The majority of those who pass away in car accidents are either drivers or passengers. but it’s never wise to assume that these are the only groups that experience a lot of risks on the road. You also have pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
For example, studies have looked at the data from 2019 and discovered that about 17% of all fatal car accidents involved pedestrians. Of these, 21% of the total pedestrian fatalities came about only after a hit and run. It’s very clear that pedestrians face an incredible amount of risk any time they want to use the road systems.
How many is 17%?
17% may not sound like it’s that many total fatalities every year, but the key is to look at the national trends. The current fatality number for 2021, via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is 42,915. That’s the total number of people who passed away in all car accidents that year, and it’s concerning because of the jump up over 40,000.
But if you factor out 17%, assuming the statistics stay similar, you’ll find that roughly 7,300 pedestrians will pass away every year in these accidents. Studies have also found that the total number of pedestrian deaths went up by 13% in 2021, so this could only be getting worse.
What options do you have?
If you’ve lost a loved one in a car accident, perhaps while they were a pedestrian, then you absolutely need to know about all of the legal options at your disposal. You may be able to seek compensation for lost future earnings, medical bills, funeral costs and much more.