Wrongful Death

Published on: July 13, 2023

Pedestrian Accident Wrongful Deaths In 2022 Highest on Record in 40 Years

In 2022, the number of pedestrians killed in auto accidents crossed 7,500, the highest on record in 40 years. This is a tragic statistic that demonstrates a problem that is without an easy solution.

The rising number of pedestrian deaths has been a source of concern for transportation safety advocates and pedestrian groups across the country. However, the actual state of pedestrian safety may be even worse than earlier believed. The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released its estimates of the total number of pedestrian fatalities in 2022, and the numbers are staggering. The Governors Highway Safety Association believes that a total of 7,508 pedestrians were killed in car accidents last year, the highest number on record since 1981. That year, a total of 7,837 pedestrians were killed in auto accidents. The total for 2022 are very likely even be higher because final estimates were not provided by the state of Oklahoma.

Most states recorded an increase in car accident fatalities in 2022, including Georgia, where a total of 335 pedestrians were killed in auto accidents in 2022. That was an increase of 14 deaths from the 321 pedestrians killed in auto accidents in 2021. The jump in pedestrian accidents in 2022 is even more concerning because it marks a 77% increase since 2010, while the jump in car accident fatalities over all has been just 25% since 2010.

Published on: July 3, 2023

Study Finds Race – Based Differences in Nursing Home Data on Fall Accidents, Bedsores

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A study published recently finds race -based differences in how nursing homes report fall accidents and pressure ulcers involving residents on their premises. These differences could make it difficult for families of elderly persons looking for reliable nursing homes for their loved ones.

The results of the study were published recently in the JAMA journal. The researchers set out to compare nursing home characteristics with the reporting of bed sores -also known as pressure ulcers – and fall accidents in specific nursing homes. The researchers found to their dismay that the federal website that contains information about specific accidents and injuries in nursing homes actually underreports data on fall accidents and pressure ulcers.

Much of the difference in the reporting also seems to be based on race. Nursing homes that have predominantly white residents are much more likely to report high numbers of fall accidents compared to pressure ulcers, and are also much more likely to report fall accidents more accurately. Similarly, nursing homes with majority black residents are much more likely to report a higher incidence of pressure ulcers compared to fall accidents. Predominantly black facilities are more likely to report pressure ulcers more accurately. Overall, the researchers say the better your reporting on fall accidents, the lesser your likelihood of reporting bed sores.

Published on: June 22, 2023

NHTSA Predicts Drop in Auto Accident Fatalities During First Quarter of 2023

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

After 7 consecutive years of year- to -year increases in auto accident wrongful deaths, the federal administration has been recording slow, but perceptible drops in these numbers for four consecutive quarters. Latest estimates by the administration shows that the first quarter of 2023 has been no different.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its auto accident death projections for 2023. The estimates for the first quarter of 2023 show a 3% decline in the number of people killed in car accidents compared to the same period of time in 2022. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that a total of 9,330 people were killed in auto accidents in the first quarter of 2023. That was a drop from the 9,645 accident deaths recorded during the same period of time last year. The fatality rate for the first quarter of this year was 1.24 traffic accident deaths compared to 1.32 fatalities during the first quarter of last year.

The same trend could also be seen in Georgia where there was a drop in the number of people killed in auto accidents in the first quarter of 2023, compared to last year. During the first quarter of 2022, a total of 468 people were killed in car accidents in Georgia, and that number dropped to 410 fatalities this year. That was a significant 3.7% drop. The fatality rate in Georgia dropped from 1.62 fatalities in 2022 to 1.36 deaths this year.

Published on: June 5, 2023

Sharp Increase in Fatal Slip and Fall Accidents Involving Seniors

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Over the past 2 decades, there has been a staggering increase in the number of fatal slip and fall accidents involving American seniors, with the rate doubling during this period of time.

Slip and fall accidents are a major cause of wrongful deaths and personal injury involving seniors, and in fact, according to some statistics, contribute to the highest number of wrongful deaths involving seniors every year. However, a new study shows exactly how alarming those risks are, and how dramatically those wrongful death rates have increased. The study by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University shows that in 1999, there were a total of 10,100 fatal slip and fall accidents involving American seniors above the age of 65. By the year 2020, that number increased to 36,500 fatal slip and fall accidents involving seniors.

That is a staggering increase, and seems to show that in spite of advancements in fall protection for seniors, these personal injuries are only increasing. The researchers say that there simply is not enough of a focus on slip and fall prevention involving senior citizens, and that is contributing to this increase. The study also shows that fatal slip and fall accident rates seem to have increased among all categories of seniors since 1999. Rates seem to have increased for both men and women. White male adults had the highest slip and fall death rate with as many as 78 deaths for 100,000 population in 2020. Fall-related death rates also rose for black, native American, Hispanic and Asian seniors.

Published on: May 15, 2023

Auto Accident Deaths in 2022 Remained High Compared to Pre-Pandemic levels

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released new statistics that show that the total number of people killed in car accidents in the United States dropped last year compared to the previous year. However, it may be too early to celebrate.

According to the latest statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 42,795 people were killed in auto accidents in the United States last year. That translated into a minute 0.3% drop from the previous year. In 2021, a total 42,939 people had been killed in auto accidents. However, the toll for 2022 still remains 18% higher than the figures in 2019.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls this a “national crisis of traffic safety” on our roads, and says that Americans need to do their part in helping reverse this rising trend of auto accident deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently conducted a comparison of the United States with at least 29 other industrialized countries and found disturbing results. The study found that the United States fares very poorly on traffic safety parameters, compared to other wealthy nations. In fact, most Western countries did not record dramatic rise in wrongful deaths in car accidents the way the United States did during the pandemic.

