In Alaska, unintentional injury is the third leading cause of death. In a state famed for its cold temperatures and wildlife, perhaps this is to be expected. However, a significant percentage of these deaths are not from exposure or related issues: instead, traffic crashes were responsible for 5330 injuries and 64 deaths in Alaska during 2009 alone. If you are one of the many who has been involved or injured in an automobile accident, you may need to hire a personal injury lawyer or vehicle accident attorney. This is often the best way to claim any personal injury insurance payments you may be owed in a state where vehicle accidents are so common.
Automobile accidents are a persistent problem across the United States as a whole. In 2008, around two pedestrians died in vehicle crashes per 100,000 people, and one pedestrian death occurred in a crash for every 70 million miles walked. These numbers, of course, say nothing of the drivers and passengers who were killed or injured in the same accidents.
Regardless, in Alaska, one of the least populous states in the Nation, the rates of vehicle accidents are much higher. In 2010, for example, 4,280 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in Alaska, and an estimated 70,000 were injured. Likewise, the year before, there were 34,552 persons involved in Alaskan traffic crashes, of which 95% were the occupants of automobiles, trucks, or buses, and over 1,700 were pedestrians.
There are a number of reasons for this high number of traffic accidents, which went as high as 261 traffic crashes per 100 million miles traveled in Alaska in 2009. One of these causes is most likely the state's high level of alcohol abuse: in 2002, an estimated 8.3 persons per 1,000 were arrested for DUI or DWI offenses, and in 2007, 25 people were killed in Alaska in accidents where at least one driver had a BAC 0.08% or above. Of course, there are most certainly other causes for these accidents, including weather conditions and other common driving problems. However, if you have been injured in a car accident, it is important that you contact an auto accident attorney in your area. If you wish to receive a personal injury insurance payment, contact a personal injury law firm that specializes in automobile accidents today.