Car Accident Lawyer Oxford, MS

Oxford offers many attractions for visitors, primarily the exciting sports events at the University of Mississippi. Yet, driving into town for an Ole Miss game or to visit your family member studying there can put you in the middle of heavy traffic with drivers who do not know the area. If you are in an automotive crash, it can leave you with many questions about who is to blame and how you should proceed for your injuries and property damage.

A car accident lawyer in Oxford from Stroud, Flechas & Dalton understands that you are distracted by pain and worries about paying unexpected bills. We will assess your situation during a free consultation, offering solid legal advice tailored to your circumstances. When you partner with a Mississippi personal injury lawyer from our firm, you can trust in our experience and skill to seek the best outcome for you.

Why You Should Trust Stroud, Flechas & Dalton With Your Car Accident Case

At Stroud, Flechas & Dalton, our team is committed to the people of Mississippi. We recognize the unique concerns you will have regarding your recovery from injuries when someone else is at fault, and we support you through every step of your claim. We can guide you with completing insurance claims, negotiating a fair settlement for your needs, and preparing your case for court.

Our car accident attorneys know the area surrounding Oxford, MS, and have experience managing claims in the court system there. Our lawyers grew up and went to school in Mississippi, and we keep our case load small so we can give each client the compassionate and personal treatment they have come to expect in the South. With over 50 years of combined legal experience, we are focused on helping ordinary people fight against big insurance companies.

We also relieve your worries regarding how to pay for the superior legal representation you deserve, starting with a free initial consultation. When we accept your case, we also provide a contingency fee plan, so you only pay us if we secure a settlement or jury award for you. Our past results are impressive, and we believe you will find the confidence you need to pursue justice for yourself against the negligent person who hurt you.

Oxford, MS Sees Many Car Accidents on Its Roads

While the moving-in and moving-out days for Ole Miss are hectic, every Saturday in autumn is also packed with folks driving in to see the games. With more vehicles on roads like I-55, Highway 6, Highway 7, and Highway 278, and University Avenue, Oxford is home to many car accidents every year. In addition to special events involving the school, morning and evening commutes can be dangerous for drivers as they try to avoid pedestrians and other vehicles.

According to the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety, there has been a general decrease in the number of injuries and fatalities from car accidents in the state, with 3,344 injury crashes and 729 deaths in 2022. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that Mississippi was also the deadliest state in the country in 2022, recording 23.9 deaths for every 100,000 people. Overall, the risk of getting hurt or killed in a car accident is high, and all drivers should be careful to minimize their chances of a crash.

Factors That Lead to Car Accidents in Oxford

The majority of auto accidents are the result of negligence, meaning someone failed to drive cautiously and with care towards others on the road. Their actions may range from looking away from the road for a few critical seconds to deliberately pursuing you during a road rage incident. Whatever the circumstances, you deserve a legal advocate who will fight to uncover the truth about what happened and hold those wrongdoers accountable.

Common factors our car accident lawyers have seen in Oxford cases include the following:

Drunk Driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as many as 21% of all traffic fatalities in Mississippi in 2023 were alcohol-related. Driving while intoxicated is illegal in all 50 states and carries severe penalties in Mississippi. Still, many people choose to get behind the wheel after having too much to drink or while under the influence of illegal substances, particularly in the Ole Miss campus area and surrounding establishments.

With impaired faculties, they are more likely to speed, drive recklessly, ignore traffic laws, and are less likely to react in time to avoid a crash. Injuries from drunk driving accidents tend to be more severe, meaning you could end up with life-changing harm and lifelong disabilities from someone’s careless choices.

Speeding and Reckless Driving

Speeding is considered a form of reckless driving in most states. Under Mississippi Code § 63-3-516, anyone who drives in a way that indicates a wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of others is guilty of reckless driving. Exceeding speed limits is the most common form of speeding, but it can also include going too fast for traffic, road, and weather conditions.

When drivers disobey traffic laws and signals, aggressively pursue you from road rage, or weave in and out of traffic, they could cause sideswipe, head-on, and rear-end collisions. Your car accident attorney will collect relevant evidence to show what happened and build a case demonstrating the other party’s liability for your losses.

Drowsy Driving

An NHTSA report on drowsy driving found that as many as 633 people died in the U.S. in 2023 due to drivers falling asleep. Students staying up late to study can put themselves in a fatigued state, meaning they are more likely to miss important signals around them that could indicate a risk of an accident.

Similarly, drivers who work overnight shifts at local companies may be sleepy when returning home, since most drowsy driving accidents happen between midnight and 6:00 AM. Even motorists just passing through on the interstates in Lafayette County and other parts of North Mississippi may cause dangerous conditions that leave you hurting.

