Anyone living in the Houston area knows that traffic congestion and fender-benders are a fact of life. Our crowded roads often have more than their share of serious accidents. Traffic fatalities are a growing problem. When you need a car accident lawyer Houston is an area that has many firms. We encourage you to consider contacting the attorneys at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris to discuss your case.

Occupational Hazards involving Transportation on the Rise

In December 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its annual census of work-related fatalities in the United States for the 2016 calendar year. According to this report, 5,190 on-the-job fatalities happened in the the fifty states and the District of Columbia in 2016. An increase of more than seven percent over the previous year, the number of US workplace fatalities surpassed 5,000 for the first time since 2008. In Texas, the number of occupational fatalities grew from 527 in 2015 to 545 in 2016.

Not surprisingly, work-related fatalities resulting from transportation incidents once again led the way. Forty percent (2,083) of those who perished in work-related fatalities were killed during a vehicle accident or other transportation-related event. Truckers, delivery drivers, and salespersons traveling on the roads accounted for 918 of these deaths while on the clock. Fatalities among those directly employed in transportation and material moving occupations in the US rose by seven percent to 1,388, the highest number since 2007. This represents more than one-quarter of all work-related fatalities in 2016.

Why Is This a Concern?

Accidents continue to increase. As we face gridlock and our roads deteriorate from lack of maintenance, managers often insist that their employees who drive along our highways and byways deliver things faster. Whether it’s the pizza delivery driver running a red light to get the food to the customer before it cools or a long-distance trucker trying to squeeze a few extra miles into their workday, people suffer–and sometimes perish–when mistakes are made on the road.

The report claims that drug and alcohol overdoses while working increased by 32 percent in 2016, continuing a trend of at least a 25 percent annual increase in work-related fatalities each year since 2012. Workers 55 years of age and older made up 36 percent of work-related fatalities (1,848 deaths), the largest proportion of any age group in 2016. While not all of these deaths involved motor vehicles, these numbers do raise concerns.

Contact Us Today

If you or a loved one is involved in a car accident, you know the pain, suffering, and difficulties that may follow this unfortunate incident. Please contact us to talk to a car accident lawyer Houston residents know will get results.