Where Do Most Car Accidents Happen?
If you live in the Atlanta metro area, you are well-aware that Atlanta is one of the most traffic congested cities in the United States. In fact, a recent study performed by INRIX, “a global leader for transportation analytics” reveals that Atlantans spend, on average, 70 hours per year in traffic during peak hours. To put that figure in context, Atlanta is the 4th most congested city in the United States and the 8th most congested city in the entire world.
Atlanta’s heavy traffic congestion leads to hundreds of thousands of car crashes each year. According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, in 2016, there were 190,567 auto accidents in Atlanta’s five largest metro counties. Those car accidents caused 44,428 reported injuries and 377 fatal accidents. The county breakdown by crashes/injuries/fatalities in Metro Atlanta is as follows:
- Fulton: 60,984 crashes, 12,875 injuries, 129 fatalities
- Gwinnett: 41,527 crashes, 9,436 injuries, 61 fatalities
- DeKalb: 39,383 crashes, 10,158 injuries, 80 fatalities
- Cobb: 34,985 crashes, 8,470 injuries, 59 fatalities
- Clayton: 13,688 crashes, 3,489 injuries, 48 fatalities
To put it simply, if you’re driving on Atlanta’s roads, there is a high chance that you’ll be in a car accident.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you should immediately contact an Atlanta car accident lawyer. The lawyers at Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for car accident victims and their families for over three decades. We understand that car collisions can be traumatic, life-altering experiences. Let us help ease your pain, find your voice, and recover the compensation that you deserve.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470, or reach out through our online contact form to schedule a free, initial evaluation of your case.
Where Car Crashes Occur
Those of us who use the I85-75 connector, GA400, or I-285 during our daily commute typically drive past the aftermath of a car collision every day. Indeed, many car accidents in the Atlanta metro area occur on those highways. Some collisions on those roadways occur at high speed when vehicles attempt to change lanes or lose control. Other times, auto accidents occur during congested conditions when traffic abruptly stops and one driver doesn’t apply the brakes in time to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of it.
Most car crashes occur close to home. In fact, according to a study performed by Progressive Insurance Company back in 2004, 52 percent of car accidents occur within 5 miles of a person’s home.
Auto accidents occur close to home because people generally let their guard down after they get off of the busy streets. We might feel it’s safe to check our phone for a text, plug in GPS coordinates, or change the radio station. Other times, we might back into a vehicle that’s parked in an unexpected spot if we’re not checking our mirrors. In the worst cases, careless drivers collide with children that dash into the street to pursue an object of interest.
Car accidents also occur in parking lots. Many of the retail shopping centers in Atlanta are poorly designed for traffic. Additionally, drivers in parking lots are often distracted. A driver might run through a stop sign in the parking lot and broadside your vehicle when you have the right of way. Two vehicles might back into one another as they attempt to pull out of parking spots. If the parking lot is not densely packed, some drivers might feel comfortable to speed and or check their phone.
Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you’re injured in a car accident, you might be tempted to call one of the billboard or bus attorneys that advertises on your daily commute. That’s a mistake.
Billboard and bus lawyers process thousands of auto accident claims every year. Their goal is to settle cases as quickly as possible even though that often means that they are settling each case well below its true value. You will likely only speak with a paralegal when you call the firm to speak with your attorney.
At Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers, our Atlanta injury lawyers listen to our clients’ stories and treat our clients with compassion and dignity. We pride ourselves on maximizing the value out of cases that other lawyers passed upon because they couldn’t get the quick and easy (little) money. Our lawyers have recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients because we went the extra mile when other lawyers decided to take the day off to play golf.
To schedule a free consultation, call us at (404) 939-9470, or contact us through our online form.