If you are in a truck accident in Homestead or any community, your chances of being fatally injured are quite high – unless you are the truck driver. While truck drivers are protected by the truck’s cab, passenger car drivers and pedestrians have very little protection against the size and force of a tractor trailer or big rig. Pedestrians are likely to sustain fatal injuries in a collision with a commercial truck and even though passengers in a smaller can may have protection such as seat belts and air bags, a crash with a commercial truck can cause serious head trauma, spinal cord injuries, and fatalities to the passengers in the smaller car.
Could you survive this type of traffic collision in Homestead or your city?
According to safety experts, there are things that you can do to increase the chances that you will survive a truck or car accident in Homestead or any town:
1) Choose the right car and use the safety systems your car is equipped with. Much older cars may have fewer systems designed to protect you. Even though newer cars may have air bags and other features included, keep in mind that smaller cars may be less likely to protect you in a serious accident and some cars have better safety ratings than others. Choose your car carefully and think safety first when buying. When you drive your car, be sure to buckle up and familiarize yourself with safety systems your vehicle offers. Service your car regularly and make sure that your safety systems are checked during routine maintenance.
2) Keep your interior clean. This may seem to have nothing to do with surviving a car crash, but it is crucial. Keeping purses, briefcases, laptops, and other objects in your car while you drive poses a serious risk in the event of a car accident. In a collision, these things can become airborne and can seriously harm you. A laptop can have enough force when airborne in a car accident to cause fatal head injuries. Even a small cell phone can cause lacerations and injury. Store everything in your trunk or glove compartment or at least use seatbelts to tie down dog kennels or cat cages in the car. As a bonus, keeping your interior tidy will decrease distractions, which can also reduce your risk of being in a car accident in the first place.
3) Maintain good driving posture. Leaning against the door or your steering wheel can cause serious injury if you are in an accident, side side-impact airbags or the airbag in your steering wheel can inflate with enough force to cause serious head trauma or facial injury. On a similar note, driving with your hands leaning inside the wheel can cause wrist fractures in a crash. Leaning your hand outside the window when you drive can also cause fractures or can even cause you to lose your arm if you are in an accident. While driving the way your driving instructor taught you may not seem very exciting, correct posture reduces your chances of injury in a crash and can help you keep better control of the car so you reduce your chances of an accident in the first place.
If you have been injured in a truck or car accident, you deserve quality medical care and you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. If you think your accident may have been caused by negligence or recklessness, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation.