Kentucky citizens utilize the state’s roadways every single day to accomplish their tasks and goals. Just in 2016, Kentucky’s roads were traveled for a total of 49.196 billion miles. Because of the constant travel, it’s no surprise accidents occur. Most of these accidents, however, are entirely preventable. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you have legal options that our lawyers can assist you with.

In order to understand why the majority of Kentucky car accidents are preventable, let’s take a look at the most common causes of collisions in the state.

Millions of drivers access Kentucky’s roadways every single year. Thousands of miles are covered resulting, unfortunately, in thousands of accidents. According to the Analysis of Traffic Crash Data in Kentucky by the Kentucky Transportation Center, just in 2016, there were over 140,000 car collisions resulting in over 37,000 injuries and 830 deaths.

Whether you’re a resident of Kentucky or just passing through, it’s important to understand the car accident laws and settlement process. If you’re in a car accident, you have the right to compensation for your damages; however, you’ll only be eligible for those awards if you follow through with your legal obligations. Keep reading to learn about handling and settling car accidents in Kentucky.

You may be wondering how to proceed after your car accident. You’ve taken care of your medical needs, reported the accident to the proper authorities, and filed your insurance claim. Now what? The answer to that question depends on your situation. In some instances, especially if the car accident was minor or only involved a single vehicle, an attorney may not be necessary; however, in most cases, you’ll only receive the justice you deserve with the help of knowledgeable legal representation.

An experienced lawyer can help you hold the negligent party responsible for their actions, as well as help you negotiate settlements with pushy insurance companies. No matter the question, a reliable car accident attorney will have or will find you the answers you need.

You may not need to seek legal representation if your vehicle was not damaged, you or your passengers sustained no injuries and did not seek medical treatment, and your life after the accident was not significantly altered.

A hit-and-run accident occurs when a driver collides with another vehicle, fixed object, or a pedestrian, and chooses to leave the scene without helping anyone or identifying themselves. Any victim of this type of accident could be left shaken and confused, and worried about what to do next.

Hit-and-Run Accidents in Kentucky

Kentucky Statute 189.580, duty in case of an accident, states the operator of any vehicle involved in a crash that results in injury, property damages, or death should first focus on acquiring medical assistance for the parties that need it. The driver should then be prepared to provide and collect personal and vehicle information to and from the other drivers. For the full statute, click here.

Choosing to disregard this law and leave the scene of an accident can result in serious legal consequences including criminal penalties, administrative penalties, and civil penalties.

Neck injuries, like whiplash, are incredibly common in car accidents in Kentucky and nationwide. If you are in an accident and are diagnosed with whiplash, you probably have a lot of questions about what you’ll experience and how soon it’ll go away. At Golden Law Office, we hope to ease your mind and answer your questions.

Experiencing Whiplash

Whiplash is a broad term that covers a variety of neck injuries – mostly having to do with soft tissue damage to the neck. This is common in rear-end collisions because the body will propel forward, while the neck and head stay in place – hyperextending the neck.

While whiplash is not a life-threatening injury, it can result in a prolonged period of suffering and disability. Because of this, whiplash may lead to increased medical expenses and lost wages. If you’ve experienced whiplash and are worried about your finances, you may want to consider seeking the guidance of a Lexington car accident lawyer.

Kentucky highways claim hundreds of lives each year in devastating car accidents. These wrecks are most often caused by distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding – especially through construction zones. Certain highways in Kentucky are considered more dangerous than others because of the number of deaths. Take note of the highways on this list and proceed with extra caution whenever using one:

I-64

In Kentucky, Interstate-64 begins at Louisville and runs along the Ohio River. It overlaps with Interstate-75, near Lexington. It passes through Bath, Boyd, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, and Woodford counties. Construction to restore the Cochran Hill Tunnel on this highway occurred in 2001 because the Federal Highway Administration deemed this portion of I-64 to be exceptionally significant. At the time, they considered painting the interior tiles with a mural. This idea was quickly dropped because opponents pointed out the high number of crashes and fatalities on this road and didn’t want to contribute distractions.