Wrongful Death

Published on: October 4, 2024

Decline in Auto Accident Wrongful Deaths During First Half of 2024

Preliminary statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show a drop in the number of people killed nationwide in auto accidents during the first 6 months of 2024. This is the 9th consecutive quarterly drop in car accident fatality numbers. It is important to better understand why this drop in auto accident wrongful deaths occurred and to continue to work to improve the numbers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released encouraging news in the form of car accident data for the first half of 2024. The statistics show that there was a 3% drop in the number of auto accident fatalities during the first 6 months of 2024, compared to the same period of time in 2023. The data reveals that there were 18,720 deaths in car accidents between January and July of 2024. This was a drop from the 19,330 deaths that were recorded during the first 6 months of 2023.

This drop came even as there was a slight increase in the number of vehicle miles traveled by Americans in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period of time last year. This year, Americans traveled approximately 0. 8% higher number of vehicle miles or 13.1 billion extra miles, compared to the same period of time in 2023. Overall, 32 states recorded a drop in auto accident deaths during the first half of 2024. This included the state of Georgia which recorded 696 deaths in car accidents during the first six months of 2024, in comparison with 762 deaths during the same period of time last year.

Published on: September 20, 2024

New Bill Would Require SUVs, Trucks to Protect Pedestrians

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new bill that is expected to be introduced soon would require federal standards for the heights of SUVs and pick-up trucks to also consider pedestrian safety. This is an extremely important change which is likely to save lives in auto accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles.

According to Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pennsylvania), who is introducing the new bill, while there is much that is currently being done to protect occupants inside the vehicle, there is much more that can also be done in order to protect vulnerable users like pedestrians and bicyclists who are outside the vehicle when auto accidents occur.

The popularity of pick-up trucks and SUVs has skyrocketed in the past few decades, and these are some of the most in-demand automobiles on the American roads. Unfortunately, while these are very popular vehicles, their presence on our roads also pose a serious danger to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Their large sizes and bulk makes it much more likely that occupants of smaller vehicles will suffer serious personal injuries or wrongful deaths when they are involved in an auto accident with these large SUVs and trucks. There is immense danger to pedestrians and other vulnerable users like bicyclists who are involved in auto accidents with these vehicles.

Published on: September 12, 2024

Minority Groups Disproportionately Affected by Increase in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Minority groups, including blacks and Hispanic Americans, seem to have been disproportionately affected by the increase in fatal car accidents recorded across the country during the pandemic.

According to new studies, black and Hispanic Americans as well as people with lower educational attainment were the most likely to suffer an impact from the increase in auto accidents between 2020 and 2022. This period of time recorded a significant increase in car accidents with new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety stating that as many as 114,000 people were killed in auto accidents between May 2020 and December 2022. This was a staggering 17% jump in the fatality numbers from before the pandemic.

Teens between the ages of 16 and 19 took the top spot in auto accident wrongful deaths. Overall, young persons between the ages of 20 and 24 also recorded very high increases in car accident numbers during this time. Male drivers were also much more likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in auto accidents between 2020 and 2022, exceeding estimates by as much as 14%.

Published on: August 27, 2024

Five Tips to Prevent Driving While Drowsy

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents caused directly by drivers who were drowsy at the wheel caused 693 wrongful deaths in 2022.

Drowsiness due to lack of sleep could be because of overwork, a new baby, stress, or a hectic social life. Whatever the reason, the consequence is fewer hours of sleep. Sleep advocacy groups, including the National Sleep Foundation, recommend 8 hours of sleep for the average American adult. Unfortunately, far too many drivers are getting less sleep than the recommended amount, which means that many of them are driving at less than optimum levels of wakefulness and alertness in the morning.

Even getting one hour less sleep a night can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. Drowsiness can mean irritability which, in turn, can affect your judgment and reasoning behind the wheel. It can also mean an inability to pay attention to visual cues on the road, and failure to respond appropriately to stop signs. It can mean getting lost while driving the wrong way, or driving at high speeds.

Published on: August 21, 2024

What Family Members Can Do to Prevent Senior Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Senior motorists experience a range of deficiencies in their physical and mental faculties that make it difficult for them to drive safely and increase their risks of being involved in auto accidents. Family members and caregivers have a major role to play in encouraging seniors to give up their car keys when they are no longer in a position to drive safely.

It is important to remember that seniors benefit both physically and mentally from the independence that comes from being mobile and able to drive. However, there may come a time when your loved one is simply unable to drive without being a risk to himself and others. At this point, you must step in and take away the car keys. Remember that failing driving faculties may have more to do other issues than with the person’s age. In other words, you must consider your loved one’s driving performances and abilities, and not just his age while deciding to curtail his driving privileges.

The best way to confirm whether your loved one’s abilities to drive safely are compromised, is to observe him when he is driving. Look for prime indicators of decline in driving skills. These can include failing to stop and check both ways for traffic, failure to stop at red or stop signs, or failure to stay in the lane while driving. A safe driver must be able to drive appropriately for the traffic and weather conditions, and must be able to take into consideration the driving of other motorists, motorcycles and other users of the road while driving.

