There were more than 30,000 car accident deaths in the United States in the first nine months of 2021, a 12% jump that marks the largest increase in fatalities since such reporting started nearly half a century ago. According to a news report in The Wall Street Journal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projected that the surge from 2020 is on pace with an increase in traffic on the roads after the coronavirus pandemic had caused a significant drop in traffic on the roadways.
The fatalities have been surging throughout the pandemic, pushed by reckless
NHTSA’s projections showed 31,720 people died in car accidents nationwide over the first nine months of 2021, compared to 28,325 during the same period in 2020. Deaths increased in the first nine months of 2021 in 38 states, stayed flat in two and decreased in 10 and in the District of Columbia. The death toll is the highest for any January-through-September period since 2006. Fatalities had been steadily going down since 2016, but climbed back up during the pandemic. Motorcycle accident deaths rose at almost twice the rate as those in passenger vehicles, NHTSA’s analysis of 2021 numbers showed.
It must be noted that while most Americans stayed home in 2020 due to pandemic-imposed lockdowns, more vehicles are being driven in 2021. Vehicle miles traveled in the first nine months of 2021 increased 11.7% compared to 2020, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The Transportation Department has pledged $6 billion for a safe-roads grant program and $4 billion in additional funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), a total of 38,680 deaths occurred on U.S. roadways in 2020, the most since 2007 even though pandemic lockdowns had drastically reduced traffic on the streets. Safety experts say they figured the number of roadway fatalities would go down in 2021 when traffic returned to the roadways and the pandemic eased. However, that did not happen.
The latest evidence suggests that after decades of safety gains, the pandemic has made drivers more reckless, more likely to speed, drive while impaired or to leave seatbelts unbuckled. NSC experts believe this behavior is due to widespread feelings of isolation, depression and loneliness.
Injured victims of speeding or reckless drivers can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in car accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/car-fatalities-rose-in-2021-at-fastest-clip-in-nearly-half-a-century-11643750961