Car Incursions: Drunk, Incapacitated or Confused Drivers Crashing into Buildings
Protecting injured clients throughout Tennessee from offices in Nashville, Hendersonville and Knoxville
You have probably shaken your head at the recurring news reports of drivers crashing into buildings with their cars. But cars crash into buildings more often than you might think. In the United States, more than 60 cars crash into buildings such as convenience stores, grocery stores, homes, hospitals, fast food restaurants, banks and other buildings that usually have unsuspecting people inside each day, which amounts to nearly 500 deaths and more than 3,600 injuries per year according to the Store Front Safety Council.
At the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, we help victims in Nashville, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, and throughout Tennessee, who have been struck and injured when a car crashes into a building obtain the compensation they deserve. Our team of skilled Nashville auto accident attorneys is known for our aggressive strategies that help ensure that we obtain a fair settlement for our clients. We are always ready to fight for you.
Common causes of car incursion accidents
When you’re in your car, driving along, it might be easy to miss a road sign or not see a car in your blind spot. But how can anyone miss a building right in front of them? Turns out, it’s easier than you think. These incidences are called car incursion cases, and there are a few common reasons why a car might crash into a building:
- Pedal confusion. By far the most common cause of car incursion crashes, the driver mistaking the gas pedal for the brake pedal caused 34 percent of these car-into-building crashes in 2014. NHTSA data reports that these pedal error crashes, when they are accidental, are most often caused by younger drivers (age 16-20) and the oldest drivers (age 76 and older). Driver inattention and driver distraction were common contributing factors across all age groups.
- Drunk driving. Approximately 19 percent of car incursion crashes could be attributed to drunk driving.
- Driver error. From texting to misreading a map, to trying to cut across traffic to get from one place to another – driver error accounted for 19 percent of car incursion collisions.
- Traffic accidents. Accidents which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle were responsible for 11 percent of the crashes.
- Medical emergencies. Seizures, heart attacks, numbness in the legs, black outs and other illnesses behind the wheel cause 9 percent of the car incursion collisions.
- Police chase. High-speed police chases through city streets were responsible for causing about 8 percent of car-into-building crashes.
Injuries from car-into building crashes
In car incursion crashes, those most likely to suffer injuries are the individuals in the buildings into which the out-of-control vehicle crashes. These innocent bystanders often suffer the following types of injuries:
- Head and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Cuts and lacerations from broken glass and building debris
- Loss of limb/ crushed limbs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burn injuries
Our legal team will fight for you when you have been injured in a car-in-building accident in Tennessee
You were standing in the convenience store waiting for your turn at the register when the next thing you know you are waking up in a hospital in excruciating pain. You have hospital bills and you are unable to work. The experienced Nashville car crash attorneys at the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm will protect your rights to compensation for your injuries. If you take legal action against the responsible party you may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses now and in the future, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, disfigurement, permanent disability, pain and suffering, and any other losses.
Let Rocky fight for you today
Call Rocky at 615-425-2500 or contact the firm to schedule a consultation to discuss your case. The Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers is located in Nashville & East Nashville, and maintains additional offices in Hendersonville, Murfreesboro and Clarksville to best serve people in need throughout the state of Tennessee. Our experienced Nashville car incursion lawyers are ready to represent you need and get the results you are looking for.
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