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Motor Vehicle accidents are a daily occurrence. In fact, in a year, 16,000 motor vehicle accidents are recorded in the USA alone. Such high statistics regarding accidents mean that some of these will result in injury while others may prove fatal. Whatever the case, one should always be ready with a personal injury lawyer to represent their case should they want to pursue a legal battle to receive compensation for the damages incurred. If you live in Queens, then hiring a Queens car accident attorney can prove beneficial for you.
It is not a surprise to come around individuals who are not prepared in case of a motor vehicle accident. Statistic by Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) revealed that the practice of unsafe driving leads to an annual cost of $60 billion in medical bills, damage to property, legal battle and loss of productivity at the workplace. To cut costs involved in legal battles, The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C. can help.
To overcome the cost involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is vital to educate drivers and train them on safe driving and provide training on what to carry and do in motor vehicle accidents.
Ways to Avoid a Car Accident
To avoid a car accident is the best way to avoid going through a legal battle and receiving compensation. Most drivers fail to follow the basic safety rules that are made, keeping driver’s safety in mind. Some of these rules can save a life, these include:
Watch for Traffic Light Changes
Most drivers do not slow down once they see a yellow light. Avoid this mistake. Speeding over a yellow light can lead to accidents over a thin margin. Additionally, there are plenty of drivers that overrun a red light simply because they do not see any car in the vicinity, avoid this error, and watch out for anyone speeding on a traffic light to avoid any collisions. Do not try to overtake a truck driver. Trucks have a large blind spot and cannot notice your car moving closer.
Pull into Traffic Slowly
Adjusting your mirror is crucial in avoiding motor vehicle accidents, as poorly adjusted mirrors can create blind spots where you are most likely to get hit or hit another car. Moreover, when reaching an intersection, remember to look at both sides of the road twice and slow down when approaching a sharp turn.
Drive Slowly
When they are on the highway, most drivers take it as a free pass to speed since they do not see any other cars or people on the road. This can prove fatal even if there isn’t a car on the road. Over speeding vehicles are much more likely to topple over nothing and result in death. Also, it is essential to exercise caution and reduce speed whenever in a residential or schooling area as a kid or any person can walk across at any moment.
Do Not Drive While Distracted
If you have to attend a phone call or reply to a text message, always pull over to the side and do it or wait till you are in a parking spot. Recklessly driving without focusing on the road is dangerous and is one of the most common reasons for fatal car accidents. Additionally, always keep one hand on the steering wheeling, whether for switching the A.C. on, turning the volume down, or changing channels on the radio.
Avoid Tailgating
Tailgating not only is dangerous but also makes the driver of the vehicle in front anxious. Sudden stops are unavoidable when driving; you could potentially hit a car due to your negligence. Hence it is essential to leave a safe distance between the vehicles in front. If you are in a rush, it is always advised to leave for your appointments 10-20 minutes early since traffic can be unpredictable.
Vehicle Maintenance
When driving on the road, your vehicle needs to be adequately maintained and inspected regularly for damages or repairs—most times, driver negligence when it comes to getting their vehicle inspected results in a car accident. Most commonly, individuals do not get their brakes checked, resulting in break fail, which is extremely dangerous. Remember to regularly get your oils changed and ensure your tires are properly inflated.
Looking at Your Mirrors
Most people fail to use all mirrors or one of the three when driving. It is imperative to take a look into the mirrors when deciding to suddenly hit the brakes, backing up the car or when changing lanes.
Most Common Injuries Resulting from Motor Vehicle Accidents
There are several bodily injuries people can receive when involved in a car accident. Among the injuries sustained, the ones often neglected and most common are wrist and hand injuries. Among the sustained hand and wrist injuries, certain ones occur more frequently than others.
Fractures
When high impact accidents occur, most people move that hand in front to reduce the impact of the hit or as a protective mechanism to stop being pushed further ahead but due to momentum, wrist fracture occurs quite easily. The hand and wrist together consist of 27 bones, of which most lie in your wrist area, which is the most common site of injury result in Cole’s fracture or Smith’s fracture (also known as a spoon or reverse spoon fractures).
Wrist Sprains
The ligaments job is to provide bone to bone attachment. When involved in a car accident that damages your ligaments, the injury can be divided into 3 degrees of severity.
The 1st degree is the mildest form, which results from minor tissue damages and a shorter recovery time. The 2nd degree is of moderate level. This involves two or three ligaments being injured, and lastly is the 3rd degree, which is the most severe form resulting in torn ligament; this requires surgical intervention and a longer recovery time.
