Posted in News on June 12, 2014
People who have been in a car accident understand how devastating it can be physically, psychologically and financially. A person who has suffered serious injuries or lost someone in a car accident is often never the same. Unfortunately, it appears that fatal car accidents are on the rise in Montana.
According to a recent report released by the Montana Highway patrol, in 2013 fatalities in Montana rose by about ten percent. The report concludes that most fatal crashes happened at night between nine and 10 o’clock. Saturday and the month of August were the most fatal day and month in 2013. The reasons for the fatal crashes ranged from drunk driving, reckless driving and speeding to inattentive driving. Alcohol-related fatalities declined but accidents caused by inattentive driving increased. Some believe that an increase in DUI enforcement and outreach programs has helped bring down drunk driving crashes on Montana roads.
Most crashes occurred between three and four in the afternoon, and many more occurred on Fridays than any other day of the week. The top contributing factors for crashes were inattentive driving and speed.
Even though authorities have made some progress in bringing down DUI-related fatalities, it is disturbing to learn that Montana car accident fatalities are on the rise. All drivers have an ongoing duty to obey all traffic laws. When a failure to drive with reasonable care results in an accident, an injured victim has the right to recover monetary damages from the negligent driver. When involved in an accident, it is important to work with a personal injury law firm familiar with car accidents to ensure that one’s rights are protected and the negligent driver is held responsible.
Source: Montana Annual Safety Meeting “Report of Meeting Proceedings and and Summary of 2013“