In the Phoenix area, there are two major interstates (I-17 and I-10), several state highways, and numerous city and county roads. One of the things these roads have in common is the chance for an automobile accident to occur. And, in a city of over one million people with a large tourism base, there is certainly no shortage of automobiles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s latest statistics, in 2008 there were 583 fatalities caused by automobile accidents in Arizona. Thousands more suffered severe injuries. Fortunately, fatalities have declined from previous years due to a combination of better safety technology, driver awareness, and enforcement. Nationwide, the number of car accident related fatalities hovered around 42,000 for years and recently dipped to a little over 37,000.
The statistics don’t mention the family members left behind. They don’t show the thousands of people who wind up paying thousands in doctor bills or figuring out new ways to navigate their lives after a life altering injury sustained in an automobile accident. While the decline in fatalities is good in the abstract, whenever I meet with a client who has lost a loved one or who has suffered a severe injury, I realize this is about more than statistics – much more.
What is worse, I know that many of these accidents should never have happened. The statistics show that nearly a third of the fatalities may have been avoided had someone involved not been drinking. Another third might have survived had they worn their seatbelts. And what about distracted drivers who are texting or talking on their cell phones. That is becoming a huge problem.
As an Arizona accident lawyer, it is my job to seek justice for my clients. If you are seriously injured in an auto accident or if a loved one died in a car crash in Phoenix or anywhere in Arizona, you may be entitled to compensation. I can help make that happen. Please contact us today to speak with an experienced accident attorney.
Jerrold A. Mayro, Attorney At Law