A recent analysis by The New York Times shows that other developed countries surpassed the U.S when it comes to protecting pedestrians, bicyclist and motorists, while traffic accident deaths continue to increase in the United States. The Times reports that the U.S. has diverged just in the past decade from other comparably developed countries where traffic accident deaths have been falling.
This difference became even more pronounced during the pandemic. In 2020, as car travel plummeted around the world, traffic accident fatalities fell as well. Unfortunately, the opposite happened in the U.S. as travel declined and deaths still went up. Preliminary federal data suggests road fatalities increased again in 2021.
Pedestrians and Bicyclists Face More Risks
Safety advocates say Americans die in rising numbers even when they drive less. They die in larger numbers even as roadways around the world grow safer. In 2021, nearly 43,000 people died on American roads, the government estimates. The recent rise in fatalities has been particularly high among those whom the government classifies as most vulnerable — bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. The nation’s road safety record lies with a transportation system primarily designed to move cars quickly, but not to move people safety, the Times reports.
The fatality trends over the last 25 years are not simply explained by America’s history of highway development or dependence on cars. In the 1990s, per capita roadway fatalities across developed countries were significantly higher than today. They were higher in South Korea, New Zealand and Belgium than in the U.S. Then, an evolution in car safety brought more seatbelt usage, airbags and safer car frames. Fatalities fell as a result in the U.S. and internationally.
But as cars became safer for vehicle occupants, the U.S. did not progress in giving importance to the safety of people outside them. In the 2000s, other countries began to factor pedestrian and cyclist safety when designing vehicles as well as their streets. Other developed countries began to lower speed limits and built more protected bike lanes. They also moved faster in making standard in-vehicle technology such as automatic braking systems that detect pedestrians.
These countries also designed roundabouts that reduce the danger at intersections where traffic accident fatalities disproportionately occur. In the U.S., in the past 20 years, vehicles have grown much bigger and as a result deadlier for the pedestrians involved in a collision. Americans today are three times as likely to die in a traffic accident, according to recent research.
Seeking Compensation for Injuries
Injured victims of pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents 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 pedestrian 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 pedestrian accident or bicycle 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.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should also remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one million dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
Our Track Record
For over 51 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. 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 $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, 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.
We also obtained $295,000 in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). 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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/upshot/road-deaths-pedestrians-cyclists.html