Car accidents often result from risky driving behaviors, such as tailgating, running red lights, and making unsafe lane changes. However, one traffic violation easily eclipses all others in terms of causing injuries and deaths: Speeding accidents in Lancaster, SC, are a leading cause of traffic fatalities in the state.
Victims of these crashes can pursue compensation for their injury-related losses. The Lancaster car accident lawyers at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys work to hold careless drivers accountable after they cause speeding accidents. Contact us today at (803) 902-7065 for a free consultation of your case.
How Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Can Help After a Speeding Accident in Lancaster, SC
Our lawyers have over 150 years of experience fighting for the rights of injury victims in Lancaster, South Carolina. We’ve successfully won or settled cases worth more than $100 million collectively for our clients.
Our firm can provide the following legal assistance after a driver injures you in a preventable car accident:
- Review your case and educate you about how to seek compensation
- Gather documents and prepare your insurance claim
- Negotiate with the insurance adjuster to settle your claim
- Prepare a lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to pay
A speeding accident can have serious consequences, including bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, or worse. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Lancaster car accident attorney to learn more about the compensation you may be entitled to seek under South Carolina law.
South Carolina Speeding Accident Statistics
Statistics highlight just how dangerous speeding can be on South Carolina’s roads. Data shows thousands of crashes each year caused by exceeding the limit or driving too fast for conditions
Exceeding the Speed Limit
A driver speeds when they go faster than the posted speed limit. Speed limits are set according to a road’s construction and use. Thus, interstates with multiple, relatively straight lanes will have higher speed limits than windy mountain roads or narrow city streets.
Since they’re going faster than the drivers around them, speeders can rear-end other vehicles. Moreover, they may make wide turns or weave through traffic, increasing the risk of colliding with automobiles, motorcycles, and pedestrians.
Driving Too Fast for Conditions
Speeding also happens when drivers go too fast for the present environmental conditions. Slick roads, poor visibility, or heavy traffic may necessitate slower travel. When a driver goes too fast, they can easily lose control of their vehicle.
According to the South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book, in a recent year, the state recorded 37,890 crashes caused by driving too fast for conditions and 408 crashes caused by exceeding the posted speed limit.
In total, 38,298 car accidents in a single year resulted from some form of speeding. These violations accounted for nearly 29% of crashes in which the driver was identified as a causal factor.
Effects of Speeding in Lancaster
The energy released in a collision is a factor of the square of the vehicle speed. In other words, a car traveling 30 miles per hour has four times the energy of one traveling 15 miles per hour. This means that speeding not only increases the likelihood of a collision but also increases the damage and injuries it causes.
In a recent year, speeding accidents caused the following outcomes:
- 268 fatalities
- 633 serious injuries that prevented victims from leaving without ambulance transport
- 12,830 minor or possible injuries that caused visible wounds or injury symptoms
Speeding also compounds the effects of other risky behaviors.
For example, a distracted driver traveling 30 miles per hour covers about 100 feet during a two-second distraction. A vehicle going 40 miles per hour travels about 130 feet during the same two seconds. As such, even a small increase in speed can significantly increase the risk of a distracted driving collision.
Establishing Liability for Speeding Crashes
Under South Carolina law, negligent drivers are liable for the crashes they cause. Negligence means that a driver’s actions created an unreasonable risk of injury or death to other road users. One of the most common grounds for finding negligence is a violation of traffic laws.
Both of the aforementioned forms of speeding violate South Carolina laws. Specifically, the state’s speeding law prohibits drivers from exceeding the speed limit. When a driver engages in either form of speeding and their speed causes a crash, they can be held legally responsible for resulting injuries and damages.
Compensation Available to Speeding Accident Victims
After an accident, the speeding driver will be responsible for the economic and non-economic losses incurred by the victims their actions harm.
Economic losses include the financial costs of the injuries, such as medical expenses and lost income. Non-economic losses, meanwhile, provide compensation for effects like pain, suffering, and diminishment in the victim’s quality of life.
Contact Our Lancaster Speeding Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Speeding increases the likelihood and severity of a motor vehicle accident. Contact Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys for a free consultation with a Lancaster speeding accident attorney. We can help you pursue fair injury compensation after a negligent or aggressive driver collides with you.