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Fatal accidents rising – know what to do after a wrongful death

On Behalf of | Apr 8, 2022 | Personal Injury |

For people in New Hampshire and Vermont, any accident can have severe implications for a person who was injured and their family. If, however, it is a fatal accident, then the challenges the family will face are magnified in myriad ways. These can occur in any area of life from driving or riding in an automobile as a passenger; as a bicyclist or pedestrian; when on the job; or from a medical mistake. People need to be cognizant of trends for accidents to try and avoid them. That, however, is not always effective. When a person loses their life in an accident, it is imperative that the family left behind by fully aware of their rights and what steps they should take.

Fatal auto accidents spiked in 2021 and deep assessment suggests why

Recent research analyzed the increase in fatal auto accidents across the U.S. in 2021. It not only used the raw numbers, but it considered the number of miles traveled. Through September – the most recent juncture when the full statistics were available – there were nearly 32,000 road fatalities. This was a spike of 12% through the third quarter of 2020. Researchers suggest that when the final numbers are tallied, there will be more than 43,300 deaths for 2021. This is the worst year since 2005.

Using statistics from various federal agencies, the number of miles people traveled was a fundamental part of the fatality statistics. For every 100 million miles traveled in the first nine months of 2021, there were 1.36 deaths. For 2020, it was 1.35. Before those years, the fatality statistics had been trending in a positive direction with 1.11 deaths for every 100 million miles in 2019. If it ends up at 1.36, this is the same total based on miles traveled as it was in 2007. Even more worrisome is that vehicles have better safety features in 2021 than they did in 2005. This suggests that accidents are more severe. That could be due to speeding, overall recklessness and driver behaviors that place others in jeopardy.

Having help with a wrongful death case may be key

While the information is related to auto accidents, any accident that results in a fatality will have the same basic principles when considering legal options. Accidents and mistakes that result in a fatality are commonly due to the missteps of another person. This is a component of a legal claim. Every aspect must be considered including the lost companionship, lost contributions to a family, financial implications and the negative impact the loss will have.

People are often unsure of what steps to take after a fatality that happened due to the behavior or negligence of another person or entity. They are reluctant to move forward with a legal filing due to the perceived negative connotations. Seeking compensation through a wrongful death claim is a way to recover for all that was lost. This is true whether it was an auto accident, medical malpractice, product liability, a work accident or occurred when a crime was being committed. The legal options could include negotiating a settlement to cover all that was lost and avoiding an extended trial or, if an offer is not made or is insufficient, the case could go to court.

It is crucial to accrue evidence as to what occurred, determine precisely what was lost and take the necessary legal steps. Discussing the case with those experienced in these situations and can assist people who were simply trying to live their lives in an aboveboard way and suddenly found themselves facing an unexpected fatality of a loved one.