The New York Times reports that traffic deaths in the city are decreasing, but if you are one of the hundreds of families who has a loved one suffering serious or fatal injuries, the statistics are not reassuring. The numbers of people dying from injuries fell to 230 in 2015 — but that still means more than one person dies from an auto accident every other day. The New York State DMV reveals that in the most recently reported year there were 66,554 auto accidents in New York City, or about 182 each day. In these auto accidents, 45,315 people sustained injuries.
If you drive in New York City, the facts suggest that you are putting your life on the line. 25 percent of the auto accidents involved a distracted or inattentive driver, 14.4 involved a failure to yield right of way, and 15 percent involved following too closely. Of these tens of thousands of accidents, many led to innocent people suffering severe injuries or left with permanent damage. In that year, 2,576 people sustained serious injuries, 5,032 sustained moderate injuries, and 28,070 sustained minor injuries.
Families can be left struggling to pay bills, with a loved one hospitalized, in pain, with an uncertain outcome. The financial situation can become dire within a few months. Recovering compensation not only allows for justice to be served, it provides financial support to the injured, with damages paid for the following:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
- Loss of income from work
- Loss of earning potential
- Loss of quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Other damages, based on case.
