such as an x-ray or a CT scan. You may see an orthopedic doctor or surgeon who can evaluate the injury to let you know what needs to be done. This might involve surgery and wearing a cast. The cost of medical care and the time you take off work might be costly. Seeking compensation for these could help you to recoup those damages, as well as others you might face.

Motor vehicle collisions on TV and in the movies tend to be loud and dramatic experiences, where the vehicle always winds up catching fire and the people escape near-certain death only through the intervention of a stranger or first responder. The reality of car crashes can be much banaler. Many times, there is only twisted metal and shattered glass instead of the dramatic flames or explosions people expect after a collision. Just like the media strives to dramatize what a car crash looks like, so too do they make the injuries people suffer after a crash seem more visually obvious. After all, a grotesquely broken arm is going to have more of an impact on a movie audience than invisible internal injuries. Broken bones and traumatic injuries like a spinal cord injury that prevents you from getting out of your vehicle are always possible in a motor vehicle collision. However, you should also be aware that some of the most serious injuries people can suffer in a crash will not be visible to the naked eye. Brain injuries sometimes don’t produce symptoms for days Your skull does an incredible job of keeping your brain safe from blunt-force trauma and random accidents. However, if you do get hit in the head or experience violent shaking, the bruising, bleeding or swelling of your brain that results could put increasing levels of pressure on your brain long after the accident happened. You may not have any external signs of your injuries at all. Brain injuries can get worse with time without proper treatment. In many cases, people don’t display symptoms right after a crash. It can take time for the bleeding or bruising to impact the brain’s functions. Anyone in a crash where they were thrown around, lost consciousness or suffered a blow to the head should stay on high alert for the symptoms of brain injuries in the days after the crash. Internal bleeding is a serious condition that can prove fatal Trauma to the soft tissues of your body may seem like the lowest concern after a crash. If you don’t have broken bones or any other obvious visible injuries, you may feel quite grateful. However, it is possible for the seatbelts, airbag or steering wheel to cause trauma to your abdomen. The soft center of your body houses the majority of your organs, many of which are vulnerable to damage in a crash. There are also countless blood vessels that help support the muscles and organs in your abdominal cavity. Damage to the organs or bruising inside your abdominal cavity can lead to major loss of blood. Internal bleeding after a crash could be enough to result in someone’s death. Any sort of traumatic injury to the abdomen or sides typically requires a careful medical examination to rule out internal bleeding or to treat it if it is present.

Drivers can’t let anything distract them from the road. One thing that pulls a lot of drivers away from their duties is a cellphone. Texting while driving is a huge issue that can easily claim lives because reading and writing messages takes time. Safety on the road is everyone’s business, so any driver should be aware of the dangers of texting and driving. It takes an average of 5 seconds to read or respond to a text. A driver who is traveling 55 miles per hour, which is slower than most interstate speeds, will go at least the distance equivalent to the length of a football field during that short 5-second period. You can imagine how many crashes can occur during that time. You must remember that cellphones aren’t the only distraction that drivers face. Other distractions that can impact drivers include billboards, food, beverages, other passengers, GPS devices and similar things. Even being deep in thought can distract drivers enough to where they don’t make the best decisions when they are driving. All drivers must avoid becoming so enthralled with things other than driving. Parents might not realize this, but what they are doing while they drive is what their teens are going to model when they start to drive. For this reason, all parents must set the proper example for their children. People who suffer injuries at the hands of a distracted driver might opt to seek compensation for the financial impacts of the crash. This can include money for medical bills, lost wages and other types of damages that might also be possible depending on the circumstances.

The days are getting cooler and soon there will be frost dusting the pumpkins awaiting harvest in the fields. Now is the time for all sorts of autumn celebrations, including Halloween parties, high school homecomings and the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Fall Fest. While UNC differs from many universities by celebrating its homecoming in February, that doesn’t dampen its Fall Fest celebrations. The last Saturday in October is always a time of harvest revelry — and that often includes drinking alcohol. Underage drinking often occurs Even though the legal drinking age remains 21 in North Carolina and the other 49 states, it would be disingenuous to pretend that no underage drinking takes place among the student body. It does — and that’s a major problem. The problem is exacerbated when these underage drinkers and others who imbibe alcoholic beverages then climb behind the wheel and drive. Binge-drinking creates further woes Researchers have identified patterns of drinking for college and university students. The results of one such study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s National Institutes of Health indicates that university students display unique patterns of drinking. These patterns revolve around certain events and peak times during which college students are more likely to engage in binge drinking. To combat this problem, university and public health officials can employ event-specific prevention (ESP) tactics to student drinking. Which events trigger binge-drinking? Students tend to drink more heavily during culturally significant events like Fall Fest, as there is a major uptick in student alcohol consumption around special events and holidays. Even students who typically do not drink alcoholic beverages report an increase in consumption around these type of events. But there are also personally significant events that can trigger students and cause them to overindulge. Since many college students turn 21 during their time at university, 21st birthday celebrations — both their own and their friends’ — are cited as times of increased drinking. Students don’t have to necessarily be celebrating to pop a few too many tops or be too heavy on the pour. A bombed test, a painful breakup or other negative event can cause students to attempt to drown their sorrows in liquor. Drunk drivers can ruin lives In addition to their own lives damaged by the repercussions of drunk-driving arrests and accidents, those who drink and drive contribute to the carnage on our roads. If you wind up injured by a drunken driver, you may need to seek justice in the North Carolina civil court system.

When you get into a car wreck, the emotions that you feel might be overwhelming. Stress and adrenaline might make it impossible to remember what you should do next. One of the best ways that you can take the appropriate steps is to review them before you are ever involved in one. You might even want to make a short list to keep in your vehicle, so you can refer to it if you are in a crash. One of the first things that you need to do is check the people in your car for injuries. When you contact emergency services, you will need to let them know if you need only the police or if you need police and an ambulance. Knowing a bit about the injuries can help at that point. As you speak about what happened, make sure that you aren’t taking any of the blame for the wreck. It doesn’t matter who was at fault, statements like “I’m sorry” can be misconstrued as an admission of fault. In the event you opt to pursue a claim for compensation, those statements can come back to cause problems. For you. Try to get all information about the accident that you can. This includes getting the other party’s identifying, contact and insurance information. You also need witnesses’ contact information and possibly pictures of the scene and damage to the vehicles. These can all come in handy if you seek compensation. Of course, you might not be able to get them if you are seriously injured, but your health must be the focus.