Fatal hit-and-run car crash data worrisome in Louisiana

There are innumerable dangers when out on the road. It is important for drivers to be aware of them, so they can do their best to avoid being in an auto accident. One issue that is becoming more prominent is the number of hit-and-run accidents that are happening.

A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that the number of fatal hit-and-run crashes is higher than it has ever been. Those who have lost a loved one in a hit-and-run car crash should know about this study as they consider seeking compensation in a legal filing.

In 2016, there were 2,049 deaths in hit-and-run accidents. This was an increase of 62 percent from seven years earlier. The number of deaths in the U.S. because of hit-and-run crashes was the worst since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began tracking the numbers of fatal motor vehicle accidents in 1975. 65 percent of the victims in the fatal hit-and-runs were bicyclists or pedestrians. 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years were in hit-and-run accidents. Only 1 percent of driver fatalities were hit-and-runs.

Louisiana was among the top three states with the highest number of fatalities in hit-and-run accidents. The most pedestrian accidents happen between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m. Accidents are categorized as hit-and-runs when at least one of the people in the crash leaves the scene prior to giving the necessary information to the others who were in the accident.

When a family suffers the loss of a loved one in a car crash, it being a hit-and-run can make it even more difficult than it would otherwise be due to the possibility that the person will not be caught. The same issues are evident when there is a hit-and-run crash as there are when it is an accident in which everyone involved stays at the scene. There can be lost wages, lost companionship, extensive emotional damage and more. A legal filing is important when there is a fatal hit-and-run accident from the investigation all the way through the lawsuit. A legal professional experienced in fatal hit-and-run car accidents can be of assistance.

Source: abcnews.go.com, “Hit-and-run deaths at all-time high, new AAA study says,” Benjamin Siu, April 26, 2018