Arkansas has some of the most dangerous roadways in the nation, and Jonesboro is no exception. Most fatal car accidents occur on interstates and highways in Jonesboro, though several rural roads and intersections are also sites of dangerous motor vehicle collisions.
If you have suffered an injury in a car accident in Jonesboro, you must consult an experienced and reputable Jonesboro car accident attorney immediately. They may recover financial compensation for medical bills, vehicle damages, and other losses incurred in the accident.
Jonesboro Car Accident Guide
- Dangerous Interstates and Highways Where Most Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
- Dangerous Intersections Where Most Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
- Top Reasons for Why Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
- What to Do After a Car Accident in Jonesboro
- How Will Hiring a Jonesboro Car Accident Attorney Help Recover Compensation?
- Schedule a Free Consultation With a Jonesboro Car Accident Attorney
Dangerous Interstates and Highways Where Most Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
Almost 650 people lost their lives on Arkansas roads in a recent year, and thousands more suffered serious injuries in traffic collisions. Highways and interstates are among the most common and dangerous places for car accidents because they involve operating vehicles at higher speeds.
The most hazardous interstates and highways where most car accidents occur in Jonesboro are as follows:
- I-555
- U.S. 49
- U.S. 63
- U.S. 67
- Highway 1
- Highway 18
- Highway 91
- Highway 141
- Highway 226
- Highway 463
Highway and interstate car accidents typically result in more severe injuries and wrongful death. If you are a surviving spouse or family member who lost a loved one to a car accident in Jonesboro, speak with a reputable attorney immediately. Surviving victims of wrongful death may be entitled to substantial compensation, including loss of financial support and inheritance.
Dangerous Intersections Where Most Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
Stadium Boulevard sees hundreds of vehicles on the road daily. It is responsible for numerous accidents at various locations and intersections, primarily as people maneuver in and out of business parking lots. Left-hand turns are a significant cause of these types of accidents.
The Jonesboro Police Department reported on locations where most traffic accidents happen and confirmed these intersections to be particularly treacherous:
- Stadium Blvd. and Parker Road
- Stadium Blvd. and Rook Road
- Caraway and Highland
- Caraway and Nettleton
- Main and Nettleton
- Highland Drive and Red Wolf Blvd
Highway 49 and Christian Valley Drive is another hazardous intersection in Jonesboro where car accidents frequently occur. However, thanks to a recent resolution proposal passed by the city council, drivers will see safety improvements in the next eighteen months.
Top Reasons for Why Car Accidents Occur in Jonesboro
There are numerous reasons car accidents in Jonesboro occur, including distracted, intoxicated, fatigued, and aggressive driving. Other factors, like road conditions and vehicle defects, also contribute to car accidents.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents in Jonesboro, with cellular use topping the list of distractions. Distracted driving may involve:
- Being on a cell phone (talking, texting, scrolling, or posting to social media)
- Talking or listening to passengers in the car
- Adjusting vehicle controls (stereo, climate)
- Adjusting GPS navigation systems
- Reaching for things inside the vehicle
- Personal grooming (brushing hair, makeup, shaving)
- Eating, drinking, smoking, or vaping while driving
According to local law enforcement, many Jonesboro drivers put their phones on their laps to text so they aren’t caught violating the law. Unfortunately, this forces the driver to entirely take their eyes off the road and focus them on their lap, resulting in car accidents and casualties.
Intoxicated Driving
Federal law sets a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for adults over 21 who are driving in the U.S. to 0.08 percent. States can impose reduced limitations, such as Utah, where it’s 0.05 percent. However, Arkansas’s BAC laws follow the national limit.
That said, drunk driving isn’t the only form of intoxication that causes car accidents. Other examples of intoxicated driving include:
- Driving under the influence of cannabis
- Driving under the influence of illicit drugs
- Driving impaired by over-the-counter medications
- Driving under the influence of prescription meds
Intoxicated driving differs from other car accidents because it is a criminal offense. For heinous or malicious intoxicated driving accidents, an attorney may seek punitive damages to punish the at-fault party (defendant).
