Pennsylvania had a good year in terms of fatal motor vehicle accidents, as 2016 ranked as having the fewest motor vehicle accident fatalities on record. 1,188 people died last year according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. As great as that is though, the state also saw a dramatic increase in total motor vehicle crashes. 129,395 auto accidents occurred in 2016, while in 2014 there were 121,317 accidents. That’s a stark jump in the number of wrecks out on Pennsylvania roads.
Broken down a little further, both motorcyclist and pedestrian fatalities increased from 2015 to 2016, but alcohol-related deaths dropped overall.
These figures do little to comfort the families who lost loved ones in accidents last year. Car accidents often have fatal consequences, and when these tragic circumstances are involved with a crash, then the loved ones of the victim need to consider their legal position. If another driver is at fault in the crash, then you should consider a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Collecting evidence and pursuing a case in this regard necessitates the experienced counsel of a personal injury attorney.
We can only hope that, going forward, road safety improves across the state pf Pennsylvania. There are some things to look forward to, such as the full deployment of self-driving cars. But that is still a ways off, and in the meantime, people need to be prepared to stand up for their rights and hold the at-fault party (or parties) in an accident legally responsible.
Source: PennDOT, “2016 Crash Facts & Statistics,” Accessed Aug. 9, 2017