Kentwood Car Accident Lawyer

Attorney for Motor Vehicle Collisions in Kentwood, MI

In Kentwood, the streets are often crowded as people travel to shopping centers, business parks, and residential neighborhoods. Shoppers fill the lots around Woodland Mall, commuters may use Interstate 96 or Highway 6, and travelers may head toward Gerald R. Ford International Airport along 44th Street and Broadmoor Avenue. Car crashes can take place on multiple roads throughout the area. Understanding how an accident happened is the first step toward recovering compensation.

At John D. Tallman, PLC, Attorney at Law, our lawyer works with people who have been hurt in traffic collisions throughout Kentwood and Kent County. He can investigate the facts behind each crash, identify the driving errors that caused it, and take the right steps to obtain compensation for an injury victim. Throughout the process, he will listen to clients, answer their questions honestly, and focus on supporting their recovery.

Rear-End Crashes Caused by Tailgating and Speeding

When traffic backs up at a stoplight or slows down near a busy shopping plaza, drivers will need to make sure they have enough room to stop. Tailgating removes the cushion that is needed to slow down and stop safely. A driver who is only a car length behind another vehicle will have almost no time to react when another driver steps on their brakes.

Speeding can make these problems worse. A vehicle that is traveling 45 miles per hour covers about 66 feet every second, so a driver who is speeding and following closely behind another car may not even begin braking before a rear-end collision takes place. Most of the time, a driver who hits another car from behind will be at fault for the crash. Our attorney can review vehicle damage patterns, skid marks, and data from vehicles to show how fast a driver was going and demonstrate that they were negligent.

T-Bone Collisions at Intersections

Side-impact crashes can happen when drivers ignore stop signs or enter intersections after lights have turned red. When a driver does not come to a full stop and does not yield to vehicles that are proceeding through an intersection legally, they can cause a T-bone collision. Some drivers may cause collisions when they do not stop for red lights or when they turn left at yellow lights without paying attention to oncoming traffic.

Because a door panel offers limited protection, people in a vehicle struck from the side may suffer rib fractures, pelvic injuries, head trauma, and other forms of harm. Proving fault in these cases may involve a review of traffic camera footage or statements from witnesses who saw which driver had the right-of-way.

Head-On Collisions Caused by Illegal Passing and Drunk Driving

Head-on crashes are more likely than other types of accidents to cause catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. They may be caused by:

Illegal Passing

On two-lane roads, impatient drivers may pull into the oncoming lane to get around slower traffic. Passing on hills, curves, and near intersections where a driver cannot see far enough ahead of them is illegal. A driver who passes in a no-passing zone or misjudges the gap between approaching cars can collide directly with another vehicle.

Drunk Driving

Alcohol and drugs can lead to impairments that can affect judgment, coordination, and other abilities that are crucial for safe driving. An intoxicated driver may drift over the center of a road, or they may enter a road or highway going the wrong way. Toxicology results and arrest records can serve as powerful evidence in an injury claim involving drunk driving.

Other Causes of Collisions in Kentwood

• Distracted Driving: Drivers who check messages on their phones, adjust apps or radio stations when listening to music, or pay attention to navigation screens may miss details like a traffic light that has changed or a car that has stopped ahead of them. This can leave them with little time to react and avoid a collision.
• Aggressive Driving: People who engage in dangerous behaviors like cutting off other vehicles, weaving through traffic, or cutting off other cars can put everyone nearby in danger.
• Failure to Account for Weather: During snowstorms, heavy rain, or other conditions that may involve limited visibility or poor traction on the road, drivers should slow down and take extra care to drive safely. People who do not adjust their driving in response to weather conditions may be responsible for causing accidents.

Contact Our Kentwood, Michigan Car Accident Attorney

When another driver's recklessness has resulted in an accident in which you were injured, you deserve answers about what happened, and you will want to make sure they are held accountable. At John D. Tallman, PLC, Attorney at Law, our attorney can investigate what happened during a crash, take steps to show that the other driver was negligent, and fight to help you obtain compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact our Kentwood, MI car accident injury lawyer at 616-361-8850 to schedule a free consultation.