Brain Injury Attorney Blog

The cost of all the fender benders, medevacs, lawsuits and lives lost on the nation's most conjested roads has a very high price tag--$7.4 billion per year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the D.C. area recorded 350 traffic deaths and 45,566 injuries in 2009. If any good news can be found in this latest attempt to quantify the damage done to lives and property, it might be that, crashes cost less in this area than they do nationwide. This is apparently because the slow-speed car accidents of cars caught in congestion do less damage and cause fewer deaths and injuries than those that occur at highway speeds.

To come to their monetary conclusions, researchers used highly sophisticated federal guidelines that place value on a lost life, lost wages, time lost at work, effect on the quality of life and other factors. But the cost of congestion to Washington drivers was ranked fourth highest in the nation at almost $3.9 billion a year in the Texas Transportation Institute’s annual report for 2011. That study — which said Washington had the worst congestion in the United States — put the annual additional cost of commuting in rush hour here at $1,495. The institute, which is based at Texas A&M University, in College Station, found that Washington drivers were spending more than three days a year caught in traffic! Additionally, the Census Bureau confirmed the grip of gridlock on the region, determining that Maryland drivers, thousands of whom drive to work in D.C. or Virginia, have the longest average commute in the nation.

Here in South Carolina, the total number of traffic fatalities has dropped since 2005. Although this is great news, there are still many dangers on South Carolina roads and highways. When you're injured in a car crash, insurance companies typically look first to how much money has been spent and/or lost by the injured person when determining recovery. You may expect to recover any money spent or lost as a result of your injury. There are damages, however, that are harder to place a dollar value on. This includes pain and suffering or mental anguish. An insurance company may use a formula to ascertain what an appropriate damage amount might be for these types of claims. Beyond the damages suffered, the degree of fault is probably the most important factor in determining how much you may finally recover for your injury. In most cases, both you and the insurance company will know (by the circumstances surrounding the accident) the level of fault for both parties.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car crash, you may need to speak with a personal injury lawyer in your area. The Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyers at The Mace Firm are ready to speak with you about your accident. Our personal injury lawyers in Myrtle Beach are prepared to speak with you today; call to schedule your free consultation.