Backover accidents can happen to anyone, even drivers who are not backing up at reckless speeds or neglecting to look over their shoulder. Car accidents while reversing can prove especially dangerous to young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 2400 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms every year due to being struck or rolled over by a vehicle moving in reverse. Perhaps not as commonly known is that adults make up over 50% of the group who were fatally injured by backing up accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety.
These accidents are as shocking and harmful as any high-speed collision. Therefore, it’s important to understand how the law treats backover accidents in Connecticut, and offer you significant resources to use if you or someone you love becomes involved in a car wreck of this nature.
If you would like to speak with a car accident lawyer about your situation, contact The Flood Law Firm today by calling (860) 346-2695. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to help you determine your best options. Let us be your advocates during this difficult time.
Connecticut Backover Accidents
Parking lots are common places for backing up accidents to happen. Because there are no traffic signals, drivers and pedestrians are forced to navigate the area on the fly, using their best judgment to improvise a route. The slow-motion of vehicles within the parking lot can give both parties a false sense of security. As a result, either may fail to pay attention at that crucial moment when a vehicle backs up and strikes someone or something in its path.
If you’ve experienced a backing up accident in Connecticut, even if it was just as an onlooker, you know firsthand how violent these cases can be. Drivers may suffer from whiplash or minor bruising after making a sudden stop. However, it’s pedestrians who are at a far bigger risk of injury during these occurrences.
Pedestrians who fall victim to a backover accident may escape with minor injuries such as cuts and bruises from falling to the pavement or contact with the vehicle. But it is not unusual for victims to suffer from broken bones, concussions or traumatic brain injuries, and severe internal damages. This is especially true in the case of children, who are among the most commonly harmed in backover accidents.
According to Rearview Safety, the predominant age of victims for backover accidents is children between the ages of 12 and 23 months old.
When you or someone you love is injured in a backover accident, you may face significant medical bills, as well as long recovery time. If the experience was severe, you may even be prevented from doing your job, either temporarily, or even permanently.
If you have been the victim of an accident that was not your fault, you deserve to receive financial damages to make up for the medical bills, the lost wages, and other expenses the accident has caused you. These financial resources can be the key to getting your life back after a backover accident. Contact The Flood Law Firm today.
Common Causes of Accidents While Backing Up
Backover accidents can take many forms. Pedal confusion is a common cause of a backing up accident. This happens when a driver mixes up the pedals, and reverses quickly instead of inching slowly backward out of their parking spot.
Drivers may also forget to change their gear. Instead of pulling forward after backing out of a lane, their car moves in quick reverse, colliding with unsuspecting people or vehicles behind them.
Another common cause of a backover accident is distracted driving. If drivers are using their phones, reaching for something in their car, or fastening their seat belt while backing out, they are unlikely to have sufficient awareness of what is behind them and cause a collision.
Backover accidents also occur as a result of drivers having blind spots. Blind spots are sections of the road where a driver’s line of vision is blocked. Larger vehicles, such as pick-up trucks or vans have larger areas of blind spots that are called No Zones. Notably, Rearview Safety states that over 60 percent of backing up incidents involve a larger size vehicle (i.e. truck, van, or SUV).
Depending on the actual size of the vehicle, the blind spot may be as big as a driveway. This leaves a lot of room for someone, usually a child, to run behind the vehicle in the seconds before it backs out, without the driver noticing. Advocacy group KidsAndCars.org estimates that two children are killed and dozens more injured in backover accidents every single week.
Backover accidents of this nature are such a serious issue that Congress passed a law in 2007 requiring all newly manufactured vehicles have rear view back. But because of delays caused by the wording of the bill, that law won't take effect until 2018. This makes it all the more important for Connecticut drivers to exercise the utmost caution when backing up their cars.
Preventing Backover Accidents
It’s important to learn that backover accidents can often be prevented. These tips can help:
- Before getting into your vehicle, look behind it.
- Always back up as slowly and carefully as possible.
- If children are around, make sure they are in full view, and not behind the vehicle.
- Teach children not to stand or play behind vehicles, no matter the circumstances.
- Become aware of your vehicle’s blind spots.
- Ensure the landscaping around your driveway is appropriately trimmed, allowing you to have a better view of your surroundings.
Contact a Backover Accident Injury Lawyer in Connecticut Today
The Flood Law Firm has experience handling vehicle collisions of every type. We know the safety regulations and laws as they pertain to driver responsibility, and we have access to resources and information to win a claim on your behalf.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a backover accident, call the car accident experts at The Flood Law Firm at (860) 346-2695 for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. With decades of combined legal experience, we can assist you during this difficult time.
