The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
estimates that every year 46,631.4 people are killed and 3,335,800 people are
injured in auto accidents across the
GES accumulated data from nationally representative probability samples selected from all police-reported motor vehicle accidents. In order for a motor vehicle accident to be eligible for the GES sample, a police accident report (PAR) must have been completed and filed for the accident. The accident must have involved at least one motor vehicle traveling on a roadway and must have resulted in property damage, injury, or death.
If you have been involved in an auto accident and may need legal assistance, consult with an Auto Accident Attorney in your area for a free case review to explore your legal options. |
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducted a
one-year study of 42,643 fatalities from motor vehicle accidents in the
The study found that:
That equals:
The
The Motor Vehicle Safety Data study concluded that in that one-year period there were:
If you have been involved in an auto accident and may need legal assistance, consult with an Auto Accident Attorney in your area for a free case review to explore your legal options. |
Car accidents happen; they are a fact of driving. The most important thing to remember after a car accident is to remain calm. You will need to assess the situation and remember to accomplish certain key tasks so you will need to make sure that you have a clear head before you start and that you have your emotions under control.
You should remain at the scene of the accident even if the accident is not your fault. Charges for leaving the scene of an accident are much more severe and you could even face criminal charges if someone is hurt or if a death results from the collision. If you are involved in an accident in an unsafe neighborhood, on a desolate road, or if you fear for your safety remain in your car and call the police. If you do not have a cell phone, take down as much information about the incident quickly and drive to a nearby police station to report the accident. If you cannot find a police station, a fire station will be able to help you contact the proper authorities.
You cannot always be sure that you have not suffered any injuries but you can take a quick inspection of your body and make a relative assessment of your physical situation. Injuries are not always obvious after an accident. The distraction and shock from the sudden event can mask hidden injuries or internal pain. If you are hurt, call for emergency medical attention immediately.
Verify with the other people involved in the accident to make sure that no one is critically injured and needs medical attention. If anyone is hurt, immediately call for emergency medical attention. If a pedestrian is hit you should call for emergency medical attention rite away. If a person is unconscious or complaining of back or neck pain, do not move them wait until the emergency response personnel arrives. If the situation requires emergency movement of an injured person, try to move them as gradually as possible supporting their head and neck at all times and only as far as necessary to be away from the presumptive danger.
It is always a good idea to call the police in any car accident situation. The officer will take notes and interview all the people directly involved in the incident. That will provide a record of the accident and statements of the drivers and sometimes statements by witnesses. A police accident report is crucial if the accident resulted in death, critical injury, or significant property damage.
Request a police report of the auto accident. The report will contain vital information in the event you have to go to court or present evidence of the accident to your insurance company. Make sure to take note of the reporting police officer's name and badge number as well as any other police officers that respond to the accident scene. Only discuss the accident with the police officer. Do not get into heated discussions with other drivers. The reporting officer should be able to give you some sort of identification or reference number for the accident report or contact number to retrieve it.
If you have been involved in an auto accident and may need legal assistance, consult with an Auto Accident Attorney in your area for a free case review to explore your legal options. |
You should obtain the driver information from all the drivers involved in the accident. Do not discuss the accident with any of the other drivers simply ask for their basic personal driver information, which includes: the name, phone numbers, address, license plate number, drivers' license number, and insurance information. Always be calm, polite, and accommodating when talking to the other drivers.
Try to collect as much information as possible from any witnesses to the accident. This includes passengers in the other cars. You should obtain the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone who observed the accident and a brief description of what they saw. Include the witness' physical description of the cars involved. Try to talk to as many eyewitnesses as possible. Do not antagonize or intimidate a witness, some people do not want to get involved so keep that in mind when asking for information from any bystander.
Before any of the cars leave the scene, take notes of the arrangements of the cars and debris. Describe the damage done to your car and all the cars involved. Try to illustrate where the impact zones are on each car and take notes of the events as you remember them while you are at the scene. Memory can fade and/or play tricks on your mind so the more information you jot down at the scene the more details you will be able to remember later.
After all the required legal formalities are completed at the scene of the accident, there are certain steps you should follow to protect yourself from any misunderstandings, mistakes, or even fraud.
You should:
If you've been injured in an auto accident. You should speak to a qualified and experienced Auto Accident Attorney. |