4 costs of a car crash involving death and injury

You lost a loved one in a car crash, and you know that it’s an expensive, stressful time in your life. You have your own injuries to care for, and you also have to handle the death that you were unprepared for. There are medical bills, funeral costs and other financial losses to consider as well as the loss of companionship and joy you had from seeing your loved one. Thirty-thousand or more people are killed in the United States each year in car crashes alone. Overall, the 2013 totals showed that these deaths cost $44 billion.

1. Car crash deaths cost $17 million in medical expenses

Car crashes, according to the latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, result in 30,000 or more deaths yearly at an estimated medical cost of $17 million in North Carolina.

2. Work losses matter

Work losses happen whether an employee misses work due to an injury or an employee is killed in a crash. Work losses include things like missing wages or the expense to train new employees. It’s estimated that North Carolina lost $1.69 billion due to work loss costs.

3. Young adult deaths cost the most

Maybe surprising is the fact that the death of a young adult is the most expensive. Young adults include those between the ages of 20 and 34. It’s been estimated that North Carolina dealt with $731 million in expenses related to deaths in that age range in 2013. Adult deaths, those between 35 and 64, also cost the state an extensive amount an estimated $688 million for 2013.

4. Pedestrian deaths cost more than motor-vehicle occupant deaths

Due to the fact that pedestrians have little protection against injury, their deaths often cost the most. In 2013, pedestrian deaths resulted in $255 million in expenses, while motor vehicle occupant deaths resulted in $216 million.

5. Injuries add up

In 2013, the average auto liability claim for an injury to a person’s body was $15,443, while property damage claims were approximately $3,231.

Whether it’s a death or an injury, the costs add up. It’s the private insurers who pay a bulk of the costs. These companies pay around 50 percent of all related costs. However, individuals do foot the bill in some cases, with individual crash victims paying around 26 percent of overall costs. With the right legal help, you can get the money you need without spending out of pocket. Your crash, injuries and the loss of your loved one was not your fault, a nd you should be compensated.