A lot of people assume that older drivers have more accidents. They can’t see as well as younger drivers. They drive too slowly and have poor reaction times. These assumptions, while a bit cold-hearted, are actually true. Most drivers over the age of 75 are more likely to get into an accident than younger people. Georgia car accident attorneys know the statistics. In 2018, 7,700 people over the age of 65 were killed in accidents. Another 250,000 were treated in the emergency room following an accident. If you happen to be a victim in one of these crashes, you should call our office right away.
Your Accident Could Be Caused by a Variety of Factors
There are all sorts of things that can cause an accident. A lot of people are involved in rear-end accidents. Thankfully, most of these are minor. They involve slight injuries. The biggest bruise is usually to your ego. However, there are also a host of other things that can cause a crash. Some of these include:
- Distracted driving – More than 8.5% of all motor vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving. This could involve anything from texting and driving to eating while behind the wheel.
- Speeding – The Georgia legislature set the speed limits for a reason. There are good reasons why you can’t drive more than 65 or 70 miles per hour. If you do, there’s a greater chance of you getting into a crash and getting injured.
- Drinking and driving – Sadly, despite the fact that an Uber driver is only a few minutes away, people still drink and drive. These tend to be the most serious types of crashes and lead to very severe injuries.
If you’re involved in any sort of crash, your Georgia car accident attorney can help.
There is an Unfair Bias Against Certain Types of Drivers
If you’re hit by an elderly driver, your Georgia car accident attorney still has to prove fault. There is a chance that the older driver caused the crash. It has been proven that they tend to suffer from a variety of issues that make them more vulnerable to get into a car accident. Some of these include:
- Their cognitive abilities aren’t what they used to be
- Their vision is not as good as it was when they were younger
- Their response time is slower
- They have physical issues that make them more at risk
Your attorney can’t just claim that this is the case. They’ll have to demonstrate that the particular driver who hit you was negligent.
Just Because the Defendant is an Older Person, the Judge Won’t Automatically Find in Your Favor
Some people think that the judge will give them the benefit of the doubt if the defendant is older. This isn’t the case. The truth is that, while they’re at a higher risk of getting involved in an accident, older people are generally safer drivers. They don’t drive when the weather is bad or when road conditions are poor. They rarely speed. They are not prone to drunk driving and they always wear their seatbelts. Your Georgia car accident attorney will have to prove that, despite these things, the defendant is liable. They\’ll do this by submitting evidence demonstrating fault.
You Should Call and Talk to an Experienced Georgia Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it really shouldn’t matter who caused it. As long as they have auto insurance, your Georgia car accident attorney will help you file a claim. As long as you can prove negligence, you will have a good shot at collecting the damages you deserve. The best thing to do is to have an experienced attorney review the case. They’ll give you their honest opinion about whether you have a valid claim. If the defendant is an older driver, there’s nothing wrong with your attorney pointing this out. It’s your attorney’s job to present your case and do the best they can to get you the compensation you deserve.
Call our office and schedule your free, initial consultation. You should sit down with someone who’s handled plenty of cases like yours before. One of our skilled accident lawyers can look at the evidence you have and give you their honest opinion. The initial meeting is free, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. The other driver is going to have a lawyer working for them and you should too.