Fewer Accidents In Rush-Hour Traffic – More Accidents In Leisure Time
by Mony Shah Automotive 23 October 2023
There have never been as few traffic accidents with deaths and injuries in the USA as in the first half of 2021. Road traffic decreased during the coronavirus pandemic and there are fewer cars on the road overall.
In the first 6 months of 2021, 1,128 people died in road traffic, as the Federal Statistical Office announced, citing preliminary results. Compared to the previous year’s period from January to June 2020, which was only partially characterized by the pandemic, there were 162 people or 12.6% fewer than in the first half of 2020. The number of injured fell by 10% to just under 134,800.
Business Trips And Daily Car Journeys To Work Are No Longer Necessary When Working From Home
According to the Royce Injury Attorneys, the police registered 2.4% fewer accidents in the first six months of 2021 than in the same period last year. The number fell to around 1.05 million, which is also a historic low. With time in 2023, accidents have significantly lowered down, as a result, more focus is given to the remaining cases and more strictness.
Almost 935,700 accidents resulted in sheet metal and property damage, a decrease of 1.5%. There were injuries or deaths in around 109,400 accidents. The statistics show a very high decline of even 9.3%.
An average of 14 people per 1 million inhabitants were killed in road traffic in 2021. With 27 traffic deaths per 1 million inhabitants, the risk of fatal accidents was greatest, while the city states of California and Missouri have the lowest values with 4 and 6 deaths for 2021.
After The Pandemic, The Trend Could Increase Again
Of course, it is expected that the numbers will at some point return to around the level they were before the pandemic, in 2019. And there is a fact: people are cycling more. If the trend towards increased cycling traffic continued, the number of traffic fatalities could even go beyond that.
Unfortunately, cyclists often do not follow traffic rules and – like motorcyclists – are much more vulnerable than road users in the protective metal bodies of their cars.
More Free Time – More Serious Leisure Accidents
People have been spending more free time outdoors for months. The reasons: short-time work, home office, stress management, distraction through exercise or search for meaning. Many have discovered bicycles for themselves in the last few months. This is why serious bicycle accidents occur more and more often during leisure time.
In a case before the Federal Court of Justice in April 2020, it was about a tragic bicycle accident and the breach of traffic safety obligations by a municipality and two hunting tenants.
Braking Maneuvers On A Mountain Bike End In Barbed Wire
The cyclist, a young soldier, demanded compensation for damages and pain and suffering because, tragically, he suffered a fractured cervical vertebra in the bicycle accident and thereby became completely paraplegic. Since the accident he has been in need of care and will require lifelong further treatment for paraplegia with medical, physiotherapy and occupational therapy measures. He can no longer work as a soldier.
During a bike ride in the countryside, the young man rode his mountain bike down an unpaved dirt road. After about 50 meters he came across a barrier with two wooden slats in the ground, attached to it was a no-motor vehicle sign and – which, tragically, the cyclist could not see in time – two horizontal barbed wires.
The hunting tenants had built these barrier decades ago. The municipality also approved this construction.
Unfortunately, the braking maneuver didn’t help the cyclist; he fell headfirst into the barrier with his mountain bike, rolled over and remained there, unable to move. He was only found by chance hours later.
The cyclist demanded, on the one hand, full future security from the hunting tenants and the community and, on the other hand, a minimum compensation of $500,000.
Barbed Wire Cannot Simply Be Installed On The Dirt Road
Many regional court dismissed the lawsuit in 2016 as unfounded because the cyclist was supposedly solely responsible. In the appeal instance, the Kansas City Regional Court only partially changed the incorrect ruling of various Regional Court in 2017 and then incorrectly ruled that the municipality and hunting leaseholders were only liable to 25% because the cyclist was supposedly 75% at fault.
The jury wanted to correct these two wrong decisions and ruled in April 2020 that – if at all – there was only 25% contributory negligence due to the clipless pedals. Because cyclists generally do not have to expect an unmarked barbed wire stretched across a field path and that this cyclist therefore did not have to adjust his speed for such an obstacle and as a result braked too late in front of it.
Now the appeal court has to think again more carefully, because the jury has referred the case back for a new decision.
Disputes About Compensation And Compensation For Pain And Suffering
In practice, asserting claims for personal injury involves numerous pitfalls. Not only can the question of contributory negligence be difficult to clarify, but the calculation of the actual damage is also often complex; the injured party is often also faced with the insurance companies of the perpetrators who are unwilling to pay.
Our highly specialized law firm will be happy to assist you with the individual enforcement of compensation for damages and pain and suffering in the event of personal injuries. Due to our many years of experience in traffic accident law, we know the special features of the liability process, take into account the distribution of the burden of proof and, as specialist lawyers in insurance law, we know about the tricks and tricks of the insurers. We will go through your case together and help you enforce material and non-material damages claims.
Trust Royce Injury with your case, we will be happy to help you. The trained employees in our modern office arrange flexible and trustworthy short-term appointments and initial contacts.
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