If you get frustrated at the amount of traffic this time of year, you aren’t alone. There are always more cars on the road during the holiday season, and more cars often means more accidents. According to Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish, “December and January are some of the most dangerous months for drivers”. Not only are there more people who are out shopping for the holidays, there are more people taking friends and family out for meals as well as more workers on the road because of longer shifts needed at work.
Accidents Before Christmas
Having a car accident is bad enough but having one during the holidays can be devastating to families. In one recent car accident, a young mother was working extra shifts in order to buy this year’s Christmas present for her two kids when she was struck by a pickup truck. The accident has not only left her dead, but it caused injuries to the other driver and passenger. And because the mother was a nurse at the nearby hospital, the community now has one fewer medical professional. Christmas accidents are especially hard to cope with, as they come at a time when families want to spend time together and are looking forward to the holiday festivities.
Parking Lot Accidents
Traffic around commercial centers is especially congested and dangerous at this time of year. Parking lots in particular are known for being the scene of many accidents when shopping is at its peak. With so many vehicles traveling through parking lots, it’s easy to see why there would be both minor and major incidents happening between the cars and trucks. However, the issue of parking lot accidents is often more complicated than road accidents such as the one the young mother was in.
In parking lots, police often don’t intervene and take information because the accident has happened on private property. It’s generally up to the parties involved to either settle or to file one or more civil suits to be compensated for the damage and/or injuries. During the holidays, lawsuits may be the last thing families want to think about, but if it doesn’t get started relatively quickly, the filer may find that the statute of limitations has already passed them by.
