By Pendergast Law on December 26, 2012
Most Washington drivers and their experienced car accident attorneys know that seat belt use is backed with years of research indicating that this simple device can significantly reduce the risk of injury or death in a wide range of car accidents, including rollover crashes.
However, many people don’t consider that a reduction in deaths and serious injuries with seat belt use also means a reduction in the financial costs of car accidents, which are steep. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate, for example, that car accidents cost victims and society $70 billion nationwide.
The costs of car accidents go beyond the moment of the crash to affect the entire lives of those injured and the families of those whose lives are lost. Medical bills and car repair costs certainly contribute to the cost of car accidents, but so do the wages and benefits lost when an injured person has to stop working temporarily or permanently due to an accident.
One of the reasons that car accidents cause such significant costs due to lost work is that accidents remain the leading cause of death among young Americans from five to 34 years of age – which is also one of the age groups least likely to buckle up. Many of these people have not begun to work or have just launched careers, meaning that their best wage-earning days are ahead. When a crash causes death or disabling injuries, these promising careers are cut short and the wealth they would have earned is lost.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Washington, the skilled Renton car accident attorneys at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. can help. Call us today for a free, confidential case evaluation. Our number is 888-539-9211.