NEW JERSEY TRIAL LAWYERS LITIGATE FATAL ACCIDENT CASES
PURSUING FULL COMPENSATION FOR NEGLIGENCE LEADING TO WRONGFUL DEATH
Nothing reminds us of the fragile nature of life quite like an accidental death. If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal accident, you know the shock, bewilderment and recriminations that accompany the realization that a person you cherished is gone forever. But while accidental deaths are not common, it only takes one fatality — of someone we love — to make us act so a similar accident doesn’t claim anyone else. That determination to make our society safer is one of the motivations beyond wrongful death actions. At Pope Law, we’re committed to prosecuting wrongful death and personal injury cases to hold accountable any and all responsible parties. In that way, we benefit our clients and society as a whole by compelling changes that reduce incidents of accidental death.FREQUENT CAUSES OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN NEW JERSEY
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common causes of unintentional death in the United States are:- Motor vehicle accidents — The leading cause of accidental death, vehicle crashes accounted for 27.9 percent of unintentional fatalities in 2010. In 2012, there were 589 traffic fatalities in New Jersey, including 156 pedestrian deaths. Each year, New Jersey records more than 300 deaths of passenger vehicle occupants in car accidents and about 60 deaths in commercial truck accidents.
- Poisoning — This category, bolstered by illicit drug overdoses, also includes accidental poisoning from tainted food and household products, and accounted for 27.3 percent of 2010’s unintentional deaths.
- Falls — Construction site accidents and slip-and-falls figure into this category, which claimed 21.5 percent of unintentional deaths in 2010.
- Suffocation — This category accounts for 5.1 percent of deaths and includes infants who succumb to choke hazards from toys and baby furniture.
- Drowning — These deaths are largely due to alcohol consumption and unsafe operation of boats and other watercraft. In 2010, drowning deaths were 3.1 percent of the total.
- Fires — Industrial and residential fires often result from defective equipment, such as propane tanks and natural gas heaters. Building owners may be liable for wrongful death when their negligence caused the fire or prevented victims from escaping. In 2010, fires claimed 2.4 percent of victims.