New Push Against Speeding from NHTSA

Traffic deaths have soared in the United States in recent years, prompting the nation’s auto safety agency to take measures to discourage motorists from speeding. Steven Cliff, who runs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recently announced to Reuters the creation of a “speed campaign” highlighting how speeding is just as harmful as other unsafe driving behaviors, such as drunk driving.

Data from the NHTSA indicate that the average speed of motorists in the U.S. has increased and that more motorists are driving carelessly. In one recent year, 42,915 people were killed in U.S. traffic accidents, the highest annual rate in nearly 20 years.

The legal team at the Law Offices of Michael Gopin, PLLC discusses recent crash data, the latest speeding regulations, and what you can do if you were injured in a car accident caused by a speeding driver.

Recent Accident Statistics

The following speed-related crash statistics from the NHTSA and the National Safety Council (NSC) illustrate how common and deadly speeding is on American roads:

• Speeding was a factor in 11,258 traffic deaths nationwide in one recent year, or more than 30 fatalities every day. Traffic deaths due to speeding accounted for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities that year.
• Speeding caused more than 10,000 fatal crashes in the U.S. that same year.
• More than one-third of all drivers who were speeding at the time of fatal crashes that year were male drivers between the ages of 15 and 20.
• Speeding is a significant factor in fatal crashes involving hazardous surface conditions. This is why a motorist driving under the speed limit may still receive a ticket if they are driving too fast for the conditions.

New Speeding Regulations

The head of the NHTSA says the agency is working hard to develop and implement new anti-speeding regulations nationwide. Since 2021, the NHTSA has reportedly finalized 16 new speeding laws and begun work on 25 more. Notably, many new rules are “related to automation” because more automakers are releasing vehicles with varying degrees of autonomous-driving capabilities.

Injured in a Car Accident? Car Accident Lawyer Michael Gopin Can Help

If you have been injured in a collision caused by a speeding driver, contact the El Paso accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Michael Gopin, PLLC. Our experienced legal team has advocated for the rights of injury victims in El Paso, TX for a quarter-century. We pride ourselves on providing compassionate legal representation to all our clients and aggressively pursuing full compensation for their injuries and other losses. Contact our firm today for a free consultation to discuss your legal options and learn how we can help.

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How Social Media Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case

From Facebook to TikTok and from Reddit to Twitter, it seems there are no escaping social media. Social media is everywhere, and chances are you use at least one, if not multiple, platforms. But did you know that social media usage can impact your personal injury claim? It’s true, and it costs many accident victims the money they deserve.

The El Paso personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC want you to know how social media can affect your personal injury case and your ability to get the money you need from the party that hurt you. Contact us today if you need help getting compensation after an accident that wasn’t your fault.

How Social Media Can Negatively Affect Your Personal Injury Case

Whether you are negotiating with an insurer or taking a case to court, there is one universal truth you should remember: no one wants to part with their money. Insurers and opposing attorneys will go to great lengths to protect themselves and their clients from a settlement or judgment that could cost them. Weakening your case is an effective strategy to this end, and all it might take to jeopardize your claim is an internet search.

No matter how innocent you believe your words are, they can be twisted and used against you. Talking about the accident online can reveal contradictions in your account of the accident. Photos of you enjoying life could undercut your claims of being too hurt to work.

Some of the ways that social media can negatively impact your personal injury claim include:

• Highlighting discrepancies in your story
• Contradicting previous statements you may have made about the accident
• Revealing what you may be physically capable of doing

Even if the information is taken out of context, it might be compelling to an insurance company, judge, or jury.

Inconsistent Information Shared on Social Media

After a traumatic event, it is natural to want to share your experience with your friends and family, cope with the events, and get support from your loved ones. However, posting information about an accident online is extremely risky.

What if you mention something on social media that you forgot to include in your official statement? You may call it an innocent mistake. An attorney or insurer could call it fraud. Differing accounts or inconsistent statements about how an accident happened are one of the leading ways social media can jeopardize a personal injury case.

Tips for Social Media Usage While Your Case is Pending

Before you post anything online, consider these social media usage tips:

• Set your account to private
• Do not accept new friend requests or invites from people you don’t know
• Never share the details of the accident online
• Do not post pictures of the accident online
• Discourage family and friends from posting about the accident
• Do not go online to ask for advice

The best advice is to stay off social media. It may be appropriate to deactivate all your social media accounts and then reactive those accounts when your case is finalized.

For All Personal Injury Cases, Call the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin Today

Before you turn to social media after an accident, turn to a personal injury lawyer in El Paso who knows how to pursue the full compensation you deserve. Contact the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC. We offer free consultations to all prospective clients and look forward to learning more about your situation and how we can help.

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