CDOT Displays Weekly Traffic Death Total to Honor Victims
Oct. 21, 2020
Have you noticed the tragic numbers illuminated over Colorado’s Interstates and roadways displaying year-to-date death totals caused by motor vehicle accidents? This is part of a new campaign initiated by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), known as the Wednesday Memorial, and its aim is to increase awareness of traffic-related deaths and, ideally, start reducing the preventable deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes. As part of this campaign, every Wednesday, CDOT will post its weekly tally of the yearly total of traffic fatalities that have occurred in Colorado in 2016.
Colorado’s Roads: The Sites of Too Many Deaths
CDOT’s new Wednesday Memorial reportedly emerged due to the increase in traffic fatalities throughout the state. In fact, 2015 saw a spike in traffic-related deaths – the highest recorded number of traffic-related deaths since 2008 (548 deaths) – with a total of 545 deaths, which represents a 12 percent increase when compared to the data from 2014.
Causes of Colorado Roadway Deaths
While a number of factors are likely contributing to the increase of traffic-related deaths in Colorado, the following are just a few of the driver-related behaviors that officials have cited as likely playing a role in this troubling surge:
Drunk or drugged driving
Distracted driving (texting, emailing, rubbernecking, etc.)
Not buckling up (When people wear seatbelts, their risk of suffering a life-threatening injury in a traffic crash can be cut in half).
After a Fatal Auto Accident: Wrongful Death Representation
After the loss of a loved one, the last thing people may be considering is going to court. Pursuing a wrongful death claim, however, can help surviving loved ones hold a negligent party responsible while securing compensation for their tragic, permanent losses.
Although no amount of money can ever make up for losing a loved one, a wrongful death case can provide survivors with the compensation they may need to put their loved one to rest and/or to deal with their grief during these difficult times.
Wrongful Death Compensation: What They Typically Cover
Although compensation for wrongful death claims will vary from case to case (depending on the specifics of a given case), in general, the awards can include damages for (but not necessarily limited to):
Loss of consortium/companionship
Medical costs
Funeral and burial expenses
Lost wages
Mental suffering.
In some cases, punitive damages may also be available.
Contact a Denver Car Accident Lawyer at the Law Office of James H. Guest, LLC
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident – or if you have lost a loved one to a fatal traffic crash, contact a Denver Car Accident lawyer at the Law Office of James H. Guest, LLC for help with your financial recovery. Known for providing comprehensive legal representation to the victims of negligence, our attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients recover fair compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses.
Contact us by calling or by emailing us via the contact form. We offer free initial consultations, and there is no fee for our services if there is no recovery in your case.