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NHTSA Sees Spike in Traffic Fatalities

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in

traffic fatalities

In 2006, the entire state of California experienced a notable drop in fatal traffic accidents. Four years later, 2,739 road were deaths reported, 36 percent lower than 2006. Unfortunately, this promising trend has reversed in recent years.

Between 2010 and 2013, the number of traffic-related deaths rose by 13 percent and continues to climb annually. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), estimates show a 9.3 percent increase for the first nine months of 2015. In California, the estimated fatalities increased by more than three percent when compared to 2014.

In part, safety officials with the NHTSA attribute the increased number to the end of the recession. As more people rejoin the work force, there are now more cars on the road.

However, more drivers might be less of a problem than the growing issue of technology-related accidents. Increasingly, data shows that drivers using cellphones to talk or text while behind the wheel are dangerous – to themselves, other drivers and pedestrians alike.

Despite a ban in California on using handheld phones while operating a vehicle, evidence shows that more, rather than less, drivers are using smart phones while driving.

It’s difficult to discern exactly how many accidents are caused by distracted driving, because motorists involved in collisions are hesitant to admit the role that technology played in the crash. However, with the increasingly ubiquitous use of smart phones in our daily lives, it’s logical to assume that mobile phones do play a role in vehicle accidents.

Securing evidence of negligent mobile phone use can be challenging in the event of an accident. Depending on the case, law enforcement or an experienced car accident attorney may be able to request cellphone records from drivers to determine if they were on their phone at the time of the collision.

The Sacramento auto accident attorneys at the Arnold Law Firm have seen the damage caused by distracted driving accidents. It is your right to seek compensation if you or someone close to you has been the victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver.

If you have questions about what you should do next, please contact a Sacramento personal injury attorney at our law firm for a free case evaluation.

Call (916) 777-7777 or fill out a Free Case Evaluation form.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.