Rear-End Accidents

Over 2.5 million rear-end accidents are reported every year, making rear-end accidents the most common type of automobile accident, accounting for 31%.  Half of all rear-end accidents occur at intersections.

Because the person who is rear-ended gets thrown forward while being held back by the seat belt, his or her head, lacking restraint, snaps forward. Serious neck and spine injuries have been sustained in these types of crashes, resulting in chronic pain, muscle spasms, nerve damage, herniated spinal discs, head injuries, and more.  Rear-end accidents are often referred to as “whiplash accidents” because rear-end collisions often result in a whiplash injury to the driver of the car in front.  35% of spinal cord injuries are caused by rear-end automobile accidents, making rear-end accidents the leading cause of spinal cord injuries.

80% of all rear-end collisions are caused by following too close (tailgaters), inattentive drivers, distracted drivers (using cell phones, eating, text messaging, adjusting the infotainment system, kids, etc.), and drivers with poor judgment (primarily teenagers and seniors). Nearly 15% of rear-ending motorists are uninsured.  28% of rear-ending motorists claim that the vehicle in front of them just decelerated and stopped when objective evidence showed that the stopped car had been stopped for stopped traffic, a stop sign, a pedestrian, a red light, or other legal traffic.  48% of vehicles struck from the rear had been stopped for more than 2 seconds.

As a rule of thumb, if the two vehicles have similar physical structures, crashing into another car is equivalent to crashing into a rigid surface (like a wall) at half the closing speed. This means that rear-ending a stationary vehicle while traveling at 30 mph is equivalent, in terms of deceleration, to crashing into a wall at 15 mph. The same is true for the car that crashed into. However, if one of the vehicles is significantly more rigid (e.g., the rear of a truck), then the deceleration is more typically reflected by the full closing speed for the less rigid vehicle.

You need an attorney well-versed in rear-end accidents who will get you the right medical personnel to get you the care you need and a settlement commensurate with your injury today and the consequences tomorrow.

FOCUSING ON COMPENSATION

Arthur Liberty has the experience and knowledge needed when encountering any rear-end accident. With over three decades of experience, Arthur Liberty has the resources and is the dedicated Santa Monica rear-end accident lawyer you need to follow through with your claim.

Arthur Liberty will thoroughly investigate the facts of the accident or incident in order to determine the legal strategy to take in your particular situation. During your initial consultation, he will thoroughly discuss your case, including potential sources of information not readily apparent, including potential witnesses, video and audio recordings, which must be acquired quickly before they are recorded over, law enforcement reports, and investigation whose initial conclusions can be altered if quickly dealt with early on. Arthur Liberty will try to answer all of your questions. He is committed to providing you with personal attention throughout the course of your claim and will pursue every possible means of compensation on your behalf. Whether you have medical costs, lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, his efforts will be towards maximizing your potential settlement.

It is never easy to get through a difficult situation where you suffer a rear-end accident. Arthur Liberty strives to provide caring and compassionate representation.  His goal is simple: resolve your claim fairly, effortlessly, and as quickly as possible.  If your case requires that a lawsuit be pursued, rest assured that as an experienced and successful attorney, Arthur Liberty will still have the same goal.

Contact Arthur Liberty to discuss your rear-end accident claim.