New Hampshire Injury Lawyer Blog

Pedestrian accidents can happen for several different reasons. Sometimes, a driver acts negligently and strikes a pedestrian as a result. On other occasions, a pedestrian may not use the designated crosswalks, instead crossing the road where a driver does not expect them. A pedestrian accident could also result from multiple acts of negligence. Given these complex issues of causation, the rules for recovering damages after a pedestrian accident can be complicated. Accident victims may benefit from speaking to a New Hampshire attorney to learn more about bringing a negligence lawsuit.

Recently, a pedestrian suffered injuries after a hit-and-run in Hudson, New Hampshire. When police responded to the scene, they found the injured pedestrian at an intersection. However, the car that struck the pedestrian was nowhere to be found. The pedestrian was transported to the hospital for serious injuries. After conducting an investigation, police identified and arrested a suspect, who now faces criminal charges.

What Are the Causes of Pedestrian Accidents?

Pedestrian accidents may occur due to several conditions on the road. For example, low light conditions may prevent drivers from seeing pedestrians near the road. When operating their vehicles at night, drivers should use their headlights and continuously scan the road and the shoulder for pedestrians. In other cases, there may be a lack of signage warning drivers of a busy pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian accidents may also occur if a driver is distracted, speeding, driving under the influence, or operating their vehicle while drowsy. As a result, drivers may fail to see crosswalks or pedestrians ahead of them. In any event, drivers should make sure to avoid these behaviors and stay focused on the road to avoid a pedestrian accident. On the other hand, a pedestrian accident may occur if pedestrians engage in “jaywalking.” Pedestrians jaywalk when they fail to use available crosswalks or other designated pedestrian crossing areas. If a driver is not expecting a pedestrian to be crossing, they may not be able to stop their vehicle quickly enough to avoid a crash. Regardless of the cause, drivers must stop at the scene, assist the pedestrian, and call emergency medical services and local authorities for help.

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Everyone occasionally deals with irritation from other drivers on the road. However, when drivers let road rage affect their driving, they increase the risk of a serious accident. When a driver’s road rage leads to personal injury or property damages, they may be held responsible through criminal charges and a civil damages lawsuit.

As a recent news article reported, a New Hampshire road rage accident left one driver seriously injured. The accident occurred on the highway when a woman was driving northbound behind a 17 year-old boy in a pickup truck. As woman attempted to pass the truck, the two vehicles collided, and the woman lost control of her car. As she veered into the southbound lane, she crashed into an embankment, causing her car to roll over. The woman was transported to the hospital for serious injuries. Throughout their investigation, local police have treated the crash as a road rage incident.

What are the Penalties for a New Hampshire Road Rage Accident?

Driving under the influence, commonly abbreviated as DUI, is notoriously dangerous. When drivers operate their vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, everyone else on the road suffers the consequence of their reckless decision. In the event of a serious DUI accident, victims may be left with severe injuries or property damage. To recover compensation for their injuries, victims of a New Hampshire DUI accident may wish to bring a negligence lawsuit against the intoxicated driver.

For example, two people suffered serious injuries after a DUI accident in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. The accident occurred when an intoxicated driver crossed the yellow dividing line and struck a Prius traveling in the opposite direction. The driver and passenger of the Prius were transported to the hospital after suffering serious injuries. Police arrested the driver and charged him with aggravated driving under the influence.

What Are the Penalties for Driving Under the Influence in New Hampshire?

Intoxicated drivers who cause a serious accident may face criminal charges and a civil lawsuit for damages. If an intoxicated driver’s behavior results in serious bodily harm, they can face both hefty fines and prison time. At minimum, a driver convicted of aggravated driving under the influence must pay $750 in fines and spend 17 days in prison, but a judge can impose a tougher sentence. In addition to criminal penalties, an intoxicated driver may face a civil damages lawsuit from an injured victim. In addition to physical injuries, victims of a serious accident may have suffered emotional harm, along with significant expenses. A civil negligence lawsuit allows victims to recover damages regardless of the outcome of a criminal case.

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Hit and runs occur when a driver causes injuries to a person or their property and fails to stop at the scene to provide assistance. When a driver commits a hit and run, they often leave an injured victim completely helpless. In some situations, whether drivers stop to help or drive away can be a matter of life or death for the victims they leave behind. Due to the egregious nature of hit and runs, drivers who commit them may face both criminal charges and civil penalties, often in the form of monetary damages.

According to a recent news article, police arrested a man in connection with a hit and run in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The accident occurred on Maine Street as four women moved off the sidewalk, which a pile of snow had obstructed. As they moved closer to the road, a driver struck them. Instead of stopping to provide assistance, he allegedly drove off. According to the woman he struck, the driver later stopped his vehicle and returned to the scene. However, he denied any involvement with the hit and run. All four women were transported to the hospital, where they received treatment for their injuries. Police have since charged the alleged hit and run driver with four counts of felony-level Conduct After an Accident.

What Are the Penalties for a New Hampshire Hit and Run?

Roadside accidents often occur on the shoulder of a highway or other major road. Drivers often use the shoulder lane to pull over, but bikers and pedestrians may also utilize the lane to travel safely and avoid oncoming traffic. Because many people take advantage of this roadside space, drivers should make sure they do not collide with another vehicle or pedestrian before pulling over. Otherwise, a lack of attention could result in a severe roadside accident.