Types of Car Accidents and Potential Injuries

Head-on collisions are the most dangerous in terms of serious injuries and fatalities. Rollover accidents, where your vehicle turns onto its side or roof, can also hurt you from flying debris inside the passenger cabin. You may suffer any of several common car accident injuries, such as:

Traumatic brain injuries
Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
Internal bleeding and organ damage
Broken bones and fractures

You can also suffer injuries in a sideswipe accident, such as damage to your shoulder, legs, or head. If the impact causes your head to hit the window, you could end up with a traumatic brain injuries. Even in a minor crash, the damage to your vehicle can still be substantial, requiring expensive repairs.

A rear-end accident often results in back and neck injuries for the occupants in the front car, such as whiplash, spinal damage, and bruising from the steering wheel and seat belt. If the impact is at high speed, occupants may be thrown forward violently, and any loose objects in the backseat could be thrown forward, causing puncture wounds, blunt force trauma, or cuts and lacerations.

Understanding Damages in a Car Accident Claim

The term “damages” is used to describe the economic and non-economic effects a car accident has on your life. By calculating the costs and factoring in your pain and suffering, your auto accident attorney can help you present a list of losses associated with your injuries, both current and projected. So, what kinds of damages are available in an accident case?

You can request payment for your medical bills, vehicle repair or replacement, lost income, nursing care, therapy costs, prescriptions, and many other kinds of damages that have a specific value. Usually, you begin by filing an insurance claim against the other driver’s policy, but Mississippi only requires drivers to buy liability insurance with a minimum of $25,000 for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage.

If your damages exceed that amount, you may need to proceed with a personal injury lawsuit to recover full compensation. Part of your decision will be determining whether you and your attorney believe it is possible to actually obtain what you need, especially if the other driver is uninsured.

You may also decide to go to court if your injuries result in substantial non-economic losses. These include your mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering. Most insurance policies do provide for these losses, but Mississippi law also limits these damages to $1 million for most personal injury lawsuits.

Your Car Accident Lawyer Uses Evidence to Demonstrate the Other Party’s Liability

When you are hurt in a car crash, you may wonder who will pay your medical bills. For personal injury cases such as car accidents, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff (you) to present evidence showing how the other party was negligent. Negligence has four elements, as explained below:

Duty of care: You must show the driver had a duty to drive safely and take reasonable actions to avoid harming you and others.
Breach of duty: You should establish how the other party failed in their duty by showing photos, videos, and other evidence indicating they were negligent.
Causation: You can present additional evidence, such as your medical records and witness statements, making a direct connection between their breach of duty and your injuries.
Damages: Finally, you can present your list of damages (expenses and subjective suffering) you experienced as a result of your injuries and property damage, with the demand that the at-fault party pay them.

In some instances, you may have some fault in the crash, but under Mississippi Code § 11-7-15, you still have the right to seek damages under Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence statute. It is important to have a tenacious car accident lawyer on your side who will work to minimize any appearance of blame, since a smaller percentage has a smaller effect on your settlement.

Negotiating With Insurance Companies Can Be Financially Risky Without an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

Unfortunately, insurance companies are for-profit businesses focused on building their bottom line. While they may claim they will treat you like family or a neighbor, they will examine your claim closely for any information they could use to limit or deny your compensation. With a skilled attorney negotiating for you, you can avoid losing payments you deserve.

Insurance providers will conduct their own investigations, including scouring your social media posts and speaking with your friends and family. They may push back and say your injuries are not as severe as you claim, then try to reduce your payment. Your attorney will seek full compensation, with the full knowledge that you may need to proceed to court to get what you deserve.

Most insurance policies do not cover non-economic losses, so going to trial will be the only way to recover those damages. With burn injuries, your pain and suffering can be substantial and long-lasting, constituting a large portion of your losses. Our car accident lawyers are widely recognized for their skill before a judge and jury. We will fight to ensure you receive what you deserve.

We Have Experience With Claims Involving These Insurance Companies and More

Because we have been helping Mississippi residents like you for over two decades, we have taken on large insurance companies and won. Even if the insurance company seems to be cooperating, a free case review can help you understand if you could be eligible to receive more.

If your case involves any of the following insurers, we are ready to help you seek a settlement that meets your needs for medical costs, lost income, property damage, and more.

Contact us to arrange a free case review and find out how we can use our experience with the insurance industry to help you get the compensation you need.

Depend on Stroud, Flechas & Dalton for Your Oxford Car Accident Claim

It is vital that you speak with a car accident lawyer in Oxford, MS, from our firm as soon as possible after your crash. There are time limits for filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver because Mississippi only allows three years from the date you were hurt. Insurance negotiations and building a strong case take time, and you do not want to lose your chance to obtain the justice you deserve.

At Stroud, Flechas & Dalton, we are committed to compassionate, supportive service for clients who need a voice against powerful insurance companies and negligent drivers. Call us at (662) 667-1870 or use our convenient form to contact us for a free consultation with an Oxford car accident attorney and begin your recovery today.