Fatal Car Accidents
It rarely crosses our minds that we may never reach our intended destination when stepping into a car, but 42,514 people died in car accidents in 2022—the most recent year with fully analyzed data. When a car accident causes a fatality, the emotional and financial impacts affect the entire family, with long-term consequences for loved ones left behind. A successful car accident wrongful death claim cannot bring a lost family member back but it helps relieve financial hardship so loved ones can focus on working through their grief and moving forward.
Car Accident Fatality Statistics In the U.S.
Motor vehicles have become much safer in recent decades with mandatory seatbelt laws in most states, airbags installed in all new vehicles, and enhanced safety features; however, car accidents are still a leading cause of death in the U.S. The nation spent an estimated $470 billion in total costs associated with car accident injuries and deaths in 2022, with an average of 120 car accident fatalities each day.
Collisions between two vehicles are a common type of car accident resulting in fatalities. According to the National Safety Council, angle collisions (T-bone accidents) caused the highest number of deaths with about 8,800 fatalities in 2022. In the same year, head-on collisions caused 5,800 deaths, there were 3,400 deaths in rear-end collisions, and sideswipes caused 1600 deaths. Single-vehicle accidents such as roadway departures, rollovers, and collisions with obstacles caused about 12,200 fatalities in 2022.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Fatal Car Accidents?
Some fatal car accidents result from defective car parts or mechanical and electrical system failures. Others are caused by poorly planned or inadequately maintained roadways. The most common cause of car accidents with injuries or fatalities is driver error—either the driver’s own negligence or another driver’s careless or reckless actions. Common causes of fatal car accidents in Georgia and throughout the U.S. include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive/reckless driving
- Drunk driving
- Fatigued driving
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Left-turn accidents
- Tailgating
- Speeding around curves
- Unsafe lane changes
- Improper passing
- Unsafe merging
When a car accident occurs, the body sustains trauma through the crash force of the accident as well as from the structure of the vehicle collapsing inward at points of impact.
Understanding Crash Force In Car Accident Fatalities
In a vehicle collision, the motorist’s body continues moving forward at the car’s rate of speed before the collision. At the point of impact, the seatbelt halts the body and snaps it back against the seat. According to crash force calculations, an average 125-pound person becomes a 6,250-pound force in a collision at only 50 miles per hour.
In every accident, three collisions occur: the initial collision between two vehicles or a car and an obstacle, the collision of the motorist’s body against the seatbelt or dash, and the collision of organs and bones inside the body due to the crash force. In addition, blunt force trauma often occurs to the body from structures inside the vehicle.
What Is a Car Accident Wrongful Death Claim?
When someone else’s negligent or reckless actions cause a car accident with a fatality, close family members may recover compensation for their economic damages, grief, and anguish through a car accident wrongful death claim. Common damages recovered include compensation for a family’s loss of income for the lifetime earnings that would have remained to the deceased individual, funeral expenses, burial costs, and loss of consortium. An Atlanta wrongful death attorney can help guide you through the steps necessary to take legal action.
How Can a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Help?
Recovering damages after a car accident fatality requires making a compelling case for an at-fault party’s liability. Call the experienced car accident attorneys at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC today so we can take action on your claim while you focus on assisting your family through their grief and anguish.