Few things are worse than being injured in an auto accident. As you likely know, auto accidents happen every day here in the state of Florida, but you may wonder what the most common type of auto accident is. By a large measure, rear-end accidents, also referred to as tailgating accidents, are the most common types of auto accidents. Please continue reading and reach out to our seasoned Jacksonville auto accident attorneys to learn more about tailgating accidents, how often they occur here in the United States, and how our legal team can help if you’ve been injured in one. Here are some of the questions you may have:
How often do tailgating accidents happen?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly one-third of all auto accidents are tailgating collisions. Though rear-end collisions often happen at lower speeds and don’t result in serious injury, this is far from always the case; in fact, in 2020, there were over 1 million rear-end collisions in the U.S., and of those collisions, roughly 10% were fatal.
What are the most common causes of rear-end accidents?
Unfortunately, tailgating accidents are arguably the most preventable of all auto accidents. When drivers tail other drivers too closely, they severely reduce the amount of time they have to reduce their speed and eventually stop. Should the driver in front slam on the brakes and the tailgating driver doesn’t have sufficient time to come to a complete stop, a serious accident can occur. What’s more, the rear-ending driver is almost always considered the at-fault driver in these accidents. The most common causes of these accidents are simply driving too close behind another motorist, speeding, and distracted driving (such as texting while driving). Though the rear-ending motorist often bears the brunt of these accidents, when they rear-end the driver in front at such a speed that propels them into another vehicle or a fixed object, they can sustain very serious injuries as well.
What should I do if I’m injured in a rear-end accident?
If you are injured in a rear-end accident by a rear-ending motorist, the fortunate thing is that you will most likely be entitled to financial compensation. However, to receive this compensation, you must enlist the services of a seasoned Jacksonville personal injury lawyer who can work to gather and present evidence to satisfy the burden of proof on your behalf. As long as you can do so, you should be compensated for the economic and non-economic damages you’ve incurred as a result of your accident.
If you have been injured in a rear-end accident or any other kind of auto accident that was not your fault, simply contact Ansbacher Law today. We are here to fight for you, every step of the way.