Most Common Causes of Fatal Car & Truck Crashes

Some types of car accidents are deadlier than others. The faster the vehicles are going when they crash, often the more deadly the accident will be. Cars which spin out of control are likely to have impacts with multiple vehicles or objects, which increases the risk of a fatality. Cars that strike each other head-on are essentially traveling twice as fast as when they’re going in the same direction.

In addition to outside forces that cause a car to crumple like an accordion, forces and movement inside the vehicle can cause deadly car accidents. Drivers and passengers are more likely to die if they strike the dashboard, if they’re stabbed or sliced by any breaking glass, or if they collide with other people in the vehicle. In some cases, product malfunctions such as defective airbags can cause drivers and passengers to die.

If a car strikes a pedestrian or a bicycle rider, these individuals and riders are likely to be killed because the human body is simply no match for a car. Car occupants are at least protected by the metal in the front, back, sides, and top of the car. Pedestrians and bicycle riders are often lucky to survive a car accident.

Not all fatal injuries happen immediately upon impact

While some victims can die at the scene of a fatal car crash, other people may suffer with their injuries for a while before they die. Some of the common causes of accident-related fatalities include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Heart attacks
• Broken bones
• Internal bleeding
• Internal organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries
• Infections and other complications from surgeries

In Arizona, the families of anyone killed in a car accident are entitled to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the surviving family members for the loss of the love, companionship, and guidance the loved one would have provided; the income loss due to your loved one’s premature death, the funeral and medical bills, and other damages.

Fatal car accidents – Arizona state data

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were nearly 130,000 car crashes in 2019, and 911 of those crashes were fatal, resulting in the deaths of 982 people, 82 of whom were drivers under the age of 24. All told, Of the 911 fatal crashes:

• 234 were alcohol-related
• 556 occurred in urban areas
• 355 occurred in rural areas
• 321 involved just one vehicle
• 590 involved two or more vehicles

Factors leading to fatal car accidents

• Speeding (294)
• Lane departures (619)
• Not using a safety device (300)
• Failing to yield the right of way (83)
• Failing to keep in the proper lane. (63)
• Running a stop sign (22)
• Drug and/or alcohol use (278)

The worst month for fatal Arizona accidents was October. The worst day was Saturday. The worst hour was 7-8 pm.

At Plattner Verderame, P.C., our Phoenix car accident lawyers have been fighting for personal injury victims and their families for 30 years. We help families with the extremely difficult challenges of filing a wrongful death when a mother, father, son, daughter, or other family member is killed to the negligence of other drivers or due to product defects. Our lawyers have a strong track record of success settling and trying wrongful death cases. To discuss any car accident or any fatal accident, call us at 602.266.2002 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We maintain offices in Phoenix and Tempe to better serve you.