Virginia Car Wrecks: More Common Than You Might Think

If you were hurt in a Virginia car accident around Culpeper or Warrenton, it may feel like the police, first responders, and insurance adjusters you deal with have a ‘been there, done that’ attitude. While the tragedy of a car wreck may be a new and horrifying experience for you, to the people who deal with crashes every day it is just another accident.

This is because unfortunately car and truck accidents in Virginia happen far more often than most of us realize. Accident statistics maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation show the extent of the problem. Below are some traffic accident facts from the latest available statistics – accident statistics from Virginia in 2009:

• There is a crash every 4.51 minutes in Virginia, resulting in just over two lives lost each day and 173 injuries.
• Out of every 25 drivers, one will be involved in a crash each year.

• There were 116,744 traffic accidents reported, leading to 756 fatalities and 62,976 people injured (this is out of 5,501,878 registered drivers in the state, and 7,495,574 registered vehicles)
• Vehicle occupants are 8 times as likely to die in a car wreck if they are not wearing a seat belt or other restraint compared to those who are restrained.
• Wrecks that involve alcohol are far more serious than those that don’t and cost more, with an average hospital cost of $35,000 and a stay of 5.5 days.
• If you are an older driver, you are twice as likely as a younger driver to be hospitalized, spending an average of 6.3 days in the hospital for an average total cost of $37,500.

There is some good news. Fatalities were down in 2009 from the previous year by 7.92 percent, injuries down by 8.90 percent, and overall crashes by 13.70 percent.

Get help after a serious Virginia auto accident

Don’t be frustrated by your accident experience or the challenges you may face trying to get medical care and compensation from the insurance company. You are not alone – and there are people who can help you. Please contact our Warrenton or Culpeper office today to discuss your case with one of our skilled attorneys.

DULANEY, LAUER & THOMAS, LLP

Warrenton Office

98 Alexandria Pike, Suite 11

Warrenton, VA 20186

Toll Free: 888.907.2631

Local: 540.349.2631

Culpeper Office

209 N. West Street

Culpeper, VA 22701

Toll Free: 800.741.1012

Local: 540.825.6046