Joint Dislocation
Dislocating your joint on impact is not as severe as fractures of your bone. A dislocated joint can be relocated under local or general anesthesia by an orthopedic surgeon. The procedure does not take long, and there is no need to rest during the recovery phase.
Strains
Damages to the tendons which provide muscle to bone attachment are referred to as strains. When tendons sustain an injury, the pain and immobility which results in are far greater than that of a ligamentous sprain. Just like sprains, strains to are divided according to the degree of severity.
1st-degree strains consist of mild over-stretch of the muscle, whereas the 2nd-degree strains consist of a greater level of immobility due to increased pain and greater over-stretch of muscle. Lastly, 3rd-degree strains involve muscles being completed separated; this is termed as complete tendon rupture.
Other mild forms of damages to the tendon involve inflammation of the tendon, termed as tendonitis or tendinopathy.
How Would I Know if I Have Sustained an Injury to My Wrist or Hands?
There are certain signs and symptoms one should look out for after an accident that will help the party realize if they have sustained damage to their wrist or hands. You should look out for swelling, pain, redness, bruising, discolouration, difficulty flexion or extending the part of your hand, and numbness/tingling.
If you suspect you have been injured, seek medical assistance as soon as possible; under no circumstances delay the treatment even if the injury is minor. A slight injury can progressively worsen if treatment does not proceed within time.
Often ambulance arrives on the scene when an accident occurs, and if needed, the patient is shifted to the hospital, where the doctor might request further testing such as C.T. scans or MRI to assess the level of damage.
What Should You Do as a by Stander during A Motor Vehicle Accident?
If you have witnessed an accident, the first step would be to ensure that you are safe before approaching the scene and that the traffic is under control; otherwise, you could sustain injuries. The second step would be to inform all moving cars in the vicinity of the accident to prevent further accidents. The most crucial step following these is calling the police and an ambulance to get the injured individuals treated.
Once the ambulance has been called, assess the damage caused, vehicles involved and the number of people in the crash. You should prioritize people who are unresponsive since those still responding have a better chance of survival and may not need immediate medical attention. If the person is unresponsive, check for pulse and breath. If pulse and breath are absent, immediately start performing CPR and note the timing.
If the individual is unresponsive but breathing, place those on to their side to keep the airway passage clear until help arrives, but ensure the injured person is not being moved excessively as there is a potential of spinal injury. Only carry a person from the car wreck if there is a danger of explosion or fire.
If a person has been injured and has a piece of the wreck lodged into their body, do not remove it as it can cause excessive bleeding. If the person is bleeding profusely, apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth to prevent blood loss.
If there is a motorcyclist involved in the accident, remove the helmet only when necessary. This is especially important when assessing their breath. Casual handling of the situation and removing the helmet forcefully can cause blocking of the windpipe.
Top Items to Keep in Your Car
Every driver must know what to do in case of a car accident and a checklist of items that they should have in the car if they are involved in one. Some of the essential items that drivers can keep on them are listed below
Auto Escape Tools
The likelihood of your car being submerged into the water during an accident are rare, but caution is better than regret. Underwater the pressure is too high for the driver to escape using the door or by opening the window. In this case, having a glass breaking hammer is a good option. There are several portable designs available now that can be attached to your keychain.
First Aid Kits
Every car needs a first aid kit at hand in the trunk or back seat; even if you are not injured, there can be times where you may witness an accident. First aid kits can provide necessary items needed to control the situation before proper medical help arrives. Ensure that the first aid kit contains essential items such as latex gloves, antiseptic cleaners, bandages, scissors and tweezers.
Flashlight
Sometimes being involved in an accident requires changing a flat tire, and if it’s dark outside, you would need a flashlight to help with visibility. Flashlights also come in handy when trying to assess the damage to your vehicle at night.
A Charged Phone
Mobile phones are an essential source of communication. If you are involved in an accident with no person or vehicle in your vicinity, your best bet for help is you calling for police or ambulance. Hence it is vital to always have a fully charged mobile phone at hand; additionally, you can carry around a portable charger if you are low on battery.
Blankets
Blankets are necessary for keeping the injured person warm following a shock. Blankets can keep the person from getting too cold and maintain body temperatures until medical help arrives. They may also provide warmth until the police or ambulance comes if you are far from receiving help. Moreover, blankets can also be used to control bleeding should a first aid kit not be available.
Portable Fire Extinguisher
Although one may think carrying a fire extinguisher is insignificant, there are numerous incidences where car crashes lead to fire and explosion, resulting in a greater number of causalities. Hence every car owner must have a portable fire extinguisher inside the car to control fires. Ensure the extinguisher is not expired and regularly replace it once it has passed its expiration date.
