No matter where you are or what you’re doing, there’s always the potential for an accident to occur.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year.
- In 2015, more than 1,000 bicyclists died and there were about 467,000 bicycle-related injuries.
- The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that about 225,000 people die each year from medical malpractice.
- In 2016, the Coast Guard reported 4,463 accidents that involved 701 deaths, 2,903 injuries and approximately $49 million of property damage as a result of recreational boating accidents.
All of that doesn’t even include the amount of people affected each year in car accidents. There are six million car accidents in the United States every year and a great number of them are fatal. More than 37,000 U.S. residents die in road crashes annually according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT). In 2015 alone, more than 32,000 fatal motor vehicle crashes occurred in the United States.
According to Statistica, there were more than 200 million licensed drivers in the United States and with so many drivers, the probability for a car accident or car crash increases, particularly with distracted drivers. In 2016, the percentage of drivers using cell phones and other electronic devices decreased from 3.3 percent compared to 3.8 percent in 2015.
Drugs and alcohol play a factor in driving as well. More than a million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2015. Drugs other than alcohol factor in as well and are responsible for 16 percent of motor vehicle crashes.
No matter where you travel, the average person experiences three to four car accidents in their lifetime and the odds of dying in a car accident are 1 in 645. If you’re involved in a car accident, there’s potential for life-threatening injuries, loss of wages and benefits and high medical costs among numerous obstacles you might face.
If you are involved in a car accident, it’s important to seek medical attention and keep a detailed account of your injuries and the accident to strengthen your personal injury claim.
Another good step is to consult a personal injury or accident attorney. Personal injury attorneys are experienced with handling claims, personal injury law and dealing with insurance companies.
Benefits to hiring a personal injury or accident attorney include:
- Knowing Your Worth: An accident attorney knows what your claim is worth. Many people are unsure of how much money they can get in personal injury case and a personal injury attorney can give you a good estimate based on the specifics of your case.
- Giving You Leverage: More than 90 percent of all personal injury cases are settled pretrial, but a personal injury attorney can help give you leverage in a case. Insurance companies might be motivated to settle earlier and with a fairer amount if an accident attorney is in your corner.
- They’re motivated: Some personal injury attorneys don’t take a fee until a settlement is recovered. Depending on the size of a personal injury settlement, personal injury attorneys usually receive about 33 percent of it.
- Knowing the Process: Personal injury attorneys are familiar with the legal process and can help you file the proper paperwork and complete important forms. Rather than potentially getting shortchanged by insurance companies on a technicality, having a personal injury attorney helps move your claim along and get all your ducks in a row.
With such a high rate of car accidents in the United States, the chances of needing a personal injury attorney are great and consulting one has many potential benefits. Personal injury attorneys are motivated to help you, are familiar with the legal process and can give you leverage against insurance companies to increase your settlement.
Have you been injured in a car accident? Are you in need of an accident attorney? Sites like DMV.org can help you find an accident attorney in your state and Nolo.com/lawyers provides helpful hints on finding the right accident attorney to fit your needs.
