Car Accidents Continue to Rise in the Lake Charles Area
The fact that the population of the Lake Charles area is increasing would most likely not be a surprise to longtime residents of the area. With that rise in population, however, comes a rise in car accidents. A large number of the 4,000 traffic collisions in 2014 were on or in the vicinity of Interstate 210.
In the areas around the interstate where the bulk of the crashes occurred, a lack of traffic lights may make it easier for drivers to speed. A significant number of crashes also occur at intersections. Drivers are either going too fast or too slow, and the mixture can easily lead to an accident.
A Lake Charles resident who travels Interstate 210 nearly every day says that drivers fail to adjust to the weather and road conditions. People will drive at high speeds during bad weather and slow down when the roads are clear. Law enforcement officials are urging drivers to be patient now that they are not able to navigate through town as quickly as they used to before the town grew. Impatience causes accidents — some of them serious or deadly. As for 2015, accidents have already surpassed last year at this time by 12 percent.
People who suffer serious injuries or lose a loved one in an accident may file either personal injury or wrongful death suits in Louisiana’s civil courts. If the other driver’s negligence led to serious or fatal injuries, the court may order damages that are often awarded in car accidents to be paid to the victim or a deceased victim’s family. Receipt of monetary restitution could defray the expenses and other damages sustained because of the accident.