South Jersey Speeding Accident Lawyer

Speeding plays a significant role in car accidents nationwide, including in New Jersey. Exceeding the speed limit is a factor in nearly one-third of all car accidents. Accidents involving speeding reached a 14-year high in 2021. 

The speed limits set for an area are the result of research examining the terrain features and traffic conditions and then determining the highest safe speed. A driver who exceeds the speed limit faces a much greater risk of an accident. When speeding causes a car accident, the resulting injuries are far more severe than in accidents at lower speeds. The crash force of a collision increases substantially for every mile-per-hour of speed, making catastrophic injuries or fatalities more likely.

Why Does Speeding Increase the Chances of a Car Accident?

Not only does exceeding a set speed limit increase the chances of an accident due to the road and traffic conditions in the area, but it also impacts several aspects of driving itself, including the following:

• Reduced vehicle maneuverability
• Less stability around curves and turns
• Reduced tire traction
• Longer stopping times
• Increased chance of tipping or rollovers
• Reduced reaction time
• Decreased functionality in protective equipment such as seatbelts and airbags

No matter how well a driver feels they manage a vehicle at fast speeds, or how effectively they believe their car handles speed, excessive speed decreases control and increases the chance of an accident and serious injuries. Our accident lawyers in South Jersey are here for you no matter the situation. 

Understanding Speed, Crash Force, and Increased Injuries in a South Jersey Car Accident

During a collision, a motorist’s body continues moving forward at the speed the car was traveling until it’s halted by the seatbelt—or the internal structures of the vehicle if the motorist is unrestrained. According to crash force calculations, a 130-pound person becomes a 7,150-pound force in an accident at 55 miles per hour. That same person becomes a 10,400-pound force at 80 miles per hour. Even when properly restrained, the tremendous crash force causes severe trauma to a motorist’s body as it’s propelled forward and then snapped back against the seat in a collision.

A high-speed collision also increases the damage to a vehicle in a crash, escalating the chances of serious or catastrophic injuries from the collapsing structure of the car’s body.

What Types of Injuries Occur in South Jersey Speeding Accidents?

Car accident injuries such as whiplash and soft-tissue injuries can be serious even in low-speed accidents, but catastrophic injuries and fatalities are more common in high-speed accidents. Even worse, serious injuries also occur to vulnerable motorists in other vehicles hit by speeding drivers due to the more powerful crash force. Injuries in speeding-related accidents in South Jersey may include the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Single and multiple fractures, including of the limbs, hips, ribs, pelvis, back and neck
• Whiplash and other neck injuries
• Spinal cord injury
• Soft tissue injuries to knees, shoulders, ankles, and wrists
• Lacerations, abrasions, and contusions
• Internal injuries to organs 
• Facial and dental trauma
• Burns
• Traumatic limb loss

Serious injuries in speeding accidents often cause expensive damages like medical costs, income loss, and diminished future earning capacity due to disability. They also result in ongoing pain and suffering and other consequences such as disfigurement, scarring, and sometimes wrongful death.

How Can a South Jersey Car Accident Lawyer Help?

In a no-fault insurance state like New Jersey, accident victims may not know where to turn if their financial losses exceed the limits of the state’s minimum required personal injury protection (PIP) policy—which is common after an accident with a speeding driver. Call the injury attorneys in South Jersey at Grungo Law today so we can take prompt action to develop an effective strategy for recovering your damages.