There are plenty of risks on the roads around Turlock on a normal day. Just a drive to the store or to work can prove dangerous due to common hazards from distracted and careless drivers. So it’s unbelievable that some people would want to purposely add more risk to the roads.
That’s what people who participate in street racing are doing when they bring extreme speeds and carelessness to the local streets. They take their own lives in their hands by choice, but they choose to endanger any other drivers on the road as well.
Street Racing Dangers in Stanislaus County
This is a common and dangerous problem around Stanislaus County. Over 50 cars at a time have shown up to Lander Avenue, Atlanta Court, Main Street and other spots in the past to do burnouts and race. Turlock Police and County Deputies have had to break-up these events.
Stop-street-racing.org found that more than 800 citations for illegal street racing were issued in a single year in California. Nationwide statistics show that 49 people are injured for every 1,000 who participate in illegal street racing.
Unfortunately, a driver can be part of a street race and not even know it. Cars traveling over 100 mph can be in your lane in an instant. The speeds involved can make any collision devastating, leaving behind severe injuries for the driver and any passengers.
The victims can wake up to face a long recovery and expensive medical bills. They will likely wonder how to get help paying for the consequences of another driver’s terrible choice to race. A Turlock attorney with the Maison Law Firm can help any victims answer these questions and determine the best path to getting the most compensation for physical, emotional, and financial hardships.
Severe Street Racing Injury Threat
Speeding magnifies the consequences of any accident and street racing almost always involves extreme speeds often reaching upwards of 100mph. These impacts are often head-on collisions that present the highest odds of resulting in a fatality.
The choice to speed, of course, increases the violent force in any impact. Speeding can also adversely affect many of the safeguards in place in an accident. Speeding while racing carries many hazards that can include:
- Greater potential for loss of vehicle control.
- Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment like seatbelts and airbags.
- Less time to hit the brakes and less room to stop after the driver perceives a danger.
- Increased degree of crash blunt force leading to more severe injuries.
- Criminal charges in the aftermath of an accident.
The injuries when high-velocity factors in are of course all the more severe. Some of the most common injuries seen in emergency rooms:
- Whiplash (Neck and spine injuries)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Disfigurement
- Internal Injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis (Quadriplegia and Paraplegia)
- Fractures (Broken Bones)
- Crush injuries (Parts of the body caught between two objects)
- Soft tissue injuries (Sprains, strains, bruising)
- Hand and Wrist Damage
Seeking Compensation in an Accident
If you’re the victim in a crash involving drivers who were street racing, filing a lawsuit may be your only option to recover everything you’ll need to make a full recovery. The State of California allows a victim to file a claim for up to two years from the date of the accident.
It is not recommended that you wait until the end of this deadline to file. The longer you wait to file a lawsuit the harder it will be to gather evidence, contact witnesses, and collect documents you’ll need to build a strong case against the at-fault driver. An attorney can help you with these important steps.
A street racing suspect will likely face charges in criminal court as well. You don’t have to wait until the criminal trial is over to file a claim and begin a civil trial if necessary. You can start the process as soon as you feel you’re ready.
If you do decide to file a claim against the driver’s insurance you may be able to get compensation for some of your hardships that you hadn’t considered. You may be able to recover things like short and long term medical expenses, past and future lost earnings, costs for rehab from disabilities, and damages for emotional pain and depression.
Contact a Turlock Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident that was the result of a racing driver you’ll want to ensure your medical bills and lost wages from missed time at work are covered. You didn’t cause this accident and you shouldn’t have to worry about how your bills in the aftermath of the tragedy get paid. A local Central Valley attorney can make sure you get the compensation you’ll need for your recovery now and in the future.
You’ll want to speak to a local Turlock Car Accident Lawyer such as Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice, and personalized attention to detail their case deserves. Contact Maison Law today to discuss your legal options.
