Over the last several decades, national, state, and local governments and nonprofit organizations have mounted campaigns aimed at increased roadway safety. They’ve tried to address distracted driving, drunk driving, and the importance of wearing seatbelts, but the sad reality is that they don’t seem to be doing as much good as was hoped.
In fact, over the last couple of years, accident rates have increased. Some attribute this to reckless driving once traffic rates have increased as a result of businesses reopening and things returning to normal, while others continue to insist that cellphone use and other distractions continue to contribute to these wrecks.
Regardless of the cause, one thing is sure: preventable car accidents are going to continue to occur for a long time to come.
What about the accident rate in Montana?
Montana doesn’t fare much better than the nation as a whole. In fact, in 2020 alone, Montana saw 190 deadly crashes that resulted in more than 200 people losing their lives. Although that may not seem like a lot, when broken down to deaths per capita, this rate puts Montana much higher than the national average and surpasses the death rate in many states, including New York, California, Arizona, and Florida.
As if that’s not enough, Montana sees its fair share of accidents resulting in serious injuries, too. According to data from the Montana Department of Transportation, there were more than 120 accidents in 2020 that resulted in serious injury, and nearly 300 other wrecks resulted in other injuries. These numbers are up significantly from those reported in 2019.
Again, there are multiple reasons why these wrecks occur. Some are attributable to drunk driving, while others are chalked up to behaviors such as texting and driving, speeding, and failing to stop at stop signs. A lot of these wrecks, though, are unavoidable, which makes them all the more tragic.
What does this mean?
These statistics can be frightening to consider. After all, they’re indicative of the dangerousness of Montana’s roadways. It also means that there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people across our state who are dealing with the grim realities of the harm caused by these wrecks. Accident victims have to try to find a way to cope with extensive physical pain and suffering as well as mental anguish, all while trying to secure needed medical care and pay their bills, while families are trying to figure out how to get by and grieve lost loved ones.
We know that it can be hard to deal with the challenges left in the wake of one of these accidents, especially when you know that it easily could have been avoided. Although you can’t bring a lost loved one back and you may not be able to fully return to the life that you enjoyed prior to an accident, there are things that you can do to try to find accountability and recover the compensation needed to assist you in finding stability and obtaining the medical care that you need.
Is legal action right for you?
One of the best ways to do this is to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. If you succeed on one of these claims, then you may be able to offset your medical expenses, recoup your lost wages, and ease your pain and suffering.
The process can be more challenging than you think, though, which is why if you’re thinking about taking legal action, then you may want to discuss the circumstances of your case with an attorney who can give you insight into how best to approach your case so that you can maximize your chances of achieving a favorable outcome.