Elderly Driver Accidents

If you have been injured by an accident with an elderly driver in Boston, Bristol County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, or elsewhere in Massachusetts, Rightful Legal is here to help.  As the number of people over the age of 70 in the US has increased, so has the number of older drivers.  Unfortunately, some older adults’ driving abilities are impaired by disease, medication, changes in vision, impaired physical functioning, and decreases in the ability to reason and remember.  Because of this, some elderly drivers cause accidents that injure or even kill other people on the road.

If you have been hurt by an accident with an older driver, Massachusetts Car Crash Attorney Tracy Paulsen wants to be your advocate.  She has fought for clients across Massachusetts to receive compensation for their injuries and hold negligent drivers responsible for their actions.  Her team of personal injury lawyers at Rightful Legal will Fight for Your Rights if you have been hurt as a passenger or a driver in an accident caused by an elderly driver.

Attorney Paulsen has assisted clients in recovering significant compensation for their car accident injuries.  To each client’s case, she brings personalized attention, a passion for justice, and over 15 years of experience handling personal injury claims, including those involving older drivers.   If you have been injured in an automobile accident involving an elderly driver, you need to understand  your legal rights and what steps to take to ensure your recovery and compensation.

Rightful Legal handles numerous types of elderly driver accidents, including:

• Speeding accidents
• Distracted driving accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Pedestrian accidents
• Rollover accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Hit and run accidents
• Drowsy driving accidents
• Intersection accidents

Elderly Driver Accident Attorney Tracy Paulsen wants to help you obtain justice and the maximum possible compensation for the injuries your or your loved one suffered due to the unsafe acts of an elderly driver. 

Injured by an Elderly Driver?

Contact Us Today for a Free Case Evaluation

Call 617-821-5856

Or

What Are Common Injuries Caused by Elderly Driver Accidents?

If you were injured by an older driver, you may suffering any of the following injuries:

• Broken bones
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee injuries
• Head injuries or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Concussions
• Lacerations
• Contusions
• Soft tissue injuries
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries, including whiplash
• Psychological injuries or emotional trauma
• Chronic pain
• Wrongful death of a loved one

These painful injuries can change your life, causing you to miss work and making you unable to care for your family and enjoy everyday activities of life. 

What are the Risk Factors for Elderly Driver Accidents?

A variety of risk factors affecting older drivers impact their safety on the road. Some relevant risk factors may include:

• Cognitive limitations
• Physical frailty
• Age-related visual impairment
• Decreased hazard perception
• Hearing loss
• Decreased reaction time
• Decreased motor control
• Effects of medication

What are the Warning Signs that an Elderly Person May Be Becoming Unsafe to Drive?

Every driver has the responsibility to make sure they are physically and mentally safe behind the wheel.  It is important for older drivers and their caretakers to pay attention to their abilities and monitor whether they can continue to drive without posing a risk to themselves or the people around them.  Age alone is not the determining factor in whether someone can continue to drive.  Each older driver and their family should stay alert for the following warning signs indicating that an elderly driver may need additional support or be unsafe to drive:

• Declining vision
  • Trouble reading street signs
  • Difficulty recognizing traffic controls
  • Problems seeing lane lines, curbs, medians, other vehicles, or pedestrians, especially in the dark
  • Discomfort from the glare of headlights at night
• Hearing impairment
  • Inability to hear horns
  • Difficulty hearing oncoming vehicles
  • Trouble hearing sirens or detecting which direction they are coming from
• Diminished physical fitness
  • Reduced flexibility, such as difficulty looking over the shoulder
  • Decreased coordination, like trouble using the steering wheel correctly or moving a foot between pedals
  • Frequent falls
  • Decreased activity, such as walking very little
  • Pain or locking in the feet, knees, and ankles when walking or using stairs
• Slowed Reaction Time
  • Medical conditions such as seizures, loss of consciousness, or dizziness
  • Being slow to see other cars appear from intersections, side roads, and driveways
  • Use of medications that cause sleepiness or drowsiness as a side effect
  • Difficulty judging distance or timing, such as with gaps in traffic at an intersection or turn
  • Becoming overwhelmed by multiple sources of input, such as signs, lights, bicycles, pedestrians, and other cars at an intersection
  • Trouble navigating heavy traffic 
  • Trouble controlling a car at high speeds
• Cognitive impairment
  • Trouble making decisions, especially under time pressure
  • Becoming too cautious or hesitating too much
  • Reduced attention span
  • Difficulty remembering things
  • Frequently getting lost or becoming confused

How Much Time Do You Have to Make Your Massachusetts Elderly Driver Accident Claim?

