The number of cars on the road is increasing each year, and, unfortunately, so is the number of car accidents. Many people die as a result of car accidents, with many more receiving personal injuries. These injuries and deaths leave the victims and their families devastated, shocked, and often not knowing what to do next. Even though victims of car accidents are typically extremely traumatized, there are important steps victims need to take to ensure they receive the monetary compensation they deserve.

Car Accident Statistics
On average, there are over 6 million cars on the roads at any given time in the United States. More than 3 million people get injured due to car accidents, with more than 2 million of these injuries being permanent. There are over 40,000 fatalities due to car accidents every year. Although this is a very high number by itself, the good news is that statistics are actually showing that the number of car accident fatalities has been decreasing in recent years.

Common causes of car accidents:
• Driving under the influence
• Speeding
• Reckless driving
• Using cell phone while driving
• Falling asleep at the wheel
• Generally not paying attention

The majority of car accident victims are actually the drivers, then the passengers of the car, followed by pedestrians, and, lastly, cyclists. Every 12 minutes in the United States one person dies in a car accident and every 14 seconds one person is injured in a car accident. For the age group of 1 to 30 years old, car accidents are the leading cause of death with 15-24 year olds dying more often than any other age group.

According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) , in 2004 there were over 43,000 deaths due to car accidents. In that same year, the total number of car accidents was a staggering 6,328,000, resulting in over 3 million injuries.

In more than half of all car accident fatalities , the deceased were found not to be wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Even with seat belts being mandatory in all 50 states, a vast majority of people continually choose to disregard the safety precaution and many end up losing their lives because of this decision.