Published on: May 10, 2023

Could Poor Police Enforcement be Linked to Auto Accident Spike?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While there have been many theories for the disturbing rise in auto accident wrongful deaths across the country, one under examined factor is now under the scanner. Experts believe that a drop in police enforcement since just before the pandemic is possibly partly responsible for a spike in car accident deaths.

Car accident deaths in 2022 were as much as 18% higher than the numbers in 2019. They have continued to increase, spiking even during the pandemic when vehicular traffic volumes were at all time lows. During a time when American roads should have been safest, they were actually even more dangerous than before the pandemic with normal traffic volumes. This phenomenon was also uniquely American. Most Western countries did not report increases in car accident deaths during the pandemic. Many, in fact, actually saw a drop in car accident rates as a result of lockdowns and lower traffic volumes.

There have been a number of theories that have been espoused as reasons for the increase in car accident deaths in the United States. From an increase in speeding to larger volumes of distracted drivers, experts believe that a combination of factors has led to a spike in the number of people being killed in car accidents. However, one particular factor has not received a lot of attention and NPR recently addressed this. The report by NPR says that a drop in police enforcement across the country is at least partly responsible for the spike in car accident deaths.

Published on: April 20, 2023

How Auto Accidents can Cause Complications for Pregnant Women

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Traumatic personal injuries can be devastating for pregnant women, and auto accidents are some of the leading causes of these types of injuries involving pregnant women. A new study finds that even a minor car accident can significantly raise the risk of complications for an expectant mother.

The results of a new Taiwanese study were published in the journal Injury Prevention recently. The researchers analyzed auto accident injury data involving more than 20,000 pregnant women over a 10 year period, and found that women who suffered even minor injuries in an auto accident while pregnant suffered significantly increased risks of complications, including placental disruption and excessive bleeding. Many of these women were at a much higher risk of requiring emergency C-sections.

Based on the data, the researchers believe that women who have been involved in a car accident during pregnancy are more than 50% likely to experience a placental disruption and more than 30% likely to suffer from prolonged contractions. They also had a risk of excessive bleeding that was 19% higher and a 5% higher risk of C-sections. Women who suffered even minor injuries were found to have an even higher risk of complications. For example, among women who had suffered even minor personal injuries in a car accident, there was a 70% higher risk of placental disruption and 54% higher risk of induced labor.

Published on: February 8, 2023

Feds to Probe Abuse of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The federal administration has announced that it will soon launch an investigation of the wrongful use or overuse of antipsychotic drugs on patients in nursing homes.

The administration has long been investigating the misuse of antipsychotic sedatives, including those that are typically prescribed for nursing home patients who do not require these drugs at all. In too many cases, investigators have found nursing homes wrongly classifying certain patients as schizophrenic so that they may be prescribed antipsychotic sedative drugs. The administration has also found several nursing homes engaging in these practices and wants to understand whether these practices are widespread in the industry. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services believes that the problem is a prevalent one, and that its scope has not been fully investigated. Therefore, it has now announced that it will soon launch an investigation of such practices in the nursing home industry.

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that is characterized by symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms. Antipsychotic drugs are often used to treat patients with schizophrenia. Side effects of these medications can include death. It is estimated that less than 1% of the American population suffers from schizophrenia. However, more than 99 nursing homes classify as many as 20% of their patients with schizophrenia. That is a disproportionately large percentage of nursing home residents who are being diagnosed with this condition, relative to the American population with schizophrenia. In other words, the math simply does not add up here.

Published on: January 30, 2023

Car Accident Wrongful Deaths Drop Slightly in First 9 Months of 2022

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Statistics seem to show a slight drop in the number of people killed in car accidents across the country during the first 9 months of 2022, compared to the same period of time the previous year. However, the number of people killed in pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents increased over the same period of time.

New statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show a very slight drop in auto accident fatalities in the first 9 months of last year, compared to the same period of time in 2019. A total of 31,785 people were killed in car accidents between January and September 2022, compared to the previous year. That was a 0.2% drop. The bad news, however, is that bicycle accident and pedestrian accident wrongful deaths continued to rise over the first 9 months of 2022 as they have for several years now.

Car accident deaths across the country and in Georgia have been at elevated levels since 2020 when the pandemic struck and lock downs were imposed. In spite of a drop in traffic volumes with few people driving on the streets, the number of auto accidents began to spike, confounding experts. Since then, we have learned that auto accident numbers began to rise in 2020 because of reckless driving behaviors, including speeding. With lower traffic volumes on the road, motorists became much more comfortable driving at high speeds, and those behaviors have continued since then. Additionally, the lack of enforcement campaigns during this time also meant more numbers of people driving without wearing their seatbelts or driving under the influence of alcohol, contributing to those high statistics.

Published on: January 23, 2023

Majority of Motorists, Pedestrians Concerned about Auto Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Fears for personal safety are widespread among motorists and pedestrians, a majority of whom in a recent survey admitted that they were very concerned about their risks of being involved in an auto accident while traveling.

The results of the survey revealed that as many as 83% of motorists and 78% of pedestrians are concerned about their risks of being involved in an auto accident while on the road. Auto safety is definitely a priority and a major concern for most American motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Respondents in the survey opined that safe transport should be the top most transportation safety concern for authorities, and should be given more importance than efficient commutes, sustainable transport and other initiatives.

Those fears for safety are not entirely unfounded. Americans have been treated to a variety of disquieting news articles about declining safety standards and increasing car accident deaths across the country over the past few months. In 2021, for instance, there were more than 42,000 car accident wrongful deaths recorded across the country, the highest number on record in 16 years. The number of pedestrians killed in car accidents increased by close to 12% between 2019 and 2021, and there were close to 7,500 wrongful deaths in these auto accidents last year.