A recent study by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that the number of traffic fatalities across the country has been dropping steadily for the past few years. In fact, the study has found that traffic fatalities across all vehicles dropped 26% between 2005 and 2011. On the surface, this seems like great news. Who can argue with fewer deaths caused by car and truck accidents in Hollywood and other cities?
According to a paper written by Ian Savage of Northwestern University, however, the news may not be all great. According to Savage, part of the reason for the decline in fatalities is because cars and trucks are being made to be more survivable in a crash – more is not necessarily being done to stop crashes in the first place.
In fact, Savage wonders why we place most of the focus on the number of fatalities in vehicle accidents rather than focusing on the number of accidents themselves. There are a number of reasons why we don’t want to get overconfident in the number of truck and car accidents in Hollywood and the US at large:
1) The risk of dying in a traffic collision is 1 in 6,800. According to Savage, bout 43,239 people died annually between 2000 and 2009 due to traffic accidents. While traffic accidents cause less than 2% of all US deaths, it does mean that transportation is the biggest cause of unintended injury fatalities (those fatalities not cause by illness, old age, self-harm, or violence).
2) Trucks and cars are more dangerous than any other mechanical device. In fact, according to Savage, the annual toll in terms of deaths is about 40% higher for vehicles than for the second-most dangerous mechanical device (guns).
3) In traffic collisions, the risk of injury and death for those not in trucks remains very high. When a commercial truck collides with a pedestrian, bicycle, or passenger car, the risk of injury and death for the occupants of the non-truck vehicle are very high. It is unlikely that a pedestrian will survive a pedestrian accident in Hollywood involving a truck, for example. While the current statistics may be encouraging, it does not mean that the average driver is safer from injury or death.
In other words, it’s great that fatalities from traffic collisions are dropping, but that does not mean we don’t have to worry about car and truck accidents — they remain one of the biggest causes of injury and death.
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Hollywood or any South Florida community, the odds are good that you will suffer severe injuries, such as head trauma, amputation, spinal cord trauma, injury, burns, and other injuries. If you have suffered a serious injury, keep in mind that you will likely need medical attention for your injury for many years. You may lose substantial income as you recover and you may never be able to return to your regular job (and the salary you are used to).
For all these reasons, it is important to consult with a personal injury attorney before you make any decisions about your case. A personal injury attorney in Hollywood or your community can give you important advice about how to secure compensation so that you do not have to worry about your future.
Do you need to speak to an attorney in Hollywood because you have been injured in a traffic accident? Don’t delay. Contact the Flaxman Law Group first so that you can get information about your rights before you accept any offers. Your first consultation is free and comes with no obligations, so you can get some answers before you make any decisions about your case.