Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers
Pennsylvania car accidents are common. Even the safest drivers risk getting into a vehicle accident. According to the Pennsylvania Transportation Department (PennDOT), in 2020, there were 104,475 reported car crashes, with 61,248 people injured. According to the statistics, 1,129 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020. There is some good news, however. PennDOT statistics reflect that 2020 had the lowest total of accidents since 1950. The 2020 fatality rate of 1.1 deaths per hundred million miles traveled is the second-lowest since PennDOT started keeping records in 1935.
Even with lower accident rates, Pennsylvania drivers are still at risk of an accident. If you or someone you love have been involved in an automobile crash, reach out to MyPhillyLawyer. Every driver involved in a collision needs to be aware they can contact a car accident lawyer at MyPhillyLawyer to help them get fair compensation for their injuries and damages.
Car Accident Statistics
According to statistics from PennDOT:
- Approximately 12 crashes occur every hour
- There is one fatality every 8 hours
- 168 people are injured every day in car accidents
- One in 57 people were involved in a car crash
- One out of 209 were injured in a collision
- One out of 11,339 were killed in a wreck
Types of Car Crashes
Different types of car crashes occur on Pennsylvania roads. However, some types of car accidents are more common. Passenger vehicles were involved in more wrecks than any other kind of vehicle. Passenger vehicle accidents, when linked with SUVs, light trucks and vans, made up the vast majority of fatalities as a result of crashes. Overall, more accidents involve a single vehicle hitting an object than other types of collisions.
PennDOT list the following vehicles crashes, from highest number to lowest, as the most common in the state:
Type | Number of Crashes |
Collision with fixed object | 31,998 |
Angle | 28,644 |
Rear-end | 19,336 |
Sideswipe | 7,692 |
Head on | 5,287 |
Other | 4,780 |
Hit pedestrian | 2,739 |
The frequency of car accidents in Pennsylvania can be attributed to many different factors. Automobile collisions can be caused by factors like time of day, weather conditions and driver age.
Weather and road conditions cause many crashes. Adverse weather conditions negatively affect vehicle handling and visibility. Statistics from PennDOT show that:
- 77,521 crashes occurred in not adverse weather conditions
- 13,968 accidents occurred in rain or rain and fog
- 5,756 crashes occurred in snow, sleet or freezing rain
Driver age is another factor that impacts the number of vehicle collisions across Pennsylvania. Overall male drivers are involved in more wrecks than female drivers. Of those drivers, those aged 21-25 were involved in more crashes than drivers in any other age group for both sexes.
Another major factor contributing to Pennsylvania automobile accidents is the day of the week and time of day. According to PennDOT:
- In 2020 most crashes occurred on Wednesdays and Fridays
- Saturdays and Sundays had the most fatalities
- A total of 193 fatalities happened on Saturdays
- A total of 172 deaths happened on Sundays
- Some hours of the day are more deadly than others
- Peak traffic times see more crashes and fatalities
- 7,647 crashes, the highest number reported, occurred at 3:00 p.m., with 81 deaths
Types of Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents are often serious. Frequently a car crash will result in severe injuries, damages and even death. The severity of injuries will depend on many factors that contribute to the accident like the speed of the vehicles, size of the vehicles, weather conditions, etc. Here is a list of the most common car accident injuries.
- Whiplash
- Scrapes and bruises
- Broken bones
- Head and brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Fatal injuries
Pennsylvania’s No-Fault System and Determining Fault in Car Accidents
Pennsylvania is a no-fault state and also a choice no-fault state. No-fault insurance means that each party in an accident, no matter who was at fault, is usually able to obtain compensation for injuries and other losses from their own insurance company. The choice to have fault or no-fault auto insurance must be made when a driver buys insurance.
Fault and choice no-fault insurance is also referred to as full tort and limited tort. Limited tort means the driver is not likely to be able to file a lawsuit to get compensation for injuries. They must file a claim with their own insurance company. Limited tort is fairly popular because the premiums are less expensive. While it is an option Pennsylvania drivers can choose, experts suggest limited tort coverage is not advisable because it limits drivers from being fully compensated for injuries in the aftermath of a car accident.
The other auto insurance option is full tort, offering fewer limitations. If a full tort insured driver is involved in an accident, they can file a claim against the insured driver to get compensation, and the driver deemed to be at-fault pays the lost wages and medical bills. While full tort insurance is expensive, it offers more protection in the event of an accident.
Those with limited tort car insurance can only sue the at-fault party for medical expenses. Limited tort does not allow drivers to sue the at-fault party for pain and suffering, which is usually 95 percent of the issue after a car accident.
Some exceptions can apply. Most commonly, full tort coverage will apply when: a drunk driver hit the policyholder; a pedestrian was hit by a car; the defendant’s car is registered out of state; the plaintiff was traveling in a commercial vehicle; the plaintiff was riding with a spouse or relative with full tort coverage and the plaintiff was an injured passenger; the defendant does not have auto insurance and if the accident was fatal, resulted in disfigurement or permanent impairment of bodily function.