Motor Vehicle Accidents

Truck

Our Salt Lake City based personal injury law firm is dedicated to serving & representing victims of truck crashes and accidents throughout all of Utah. Our entire practice is dedicated exclusively to personal injury victims, never to trucking companies.

When accidents with 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, or any other over-sized motor vehicles occur, many times the result is serious injury of death. Many times these injuries or deaths could have easily been avoided. Our firm is there to fight for the appropriate compensation for you or your family member that has been involved in a semi-truck accident.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention summarized the following in a 2015 report:

  • Overall, 317,000 motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks were reported to police in 2012, according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimated cost of truck and bus crashes to the United States economy was $99 billion that same year.
  • Approximately 700 drivers of large trucks or their passengers died in crashes in 2012, and an estimated 26,000 were injured. About 65 percent of on-the-job deaths of truck drivers in 2012 were the result of a motor vehicle crash. More than a third of the drivers who died were not wearing a seatbelt.
  • Key findings from the National Survey of U.S. Long-Haul Truck Driver Health and Injury, conducted by CDC at 32 truck stops along interstate highways across the United States in 2010 include the following:
    • An estimated 14 percent of long-haul truck drivers reported not using a seat belt on every trip.
    • Over one-third of long-haul truck drivers had been involved in one or more serious crashes during their driving careers.
    • Long-haul truck drivers who reported not wearing seat belts also tended to engage in other unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding and committing moving violations. They were also more likely to work for an employer that did not have a written workplace safety program.
    • Long-haul truck drivers who lived in a state with a primary seat belt law – the law that allows police to stop motorists solely for being unbelted – were more likely to report often using a seat belt.

Auto and Motorcycle Accidents

The attorneys at Dewsnup King Olsen Worel Havas have successfully tried many auto accident cases, including cases resulting in million dollar settlements. It is essential for us to obtain the correct compensation for our client's accident costs, no matter how large or small the case.

Car accidents happen every day but the pain that comes emotionally, physically, and financially can be an enormous burden. Our attorneys have the knowledge, skill, and experience in auto accident litigation to ensure that our client is taken care of appropriately.

According to the latest data from the Utah Department of Public Safety, Utah saw an increase in motor vehicle traffic crash deaths in 2015 to the highest number in seven years with 276 people killed. Speed was once again the leading contributing factor in deaths accounting for 37 percent of deaths. The speed category includes crashes where the driver exceeded the speed limit or traveled too fast for conditions. Unrestrained occupants accounted for 31 percent of deaths. Pedestrian deaths were the highest number since 1987. The personal and socioeconomic effect of motor vehicle crashes is a continuing concern in Utah. In 2014, there were 54,036 reported traffic crashes on public roadways in Utah. These crashes involved 134,182 people, with 23,364 injured and 256 people killed.

Because of Utah's rapidly chaging weather, many times accidents result from snow, rain, or other natural factors. However, accidents happen many times as a result by the wrongdoing of someone else. No matter the cause of the auto accident, whether it be a distracted driver, disregard for traffic regulations, drowsy driver, or even driving under the influence of alcohol, our attorneys have the experience needed to deal with the insurance, other attorneys or persons who are at fault.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 8 times more likely to be injured in an accident and 32 times more likely to die in a crash or wreck than other motor vehicle accident victims. The attorneys at Dewnsup, King and Olsen have the professionalism and experience to deal with the daunting and serious fight in a motorcycle accident case.

In the past several years in Utah, motorcyclist deaths have been on the decline but they are still high. In 2008, 36 people died in Utah in motorcycle accidents. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, that is the highest it has been since 1985.