The National Safety Council (NSC), in an attempt to measure the costs to society and to the American economy caused by motor vehicle accident injuries and deaths, has provided numbers that might shock you.
The Board Certified Houston personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC mention that these costs included vehicle damage expenses, medical costs, wage and productivity losses, administrative expenses, and employers’ uninsured costs.
By injury severity, the average motor vehicle accident costs:
But when the NSC added in the estimated costs of loss of quality of life caused by the injuries, the expense per accident skyrocketed even further. The estimated economic impact rose to $4,459,000 per fatal injury, $225,100 per incapacitating injury, $57,400 for each evident non-incapacitating injury, and $27,200 for each possible injury.
Our Board Certified Houston personal injury attorneys note that even a non-injury accident costs $2,400 when loss of quality of life gets factored in. Ultimately, quality of life seems to matter more to most people than the quantity. (NSC, Estimating the Costs of Unintentional Injuries, Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries)
The U.S. CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control indicated that in 2005, the total medical and lost productivity costs from non-fatal injuries and fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States totaled $99 billion. Vehicle crash deaths accounted for $58 billion of that sum.
Non-fatal injuries that required hospitalization cost $28 billion, and injuries that required treatment in the emergency room but no hospital stay cost $14 billion. (Incidence and Total Lifetime Costs of Motor Vehicle Related Fatal and Non-Fatal Injury by Road User Type, United States, 2005). Those annual costs have doubtless gone up in the intervening years along with the costs of just about everything else.
These numbers make clear the value of accident prevention measures, educational campaigns designed to thwart dangerous driving habits, safe driving, and new vehicle safety features that are mandated from time to time by the government. The numbers also make clear the heavy financial burdens facing individuals and families affected by serious motor vehicle accident injuries.
When victims and their families have suffered a life-changing accident injuries in the Houston area, an experienced, Board Certified Houston personal injury attorney could help accurately valuate the full costs of their damages and guide them through the necessary steps to achieve the maximum financial recovery for their case.
Contact the Experienced, Board Certified Houston Personal Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a Free Legal Consultation when You need Help after a Serious Injury Accident
Your initial consultation is completely free and without obligation, and will serve to help you understand your legal options in relation to the facts of your case, and your potential eligibility for financial recovery for the needless harm you’ve suffered. Call us today at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free legal consultation.