[Short and long-term survival in fatal street traffic accidents]

Only persons who die within 30 days after an accident are primarily considered accident fatalities. This arbitrary deadline has considerable legal consequences, especially for health insurance companies. Advances in the immediate and optimal treatment for persons injured in traffic accidents at the site of the accident, as well as improvement in surgical techniques, have increased the number of fatalities, with the injured surviving for more than 30 days after the accident. An analysis of reports showed that about 5%-16% of deaths by accident survived the fatal accident for more than 30 days, so the arbitrary deadline of 30 days clearly needs to be revised.