Fatal accident statistics look at Memorial Day in Missouri

Holiday weekends in Missouri mean there will be more people on the road, more people taking part in various recreational activities and more traffic overall. This increase can result in more accidents. Some of these can be so severe that they result in a fatal accident. Statistics are maintained to assess the accidents, determine their cause and to try and find ways to improve safety. Comparing one year to the previous one is also useful. For those who have been injured or lost a loved one, this information can also be important when considering a wrongful death legal filing to be compensated.

During this past Memorial Day weekend, there were nine deaths. In 2017, there were also nine fatalities. The statistics began on Friday at 6 p.m. and ended at 11:59 p.m. the following Monday – Memorial Day. Overall, there were 124 people injured and eight deaths in 294 total motor vehicle accidents. In 2017, there were 345 accidents. 128 people were injured and nine died. A concern in any accident is whether there was alcohol or drugs involved. For 2018, there were 102 drug charges and 121 DWIs. The year before, it was 125 for drugs and 107 for DWI.

People often engage in activities on boats during holiday weekends. Fortunately, in 2018, there were no fatalities. However, there were 10 people injured in 12 boat accidents. There were no drownings reported. There were also 29 people were arrested for using drugs while boating and 16 for boating while intoxicated. In 2017, there were no deaths while boating. 14 accidents occurred and seven people were hurt. 20 faced BWI charges and six people were arrested for drugs.

Memorial Day is considered the beginning of summer and people will spend a great deal of time outdoors and partaking in various activities. Getting to those places often requires driving. While there, people will spend time boating. In other activities, people will be drinking and use drugs. This combination can result in accidents with injuries and death. Those who have been in an accident or suffered the loss of a loved one in a fatal accident must be aware of the statistics, the causes and how to move forward with a legal filing for compensation. An attorney will understand the statistics and other factors in a fatal accident and help with moving forward with a wrongful death lawsuit.