BC personal injury lawyers have noted an alarming increase in the number of vehicle collisions – including fatal accidents – since speed limits were raised on a number of highways throughout the province in 2014.
Many are calling for speed limits to be rolled back in light of new research which shows that fatal collisions have more than doubled on those stretches of highway.
Did You Know There was a Recent Speed Limit Hike in British Columbia?
In 2014 the BC government raised the speed limit on sections of multi-lane highways throughout the province. A total stretch of 1,300 kilometers of highways in BC were impacted by the change, mostly in rural and remote areas. For example, the speed limit on the Coquihalla was increased from 110 km/h to 120 km/h. Within a couple years, the BC government found that accident rates increased in 14 of the 33 sections of highway with raised speed limits. In fact, early statistics showed that motor vehicle accidents went up 11% along those sections of highway. In response, the province rolled back the speed limit along just two of the 33 sections of highway in 2016 (Highway 1 from Hope to Cache Creek was returned to 90 km/h from 100 km/h and Highway 5A from Princeton to Merritt was returned to 80 km/h from 90 km/h).
Increased Claims for Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
Lawyers in BC took the position in the years immediately following the changes that there were significant safety concerns as a result of the increased speed limits. Despite clear early indications that increasing the speed limits resulted in an increase in personal injury claims and fatalities, the BC government opted to try engineering strategies and better signage to reduce collisions. New data shows that those measures have not quelled the accident rate and demonstrates just how serious the safety concerns are: since the speed limit increases, the number of fatal accidents has gone up by 118%, ICBC personal injury claims have gone up by 30%, and the total number of insurance claims went up by 43%. That was after adjusting for confounding factors like a general increase in traffic volumes and controlling for other factors such as distracted driving and road conditions.
A Wrongful Death Lawyer Can Help Obtain Compensation for Family Members Under the Family Compensation Act
Most BC residents are aware that they can claim for compensation if they sustain personal injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Many retain personal injury lawyers to represent them, protect their rights, and to help build their claim. It is a lesser known fact that certain family members can claim compensation under BC’s Family Compensation Act if their loved one is killed in a motor vehicle accident caused by another person's carelessness, negligence, recklessness or wrongdoing. Wrongful death lawyers at Bronson Jones & Company LLP can help the spouse, children, and parents of a person killed in a motor vehicle accident to secure financial compensation. Wrongful death claims can include damages for loss of love, guidance, and affection (for children of the deceased only); loss of services that would otherwise have been rendered by the deceased to the remaining family members; loss of financial support to the remaining family members as a result of the death; and loss of inheritance.
Legal Guidance & More: Wrongful Death Claims
Bronson Jones & Company has wrongful death lawyers in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster and Surrey who deal specifically with these types of cases. Our firm has an extensive history in representing spouses, children, and parents to secure compensation to accommodate for the pain, suffering and financial loss which result from the death of a loved one. We can help you understand your legal rights, help you build a successful case, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us now at 1-855-852-5100 to arrange a free initial consultation with one of our wrongful death lawyers. All of our cases are handled on a contingency (percentage) basis and you don’t pay until we collect.