Car accidents can be particularly deadly, especially compared to other types of accidents. Learn about the factors that make car accidents fatal from attorneys Robert Mazow and Kevin McCullough.
John: Hi, I’m John Maher and I’m here today with Robert Mazow and Kevin McCullough of the Law Office of Mazow | McCullough. Today our topic is “what makes car accidents deadlier than other types of car accidents?” Welcome Robert and Kevin.
Robert and Kevin: Thank you John.
Types of Injuries in Car Accidents
John: What type of injuries are typically sustained in car accidents?
Kevin: With motor vehicle collisions and car accidents, we see a large spectrum of potential injuries. The factors that are involved in that can vary dramatically, such as the type of vehicle that somebody is in, where they’re positioned in the vehicle, if they’re at the driver seat versus a front seat passenger or a rear seat passenger, the size of the vehicle, and the speed of the motor vehicle. The analysis that goes into the types of injuries and the factors that are involved in the injuries can be very large. That’s why each case is very fact specific. When we meet with clients and sign up new clients, it’s very important to get all of the detailed information regarding that particular collision.
But as I mentioned, John, some of the things that we look for immediately when assessing the extent of an injury would involve the speed of the motor vehicle at the time of the collision and the type of roadway that it’s on.
What Increases the Risk of Fatalities in a Car Accident?
John: Okay. What makes this type of car accident injuries deadlier than in other types of accidents?
Robert: Most certainly when you’re dealing with motor vehicles and thousands of pounds of steel crushing into either a fixed object or another moving object coming at you, you’re going to have significant damages. You’re going to have horrific injuries, you’re going to have fire and burn victims, you’re going to have people ejected through windshields. It’s horrible to think about and horrible to discuss, but people are on the roadways and they’re acting careless, and they’re speeding, and they’re drinking, and they’re texting. You’re going to have significant, significant issues as a result of that kind of behavior.
John: Right and like Kevin said, just the speed that you’re at, especially on the highway but on any road, even just 40, 50 miles an hour on a side road, hitting something that’s immovable . . ..
Robert: Not just an immovable object but another 40 or 50 mile an hour vehicle coming headfirst.
John: Right, that doubles the amount of impact.
Robert: It doubles the amount of impact and people aren’t going to walk [away] from those kinds of impacts, even with the air bags and even with the extra safety features we have. You get an impact at that speed and there’s likely going to be fatalities involved.
John: Correct.
Kevin: John just to add to that, to what Robert’s mentioning, we talk about speed and the size of the vehicles, but we also handle motorcycle collisions and motor vehicle versus pedestrian or motor vehicle versus bicyclist. Speed is a huge factor when we see these collisions, but often times we represent passengers on motorcycles, the operator of a motorcycle who it may not have been [in] a high speed type collision, but because of the nature of that machinery, the motorcycle itself, [and] the lack of protection, we see severe horrific injuries. [This includes] road rash, scarring, head injuries, [and] broken bones. Although speed is a huge element to it, it’s important to know the type of collision that’s involved and the type of motor vehicles involved, or the motorcycles involved when handling that.
What a Family Can Do When a Loved One is Killed in a Car Accident
John: Right, so what can a family do if their loved one has been killed in a car accident?
Robert: First and foremost, the family needs to get through the grieving process and handle any of the emotional impact and aftermath of that, and seek professional help if they or their children continue to have post-traumatic stress [and] things like that. They should work with the police and the District Attorney’s office if there’s going to be a criminal investigation as to the cause of the accident. They should consult a civil attorney, a personal injury attorney that specializes in [that field] to make sure that all of their rights are looked at, that all the recovery is accessed, that all the medical bills are taken care of by the at-fault party. To make sure that if somebody was at fault, that there can be some amount of justice that can come from the incident.
John: Okay, well, that’s really great information. Robert and Kevin, thanks again for speaking with me today.
Robert: Thank you John.
Kevin: Thank you John.
John: For more information, visit helpinginjured.com or call (978) 744-8000.