According to a news article, two people were injured after a roadside crash in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The accident occurred when a state trooper pulled over to assist a woman who suffered a single-vehicle crash near an entrance ramp on the highway. She and the state trooper were sitting in the state trooper’s vehicle when a driver struck the cruiser, causing significant damage to the back. The woman and the state trooper were transported to a hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. Police arrested the driver, who refused medical attention at the hospital, under suspicion of driving under the influence.

What Are the Causes of a New Hampshire Roadside Accident?

A roadside accident could have a number of causes. First, a driver may be operating their vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Driving while intoxicated is a dangerous activity with a high potential for serious injury or death. Intoxicated drivers lack the awareness and reflexes to fully control their vehicles, which may cause their vehicles to swerve off the road. When drivers consume drugs or alcohol and get behind the wheel, they place themselves and every other driver at risk of a roadside crash. Even if drivers have not consumed drugs or alcohol, they may cause a roadside crash after suffering from a lack of sleep.

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The moments after a car collision can be shocking. When head-on collisions occur, they can be devasting, even. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, head-on collisions are the “most harmful event in approximately 14 percent of all U.S. traffic fatalities and 27 percent of all roadway departure fatalities. On some roads, you may notice center-line rumble strips, which are utilized to help reduce rural head-on crashes. Even a jurisdiction’s decision to increase the median width and shoulder width of roads may play a role in reducing these types of crashes.

According to a recent news report, a two-car crash occurred in Keene, New Hampshire. One vehicle crossed the center line while traveling down a road, crashing with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. One driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passengers of the other vehicle had non-life-threatening injuries.

Wrongful Death Lawsuits

When a person dies from a car crash because of the legal fault of another, some family members may be interested in pursuing a wrongful death suit. This can be after the loss of a loved one due to a head-on collision or other types of collisions. Wrongful death suits allow the surviving family members to seek compensation for their losses after a loved one’s death. Immediate family members, spouses, financial dependents, and others may be able to file a wrongful death claim. In some instances, you may not be so sure if you qualify as a person entitled to file such a suit. It can be helpful to consult with an experienced attorney to inquire about whether you may be able to file such a claim.

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Head-on collisions occur when two vehicles traveling in opposite directions crash into each other. These accidents often happen at busy intersections or highways with multiple cars traveling in all directions. Head-on crashes may occur for several reasons. Too often, if a driver is speeding near an intersection, they may fail to make a complete stop until it is too late to avoid an oncoming vehicle.

For example, a head-on accident that may have involved excessive speeding killed one person and injured two others in Manchester, New Hampshire. The crash occurred at an intersection after the driver of one car was speeding on the road. Arriving at the scene, rescuers found one car in the median and the other on the side of the road. Sadly, one person died at the scene. Two people in the other car were able to exit the vehicle. They were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Both vehicles endured significant damage. Local police are still investigating the cause of the crash, though an eyewitness recalled one driver speeding at a rate he had “never seen” before.

What Are the Causes of a Head-On Collision?

Head-on collisions may have a number of causes. First, they may result from excessive speeding. Drivers may be traveling so fast that they either lose control of their vehicles or fail to come to a full stop at an intersection, a common site for collisions. Speeding drivers in a rush to reach their destination may also try to pass a vehicle in their line by crossing a double-yellow line. This is incredibly dangerous. Drivers who cross the median will not have enough time to avoid colliding with vehicles approaching in the opposite direction. Due to the significant dangers it can pose, avoiding reckless speeding is crucial to staying safe on the road.

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Car accidents can sometimes result from unusual circumstances. Some accidents are more straightforward: they involve two drivers, and the cause may be clear-cut and easy to determine. On the other hand, bizarre accidents may result from the actions of multiple drivers, or one driver might cause a chain-reaction accident. When these unusual events arise, it may be difficult to determine who was at fault. As a result, when bringing a lawsuit after a bizarre accident, it is crucial to have the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney.

A recent news article reported on a bizarre New Hampshire accident that left ten cars with flat tires. The accident took place on I-93 when a vehicle knocked down a light pole, which blocked the highway and an exit ramp. The crash caused metal and debris to be strewn across the highway. As a result of the debris, ten cars were left with one or more flat tires. Then, less than ten minutes after police responded to the scene, they received calls about another I-93 crash. Eyewitnesses reported that a driver struck the left guardrail, veered into the left lane, and fled the scene. When police arrived, they found alcohol inside the abandoned vehicle. After conducting a search, police were still unable to locate the driver. Though no one suffered injuries, both accidents caused extensive property damage on the highway and to other vehicles.

How Does New Hampshire Apportion Fault Among Multiple Defendants?

In a negligence lawsuit, bizarre accidents can involve multiple defendants. Each defendant may have caused different injuries, or multiple defendants may be responsible for the same injury. To apportion fault among defendants in a lawsuit, New Hampshire follows a system of joint and several liability. Under this system, a plaintiff can seek the full damages award from each defendant. In other words, even if a defendant is only responsible for a portion of the accident, a plaintiff can seek the entire damages amount against the defendant. However, when a defendant is less than 50% at fault, the plaintiff can only collect a damages amount proportionate to the defendant’s level of fault. For example, if a defendant is only 20% at fault, the plaintiff can only collect 20% of their total damages claim from that defendant. New Hampshire’s laws around fault demonstrate the importance of proving causation to prevail on a negligence claim.

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