Over 25 Percent of Car Accidents Involve Excessive Speed

Nearly every Louisiana resident drives over the speed limit once in a while. Unfortunately, excessive speed is a factor in at least one out of every four car accidents in the state, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Other factors — such as impairment or distracted driving — may vary, but speed is regularly cited as a cause as well.
Many local law enforcement agencies here in Louisiana believe that the number of fatal accidents involving speed is actually higher. This is in part because, without speed, the force necessary to cause a fatality does not ordinarily exist. The faster a vehicle is traveling at impact, the more likely it is that one or more people involved will perish.
Admittedly, freak accidents can occur that are not easily explainable by the usual factors such as speed. Nevertheless, a lieutenant with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department’s traffic unit noted that fatal accidents are more often the result of a driver who is distracted, impaired and/or speeding. The victims who are unfortunate enough to come across these drivers often pay the price for the poor decisions made by those drivers.
When families lose loved ones in these types of car accidents, they retain the right to file wrongful death claims seeking restitution for financial losses. As part of these civil actions, it is necessary to prove that the party or parties sued were negligent in a manner that caused or contributed to the accident before the court will consider any request for damages. Evidence of speeding, impairment and/or distracted driving can help establish fault. Any monetary judgments awarded may help the families of the victims overcome the financial impact occasioned by the death of their loved ones.