Philadelphia Auto Accident Injury Lawyers
Auto Accident Injuries
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tracks auto accident statistics along with other public and private policy groups. A recent NHTSA survey found that the U.S. boasts over a quarter billion registered vehicles and more than 200 million drivers licensed to utilize those vehicles. Given the sheer number of people on America's roads, it's statistically unsurprising that tens of thousands of individuals die every year in car crashes and hundreds of thousands get injured.
Yet despite a seemingly ever-escalating series of safety innovations, fatality statistics have remained relatively constant over the past decade and a half. Whereas in the mid-90s, annual road fatalities were around 40,000; by the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, that number had actually risen to around 42,500. As Author Tom Vanderbilt details in his popular book, Traffic, safety innovations such as anti-lock brakes and airbags do indeed help make driving safer but simultaneously (and ironically) encourage drivers to take more risks because they feel safer. As a result, the benefits of new safety features often are nearly canceled out by concomitant increased risks.
The most common auto crashes are side impact and rear impact accidents. All told, these two kinds of crashes account for nearly 60 percent of all accidents in United States and more than a quarter of fatal accidents. Other common injury car crashes include rollovers, head-on accidents, collisions with objects or animals, and collisions with cyclists or passersby. Interestingly, rollovers and collisions with pedestrians combined account for just around 4 percent of all accidents (according to mid-decade NHTSA data) but account for nearly ¼ of all fatal accidents.
In terms of actual injuries, car crashes can cause everything from death to spinal cord damage to trauma to the head and neck to soft-tissue damage.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash in Pennsylvania, you may need legal assistance to press a liability claim or to get an insurance company to work for you. Trust the Philadelphia auto accident injuries law firm of Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP. In the past three years, the firm has won the esteemed designation of Super Lawyers. Their track record, experience with auto accident case law, and compassionate service are unparalleled in PA. Explore our website to learn more about Cherry Fieger, or call 1-888-684-7192 toll free to schedule a free and fast consultation with an attorney.