Hance & Srinivasan auto accident attorney lawyer Louisville

Vehicle Accident

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Auto, Large Truck, and Motorcycle Accidents

carphone Are You a Victim?
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an auto, large truck, or motorcycle accident that was not your fault, you must take immediate steps to protect your legal rights to a potential claim. Hance & Srinivasan is ready to help you get what you deserve for pain, suffering, and financial and medical compensation.

driver negligence
driving while intoxicated
driving under the influence
mechanical failure

If any of these factors fit your individual situation, we can help. Hance & Srinivasan has provided legal counsel to hundreds of individuals and families who have been injured by someone else’s negligence. We understand the hardship that follows the loss of income and health due to an accident, or sadly, even the loss of a loved one. Hance & Srinivasan will work to see that you recover these types of costs:

repairing or replacing your vehicle or other property damage
compensation for your injuries
medical expenses
lost income and wages

Also, we will help you recover costs for any type of serious injury or loss resulting from accidents that involve faulty components such as defective seatbelts, airbags, and tires or other types of auto manufacturer defects or recalls.

Hance & Srinivasan also is aware that injuries or extreme grief may make it difficult for victims to seek legal counsel. That’s why we are available to make arrangements to visit victims and their families in the hospital or at home.

Our Experience
Hance & Srinivasan has the experience, the skills and the resources to handle your cases effectively. While Michael Hance and Chandrika Srinivasan have been successful personal injury attorneys, they believe the best way to judge their experience and qualifications is what other attorneys, and clients have to say about them. Michael has been consistently rated as “AV” in Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, which indicate attorneys who demonstrate “the highest ethical standards and professional ability.” He also is a member of “Best Lawyers of America,” and has been included among “Super Lawyers™ in Kentucky” since its inception.

Most importantly, however, is what our clients and referring attorneys have to say about Michael and Chandrika. Simply contact us we will gladly provide you with contact names and telephone numbers for these references.

Auto Accidents
The statistics are frightening. According to Kentucky State Police:

every four minutes a car crashes in the commonwealth
every 10 minutes there's a traffic-related injury
every nine hours and 33 minutes someone dies on a Kentucky roadway

Those are sobering facts when you consider how many of our citizens must utilize Kentucky roadways as drivers or passengers in moving vehicles each day. Last year, 864 persons died in accidents on Kentucky roads. The Kentucky State Police reports that in Jefferson County alone there were 55,224 collisions that killed 159 people and injured 15,921 in 2006 and 2007 combined.

Auto accidents are generally referred to as either single or multiple vehicle crashes. The most common causes of auto accidents include:

distracted drivers
driver fatigue
drunk driving
excessive speed
aggressive driving
weather conditions

If you are involved in any accident:

call 911 IMMEDIATELY if you or anyone else has been injured, and lend aid to the injured or tend to your own injuries until emergency services arrive
contact the local police
take down the names and numbers of persons who witnessed the accident
move out of the way of oncoming traffic, especially at night
stay calm

Large Truck Accidents
Local and federal government, as well as numerous private transportation associations, work together to establish safety regulations, standards, initiatives, and awareness programs specifically for drivers licensed to operate large trucks. These drivers and motor carriers have a legal obligation to observe strict safety regulations and standards for the operation and maintenance of their vehicles.

Despite these efforts, the Kentucky State Police reported 9,176 large truck collisions in 2007 with 2,301 persons being injured. Of all Kentucky truck collisions in 2007, more than 38% involved fatalities.

The most common factors in truck collisions include:

driver inattention
failing to yield right of way
vehicle not under proper control
use of alcohol
disregarding traffic control

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration also cites these additional factors:

brake problems
traffic flow interruption (congestion, previous crash)
prescription drug use
traveling too fast for conditions
unfamiliarity with roadway
roadway problems
over-the-counter drug use
fatigue

Motorcycle Accidents
Nearly 10% of all vehicle collisions in Kentucky in 2007 involved motorcycles. Nationally, motorcycle crashes account for 13% of all vehicular accidents, and motorcycle fatalities are the fastest growing category of vehicle fatalities. The increase is due in part to the growing number of licensed motorcycle operators and the climbing price of gasoline.

Motorcyclists are extremely vulnerable to injury during accidents, especially when another vehicle is involved. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 80% of motorcycle crashes injure or kill a motorcycle rider, while only 20% of passenger car crashes injure or kill a driver or passenger in the vehicle. Per vehicle mile traveled, NHTSA estimates that in 2005, motorcyclists were about 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash.

