Chattanooga Car Accident Wrongful Death Attorneys
Car accidents have a variety of causes and can occur at any time, on any day, and involve anyone. The common factor in all auto accidents, however, is the potential to cause a fatal injury or immediate death. Unfortunately, driver error and/or negligence are also a common factor in most car accidents. If you or someone you know has lost a loved one in a car accident due to driver error, negligence, or recklessness, our compassionate Tennessee wrongful death attorneys can help your family pursue compensation for the losses and damages you've suffered.
Fatal U.S. Car Crash Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 33,808 people were killed in auto accidents across the nation in 2009. The majority of these fatalities were drivers, who accounted for 17,640 fatalities, and passengers, who accounted for 6,770 fatalities. Motorcyclists and pedestrians each lost over 4,000 people to car accidents. People aged 16 and older suffered the most fatalities, with the 25 to 34 age group having the highest incident rate at 5,689. Additionally, 23,726 of the fatalities were males, whereas 10,070 were females.
Fatal Tennessee Car Accident Statistics
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, 1,032 people lost their lives in statewide vehicle accidents in 2010, an increase from the 888 traffic fatalities of 2009. Of these fatalities:
- 424 did not use a safety restraint,
- 311 used a safety restraint,
- 115 involved a teen driver,
- 184 involved a senior driver,
- 558 occurred in rural areas,
- 474 occurred in urban areas,
- 84 involved non-motorists (pedestrians and bicyclists),
- 92 involved large trucks,
- 8 involved buses,
- 138 involved motorcyclists, and
- 11 involved ATV riders.
Although fatal victims are often pronounced dead at the scene of an accident, serious auto crashes in Tennessee can result is a wide range of fatal injuries.
Common Fatal Car Accident Injuries
Oftentimes, when a person sustains life-threatening or catastrophic injuries in a car accident, they may undergo days, weeks, months, or even years of medical treatment before they succumb to their injuries and pass away. This causes much pain and suffering, as well as inordinate medical costs and other economic and emotional damages, including loss of companionship. Brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractured bones, damaged internal organs, and extensive lacerations and bleeding may all lead to death.
Achieving Justice through a Wrongful Death Claim
When a loved one is suddenly, or as the result of a life-threatening injury, killed in a Tennessee car accident, it creates undue emotional and financial hardships for the victim's family. It is an especially difficult time when the car accident wrongful death was caused by the negligent and/or reckless actions of another driver. An important step in the healing of such a traumatic event is ensuring that those at-fault are held responsible for the losses and damages they've caused.
The dedicated Chattanooga car accident lawyers at Massy & Associates, PC, believe that the families of wrongful death victims in Tennessee deserve just compensation for the loss of their loved one and will work diligently to attain it. To find out more about how we may help you during such a difficult time, please contact us at (423) 697-4529.
