Various organizations report vehicle accident statistics for each calendar year, and figures for 2021 are starting to arrive. Despite the fact that the majority of 2021 encompassed times when lockdowns were in effect across the country, reports claim that automobile fatalities increased at their quickest pace in over 50 years.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 30,000 people died on the roads in the first nine months of 2021, putting the year on track to be the worst in 50 years. This increase is attributed in part to the gradual relaxation of pandemic restrictions, which has resulted in more people being on the road.
They do add, however, that throughout the epidemic period of 2020-2021, riskier driving resulted in a 4.6 percent rise in the first nine months of 2020. These rises come after many years of declines leading up to 2019, which was one of the safest years on record for vehicle accidents.
What is causing these rises in car accidents?
It is unclear what is behind this rise in driving rashness across the country. Some of it might be due to people returning to busy commutes after working from home for a while; these drivers may be less inclined to take safeguards that have become second nature while traveling every day.
The development might potentially be a sign of a bigger phenomenon known as “road rage,” in which drivers become irrationally enraged over perceived issues with other drivers. Road anger has the potential to result in major accidents and even death. Whatever the cause, the reality is that more people are dying in highway accidents than ever before, and many more are hurt.
What can I do if I am a victim of someone else’s carelessness?
If you are the victim of a negligent driver’s negligence, you may be eligible for the following sorts of compensation.
- Health-care costs. If you or a loved one is hurt in a vehicle accident, you will almost certainly have medical expenditures. These costs may be covered by your insurance, but if not, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit to get them reimbursed.
- Lost wages. Medical expenditures are not the only costs that car accident victims have to pay. There are also lost income due to their inability to work. Actual salaries, as well as missed commissions and other work-related expenditures, may be included.
- Expenses for living. Accident victims may face costs associated with travel as well as changes in living situations. Some sufferers, for example, require railings in their houses or wheelchair ramps made for their doors.
- Wrongful death. A family member of a person murdered by a careless motorist may be able to sue the driver for their loved one’s death.
If you have been injured in an accident, or you have lost a loved one in one, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
