Back-over Accidents

A back-over accident is when someone is backing up in a driveway or parking lot and hits a pedestrian. Children are the most common victims of back-over accidents. Because of their small stature, drivers do not see them especially if they are operating large SUVs or trucks. However, adults can also be the victim of back-over accidents when drivers are inattentive or operating delivery or commercial vehicles. All too often, the person responsible for the back-over accident is someone the victim knows such as a friend, parent or relative. Here are some sobering statistics:

• The most common age group injured in back-over accidents is 12 months to 23 months old.
• In roughly 70% of back-over accidents, it was a parent or relative behind the wheel.
• Slightly more than half of all back-over accidents involve a SUV or large truck.
• Approximately 50 children are involved in back-over accidents each week in the United States alone.

In 2008, Congress passed a law mandating The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) adopt a rule requiring all new passenger cars to be equipped with a backup camera by 2018. And for those driving cars without rear backup cameras, affordable after-market equipment exists. And while these cameras have proven to be effective at reducing the number of backup accidents, they are not perfect. Drivers still fail to look especially when they are backing up from their own garage or in their own driveway. Drivers think the beeping is coming from another source. For example, the car is beeping because they are too close to the side wall. Or, the driver simply gets distracted in the backup process.

Because the injury victim is often related to or friends with the driver responsible for the back-up accident, many victims are reluctant to pursue their legal rights. This is understandable. You do not want to blame, let alone sue, someone you know. But when insurance is available to help compensate the victim for pain and suffering, disfigurement, lost wages, medical bills, then seeking compensation is a very practical and reasonable option. Think of it this way: the responsible driver has paid insurance premiums in order to have exactly the type of coverage that can now help the back-over accident victim. By choosing not to pursue it, the only one who benefits is the insurance company who has accepted the premiums and now does not have to pay the benefits it is contractually obligated to provide.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a back-over accident and you have questions or concerns that you would like to discuss, give us a call. We offer a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation. Our award-winning lawyers handle all accident cases on a contingency basis. For more information on how our firm handles fees and expenses, go to our FAQ page which has information on that topic along with lots of other useful information about the litigation process, hiring a lawyer, how settlements are calculated and more.

The Law Offices of John Day, P.C. has offices conveniently located in Nashville (615-669-3993), Murfreesboro (615-867-9900) and Brentwood (615-742-4880) or you can call us Toll-Free at 866-812-8787. And if you are unable to come to us for any reason, we are happy to come to you. We have recovered millions and millions of dollars for our satisfied clients and we would like to help you and your family too.