Too Many Deaths for Too Long Without Objective Data
Almost 40,000 people - annually - have been fatally injured in the United States doing what?
Driving. Simply driving to work, to school to dinner or just heading home. Given a different cause this number of deaths for decades would hardly be permissible. For the last 20 years, an average of 38,895 people have died annually in automobile accidents[1]. From a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published infographic, based on 2012 statistics, illustrates that for every single roadway fatality, another 8 people are hospitalized and an additional 100 people are treated and released by Emergency Departments[2].
When is enough--enough? And are you being fairly compensated?
The United States auto insurance market’s annual revenue exceeds 259 Billion dollars[3]. With this much money at stake, all decisions matter; especially when negotiating negligence and liability. With over 96% of all automobile accidents attributed to human error, there is much to debate when examining every auto accident[4]. The decisions made by Legal and Insurance Professionals can have life altering consequences for people directly involved.
While vehicle technology is rapidly expanding to prevent accidents and injuries, in 2016 the U.S. experienced the largest increase in roadway deaths since 2007[1]. Unfortunately no matter how well engineers design systems to deter the possibility of an accident, they will continue to happen. This is why they are called accidents.
Since accidents are inevitable, it is important that the correct decisions are made by Legal and Insurance Professionals with every opportunity. When the stakes are high regardless of cost, crash data is always obtained.
Over time technology becomes more affordable, not more expensive. It is time to understand that the validity of this data and the ease of access to it ultimately makes those involved responsible for obtaining it.
[1] http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/overview-of-fatality-facts
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/crash-injuries/infographic.html#graphic
[4] https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115