Our Pittsburgh Personal Injury Attorneys Reveal: Local Personal Injury Statistics in Pennsylvania
At Hal Waldman and Associates, we regularly help clients handle cases for a range of personal injury claims. If you’ve never experienced a personal injury scenario, you may falsely believe that these claims are rare. Unfortunately, personal injury claims in Pennsylvania may be more common than you think.
We’ve created this guide to raise awareness about the frequency of different types of personal injury cases in Pennsylvania. Read on to learn these surprising statistics, then contact our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys to learn more about our personal injury representation services.
What Is a Personal Injury Case?
A personal injury case is a legal dispute where one person suffers an accident or injury due to another person’s negligence. These cases can range from car accidents in which one driver is solely at fault to slips and falls in which a business owner fails to create a safe environment for customers.
In most personal injury cases, the victim seeks compensation from the responsible party. Often, this compensation process begins with an insurance claim in which the victim seeks funds from the negligent party’s insurance company.
However, personal injury cases often escalate to legal battles where the victim sues the at-fault party or their insurance company for additional compensation.
Common Personal Injury Accidents in Pennsylvania
Some types of personal injury cases are more common than others in western Pennsylvania. Here are the most common types of these accidents in the state:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice claims
- Product liability claims
- Wrongful death cases
- Dog bites
- Workplace accidents
Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation releases a Crash Facts & Statistics guide each year to detail the number, severity, and types of traffic accidents from the previous year. This guide provides valuable insight to help you understand your own risk of experiencing a car accident.
Here are a few significant statistics from the 2020 edition of this guide:
- In 2020, there were 104,475 traffic accidents in Pennsylvania. This 2020 total is the lowest total since 1950.
- Car accidents claimed the lives of 1,129 people in Pennsylvania in 2020.
- Sixty-one thousand two hundred forty-eight people were injured in Pennsylvania car accidents in 2020.
- Around 286 reportable car accidents occurred each day — equaling about 12 per hour.
- Every day, around 168 people were injured in vehicle accidents across Pennsylvania.
- Around 1 out of every 57 Pennsylvania residents was involved in a car accident in 2020.
While the overall accident total in 2020 was the lowest in 70 years, accidents are still a significant source of personal injuries and wrongful death in Pennsylvania.
Accidents By Type
The Crash Facts & Statistics guide also breaks down the types of car accidents that occur in Pennsylvania each year, allowing you to understand which accidents occur most frequently.
Notably, the most common type of accident in 2020 involved a single vehicle hitting a fixed object, such as a guard rail, tree, or light post. This type of accident resulted in 31,998 crashes and claimed 395 lives.
The second most common accident type in 2020 was angle collision, in which one car strikes another at an angle between 90 and 180 degrees. Approximately 28,644 of these accidents occurred in 2020, claiming 269 lives.
Accidents by Day of the Week
In 2020, car accidents in Pennsylvania occurred relatively proportionally throughout the week. However, slightly more accidents occurred on Wednesdays and Fridays than on other days.
Notably, the number of car accident fatalities was highest on Saturdays and Sundays, even though Sunday was the day with the least number of crashes. More accidents may have happened on the weekend days because of alcohol use.
Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
Slip and fall accidents occur when a property owner fails to create a safe environment for customers or visitors, leading someone to slip, trip, or otherwise lose their balance and fall. Often, these accidents occur on slippery floors with no “wet floor” signs. They may also occur when the carpet or flooring is not secure.
The National Safety Council releases statistics each year about the number of preventable injuries and fatalities that occur in each state. In 2020, falls accounted for 16.7 deaths per 100,000 people. In contrast, motor vehicle accidents accounted for only 9.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
While falls often occur in people’s homes or on public property, many of these preventable incidents occur in businesses.
Fatal Workplace Injuries In Pennsylvania
Personal injury lawsuits can also encompass wrongful death cases — in which a person’s negligence results in another person’s death. Typically, in these cases, a close family member of the victim sues the at-fault party to cover medical bills, funeral costs, and loss of companionship.
Unfortunately, workplace injuries are some of the top causes of wrongful deaths. Approximately 154 fatal work injuries occurred in Pennsylvania in 2019. Notably, this was the lowest fatal work injury total in the state in recent years.
How Our Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you have experienced an accident or injury due to another person’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation from the at-fault party. However, hiring a qualified personal injury attorney to assist you is essential.
At Hal Waldman and Associates, we have extensive experience helping Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, clients like you secure maximum compensation for their personal injuries. We can provide legal advice and guidance, help you file an insurance claim, represent you in court, and more.
Contact our attorney team today at 412-850-3142 to schedule your free consultation with our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys.