The 2020 holiday season is unlike any we’ve ever experienced. COVID-19 rates continue to rise, with increasing positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Currently, the United States is rapidly hurtling toward 300,000 deaths from COVID-19.
That staggering number might lead you to believe that holiday travel would grind to a halt this year. Wrong.
Travel – While Down – Is Still Abundant
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is strongly recommending that people avoid traveling for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s, and celebrate at home. The CDC made those same recommendations for Thanksgiving as well, but that didn’t stop many people from traveling anyway. Nearly 3 million people traveled over three days, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says, meaning there were quite a few people packed into airports and on planes.
On the roads, AAA estimated that 47.8 million people would drive over the Thanksgiving holiday, which is about 4% down from 2019 but still accounting for 95% of all Thanksgiving travel in 2020. And when there are that many people on the roads, there are that many more car accidents.
Multiple Fatal Car Accidents During Thanksgiving
To illustrate that point, one only had to watch the news in Maryland or Virginia the day after Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving night, just before 8:00, a man in a pickup truck ran a red light and caused a six-car accident in Richmond that killed two. Police arrested the man they believe is responsible for the tragic crash and have charged him with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
That same night, only about 90 minutes earlier, a three-car crash in Denton, along Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Caroline County, killed a one-year-old child. Even during a pandemic, there are still enough people on the road to make things dangerous when travel is down.
And that’s not even factoring in the inclement weather we typically see along the eastern seaboard during the late fall and winter months. Whether it’s rain, ice, or snow, wintry conditions add that much more danger to the equation when it comes to driving–even if there are fewer cars on the road this winter. And those conditions often lead to car accidents that result in injuries.
What You Should Do If You’re in a Car Accident
The first–and most important–thing you must do is get medical attention. Even if it’s a fender bender, but you feel like you could be injured, call 911 and get checked out by an EMT on the scene or go to the closest emergency room for an evaluation. We’ve seen plenty of cases where underlying injuries, such as Traumatic Brain Injuries, show up later, and by then, it could be too late to do anything about it.
Do NOT, under any circumstances, speak with the at-fault driver’s insurance company until you have consulted with one of the highly skilled car accident attorneys at The Lapidus Law Firm.
Holiday Travel and Car Accidents
We at The Lapidus Law Firm wish you the safest and happiest of holiday seasons. If, however, you or a loved one should find yourself involved in a car accident (through no fault of your own) around the holidays, don’t hesitate to call the experts at The Lapidus Law Firm to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll go over the details of your accident and work hard to get you a fair and reasonable settlement. Our dedicated car accident attorneys are ready to serve you during the holidays and beyond. We’re making justice work for you.
Written by Personal Injury Lawyer Larry Lapidus