This may be applicable to repeat offenders and drunk drivers with outrageous BAC levels who cause severe injury or wrongful death. Ask your Jonesboro car accident attorney to clarify the possibility with the circumstances of your case.
Fatigued Driving
Tired, exhausted, and fatigued drivers can be just as dangerous as intoxicated drivers on the road. Drowsy driving causes delayed focus and reaction time needed to operate a motor vehicle safely, causing countless collisions annually.
Aggressive Driving
Jonesboro motorists who drive aggressively are responsible for causing car accidents on interstates, highways, and intersections. Examples of aggressive driving include:
- Speeding (especially in high-traffic or pedestrian areas)
- Tailgating
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Changing lanes or merging without signaling
- Cutting in front of other drivers and then slowing down
- Passing a vehicle on the wrong side of the road
- Blocking vehicles attempting to pass or change lanes
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Ignoring road signage
There is a fine line between aggressive driving and road rage. Road rage is a criminal act that may include verbal assaults, yelling obscenities, brake-checking, or intentionally trying to run vehicles off the road. Victims of road rage must report it to the police immediately, regardless of whether a car accident was involved.
Road Hazards
Dangerous road conditions and hazardous weather are a leading cause of car accidents. Typical unsafe road conditions include:
- Cracks in the pavement and potholes
- Intrusive tree roots cracking sidewalks and roadways
- Lack of or missing guardrails
- Loose debris
- Wet pavement and water puddles
- Inadequate road signage or malfunctioning lights
- Eroded shoulders
- Insufficient lighting
Local governments may be liable for compensating accident victims in car accidents caused by hazardous road conditions. Municipalities have a reasonable duty of care to ensure the safety of citizens on public sidewalks and roadways.
Defective Vehicles and Parts
Your lawyer may determine that your car accident due to a defective vehicle or parts. In that case, the manufacturer should be liable for compensating you for injuries and other losses.
For example, Tesla has been the center of several defective vehicle allegations, including one demonstrating that Elon Musk knew about a flawed autopilot system but marketed the vehicle anyway. Over two million Teslas were recalled after a judge found reasonable evidence of this.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Jonesboro
You must do three critical things after a car accident in Jonesboro: seek medical attention, document injuries, and hire a reputable Jonesboro car accident attorney.
Receive Medical Attention Right Away
The number one thing you do after a car accident is seek medical care. If you do not have a primary care physician or require emergency services, visit one of Jonesboro’s hospitals for an evaluation. They cannot refuse treatment if you do not have insurance. Hospitals with emergency departments that treat car accident victims in Jonesboro are:
- NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
- St. Bernards Medical Center
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital
A physician will give you a complete medical evaluation to assess any injuries, devise a recovery plan, issue rehabilitation and surgery referrals, and advise you of any limitations or restrictions. Common restrictions after a car accident include:
- Physical restrictions, such as heavy lifting, bending, squatting, and standing on your feet for too long
- Driving restrictions
- Mental health limitations on workload
- Being put on light-duty work
- Being told not to return to work
If your doctor instructs you to follow any limitations or restrictions, you must follow their orders. You do not want to delay recovery or worsen your injuries. Car accident injury claims have a statute of limitations. You must make following your medical recovery plan your top priority.
Document Your Accident and Injuries Consistently
Keep a dated and detailed injury journal for your records and to help your car accident attorney prove damages. Include a thorough accounting of the accident and updates on pain and limited abilities resulting from it.
Hire a Jonesboro Car Accident Attorney Immediately
After being medically evaluated and treated for your injuries, hire a Jonesboro car accident attorney immediately. There is no reason for you to navigate filing a claim and following the legal process alone. An experienced lawyer will handle everything for you so that you can focus your attention on recovery and rest.
