Like virtually every aspect of life in America, the rate of deaths for people who have died in car accidents differs wildly by race. This is true across the country, including in Maryland and Washington D.C.
Death rate by race
It is no secret that African-Americans and Hispanics have poorer health outcomes across a variety of metrics. Unfortunately, this disparity also occurs in car accident death rates. Before 2020, the rates of death and serious injury experienced in car accidents were known to be higher among African-Americans.
This is thought to be for a variety of reasons, including:
- Pre-existing health conditions that make surviving a major accident less likel
- Lower quality health facilities that are available in the event of an accident
- Lower-quality or older cars that lack the safety features owned by many higher-income Americans
These trends have gotten worse
Whatever the reason, as time goes on, these trends continue to get worse, and the passage of time seems to be further exacerbating already existing inequities in America. This is happening across a wide variety of areas, and it includes death rates and fatal car accidents.
According to available information, African-Americans are more likely to die in accidents than white Americans. Indeed, the number of African-Americans who died in car accidents increased 23% from March 2020.
In many cases, these car accidents result in long-term disabilities or enhanced costs for you and your family. If you have been the victim of an accident and believe that the other party has legal culpability, you may want to contact an attorney in order to explore your legal options.