By: John Hipskind Smiling At The Camera John Hipskind

Belleville Highway Accident Lawyer

Hipskind & McAninch, LLC: Your Experienced Legal Advocates

Car crashes are the most common life-threatening accidents that the average American will encounter. In fact, getting behind the wheel is the most statistically dangerous thing we do each day. And when we get on the highway, where vehicles are traveling at higher speeds for longer distances, crashes become even more dangerous.

The Metro East area has a host of highways running through it, carrying huge tractor-trailers and delivery vans right next to SUVs, four-door passenger cars, and motorcycles. If you get into an accident on 270 – or 55, 70, Highway 40 (I-64), 255, 44, 170, historic Route 66, etc. – you’re probably looking at catastrophic injuries and huge bills.

At Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, we know how to handle these high-intensity cases successfully. Both John Hipskind and Brady McAninch used to work for preeminent civil defense firms, representing insurance companies against accident victims. Now, we only represent accident victims, and we put our more than 10 years of insurance litigation experience to work for our clients. For a free consultation about your case, please call our car accident lawyers in Belleville at (618) 230-3069.

How Highway Accidents Happen

Highway accidents can occur for a large number of reasons. More than ever, drivers crash because they are distracted. Whether it’s talking on the phone or texting, eating, or being distracted by passengers, drivers fail to stop or slow down when necessary.

In addition to distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving, and tailgating are also common causes of highway accidents. All of these behaviors reduce a driver’s ability to react to quickly changing scenarios on the highway. If the driver who hit you was engaging in one or more of these behaviors, he or she is more than likely to be considered liable in court. But finding the truth can be complicated, which is why we at Hipskind & McAninch work with law enforcement, accident reconstructionists, and medical experts if need be to get to the bottom of your accident.

Does Defensive Driving Help?

You can’t control other drivers, no matter how maddening it is when someone cuts you off because he was looking down at his phone. Here are a few quick strategies you can incorporate into your driving to lessen the chance of a highway accident:

  • Merge with confidence – You have to yield to traffic when merging, but the majority of the time, accelerating to an adequate speed and merging without stopping or slowing is the safest and most efficient way to do it.
  • Check your blind spots – Try not to get too confident, and keep checking your mirrors and over your shoulder when changing lanes. This way, you’ll catch anyone trying to make a dangerous lane change.
  • Leave extra space – The more space between you and other drivers, the more time you have to react if they mess up and put you in danger.

Unfortunately, your vehicle can be spun into a collision out of nowhere. Say a semi-truck blows a tire and loses control, swinging into three lanes of traffic. Or perhaps the person behind you switches lanes while going too fast, clips you, and knocks you into the shoulder (or worse, another vehicle). When that happens, you’re at the mercy of physics.

What to Do After a Highway Accident

First things first – get yourself to safety. Highway collisions are much more dangerous because of the chances of being hit by another vehicle after you’ve come to a stop. Call the police right away, and take photos and gather as much information as you can about the scene and the other drivers involved. We also recommend getting medical treatment immediately, even if you “feel okay.” You never know how serious your injuries might be.

At the scene, and when talking to your insurance company afterward, avoid making any recorded statements, and do not admit fault. You don’t have the facts yet. Inside the vehicle, you had one point of view. We strongly recommend having a lawyer investigate your highway accident as soon as possible. These crashes may be trickier to handle, but we at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, know what to look for.

Call the Belleville Highway Accident Attorneys Who Can Help

As a law firm that focuses on personal injury in the Belleville–Metro East area, Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, can help you gather and organize your information, establish who was truly liable for your accident, and quickly and aggressively advocate for the compensation you deserve.

At Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, we have over one hundred 5-star reviews for a reason. Give us a call today for a free consultation with no time limit, 618-641-9189. If we take your case, we don’t charge a dime until we win.

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