Automobile Accidents

Automobile accidents are an unfortunate and all too common fact of life in our modern, mechanized society. These tragic events have become more and more frequent as the number of cars on the road has continued to rise, and as a result, the number of lives lost to these tragic events continues to rise as well.

Vehicular accidents are incredibly violent experiences for anyone unlucky enough to be involved in one. Sadly, nearly all of these accidents could have been prevented, if it were not for the negligence of the other involved party(s). All it takes is one careless moment to change a family’s life forever.

If you, or someone you love, has been injured, killed, or affected in any other way as the result of an automobile accident, you deserve justice. Don’t count on the other party, or their insurance company, to do the right thing; often they will only be interested in protecting their own interests, regardless of the pain, suffering, and hardships that you and your loved ones may be experiencing as a result of their actions. Remember that as representatives of the insurance company: a claim adjuster’s first priority is to protect the company’s best interests. Even if the other party admits fault, statistics show that hiring an attorney often results in more compensation for victims, even when factoring in the attorney’s fee.

The Vigil Law Firm, P.A., and our namesake, Jacob Vigil, have over 30 years of experience in helping our clients receive fair compensation for their suffering. To this end, Vigil Law Firm, P.A. has taken more than hundred cases to trial, and amassed an enormous amount of experience in effective trial techniques. We know exactly what kind of evidence is needed to prove the negligence of the defendant, as this task is far from simple, it is important to hire an attorney with extensive trial experience. Proving negligence is a highly complex and lengthy process. We at Vigil Law Firm, P.A., know how to establish the responsibility of the other party in automotive accident cases, and has extensive contacts among the myriad of professionals whose cooperation and expert testimony may be necessary to successfully prosecute these cases.

Mr. Jacob Vigil’s vast knowledge and substantial level of experience in prosecuting cases of this sort, ensures that you or your injured loved one will receive the special attention that they so greatly deserve.

It is an unfortunate fact that many trial lawyers fail to thoroughly investigate an automobile accident and often try to settle the claim within insurance policy limits. What many people don’t realize is that there is no legal limit to the damages that an insurance company must pay should their client be found guilty of causing harm. These so called “limits” are not based on the law, but on the policy of the insurance companies. These limits exist only to protect the profits of insurance companies, and are often unfair compensation amounts for the pain and suffering of accident victims. In addition to investigating the liability of the other party in causing an accident, the Vigil Law Firm, P.A. also thoroughly evaluates major car accidents to ensure that there wasn’t a vehicle defect as well.

Vehicle manufacturers are notorious for neglecting to provide the latest safety technology in their vehicles in the interest of maximizing profits. Vigil Law Firm, P.A., also has extensive experience in prosecuting cases against product manufacturers for defects. Defective seat belts, inadequate seat strength, ejection, and other vehicle defects contribute to thousands of deaths every year.

Here are just some of the professionals and or services that may be required:

Computer generated animation of the accident and impact
Video reenactments
Accident re-constructionists
Human behavior experts
Visual aids describing how injuries were sustained
Medical illustrations describing the client’s injuries
Crash impact specialists
Toxicologists (when drugs or alcohol is involved)

Too often trial lawyers fail to thoroughly investigate an automobile accident and settle the claim for the insurance policy limits. Vigil Law Firm, P.A. evaluates major car accidents to ensure that a vehicle defect wasn’t also partially to blame. Studies have shown that there are thousands of roof crush deaths every year. There are more than 350,000 vehicle fires resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Defective seat belts, inadequate seat strength, ejection, and other vehicle defects contribute to thousands of more deaths every year. Potential vehicle defects include:

For decades automakers have known that the 3-point safety belts are safer than lap belts only. In fact, lap belts can actually cause more severe injuries in some instances than if no seat belt were worn. Only recently, did automakers start to regularly provide only 3-point restraints for center rear-seat occupants. The cost of this simple improvement is negligible when balanced against the life of a human being yet, automakers chose to keep the old belts to save a fraction of a percent of the total vehicle’s value in profit.

Unfortunately, child seat manufacturers are held to even lower standards than automotive manufactures. Less rigorous testing procedures and quality standards leads to thousands of tragic and unnecessary deaths and catastrophic injuries sustained by innocent children who are supposed to be protected by these devices.

Thousands of deaths occur each year because of rollover crashes with resulting roof crush. Electronic Stability Control, or ESC, is still not standard in most vehicles yet, it has been known since the invention of the technology that it dramatically reduces the instances of rollover crashes. Manufacturers have also cut corners and costs on roof strength resulting in weaker roofs that directly cause deaths and serious injuries.

Unfortunately, because of the nature of these products, tire defects are often hidden until the actual tire fails, usually catastrophically. As the scandal involving Ford Explorer rollover accidents and Firestone tires illustrates, tires are yet another leading cause of preventable automobile accidents. There is virtually no way for a consumer to tell at the time of purchase if a manufacturer has chosen to substitute cheaper, less reliable materials and formulations in the interest of cutting costs. Often this results in massive tire failure when the tire is under stress; usually when their reliability is needed most, such as during an emergency maneuver to avoid an accident. Even when tires are properly manufactured, they should always be replaced after six years of use; however, tire manufactures often fail to warn the public about this critical maintenance requirement.

Vehicle fires ignite for a variety of reasons, including: failure to incorporate anti-siphoning valves, failure to protect fuel lines, failure to include fuel filler tube check valves, misrouting of fuel lines, and placement of the fuel tank within the vehicle’s crush zone. According to the US Fire Administration, post collision fires are the leading cause of vehicle related deaths. There are more than 350,000 vehicle fires every year, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries.