Fatal car accidents up in Kentucky and across the U.S.

March 20, 2013 (Press-News.org) Fatal car accidents up in Kentucky and across the U.S.

Article provided by The Lohman Law Office, P.S.C.
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Over the last several years, traffic safety officials throughout the United States have been working hard to reduce the number of fatal accidents on American roads. For the most part, they have been successful. However, the traffic safety movement was dealt a major blow earlier this year, after data from the National Safety Council revealed the first increase in traffic deaths in the United States in the last seven years.

According to the National Safety Council, there were approximately 36,200 motor vehicle accident fatalities in the United States in 2012. This is a 5 percent increase from the 34,600 deaths registered in 2011.

The National Safety Council also found that car accident injuries went up by 5 percent between 2011 and 2012. All told, approximately 3.9 million people in 2012 suffered injuries that were severe enough to warrant medical attention.

Economic recovery may be to blame

Some commentators have attributed the increase to an uptick in total miles driven. The combined effects of a relatively mild winter and an improving economy brought more drivers onto the road, which, in turn, led to an increase in accident rates.

The data shows that this is only part of the story, though. Once the data was adjusted for total vehicle miles driven, the motor vehicle accident death rate still rose 4 percent between 2011 and 2012.

However, many experts still think that economic factors may be driving the increase. For example, when the economy was bad, people tended to drive more slowly in order to save on gas. Now that Americans are less worried about being able to fill up the tank, they are less conscientious about their driving behaviors. Commerce is also up, meaning that there are more heavy trucks on the road.

Kentucky fatal accidents

Kentucky hasn't been exempt from this nationwide trend. According to data published by the Kentucky State Police, there were 746 highway fatalities in 2012, compared with 720 in 2011. Of the 746 deaths in 2012, 145 involved drunk driving and 323 involved victims who were not wearing their seatbelts.

Every fatal accident is a tragedy. But when deaths are caused by another driver's negligence, the grief and loss that victims' families experience is often accompanied by a shattering sense of injustice.

Kentucky law allows these families to seek justice on behalf of their deceased loved ones by filing wrongful death lawsuits. While nothing can bring the accident victim back, wrongful death lawsuits can make up for some of the losses the family has had to endure by providing financial compensation for damages including medical and funeral expenses, loss of the victim's future income and loss of the victim's care and companionship.

It is important to recognize, though, that the law limits the time families have to pursue a lawsuit. Therefore, it is important to talk with an experienced Kentucky personal injury attorney soon after the accident occurs. The attorney will be able to review the facts of the case and help the family understand their options for moving forward.