Our firm recently joined the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. This is an arm of the Missouri Department of Transportation created in 2004 to implement Missouri strategic highway safety plan. I was drawn to the coalition because of our shared goals of improving roadway safety. While its members consist mostly of police officers and state officials, they welcome business and corporations as well. Although a police officer’s work investigating traffic crimes and violations has the strongest deterrent on bad driving, car crash personal injury cases have a strong deterrent effect as well. Here are some of the ways I think a car crash personal injury claim deters bad driving.
Holding Drivers Accountable for Dangerous Behavior
By holding drivers accountable for breaking the rules of the road and injuring someone, it helps prevent them and others from doing it in the future. Car crashes can cause serious injury and death. Serious injury and death cause monumental damages, financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. These injuries and damages often require millions of dollars to compensate. If someone knows they can be on the hook for millions of dollars damages if they break the rules of the road, it will most likely deter them from doing that.
Insurance Consequences for Unsafe Drivers
A car crash personal injury claim can also cause a driver to lose his or her insurance. Under the law, one can’t drive without insurance. An unsafe driver with too many car crash cases could be ticketed, jailed, or lose their license for driving without insurance. This could lead to them being unable to drive and endanger the rest of the motoring public.
Encouraging Safer Corporate Driving Policies
Car crash personal injury cases can also lead to changes in businesses and corporations that employ drivers. Because business and corporations are liable for damages from caused by drivers while on the job, they are incentivized to prevent unsafe driving by its employees. They often have driving policies and monitor their drivers’ habits. These things deter on-the-job drivers from breaking the rules of the road.
Legal Accountability Protects Everyone
These are but a few of the ways I believe car crash personal injury cases deter unsafe driving and make our roads safer. Car crash personal injury cases do more than compensate victims; they encourage safer driving habits, corporate responsibility, and overall public safety.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash, the team at Meyerkord, Russell & Hergott can help. Our Kansas City personal injury lawyers have extensive experience holding negligent drivers accountable and pursuing justice for crash victims.
Contact us today for a free consultation and learn how we can help you protect your rights and your future.