According to a report from the National Safety Council, the recent Christmas and New Year’s holiday weekends may have ended in tragedy for some families.
The Council estimated that across the country, over 700 people would lose their lives in holiday motor vehicle accidents. More precisely, the Council estimated 345 deaths during the Christmas weekend and 375 deaths over New Year’s weekend.
While the report did not mention it, there were certainly other accidents during these times which left people suffering from serious injuries.
The Council indicated that impaired driving remains a serious problem during these two holidays. Over Christmas, the Council estimated that over 35% of the fatalities would be due to impaired driving. Over New Year’s, the number would be closer to 40%.
The report noted that authorities are working hard to keep drunk and drugged drivers off the roads. Still, operating under the influence continues to be a problem, especially during holidays when people like to relax and have a good time.
However, drugs and alcohol are not the only causes of motor vehicle accidents over the holidays. During this time, motorists also tend to drive while they are distracted or while they are just too exhausted to operate a vehicle safely.
Memphis-area residents involved in a holiday accident may have legal options
There are probably some people in western Tennessee whose holiday celebrations got cut short unexpectedly because of a motor vehicle accident that was not their fault.
They could be spending the first part of this new year trying to heal, manage their own pain and deal with the emotional fallout from a serious accident.
Of course, recovery from a car accident also costs money. A victim could have medical bills and may have had to miss work.
If an impaired or distracted driver was responsible for their injuries, victims may have legal options for recovering compensation from the responsible driver.