Cases arising out of automobile accidents are by far the most common type of personal injury case pending in our court system today. This is not surprising, given that every 10 seconds, someone in the United States is involved in a car accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Except in those states where legislation eliminating fault as an issue has been passed (no-fault laws), these cases are typically governed by the law of negligence. Generally, people who operate automobiles must exercise "reasonable care under the circumstances." A failure to use reasonable care is considered negligence. A person who negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay for any damages, either to a person or property, caused by his or her negligence. The injured party, known as the plaintiff, is required to prove that the defendant was negligent, that the negligence was a proximate cause of the accident, and that the accident caused the plaintiff's injuries. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, you must not hesitate to seek legal counsel from a personal injury attorney experienced in automobile accident cases in order to best protect your interests.

About Lance Stevens:

Education: University of Alabama, B.A., 1984 , Mississippi College School of Law, J.D., 1988

Practice Areas : Personal Injury Law

Membership: The Mississippi Bar; Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Charles Clark Inns of Court; Mississippi Legal Institute (Board member); Hinds County Bar Association.

Admissions: 1988, Mississippi; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Lance Stevens has been practicing nothing but injury law for over a dozen years. He is the former President of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association for the year 2000-2001, a group representing all 1,000 of the best trial lawyers in the state. Lance has also received the Trial Lawyer of the Year award in Mississippi in 1999 and 2005, the only lawyer to receive the award twice, and the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year in the U.S. from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America in 1999, a group composed of tens of thousands of trial lawyers across the country. Lance has been invited to speak to lawyers across the country, and on two Caribbean islands, on topics such as bad faith, jury selection, closing arguments, subrogation and uninsured motorist law. He has published numerous papers and is currently the author of the jury verdict chapter in Mississippi Civil Procedure, the leading text in the state on the subject. On a personal note, Lance is the father of four children and happily married to Beth Stevens. He has twice served as the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) President at the local public elementary school. His hobbies include golf and politics.