Author: Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP
According to the New York State Department of Health, the top cause of unintentional teenage deaths and hospitalizations for those between the ages of 15 and 19 is motor vehicle accidents. When are teens most at risk for serious injury? They are most at risk when another teenager is driving. Every day, 40 teenagers receive treatment in NY hospitals for traffic accidents and approximately 73 teenagers die in crashes every year. None of this sounds like good news and any death or injury is one too many. However, despite these statistics, the overall U.S. trend for teen motor vehicle deaths and injuries dropped considerably over the last decade or so and dropped even more dramatically since 1982.
According to the Telegraph Herald, U.S. fatalities for the country’s youngest drivers, 16-year-olds, were 435 in 2000 and by 2011 the statistic had fallen to 173. Fatalities for 17-year-olds also had fallen from 564 to 250 during the same 2000 to 2011 period. However, the first six months of 2012 saw a 19 percent increase in the deaths of these two age groups, with fatalities increasing from 202 in 2011 to 240 in 2012. Even so, this statistic pales by comparison with 1982 statistics when 1,898 young drivers and passengers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in fatal crashes. The 2011 statistic for the same age groups was 777 fatalities.
Any number of factors make teenagers a high risk category for traffic accidents. When accidents are caused by negligent drivers, you have the right to seek compensation for damages.
Since 1983, Rosenberg & Gluck has provided clients with reliable personal injury representation. If you or your loved one suffers from an auto accident injury, find out how an experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer at our firm can help.
