According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, productivity losses and medical expenses linked to motor vehicle crashes in 2010 cost the equivalent of $500 for each licensed driver in Arizona as well as every licensed driver across the United States. The total cost was more than $99 billion. Private insurance companies paid about half of the amount while individual accident victims picked up about 26 percent of the cost.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 33,561 people were killed in auto crashes in 2012 and that someone died every 16 minutes because of such accidents. Nearly 100 people a day lost their lives in collisions that year. Causes ranged from drunk driving and speeding to red light running, fatigue and distracted driving.
State Farm released a report in 2012 that showed nearly half of all drivers between the ages of 18 to 29 were guilty of using a cellphone to access the Internet while driving. At least 36 percent of those drivers were checking information on social media networks, and about half were reading their emails while traveling down the road. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that distracted driving contributed to 3,328 people being killed in crashes in 2012 and thousands of others receiving serious injuries.
Within the context of these statistics, the magnitude of the effect of negligent driving can be clearly seen. Family members of victims who were killed in accidents like those mentioned here may be able to pursue compensation for assistance in covering burial expenses and the loss of wages that can ensue from a loved one’s untimely death. In a case where an accident victim survived but has serious injuries, compensation might be awarded for medical expenses.
Source: Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, “Cost of Auto Crashes & Statistics“, September 30, 2014