The cost of auto accident in Massachusetts and other states

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents cost $1 trillion in 2010. The costs include loss of productivity as well as costs related to the loss of life. Although the number of accident-related fatalities has gone down in recent years, the number rose 3.3 percent in 2012 to 33,561. That number was up from 32,479 crashes in 2011.

The number of people injured in car accidents also rose in 2012. That year, 2,362,000 motorists suffered injuries, a 6.5 percent increase from the previous year. However, the number of fatalities decreased in the first half of 2013 by 4.2 percent. The NHTSA says that the number had been going down steadily since the first quarter of 2012.

Although severe injuries have been less frequent in recent years, the cost of medical care after a car accident has outpaced inflation. Statistics indicate that the average property damage claim was $3,073 while the average bodily injury claim was $14,653 in 2012. While insurance companies covered 50 percent of all costs related to car accidents, crash victims pay 26 percent while charities and other third parties pay roughly 14 percent of those costs.

When an individual is injured in a car crash, the injured party may incur many different expenses. Medical bills, long-term care costs and the economic impact of lost wages may be significant. Those who can no longer work may also have to figure out how they will recoup potential lost earnings. People who are injured in a car accident may consider hiring a personal injury lawyer to help them file a civil claim.

Source: Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, “Cost of Auto Crashes & Statistics”, October 04, 2014