One Fatal Auto Accident Costs $6 Million in Medical Bills, Lost Earnings, Property Damage and Other Expenses, AAA Reports
The AAA Foundation released a report on the toll fatal motor vehicle crashes take on the U.S. economy, in addition to the loss of life. The dollar averages might be quite startling to those who aren't familiar with auto accident expenses, particularly when injury or death occurs.
AAA reports that the average cost per fatal auto accident is an astonishing $6 million. The auto travel organization arrived at that figure by calculating the expenses of emergency services, medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other costs that a fatal automobile crash brings with it. The average cost of a car accident with injury only is $126,000.
AAA also analyzed the cost per person in a community for fatal auto crashes vs. traffic congestion. Smaller-sized communities, such as Fort Myers, Florida, incur the steepest expenses. AAA estimates that the average cost when a fatal car crash occurs in a small city (under 500,000) -- spread out over the population -- is a staggering $1,778 per person. That's nearly six times the cost per person as compared to the financial drain caused by automotive congestion on the roadways; that cost is estimated to be $297 per person in a small community (based on gas expenditures, work delays, and other factors). In a large metro area, such as Miami, Florida, the cost per person within that population for car crashes is estimated at $1,585, compared to the traffic congestion cost of $487 per person--with crashes costing the public three times as much as the cost of traffic congestion.
An experienced Fort Myers car accident injury lawyer knows about the financial costs -- and the human toll -- of any fatal auto crash that occurs in Florida. Families are emotionally devastated when a loved one is killed on a Fla. road, city street, or highway. The financial burden compounds the family's pain, when a loved one is gone and no longer there to provide income for his or her family. In addition, medical bills can pile up and skyrocket if the victim initially survives a serious car crash, but later passes away. There are also unexpected funeral expenses.
Ft. Myers FL injury attorneys assist families in these painful and difficult fatal auto crash cases. An experienced lawyer may help grieving families recover compensation and damages depending on the circumstances and which party or parties may be held responsible and/or liable in the Florida car crash claim or case.
The AAA report drives home the financial costs associated with these unfortunate fatal traffic accident cases. CBS News quoted a statistic from the report, revealing a total cost of car crashes in the U.S. to be an astounding $300 billion per year. That is the financial toll. In addition, the media outlet reported that every hour, four lives are lost on U.S. roadways -- amounting to nearly 33,000 deaths due to motor vehicle crashes per year. That is the human toll. AAA recommends traffic accidents be put to the fore of public safety discussions as a serious public health risk that exacts an unacceptable cost. The numbers tell a frightening story.
Related Florida Injury Attorney Videos:
Fort Myers, Florida accident injury lawyer videos : What to do if you're injured in a traffic crash
Sources:
AAA: Fatal motor vehicle crash costs $6 million
USAToday.com Nov. 2, 2011
Car crashes cost U.S. $300B a year: AAA
CBSNews.com Nov. 3, 2011