Postponing action on a car accident case involving an elderly driver can prevent you from bringing a claim and bar you from recovering damages for your injuries.  Delaying action on your car accident case can have other detrimental effects. Evidence can become harder to find.  Witnesses can lose their recollections or become confused.  People can move or change their contact information, making them difficult to locate.

The time to bring a claim for any car accident is limited.  Massachusetts imposes a strict three-year deadline on all personal injury claims, including those involving older driver accidents.  The three years begins to elapse the same day your personal injury is discovered, usually the date of your accident.  You cannot bring a lawsuit after this time runs out.  You need to act quickly to make sure your only chance to obtain compensation for your injuries is not lost.

Hurt in a Car Crash with an Older Driver? 

Contact Attorney Paulsen NOW for a Free Consultation on Your Case

Call 617-821-5856

or

What Damages Can an Elderly Driver Car Accident Injury Lawsuit Recover?

If you or your loved one have been hurt in a collision caused by an older driver, it is important for you to understand the full extent of your losses in order to pursue appropriate compensation.   Unlike giant firms, Rightful Legal is able to offer a personalized touch to each client’s unique case.  We know how to calculate both clear-cut financial losses (like hospitable bills and lost wages) and more complex losses (like pain and suffering), which can be harder to quantify without appropriate legal guidance.  We know all of your losses are important when building your unique case, and we want to ensure you get the full compensation you are owed.

Depending on the specific details of your elderly driver accident, you may be able to recover compensation for:

• Medical treatment costs (both past and future)
• Lost income from time off work (both past and future)
• Reduced ability to earn future income
• Emotional distress

• Physical pain and discomfort
• Psychological trauma
• Permanent disfigurement
• Permanent disability
• Cognitive impairment
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death of a loved one

The value of each elderly driver accident claim depends on many factors, which we can discuss with you at a free, no-obligation consultation.  Some of these factors include the seriousness of your injuries, how the senior driver car accident has affected your life, your age, your income, and what your health and earning power were like before and will be like after the crash.

Why Choose Rightful Legal to Help You After an Elderly Driver Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a crash caused where an older driver was completely or partially at fault, you may be able to pursue legal action and recover compensation for the harm you have suffered.  If you have tragically lost a loved one in a collision involving an elderly driver, a wrongful death claim may also be an option.  

At Rightful Legal, we know the aftermath of a car crash can be devastating.  Our dedicated personal injury attorneys want to get accountability and justice for you during this difficult time.

Attorney Tracy Paulsen and the team at Rightful Legal have guided numerous clients from Boston, Bristol County, and surrounding areas of Massachusetts through the complex maze of car insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits following their accidents.  Personal injury cases involving motor vehicle collisions with elderly drivers can present unique challenges, such as proving liability, uncovering potential age-related impairments like diminished vision or slower reaction time, and demonstrating the full impact of the injuries sustained by you or your loved one.

We will work diligently to uncover the truth about your senior driver accident, build a compelling case, and pursue the maximum possible compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and other damages.

Managing Attorney Tracy Paulsen and her team take a hands-on approach to every case at Rightful Legal.  With us, you won’t get lost in a sea of clients.  We give each case the attention our clients need and deserve, from the initial consultation to settlement or even trial.

You do not  pay us unless we win your case.  Reach out to Rightful Legal today to schedule your free, confidential consultation.  This consultation does not obligate you.  Let us listen to your story and help you understand your options moving forward.

Text or Call the Rightful Legal Team Today at 617-821-5856. You can also contact our passionate Massachusetts Elderly Driver Accident Victim Lawyers Online Right Away.