Posted: October 22, 2014
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that includes staggering statistics regarding the economic losses of car accident victims each year. As the New Jersey car accident lawyers at Eisbrouch Marsh know all too well, victims of car crashes face significant financial burdens – both from the initial visit to the hospital and on a long-term basis. These expenses include exams, diagnostic tests, surgeries, and prescription pharmaceutical costs, in addition to lost income, loss of earning capacity, and property damage to the vehicles and personal possessions.
Costs total in the billions
The CDC developed their report with information from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All Injury Program and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. All of the information pertains to crashes that occurred in 2012. They found that from auto accidents alone, over 2.5 million people visited emergency rooms. Almost 200,000 of those individuals required hospitalization, which is particularly costly even with health insurance. In all, about 7,000 people each day went to the hospital because of car crash injuries.
“Motor vehicle crash injuries occur all too frequently and have health and economic costs for individuals, the health care system, and society. We need to do more to keep people safe and reduce crash injuries and medical costs,” said Ileana Arias, Ph.D., the CDC Principal Deputy Director.
Individuals who have sustained car crash injuries must often face the burden of long-term care. The CDC researchers found that the total lifetime cost for all auto accident injuries sustained in 2012 is about $18 billion. This doesn’t include an estimated $33 billion in lost lifetime work productivity due to those injuries. This is just one example of why it’s critical to work with a car accident lawyer in New Jersey who has experience handling these types of claims.
The CDC report offered a succinct breakdown of costs related to auto accident injuries, including the following:
- The age group most likely to be hospitalized following a car accident is comprised of adults who are 80-plus years old.
- Almost one million teens and young adults suffered car accident injuries in 2012, accounting for about 38 percent of all injuries reported that year.
- Most of the injury expenses are accrued within the first 18 months of the crash.
- The average emergency room visit cost $3,000. The average hospitalization was about $57,000 in total lifetime costs.
New Jersey accident lawyers at Eisbrouch Marsh are here to help
Have you or a loved one been injured in a car wreck? Don’t become just another statistic – let the legal team at Eisbrouch Marsh help you and your family get back on your feet. Since there are deadlines to file a NJ personal injury lawsuit after an auto accident, it’s imperative to contact us right away to explore your legal options.
Our crash injury attorneys in New Jersey have secured many millions in personal injury settlements and verdicts for our clients, and can help you recover maximum compensation for your economic and non-economic losses, enabling you to move forward from the accident and rebuild your life.
Call 201-561-8366 today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a New Jersey car accident lawyer.
Resources
- CDC, CDC report shows motor vehicle crash injuries are frequent and costly, http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p1007-crash-injuries.html
- Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, Cost of Auto Crashes & Statistics, http://www.rmiia.org/auto/traffic_safety/Cost_of_crashes.asp
