Getting into a car accident can especially be risky for an elderly person. The injuries that they suffer in the crash can be more severe than those that would’ve been suffered by someone who was younger at the time. All other factors of the crash could be exactly the same, but this makes it more likely that elderly individuals are going to have life-altering injuries or even pass away from those injuries.
But what is the reason for this? Some people look at accident stats and see that the fatality rate tends to decline over time. It is highest for those who are from 16 to 19 years old, and then it declines as these drivers age. By the time they reach middle age, they have much lower fatal crash rates than they did when they were teens.
However, for those who are 75 years old and older, the fatal accident rate increases once again. Some have taken this to suggest that elderly drivers slowly become worse drivers. Perhaps they have trouble with their vision or they lose physical skills and can’t control the vehicle. This certainly may happen in specific cases, but it seems that something else is happening overall.
Increased frailty
The problem is simply that these elderly drivers are more likely to have underlying health conditions and they may be more frail overall. This means that the ramifications of getting into an accident are just going to be more severe.
You can see this in other areas, as well. If a teenager gets involved in a trip-and-fall accident, they could suffer serious injuries, but odds are that they’re going to be fine. If a 75-year-old gets involved in a trip-and-fall accident, they could suffer serious injuries and it may even be fatal. The same basic premise also applies to car accidents just because of the physiology of the individuals involved.
If you have suffered serious injuries yourself or if you’ve lost a loved one in a crash, be sure you know about all the legal options you have to seek financial compensation.
