According to a KTLA news report, a violent collision occurred early this morning in North Hollywood when a car carrying two people crashed into a palm tree before catching fire. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. They have not yet been publicly identified.
When incidents like this occur, a personal injury attorney (one who regularly handles car crash claims) can be of great help in finding the cause and obtaining compensation for the victim or their family. Car crash victims should not have to go it alone and an Orange injury attorney can assist with getting your life back on track.
What Causes a Solo Car Crash
The causes of solo car crashes can generally vary greatly from impaired driving to speeding to vehicle defects to dangerous weather. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sleepy and speeding drivers are at a much heightened risk of crashing when compared to other drivers. In the case above, from video of the accident scene, the involved vehicle was absolutely decimated in the collision which would seem to suggest the car was traveling at a high rate of speed. In addition to that, the accident reportedly occurred at about 1:30 a.m. when the driver could have been tired or sleepy. Since the accident is still under investigation, we still don’t know which of these factors, if any, played a role in the crash. Beyond that, it will likely take some time to find out whether the driver of the vehicle was impaired at the time he reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
Car Crash Fatalities and Trends in the Numbers
While the numbers of vehicle crash fatalities has trended downward over the years, they have remained fairly stable in the last 10 years. According to NHTSA, the traffic fatality rates for 2010 and 2019 were exactly the same, 1.11 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the United States. Those numbers are substantially lower than those from the 1980s when the rate was more than twice as high. With the advent of modern safety equipment, occupant safety has greatly improved over the last 30-40 years.
However, it is not all good news. Every year more than 32,000 people are killed and more than 2,000,000 injured in car crashes in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Somewhat surprisingly, the United States does not compare favorably to other comparable, developed nations. In fact, while U.S. death rates fell 31% from 2000 to 2013, in other comparable countries the rate fell by 56%. According to the CDC, over 18,000 lives could be saved each year if U.S. crash deaths equaled the average rate of 19 other high—income countries. We have a lot of work to do when it comes to impaired driving and even the use of seatbelts.
In the example above, given the apparent severity of the impact and fire, it seems unlikely the use of safety equipment would have changed the outcome. Severe crashes like this are rarely survivable even with the use of seatbelts and airbags. The preventative steps more likely effective in these scenarios include reducing speed and the avoiding impaired driving.
If You or a Loved One is Injured or Killed in a Car Crash
If you have been injured or a family killed in a car crash, even a single vehicle collision, obtaining the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney can be the most important step you take toward obtaining compensation. Mr. Ralph has more than 30 years of experience handling Orange County personal injury cases, including those involving fatal, solo car crashes. He is available for a free consultation regarding your case and can be contacted via an e-mail or by calling the phone number above. Don’t let anyone get away with victimizing you or your family.