Philadelphia has one of the lowest rates of vehicle ownership among all cities in the United States. According to Census Bureau statistics and Governing analysis, Philadelphia was the 14th most car-free city in the nation in 2013, with 0.968 cars per household. It does not imply that Philadelphia’s streets are empty or that driving in our city is safer than others.
Here, the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers offer you comprehensive information on Philadelphia automobile accidents because driving is still dangerous and may end in a vehicle accident that leaves you or someone you care about seriously injured.
Car accidents may occur at junctions, on highways, and in other places. A motorist may get distracted by their phone and collide with another vehicle. When two drivers are not paying attention and collide, a car accident occurs. Other times, drivers get so angry that they cause an accident or engage in a violent fight.
Speeding cars, bad weather, strong winds, and even missing traffic signals may all contribute to car accidents. It is recommended that drivers slow down while getting on the road, utilise their turn signals, and maintain their eyes on the road, and set mobile phones to Do Not Disturb mode, and maintain both hands on the steering wheel when conversing with passengers. Accidents may also occur when drivers are sleepy or unable to focus on the road. As a result, vehicles may need to pull over or remain at home. Drivers who have been working all day or who drive after dark must use extra caution.
Statistics of Car Accidents in Philadelphia
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, in 2014 alone, there were 10,627 automobile accidents in Philadelphia County. 7,788 of these resulted in someone being injured. 89 of these incidents resulted in at least one death, for a total of 97 fatalities. 38 of those killed in vehicle accidents were pedestrians, demonstrating how hazardous walking on city streets can be. In 2014, 18 of the total number of deaths in Philadelphia County were caused by alcohol-related accidents.
When City Data compares these figures to the rest of Pennsylvania’s fatal accident data, it discovers that Philadelphia’s totals are lower than the state average. In 2014, there were 6.2 fatal automobile accidents per 100,000 inhabitants in Philadelphia. It was lower than the state average of 8.4 persons per 100,000. However, this lower percentage does not necessarily imply that driving in Philadelphia is safer than driving everywhere else in the state. Instead, the lower statistics are most likely because more miles are driven at slower speeds in Philadelphia than everywhere else in the state. Accidents at these lower speeds are much less likely to result in death; thus, these percentages remain low.
Philadelphia Car Insurance
The city’s low vehicle population indicates that getting into a car accident in Philadelphia may be more expensive and hazardous than elsewhere.
The fact that so many people live in abject poverty inside the city boundaries is the primary cause of the city’s lack of automobiles. Deep poverty is defined as half of the federal poverty line, which means that a family of three would be in deep poverty if their total income were $10,000 or less. 12.2% of Philadelphians — almost 185,000 individuals – are impoverished. It places Philadelphia at the top of the list of the country’s ten most populated cities in terms of severe poverty. This figure is almost double the national average of 6.3%. With so many people living in abject poverty, the number of vehicles possessed inside the city boundaries is limited to a minimum.
Those who live in or near poverty and own a car, on the other hand, are likely to be uninsured. Given how much insurance costs in Philadelphia, it is particularly probable – almost treble what it costs in other parts of Pennsylvania.
When you get into a vehicle accident with someone who doesn’t have auto insurance, the intricacy of the accident skyrockets; if they caused the accident and are held responsible for your property damage and injuries, you may be out of luck — without insurance. Usually, without the resources to pay your costs out of pocket, there may not be enough money to go around. Even if you have uninsured motorist coverage on your vehicle insurance policy, it may not cover all of your medical costs and other expenditures.
Attorneys for Car Accidents in Philadelphia
When you are injured in a vehicle accident, your priority should be your well-being and receiving the necessary medical treatment. Then you question what occurred and who is to blame. If you were injured in a vehicle accident in Pennsylvania, you might have a legal right to seek damages from the at-fault driver. Pennsylvania automobile accident laws will govern your case.
In most cases, personal injury legislation is dependent on carelessness. The legal doctrine of negligence is described as “a failure to conduct with the degree of care that anyone of average foresight would have taken under the same circumstances.” It may consist of acts, but it may also comprise of omissions in certain situations.
The automobile insurance legislation in Pennsylvania is more complicated than other state statutes. Pennsylvania has implemented a one-of-a-kind “no-fault” system for auto accidents claims. When purchasing insurance, a person must select between two kinds of insurance coverage.
There are two kinds of torts: full tort and limited tort (no-fault). In most instances, if a person gets in an accident under the no-fault option, they will not be allowed to file a lawsuit to seek compensation. Instead, even if they were not at fault, they will claim with their own insurance company.
What if you pursue a personal injury case to collect compensation for injuries sustained in a vehicle accident, but you are partly to blame? In such a scenario, Pennsylvania’s comparative fault rules may come into play. These rules govern how much you may recover in an accident that you contributed to or even if you can recover anything at all. The state of Pennsylvania follows a modified regulation. This legislation enables you to collect compensation if your fault is not higher than the other driver’s.
A big monetary judgment for your losses will not return your dear ones or the existence you had before sustaining a serious injury. However, it can assist you in dealing with the financial repercussions of your injury and provide you with the best potential future. Every state has a time restriction for bringing a lawsuit.
These time limitations are rigorously enforced; therefore, following this regulation is essential because if you do not submit your lawsuit before the time limit expires, you will most likely lose your right to make a lawsuit for the accident. Therefore, you should seek the advice of an expert lawyer or consult a law firm as early as possible. Click here for a free consultation with Philadelphia personal injury lawyers.
