Accidents (Car, Truck, Bus, Motorcycle or other Vehicles)

Accidents involving cars, trucks or motorcycles account for the majority of personal injury claims and lawsuits in the US. An accident can occur at any time and can affect anyone—often causing physical and emotional damage that can have a devastating impact on those involved for the rest of their lives. Accidents can be caused by plane and helicopter crashes, marine and railroad accidents, and recreational vehicles such as ATV's.

Injuries range from cuts, bruises, and soft tissue injuries to catastrophic injuries including head, neck, and spinal cord injuries, loss of limbs, orthopedic injuries and neurological injuries. Many injuries result in death.

ATV Accidents

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), compared with other all-terrain vehicle types, ATV utility vehicles experience the highest rollover rates in fatal crashes (33.7 percent) and in injury crashes (10.2 percent). Large trucks, pickups, and utility vehicles cause the highest rollover rates in property-damage-only crashes (2.2 percent).

Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accidents can happen at any time; you could be walking your bike across an intersection, or your child may be riding around the block with his friends. Bike accidents occur at an alarming rate in the US. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 51,000 people are injured every year due to bicycle accidents and in 2007 alone, 698 bicycle deaths were reported. In a typical year, about 90 percent of cyclists killed on US roads die in crashes with motor vehicles. Road conditions and inattentive motor vehicle drivers are two of the leading causes of bicycle accident—an experienced cyclist is rarely found to be at fault.

Boat Accidents

According to the US Coast Guard, boating accidents are on the rise. Accidents can happen at ports of call or during on-shore excursions; they can occur from a fall or swimming accident; a collision at sea or in port.

In 2007, there were 685 recreational boating fatalities reported by the Coast Guard Recreational Boating Accident Report Database and in 2008 that figure rose to 709. Many people are injured on or by different types of watercraft as a result of someone else's negligence: Careless/reckless operation, operator inattention, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger/skier behavior rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.

Car Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that car accidents account for the majority of personal injury claims in the US. Many auto accidents occur due to negligence on the part of one of the drivers involved. When a car accident is caused by another party's negligence, people who are injured are often eligible for compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.

The NTSB Safety Board points out that fatigue and distraction (e.g., talking on cell phones while driving) are two hazards that account for many motor vehicle accidents, but the main causes for car accidents are reckless and negligent driving and alcohol.

Fire Accidents

Fire accidents can be devastating. Fires can cause people to lose their homes and personal possessions and worse: the National Fire Protection Association reports that more than 3,000 people die in fire accidents each year and another 15,000 are injured.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury deaths in the US and the third leading cause of fatal home injury. About 85 percent of deaths from fire accidents happen in residences; most are preventable and continue to pose a significant public health problem.

Helicopter Crashes

According to the International Helicopter Safety Symposium (2005) the helicopter accident rate is nearly eight times the accident rate for commercial airlines and a third higher than the crash rate for general aviation aircraft. Helicopter accidents occur for many reasons, including pilot error and/or fatigue; lack of flight crew training; mechanical or electrical malfunction; flying in bad weather conditions or failure to follow proper procedures.

Many helicopters fly at low altitudes making them less likely to be monitored by ATC and therefore more prone to helicopter accidents, including collision. Flying in heavy air traffic near major airports is another risk factor. As well, emergency medical service (EMS) helicopters face additional dangers of landing at off-airport sites and in bad weather conditions.

Industrial Accidents

Unsafe working conditions are the usual cause of personal injuries suffered by employees. Negligence on behalf of your employer may hold him accountable for your injuries and damages suffered. It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure employees are working in a safe environment.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) in 2005 there were 4.2 million occupational injuries and illnesses among U.S. employees. Approximately 4.6 of every 100 employees experienced a job-related injury or illness, and in 2006, 5,703 employees lost their lives on the job.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents increased in 2008, a trend that has continued for the last 11 years, according to the NHTSA. The agency says that 5,290 motorcycle accident deaths in 2008 accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities for the year, and while motorcycle registrations have increased, the rate of fatal motorcycle accidents has gone up even more steeply.

