Tupelo Reckless Driving Car Accidents
Reckless driving car accidents comprise approximately 33% of all auto accident fatalities each year. Under Mississippi law, reckless driving is defined as the willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Reckless driving can be the result of speeding, aggressive driving, texting while driving, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Tupelo car accident attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz represent victims of auto accidents each day, and for each client we represent, we conduct a thorough investigation into the accident. With over 30 attorneys and over 120 support staff members, we are ready to take your call today and explain to you why NST is the way to go if you have been injured in a car wreck in the Tupelo area.
Reckless Driving Car Accidents
All drivers are required by Mississippi law to drive safely on the roads. Thus, each and every driver on the road has a duty to drive in a safe manner. In order to recover damages from a reckless driver in Tupelo, the reckless driver’s actions must have caused the accident to occur and you, the injured party, must have suffered damages from the accident. For example, if the at-fault driver was found to be legally intoxicated, and he rear ended you while driving 100 miles per hour after leaving a concert at BancorpSouth Arena, this could be viewed as a wanton disregard for the safety of others. In such a situation, the defendant may be charged with reckless driving by the responding officer from the Tupelo Police Department or Mississippi Highway Patrol.
After an accident, the at-fault party may try to place some, if not all, of the blame on you. He or she may argue that your actions caused the accident and that you contributed to your own injuries. It is important to contact a Tupelo lawyer immediately after an accident occurs to combat any percentage of blame the defendant may try and place on you. Mississippi is a pure comparative fault state. This means that your compensation may be reduced pursuant to any percentage of negligence attributed to you. For instance, if a judge or jury finds you to be 20% at fault for the wreck, you would recover 80% of the damages awarded to you.
Recovery could come in two forms with reckless driving – compensatory and punitive damages. For compensatory damages, you may be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages generally take the form of your medical bills and lost wages, whereas non-economic damages are your pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, and emotional distress. Punitive damages can be awarded if you are able to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the at-fault party acted with a willful, wanton, or reckless disregard for the safety of others. An auto accident attorney in the Tupelo area will be able to show you which categories of damages may apply to your case.
Call Our Tupelo Lawyers to Discuss Your Case Today
Reckless driving often results in catastrophic accidents leaving innocent parties with severe injuries. Reckless driving car accidents are unexpected and can leave families with unanswered questions and high medical bills that need to be paid. Contact us by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to schedule your free consultation.
