Official estimates report that off-road backover accidents cause:
Backovers that take place on public roads account for an additional:
Combined, the two scenarios total as many as 292 fatalities and some 18,000 injuries per year that are attributable to backover accidents nationwide.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
How many times have you picked up a newspaper or turned on the evening news broadcast only to learn the sad fact that a child had been seriously injured or killed in a backover accident? Just as its name implies, a backover accident occurs when the driver of a vehicle backs into someone – often, a person on foot or on a bicycle. These crashes typically occur at low speeds and frequently happen when a vehicle is trying to exit a driveway or a parking space. Research has found that, because they are higher off the ground and tend to have larger blind areas, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are more likely to be involved in backover accidents than are cars.
The Boston car accident attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers have extensive experience handling a wide range of cases in which people suffer injuries or deaths due to vehicle accidents, including those involving backovers. Our lawyers understand how devastating backover crashes can be simply because a large percentage of victims are children. In many instances, the driver of the vehicle is a relative or close family friend. Those factors can lead to traumatic and extremely upsetting circumstances for everyone who is touched by an accident. The Boston, Massachusetts car accident lawyers at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are respected professionals who balance caring attention with comprehensive legal know-how and assertive representation.
Tracking the number of backover accidents that occur is a challenging task because most crashes of that type do not happen on roads or highways. At the urging of Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an effort in 2009 to document deaths and injuries attributable to accidents that take place off the nation’s roadways. Indeed, the NHTSA estimates that two-thirds of the injuries caused by the roughly 292 yearly backovers happen in parking lots or in driveways. About four in 10 of the fatalities caused by backovers are thought to occur in those locales.
When it comes to backover accidents, the personal injury attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers join their fellow residents of Massachusetts and others nationwide in expressing concern about the safety of youngsters and elderly citizens. Those two age groups represent the largest percentages of victims of backover accidents. Among the 292 fatalities the NHTSA attributes to backovers, some 35% were children under the age of five. More than one in four fatalities involved individuals aged 70 or older. Nearly a third of the injuries caused by backover accidents happen to Americans in those early-childhood or older-adult age groups.
If you or someone you care about has been injured because of a backover accident, contact the Massachusetts car accident attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers. Our staff understands the special circumstances that can complicate backover occurrences. We know that family relationships or friendships can add complexities that don’t happen in typical auto accidents. Our knowledgeable lawyers are committed to serving you and your family members with the skill and sensitivity that these unique situations demand. Call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers at (617) 777-7777 or contact us online and schedule a free consultation to discuss the details of your backover accident with us. We’re ready to represent you and your loved ones during this difficult time.