After LANCASTER AUTO ACCIDENT – Ask yourself, “Should I Hire Lawyers Near Me?”

Lancaster Auto Accident Lawyers

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that in 2021, statewide traffic deaths increased to 1,230 from 1,129 in 2020. Pennsylvania roadway deaths were up about 9% in 2021. (Source: PennDOT – Harrisburg, PA) These upsetting statistics are why we encourage our clients and community to be informed about what you should do before a car or truck accident happens and the steps to take after a motor vehicle accident happens to you.

There are more than 227.5 million people with valid driving licenses in the United States as of 2018, per Statistica. In 2018, the National Safety Council found that the lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident were 1 in 106. This shocking number belies how likely it is to find yourself or a loved one in a motor vehicle, motorcycle accident (1 in 890), bike accident (1 in 4,060), or pedestrian accident (1 in 541) at some point in your life.

Forbes’ article, “How Many Times Will I Crash My Car,” notes that the car insurance industry estimates that the average driver will file a claim for a collision about once every 17.9 years. If you received your license at age 16, it is likely you will have a car accident by the time you’re 34. extrapolating that over a driving lifetime, you would have a total of three to four accidents.

We hope you are one of the lucky ones who happen upon this page and not because you were injured in an accident. But, if you have been hurt by another driver and are asking yourself, “Is it worth hiring an attorney for a car accident?”, we’d encourage you to to talk with us.

Do you wonder when you should get an accident attorney? Should it be right away? The answer is “yes.”  After a car accident, people often think, “How do I find a good lawyer fast?” Is it even worth getting a lawyer for minor car accident? And the big question, “How much does an attorney cost for car accident?”

To answer your questions, we’ll start with “when?” You should talk with a qualified, highly credentialed personal injury law firm with lawyers who win accident cases in Pennsylvania as soon as possible, even before you speak to the insurance agent of the person who caused your injuries. It’s helpful to find attorneys you can trust so you have someone to call should an accident happen to you. We build relationships with people in our community so we will be a trusted resource if or when you or your loved ones find themselves injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault. Many of our clients are referrals from previous clients. You can read some of their words on our Testimonials page or check out our Google Reviews to get to know us better. We are always there for you to answer your questions.

Most people think you should only hire a lawyer for a serious accident, and in many cases that is true. However, even minor accidents can cause long term damages to you or loved ones and your property, some you may not realize at the time of your accident. It is always wise to speak to an auto accident lawyer to assess whether you have a case as quickly as possible. We have an online chat available 24/7 on our website to begin the conversation.

Our attorneys at RG Injury Law will be honest, ask you the right questions, and help you determine your best path forward so you can make the most informed decisions about your health and future. We never charge a fee to talk with you about your accident case. You only pay our firm after we win money for your motor vehicle accident (or pedestrian accident) or wrongful death case.

We hope you are reading this page so that you know your rights in advance of, unfortunately, finding yourself the victim of an accident. We work with Pennsylvanians who need help dealing with the insurance companies after a motor vehicle accident with injuries. At Rankin & Gregory, our team knows the laws and traffic accident data that matter to your case.

Here are some of the tools and reports that PennDot, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other organizations produce that help us see trends and identify issues that may be significant to accident cases. The data shows a downward trend in all motor vehicle accidents. As self driving cars become more prolific and the inevitable accidents that will occur as a result, data like this will become even more meaningful. Read on, if you would like to learn more about traffic accident trends:

The NHTSA also reported that “traffic deaths decreased nationwide during 2019 as compared to 2018. There were 36,096 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2019, representing a decrease of 739 (down 2%) from the reported 36,835 fatalities in 2018, even though vehicle miles traveled increased by nearly one percent. As a result, the fatality rate for 2019 was 1.10 fatalities per 100 million VMT – the lowest rate since 2014, down from 1.14 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2018.”

Fatalities decreased in most major traffic safety categories in 2019:

• Passenger vehicle occupants (down 2.8%)
• Motorcyclists (down 0.5%)
• Pedestrians (down 2.7%)
• Bicyclists (Pedalcyclists) (down 2.9%)

Over a five-year time period, from 2015 to 2019, sadly it was twenty-five-year olds who were involved in the most distracted driver fatal crashes. Although teens are often stereotyped as the most distracted drivers, in Pennsylvania, there were more distracted driver crashes by forty-two year olds than than teens in 2019. Traffic-related accident deaths peaked in 2016 when nearly 40,330 people died driving in the United States.

