There’s nothing more frightening than to be driving with your family or friend on a Kentucky roadway and then, suddenly, you’re slammed into by another vehicle driven by a distracted or drunk driver. Shattered glass is flying everywhere, metal is crushed and twisted, and passengers are thrown across seats and into the dashboard. In many crashes, people are seriously injured or killed.
Injuries from car accidents can leave you laid up in a hospital bed for days or weeks, and crash victims often miss many days of work, which means less money coming in to pay bills. It’s like a perfect storm that can leave you discouraged and in pain. If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle crash, you may be entitled to financial compensation. This is especially true if the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence. A skilled and experienced Ashland car accident lawyer can fight aggressively for your rights to get the justice you deserve. You don’t have to get stuck with expensive medical bills and lost wages. Call Billy Johnson Law Firm at 606-437-4488 to learn more about how we can help.
Causes of Car Accidents in Ashland
An Ashland car accident attorney explains why crashes can be deadly.
Usually, vehicle collisions in Boyd County are not actually accidents. People do not accidentally drive carelessly and cause collisions. Instead, negligence, or a lack of care, causes most of the vehicle collisions in Kentucky. Driver impairment is one of the leading causes of car crashes. Common forms of driver impairment include:- Alcohol: Despite a decades-long crackdown on drunk drivers, alcohol still causes about a third of the fatal car crashes in Ashland. The impairing effects of alcohol begin with the first sip. That’s well before drivers are legally intoxicated.
- Drugs: Marijuana and prescription pain pills, both of which are legal to take, at least in some cases, are the leading causes of stoned driving in Boyd County. Much like alcohol, the impairing effects of these powerful drugs usually begin with the first puff or pill.
- Fatigue: Drowsiness and alcohol affect the brain and body in much the same way. In fact, driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .05 BAC level. That’s above the legal limit for many Kentucky drivers.
- Medical Condition: People with serious medical conditions, like epilepsy, know they could suddenly lose consciousness and they shouldn’t drive. Too many times, they get behind the wheel anyway. Mild or moderate illnesses, like the flu, can reduce driving ability by as much as 50%.
Damages You May Be Entitled To
A skilled car accident attorney in Ashland will fight aggressively for you.
There are a variety of damages you may be entitled to depending on the nature of the crash, the severity of your injuries, and who was at fault. Economic Damages- Medical expenses (current and future)
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning potential
- Property damages
- Funeral and burial expenses (wrongful death)
- Shock and mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium (loss of companionship for your spouse)
- Emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
Common Injuries in Car Accidents
When you or a loved one is involved in a car or truck accident, you can be catapulted into the windshield, crushed by twisted metal, or cut by flying glass. Many severe injuries can result from a car accident in Ashland. Some common injuries include:- Concussion
- TBI and brain injury
- Broken bones
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Cuts, abrasions, and puncture wounds
- Burns
- Organ damage
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death.
- Call 911 and ask for police to respond to the scene.
- Seek medical attention right away.
- Get the driver’s license and insurance information of the other driver.
- Get names and contact info of any bystanders or eyewitnesses.
- If you are able, take pictures with your phone of your injuries, damage to both vehicles, and the accident site itself.
- Answer police questions succinctly but do not elaborate or acknowledge fault.
- Hire an Ashland car accident lawyer to represent you.
Deadliest Roadways in Kentucky
In 2019 there were 156,758 vehicle collisions on Kentucky’s public roads in which 732 people were killed and 32,871 were injured, according to traffic collision facts from Kentucky State Police. One in 133 Kentucky residents were injured in traffic accidents. About 66% of crashes involved two or more moving vehicles and 16% were collisions with fixed objects. Roughly 3,069 were collisions with deer. About 35% of all collisions occurred on Kentucky’s “State Numbered” roads, and 49% of all fatalities occurred on these roads. About 22% of all collisions happened on city streets. The 5 deadliest interstates in Kentucky are:- I-64
- I-75
- I-65
- I-24
- I-265.
- Bluegrass Parkway
- Purchase Parkway
- Daniel Boone Parkway.
Different Types of Crashes
There are several different kinds of vehicle crashes you can be involved in. Some tend to be more deadly than others. Crash types include:- Rear-end collision
- Side-impact collision
- Sideswipe collision
- Rollover
- Head-on collision
- Single-car accident
- Multiple-vehicle pile-up
- Pedestrian collision.