Oil and Gas Accidents

People who work for oil and gas companies face hazardous industrial working conditions. Injuries associated with oil and gas accidents can be permanent and serious. Approximately 30 workers for every 100,000 died in an accident related to work in the oil industry between 2003 and 2006. Oil and gas accidents include motor-vehicle crashes, employees struck by machinery or equipment, gas explosions, fires, chemical burns and dangerous falls.

Plane Crashes

An airplane crash is usually horrific and as personal planes and charter planes become more popular, the risk of a plane crash increases. However, with limited insurance, charter plane operations may not be covered to pay damages incurred in an airplane crash, such as loss of life, loss of income, crippling injuries or traumatic stress.

In 2004, the National Transportation Safety Board reported 3464 accidents and 1285 fatalities, a 37 percent fatality rate. Plane crashes can be attributed to mechanical failure, defective parts, design flaws, pilot error, weather influence, air traffic controller error, bird strike, onboard fire, lack of fuel, terrorism, sabotage and other causes. The Aircraft Crashes Record Office (ACRO) says that approximately 80 percent of all aviation accidents occur shortly before, after, or during takeoff or landing, and are often described as resulting from human error.

Train Crashes

A train crash is usually devastating, not only for train passengers, but also for those in the vicinity who either witness or are near the train accident. According to statistics, trains are far more dangerous than aircraft. Train crashes can happen anywhere, anytime. The Federal Railroad Administration reported 1,279 train accidents in 2008, which included 371 fatalities and 4,420 injuries.

As well as the impact of the crash, there are also dangers from the contents of the train cars that often carry dangerous chemicals. Hazardous material accidents, also known as chemical spills from train crashes, can affect whole neighborhoods; they can cause birth defects and wrongful death.

Truck Accidents

Trucking is a dangerous profession: although motor vehicle deaths decreased in 2008, more than 4,000 people in the US died that year in accidents involving large trucks, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board blames driver fatigue as a probable factor in 20-40 percent of truck accidents, even though in early 2003 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) instituted new hours of service regulations to address trucker fatigue and drowsiness. But existing laws are not always enforced by trucking companies: for long-haul carriers, the longer truckers can drive without breaks can mean greater potential revenue for the company. With an ever increasing number of tractor trailers on US roads, driver fatigue is a public safety issue.

Proposed legislation will allow even larger and triple-rigged trucks on US highways, even though driving rigs such as tankers and flatbeds are probably one of the most dangerous major occupations in the country: about 55 percent of all class 8 (semis) driver fatalities occur in rollover accidents (big rigs roll easily) and another 10 percent happen in fuel oil fires.

Bus Accident

Bus accidents involve buses, school buses and motorcoaches, which are used in a variety of transportation situations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of 19 motorcoach occupants are killed in crashes and an average of 20 school-age children die in school transportation-related crashes each year.

Accident Lawyers

An accident lawyer can help you with issues dealing with motor vehicle crashes, fatal accidents, road rage, personal injury and insurance complaints.

LawyersandSettlements.com is the online legal news source for accidents articles and accidents interviews--with both accident lawyers and accident victims. If you are a victim of an accident from any of the above causes, make sure that you seek legal counsel from an accident lawyer. LawyersandSettlements makes it easy for you to find the right accident lawyer and we work with accident lawyers throughout the US and Canada who practice in these specialized areas. Our accident lawyers are experienced, compassionate and dedicated in helping accident victims win their case. It is important to file a lawsuit as soon as possible after any accident occurs, not only because the incident is fresh in your mind, but the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits vary; generally a claim should be filed within 30 to 180 days from the date of the accident.

Accident Lawyers who specialize in motor, plane, bus or truck accidents can support a victim throughout the judicial process and can help determine if the accident was caused by negligence. It's your legal and civil right to make an accident claim and get your life back on track as soon as possible.