Cookeville, TN Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a Cookeville auto accident, the single most important step you can take is to contact a Cookeville personal injury attorney with a solid history of positive outcomes. In 2013, there were three fatalities resulting from auto accidents in Cookeville, Tennessee. One of those accidents involved an alcohol-impaired person.

The locations of those fatal car accidents were at Interstate Drive, and at SR-135 Burgess Falls Road. Cookeville is a city in Putnam County, Tennessee, and is the county seat of Putnam County. As home to Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville is recognized as a significant economic hub of the state. While Cookeville is not one of the bigger cities in Tennessee, it is steadily growing.

Putnam County ranks sixth among all the counties in Tennessee, for the number of car accidents between the years of 2012 and 2016. For the number of motorcycle accidents which occurred between the years of 2012 and 2016, Putnam County ranked 20th among all Tennessee Counties. Other Putnam county rankings include:

  • 84th for alcohol-impaired fatalities;
  • 15th for alcohol-impaired crashes;
  • 8th for auto accidents caused by excessive speed;
  • 6th for auto accidents among those between the ages of 15 and 24, and
  • 8th for auto accidents among seniors (those over the age of 65).

Even injuries which did not appear particularly serious at the time of your accident can turn out to be much more serious than you thought. Far too many people say they are “fine” at the scene of the accident, then once the adrenaline wears off, they find they are not fine after all. When you are injured and emotionally shaken up, it can be very difficult to make good decisions.

Having a strong legal advocate on your side whom you can trust to protect your future and your rights is crucial after your auto accident. For more detailed information regarding auto accidents, click here to read our Car Accident Guide. Below, you will find important answers to some of your questions regarding the aftermath of car accidents.

Are Teens the Most Dangerous Drivers?

While most of us would feel pretty confident saying teenagers are the most dangerous group of drivers, in fact that stereotype may not be altogether true. It is a fact that auto accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and that while those between the ages of 15 and 19 represent seven percent of the population, they account for eleven percent of all auto accidents. Yet a new—surprising—study has found that young adults surpass the risky behaviors shown by teen drivers.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 88.4 percent of drivers between the ages of 19 and 24 admitted to texting while driving, running a red light, or exceeding the speed limit at least once over the past thirty days. Coming in a close second, 79 percent of drivers between the ages of 25 and 39 admitted to those same dangerous behaviors. Teens, between the ages of 16 and 18 came in third place for exhibiting risky behaviors while behind the wheel at 69.3 percent saying they either texted while driving, ran a red light or exceeded the speed limit at least once over the past thirty days.

When you single out the behavior of texting while driving, 59 percent of young adults between the ages of 19 and 24 admitted to sending a text or e-mail while driving, compared to 31.4 percent of all drivers. This age group was also the most-guilty when it came to speeding on a residential street, or running a red light. Perhaps even more alarming, these young adults were fairly blasé’ about their bad driving behaviors.

Twelve percent of those polled said speeding in a school zone was not all that bad. Perhaps fortunately for those of us who are not in this age group, the number of young adults on the roadways is decreasing. In 1983, 91.8 percent of those between the ages of 20 and 24 had a driver’s license, while in 2014, only 76.7 percent of those in the same age group had a driver’s license.

This does not let teenagers off the hook. Teens remain the most inexperienced group of drivers on the road, and tend to engage in one risky behavior that young adults do not—driving with a carload of other teens. Many states even have laws which restrict the number of passengers a teenager can transport. One study surveyed teen drivers and found that the teens most likely to drive with multiple teenage passengers tended to be thrill-seekers who did not accurately perceive the inherent risks in driving.

Another study found that both male and female teen drivers were more likely to be distracted before a crash when there were other teens in the car. Of those teen drivers who admitted to being distracted prior to a crash, 71 percent were male, and 47 percent were female. Compared to male teens driving alone, those with passengers were almost six times as likely to perform an illegal maneuver, and more than twice as likely to drive aggressively.

Do You Need Legal Help Following Your Auto Accident with Injury?

Whether you were injured by the negligence of a young adult, a teen, or any other driver, it is definitely time to contact an experienced Tennessee personal injury attorney from the firm of Martinson & Beason, P.C. You need an advocate who will fight for your future, and the personal injury attorneys at Martinson & Beason, P.C. have been protecting people just like you since 1937. Call us today for a free consultation to find out how we can help you.