Unique to Lancaster County, we also face an alarming number of accidents with Amish buggies. According to Lancaster Online, Six Lancaster County townships — Paradise, Salisbury, Leacock, East Lampeter, Bart and Earl— accounted for nearly half of all buggy-related crashes with injuries from 2000 to 2019, according to PennDOT. There have been 10 fatal buggy crashes over the past two decades, according to PennDOT, with seven occurring from 2000 through 2009, and three from 2010 through 2019. Overall, there were 410 buggy crashes with injuries over the 20-year period, with 213 occurring in the first decade and 197 in the second. Twenty-four of the crashes involved multiple people with injuries

In 2019, there were 2,247 bicycle crashes. According to Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics, pedestrian-related crashes represent 3.3 percent of the total reported traffic crashes; however, they account for 14.5 percent of all traffic crash fatalities. Bicycle crashes represent 0.8 percent of the total reported crashes and 0.8 percent of all traffic fatalities. Of the 1,003 bicycle accident injuries reported in 2019, tragically, there were 16 bicyclist fatalities.

PennDOT shares bicycle laws and safety tips through their website, so if you or loved ones are cyclists, please practice every precaution.

Fatalities in crashes involving at least one heavy commercial truck showed relatively no change, decreasing from 5,006 in 2018 to 5,005 in 2019, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  Large trucks include both commercial and non-commercial trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds.

Unfortunately, that downward trend of traffic accidents did not continue in 2020.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, the first nine months (Jan–Sep) of 2020 resulted in an increase of fatal motor vehicle accidents.

A U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study suggests that during the height of the COVID-10 pandemic and lockdowns, driving patterns and behaviors changed significantly. It seems that the drivers who remained on the roads engaged in more risky behavior, including speeding, failing to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Traffic data indicates that average speeds increased during the second quarter, and examples of extreme speeds became more common, while the evidence suggests that fewer people involved in crashes used their seat belts.

The NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data estimates 8,870 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the second quarter of 2020, a decrease of about 3.3% compared to the second quarter of 2019, which translates into 302 fewer fatalities as compared to the same period in 2019.

An estimated 28,190 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide in the first nine months of 2020. These traffic fatalities represent an increase of about 4.6 percent as compared to 26,941 fatalities that were reported for the first nine months of 2019.

Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first nine months of 2020 decreased by about 355.5 billion miles, or about a 14.5-percent decrease. The fatality rate for the first nine months of 2020 increased to 1.35 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from the 1.10 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first nine months of 2019 as published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. As if COVID-19 did not cause enough grief and loss in 2020, these grim traffic death statistics are unwelcome news.

PennDOT breaks out several reports that represent the experiences of victims of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents:

Backseat Passengers in Crashes by Restraint Usage

Crashes Involving Both Motorcycles and Heavy Trucks

Crashes Involving Drinking Pedestrians

Crashes Involving Drivers Using Hand-held or Hands-free Phones

Crashes Involving Motorcycles and Motorcyclist Fatalities

Deer Related Crashes

Distracted Driver Fatal Crashes by Driver Age

Fatal Crashes and Fatalities

Injuries and Fatalities of Children Ages 0-8 by Restraint Usage

Injuries and Fatalities Resulting from Drinking Driver Crashes

Junior Driver Vehicle Occupant Seat Belt Usage

Motorcyclist Injury Severity by Helmet Usage

Motorist Injury Severity by Restraint Usage

Non-Motorized Fatalities and Suspected Serious Injuries by Planning Partner

Restraint Usage and Resulting Fatalities

Reach out to learn what you can do to protect yourself. Watch for our blogs that recommend insurance coverage you should always carry (Full Tort) and for safety recommendations.  Please consider talking with us if you are injured in a motor vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian accident. Consultations with a caring, experienced accident attorneys at RG Injury Law are always free.

Our Leading Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyers Help Auto Accident Victims Obtain the Highest Settlements Compensation Possible.

We encourage people who have been injured to reach out to our legal team and talk to our personal injury lawyers at no cost. We never pressure people to become clients, treat you with respect and compassion, and charge nothing to consult with our experienced attorneys. You’ll get our full attention and quick response throughout your case and pay no fee unless we recover money for you. Call Chad Rankin or Bill Gregory at 717.656.5000 as soon as possible after your car accident injury occurs to ensure the highest compensation possible.