Additionally, a motorcycle’s limited ability to withstand collision and protect the rider can contribute to the severity of the rider’s injuries. Victims who survive are often left with serious injuries or permanent disabilities. For the victims and their families, high medical bills and loss of income often combine with emotional strain to cause additional suffering.

Causes of motorcycle accidents can be very complex. Factors that can increase the likelihood of a serious motorcycle accident include:

speeding
alcohol or drug use
disobeying traffic laws
less visible than other traffic

Hance and Srinivasan encourages motorcycle riders to follow these simple steps to ensure a safer ride on Kentucky’s roadways:

keep your headlights on at all times
don’t ride in the blind spots of cars and trucks
wear a helmet and protective eyewear and thick, protective clothing
give yourself space and time to respond to other vehicles
watch for turning vehicles
avoid weaving between lanes
get formal training and take refresher courses

Types of Injuries
Any injury sustained in a vehicle accident should be examined by a qualified physician. The most common injuries sustained in an accident include:

Brain injuries: Any brain injury can be life threatening. Persons who survive a brain injury may have long-lasting problems associated with head trauma. Even a mild brain injury can permanently change a person’s life and, consequently, the lives of those around them. http://www.biausa.org/

The injuries that result from a concussion may be indicated with lesser symptoms such as a headache or dizziness or slight confusion. In the later stage, however, the effects of the injury are more significant and include inability to concentrate, easy fatigue, irritability, anxiety and depression, and a quick temper. Because they present much later than the accident, some injured persons and their families never make the connection between these real injuries and the accident or incident that caused them. It is essential to first recognize it as an injury and seek help.

Spinal Injuries: A spinal cord injury occurs when a traumatic event results in damage to cells within the spinal cord and severs the nerve tracts that relay signals up and down the spinal cord. The majority of spinal cord injury victims experience permanent paralysis, and many die as a result of their injury. A spinal cord injury of any kind can change the quality of life for the victim as well as their loved ones. Because of the complexities and long-term medical implications of spinal cord injuries, victims need to be aware of their healthcare benefits and rights.

Orthopedic Injuries: The most common type of car crash injuries are orthopedic in nature. Broken bones, sprains and strains are among the most common orthopedic or musculoskeletal injuries. Sprains describe an injury to a ligament and strains describe an injury to muscle. These are usually not life threatening; however, this type of injury can prove to be very serious and have lifelong affects for the victim. When not diagnosed early and managed appropriately, common musculoskeletal injuries may result in long-term disabling conditions.

Trauma Pain: Trauma pain can be described as aching, sharp, or throbbing, and can result from any injury that damages tissues, including cuts, bruises, fractures, and burns.

Acute pain (sudden, short-term pain) and trauma pain can overlap as sometimes traumatic injuries lead to chronic pain when pain persists longer than expected, Severe trauma pain requires medical attention. Treatments vary depending on the type and seriousness of the injury or wound and may range from splinting to surgery.

Burns: Gas tank explosions, smoke, toxic fumes and superheated air are all potential hazards that can occur with a vehicular accident. Injuries can include thermal burns, affecting the skin, or burns that affect the airway. A burn injury can affect the burn victim’s muscles, blood vessels, and bones and cause the victim great pain due to damage to the nerve endings. Burn victims can experience a wide variety of major and potentially fatal complications including electrolyte imbalance, infection of the skin and muscles, shock, and respiratory injury. A burn injury can also cause distress emotionally and psychologically due to scarring and physical deformity, and if full recovery is not possible, the victim may suffer for the rest of his or her life.

Mental Trauma: Individuals sometimes experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an event involving trauma pain such as a vehicular accident. This can be a debilitating “injury,” preventing the victim and their family from resuming a normal life after the accident (i.e. returning to work, functioning as a spouse or parent).

Post-accident Pain: Accident victims can sometimes experience hidden injuries as a result of a vehicular crash. Sometimes less obvious injuries occur, even in minor accidents. They are just as real, but more difficult to recognize, diagnose, and treat. These less obvious injuries usually result from the stress and strain put on the victim’s body from the force of impact of the collision. Symptoms may not occur until days, weeks, or months after the accident.

The most common forms of “hidden” injuries are myofascial injury (whiplash) and mild traumatic brain injury (concussion).