Every day, we get behind the wheel of our vehicles and share the road with thousands of other people without thinking twice about it. Nowadays, it often seems like everyone is in a rush to get to their destination, making speeding a regular occurrence on our daily drives.
Speeding is more than just a traffic violation; it’s a significant contributor to severe injuries and fatalities on our roads. Understanding the risks associated with speeding and the legal implications in Illinois is crucial for drivers.
Across the U.S., speeding accounts for approximately one-third of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. In 2023, speeding was the cause behind 55% of fatal crashes that killed more than 1,200 people in Illinois.
Maneuvering a vehicle at higher speeds is exceedingly more challenging – thanks to Newton’s First Law of Motion: An object in motion remains in motion unless acted on by an unbalanced force. In auto collisions, this “law of inertia” causes passengers or objects inside a vehicle to experience rapid deceleration when struck, which can cause serious injury. A collision at a high speed has a higher chance of serious injuries and excessive damage than collisions where high speeds were not a factor.
If you’ve been seriously injured in an auto collision in Central Illinois, don’t wait; contact Spiros Law today. Whether the incident was caused by speeding or another form of negligence, our team of personal injury attorneys at Spiros Law is here to fight for the justice you deserve.
Read on to learn how speeding can increase the risk and severity of injuries sustained in auto collisions.
Speeding Can Increase the Severity of Auto Injuries
In car crashes, speed is a significant factor. High speeds amplify the forces involved in a collision, leading to more serious injuries.
Head and Brain Injuries: Many high-speed collisions cause the head to strike against an interior surface in the vehicle, or the brain to strike against the skull. This is due to the rapid acceleration/deceleration of the collision that causes violent movement of the head and neck. High-speed collisions can lead to concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), brain bleeds (intracranial hemorrhage), and/or even permanent neurological/cognitive impairments.
Spinal Injuries: The spine is already vulnerable to injury, but high-speed crashes increase that vulnerability. Spinal injuries can have catastrophic consequences for victims. The forces exerted during a high-speed collision can cause the spine to twist, bend, or compress excessively, resulting in spinal fractures, disc injuries, or spinal cord injuries that can cause paralysis.
Chest and Abdominal Injuries: The impact from high-speed incidents can cause the chest to strike the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt. This force may result in rib fractures, lung contusions, internal bleeding, or internal injuries such as a ruptured liver, spleen, or kidney. These types of serious injuries can be life-threatening and often require immediate medical attention.
Limb Injuries: High-speed crashes can result in fractures, lacerations, dislocations, and even traumatic amputations of limbs due to the impact or from being pinned inside the vehicle.
Ejection Injuries: One of the most dangerous consequences of speeding-related crashes is the increased risk of ejection. When a vehicle comes to a sudden stop, unrestrained occupants will continue moving in the direction the car was traveling until they hit something inside the vehicle to stop their momentum or are ejected through windows or doors. Ejection significantly increases the risk of serious injuries and fatalities.
Psychological Impacts: A life-altering event, like a severe car wreck, can have significant psychological impacts on survivors and their families. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and a fear of driving are common after a high-speed collision. Psychological effects are included in your personal injury case because they are a result of the crash, can negatively impact quality of life, and often require ongoing therapy and support.
When you’ve experienced a catastrophic injury caused by a high-speed collision, an experienced personal injury lawyer, like our attorneys at Spiros Law, can help you receive the justice you deserve and heal mentally and physically from your injuries.
The Legal Consequences of Speeding
Speeding is considered a form of negligence when it contributes to a car crash. Negligence is the failure to exercise reasonable care and caution, and speeding demonstrates a disregard for traffic laws and safety guidelines.
Speeding is more than just breaking traffic laws. It can lead to fines, increased insurance rates, license suspension, and potential civil liability, impacting your finances and legal standing.
Driving responsibly can save lives, so remember:
- Speeding can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
- Speeding makes it harder to stop in time to avoid crashes.
- Speeding can result in secondary incidents, leading to more serious injuries or fatalities.
- Speeding can reduce the effectiveness of safety equipment, allowing less time to alert or react.
- Speeding and distracted driving are a recipe for disaster; they can further exacerbate the loss of control of vehicles.
Injured in an Auto Collision? Contact Spiros Law For a Free Consultation Today!
A high-speed car wreck can leave a lasting impact on your life. Then, when negligence of another driver is involved, you deserve to have an experienced catastrophic injury lawyer on your side.
Our team of injury lawyers in Central Illinois has the legal knowledge and resources to hold liable parties and their insurance company responsible. Personal injury law exists to help victims cope with the physical and financial difficulties that arise after an incident. We want our clients and their families to focus on their recovery while we focus on justice, often delivered through fair financial compensation. Contact Spiros Law today for a free consultation.
With offices conveniently located in Kankakee, Champaign, and Danville, we proudly serve clients throughout Illinois. You can trust our legal team to fight for you when you’ve been seriously injured in a car, motorcycle, or truck collision.
