Too many people are being injured and killed on our roadways.
Car accident fatalities for the first half of this year in Delaware increased by 43 percent, according to a recent nationwide analysis of fatal car accidents conducted by the National Safety Council (NSC).
"We must not become complacent," Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC, said in a statement released by the non-profit organization. "Traffic violence plagues our communities, and thousands of lives lost each month is simply unacceptable."
Fatal accident statistics paint a grim picture.
The National Safety Council based its study on car accident statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study compared car accident fatalities in each state for the first six months of this year compared to the first six months of last year.
Overall, car accident deaths nationwide decreased by 1 percent. But certain states experienced a dramatic increase in fatalities during the same period. This includes Delaware, which experienced the second-highest percentage increase in car accident fatalities during the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021.
Specifically, the NSC reported that car accident fatalities in Delaware increased by 43 percent or 23 deaths in 2022 compared to 2021. The organization also noted that "U.S. roadways are still supremely dangerous, especially for those walking, biking, and rolling."
Reckless driving continues to wreak havoc.
In the past two years since the pandemic started in 2020, an increasing number of car accident fatalities have been caused by people driving at reckless speeds. Even though there were fewer drivers on the road for most of 2020, speeding killed 11,258 people, according to the NHTSA.
Speeding also continues to be a serious problem in Delaware. Between 2016 and 2020 in Delaware, an average of 35 people were killed each year in motor vehicle accidents caused by speeding drivers, according to the NHTSA.
During the same five-year period, drivers under the influence of alcohol killed 31 people on average each year in Delaware. Such numbers clearly show that a lot of work needs to be done to make our roads safer.
Crash victims may have recourse through the civil justice system.
If you were injured or a loved one died in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. However, keep in mind that there's no set dollar amount for how much your potential claim or lawsuit may be worth, so it's in your interest to talk to an experienced car accident lawyer about your specific situation.
Contact a Delaware car accident lawyer.
At the Law Office of Edward C. Gill, P.A., our legal team can help you understand how much your claim could be worth and explain what steps we can take to help you recover the compensation you deserve. We can work with you to build a strong legal case that maximizes how much money you receive for medical bills, funeral expenses, and lost income. In addition, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you only have to pay us if we win a financial settlement or verdict for you.
Discover what we can do for you. Contact our law firm and schedule a free case evaluation.