Published on: August 19, 2024

Eliminate These Common Causes of Speeding-Related Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Speeding- related car accidents kill thousands of Americans every year. Learn how you can reduce the chances of becoming another speeding auto accident statistic.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents caused directly by speeding drivers contributed to 12,151 fatalities in 2022. The federal agency has been concerned enough about speeding to spearhead several campaigns against these behaviors, including one earlier this year called “Speeding Catches Up with You”. The campaign warned drivers that speeding accounts for one-third of all auto accident wrongful deaths every year and implored motorists to drive at safe and appropriate speeds.

It is important to understand that there are just a few primary reasons why people end up driving at unsafe speeds, even when they know it is dangerous to do. Number one among these causes is frustration and aggression caused by traffic conditions. Being stuck in traffic can be frustrating, and can increase the risks of rash driving or speeding. Keep updated with the traffic conditions on your way to work, so that you are prepared for bad traffic or can take alternate routes instead.

Published on: August 13, 2024

Georgia Anti-Speeding Campaign to Prevent Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An anti- speeding campaign that aims to tackle speeding across Georgia and several Southern States ends on July 21. These types of campaigns are extremely important in the effort to reduce the number of auto accidents involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

Operation Southern Slow Down included Georgia as well as a few neighboring states and involved additional enforcement against speeding drivers. The campaign started on July 15, and targeted both speeding as well as aggressive or rash drivers. The aim was to crack down on these drivers and pull them off the roads. This was the eighth such campaign that included Georgia and the other Southern States, and officials believed that this was the right time to remind drivers about the need to drive at safe speeds at all times.

The need to remind drivers of the risks of speeding is especially stronger during summer when there are far more motorists on the road and when everyone is in a hurry to get to their holiday destinations. Speeding is one of the biggest killers on American roads with more than 11,000 car accident wrongful deaths in 2022 directly linked to high speeds. The number of speeding-related car accidents in 2022 was a 25% increase from the numbers in 2018. Georgia continues to grapple with a large number of motorists who drive at high speeds putting themselves and other motorists at risk of serious personal injury or even death. In 2022, approximately 422 car accident wrongful deaths in Georgia were directly linked to speeding motorists. That was a significant 56% increase from the number of speeding-related auto accidents in 2018.

Published on: August 5, 2024

Simple Street Design Changes can Help Prevent Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Reducing the number of pedestrians killed in car accidents every year is key to reducing the number of auto accident wrongful deaths recorded across the country. Simple design interventions can help accomplish this goal.

According to a report titled Dangerous By Design by Smart Growth America, basic design interventions that may be simple to execute are often all that are required to reduce the number of auto accident fatalities involving pedestrians every year. Pedestrian crash deaths have been driving the increase in car and auto accident deaths across the country, and the expert consensus is that unless these deaths are minimized, there will be very little progress made in keeping our roads safer.

The U.S. does not boast the type of pedestrian – friendly infrastructure that is the hallmark of roads in Europe, but small steps can minimize the risk to pedestrians even on our roads. The report Dangerous By Design finds that simple design interventions can reduce auto accident risks. For example, brighter lighting and illumination at key pedestrian -heavy areas can make a huge difference for pedestrians. A brightly-lit street means pedestrians can be seen clearly and avoided by motorists. Similarly, shorter crossing distances for pedestrians can also help. Multi-lane roads provide minimal opportunities for pedestrians to cross safely. Better designed medians and brighter markings at curbs can also help reduce the risk to pedestrians. Even simple steps like more striped crosswalks and stop signs will alert motorists to pedestrian activity in the area. The use of pedestrian refuge islands and curb extensions are also strategies that can help minimize the risk of pedestrian accidents.

Published on: June 3, 2024

Drunk Driving Car Accident Wrongful Deaths Increase As Arrest Rates Drop

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Alcohol- related car accident death numbers have increased significantly even as the number of arrests have dropped.

In 2022, according to figures released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, close to 13,500 people died in auto accidents caused by an impaired driver. That was almost the same as the numbers in 2021, but a was 33% higher than in 2019. The numbers in 2022 were the highest on record since 2006.

During the same period of time, there was a significant drop in the number of arrests made for DUI around the country. In 2019, police made close to a million arrests for DUI around the US while that number dropped to just 788,000 arrests in 2022. During the pandemic, police departments across the country suffered staffing shortages which made it harder for them to enforce DUI laws and arrest violators.

Published on: May 2, 2024

Promotion of Fast Cars Weakens Progress on Auto Accident Prevention

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

In 2017, 40% of automobile marketing focused on the performance or speed of the cars. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, such promotion of speeds can undermine efforts towards reducing car accidents numbers resulting in a significant number of personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

According to the analysis, the percentage of automobile marketing that focuses on performance has not budged much over the past few decades. In 1998, for instance, as much as half of all automobile marketing efforts focused on the speed of the vehicle while in 2017, that number had dropped to 40%. Clearly, automobile manufacturers continue to feel comfortable emphasizing the performance and speed of these vehicles. Unfortunately, when it comes to automobiles and their features, a clip of a speeding car is not just another advertisement. Rather, it can encourage motorists to engage in dangerous and risky driving behaviors like driving at high speeds.

Every year, as many as 12,000 people are killed in auto accidents caused directly by a speeding driver. More than 300,000 people are injured in such accidents. The number of people being injured and killed in speeding- related car accidents has increased over the past few years with a spike during the pandemic. During those months when lockdowns ensured fewer vehicles on the road, too many motorists drove at high speeds, complacent in the knowledge that they would not be cited for speeding violations. Unfortunately, those behaviors have continued even after the pandemic ended and traffic volumes went back to normal.