How Will Hiring a Jonesboro Car Accident Attorney Help Recover Compensation?
Unfortunately, even if you follow driving laws, you can’t control other motorists and conditions on the road that cause car accidents. You shouldn’t bear the responsibility of financial losses or pain and suffering without adequate compensation, especially when the accident wasn’t your fault.
If you are a victim of an injury-causing car accident or lost a loved one to wrongful death, a Jonesboro car accident lawyer can help. They will launch an investigation, determine liable parties, value your claim, and negotiate substantial settlements.
Launching a Comprehensive Investigation Into Your Car Accident
Your experienced Jonesboro car accident lawyer will begin by thoroughly investigating the circumstances of your accident. Steps involved in the investigation process include:
- Gathering evidence (police report, medical records, photos and video of accident and injuries)
- Identifying and interviewing witnesses
- Reconstructing the accident with reconstruction experts
- Consulting expert witnesses (medical, engineering, vocational, occupational)
After your lawyer obtains evidence, reconstructs the accident scene, and consults experts to establish liability, they will present that information. This may include using visual tools such as Venn diagrams and computer animations.
Determining Liable Parties
Negligent motorists are the number one cause of car accidents in Jonesboro. However, several other parties who may be liable, such as:
- Motorcycle drivers
- Commercial motorists (trucks, buses, trains)
- Non-motorists (pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders)
- Micro-mobility drivers (e-scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards)
- Vehicle or parts manufacturer or seller
- Businesses and staff who overserve alcohol to impaired drivers
- Uninsured or underinsured motorists
Once your attorney has investigated your claim and established liability, your case moves into valuing damages and negotiating your settlement.
Valuing Your Car Accident Claim
Valuing a car accident claim means examining financial losses and intangible ones, such as pain and suffering. Your attorney will investigate every area you’ve been affected before sending their demand letter to the insurance company. Compensation following car accidents often covers the following:
- Medical Expenses —The ambulance ride from the accident scene, ER visit, hospitalization, surgery, follow-up care, medical equipment, medications, and future medical costs.
- Rehab Costs —Chiropractic care, massage, physical, occupational, vocational, speech and language therapy.
- Professional Damages —Lost earnings, bonuses, diminished earning capacity, healthcare, retirement, pension, and Social Security.
- Property Damages —Vehicle repairs or replacement if totaled in the accident, smartphones, GPS systems, car safety seats, computers, and other personal property damaged in the car accident.
- Household Services —Hired help for limited or restricted abilities, such as cooking, cleaning, lawn care, childcare, and meal and grocery delivery services.
- Pain and Suffering —Loss of society and companionship, chronic pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, shortened life expectancy, psychological trauma, substance use disorder development due to prescribed narcotic use.
Wrongful death victims’ families can sue for losses their loved one suffered before their death and damages they’ve incurred because of it. Some common wrongful death damages include loss of consortium, loss of financial support, and funeral and burial or cremation costs.
Negotiating Substantial Settlements With Insurance Companies
A critical part of settling car accident claims is negotiating payment amounts. While most unrepresented accident victims take the first lowball settlement offer insurance companies are known to hand out, qualified car accident attorneys will demand fair compensation for your damages.
Negotiations may involve a few rounds before agreeing on the terms of your settlement. However, you will be involved in the process. Your attorney will advise you on demanding more or accepting fair offers. Ultimately, the final decision is yours.
No Out-of-Pocket Costs
Most car attorneys work on contingency, so there are no out-of-pocket expenses when hiring. Contingency fee arrangements require accident victims to pay no upfront costs.
Furthermore, they don’t pay anything unless their lawyer successfully obtains compensation for your claim. Ask your attorney to clarify their contingency fee during your free initial consultation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Jonesboro Car Accident Attorney
Schedule a consultation with one of our reputable Jonesboro personal injury lawyers to assess your claim immediately. Come with your evidence and questions. We are here to help.