Why You Need A Pre-Screened Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer
Updated: Aug 18
Get To Know The Reason Why To Hire A Top Rated Personal Injury Attorneys In Los Angeles
Although claiming fault in a Los Angeles car accident can seem to be a simple task, the fact is that the insurance provider would need a substantial amount of supporting evidence before paying you for your damages. It's important to note that an insurance provider isn't looking out for your best interests and will scrutinize your claim in order to reduce their financial risk. A California Attorney For Personal Injury will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of your accident and assist you in putting together a solid case that will increase your chances of success.
After years of steady declines in traffic fatalities and auto injuries, the state of California saw a troubling reversal in 2014, with a spike in traffic fatalities. The increase seems minor (from 3,000 in 2013 to 3,074 in 2014), but it was surprising considering the focus on safe driving and the state's crackdown on distracted driving. Bakersfield was not spared, with 35 traffic deaths in 2014, the highest number since 2006.
For many reasons, the overall incidence of distracted driving incidents is particularly intriguing. For starters, younger drivers are involved in significantly more traffic accidents than older drivers. Young adults are often more likely to text while driving and to be distracted by their cell phones. This high-risk driving behavior is almost certainly a factor.
Accidents Caused by Distracted Driving
As previously mentioned, anti-texting and anti-driving campaigns have flooded the airwaves in recent years, and rightly so. Almost 80% of car accidents in California are caused by some kind of driver distraction. While texting is the most well-known form of distracted driving, there are a variety of other activities that drivers engage in behind the wheel that divert their attention away from the road, including:
Making a phone call
Eating
Grooming (for example: applying makeup, brushing hair, etc.)
Reading
Reaching for something
Talking to passengers
Playing with the radio
Distracted driving is described as something that takes your hands off the wheel, your mind off the road, or your eyes off the road. Since it does all three, texting and driving is a really poor combination. Drivers who text while driving take their eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, which is particularly dangerous on the highway. According to statistics, texting and driving are twice as risky as drinking and driving.
In order to curb this, California has enacted a slew of regulations in recent years to discourage distracted driving. California is one of the 14 states that prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving at all times, in addition to the headphones rule. Although the legislation had an initial positive effect, California has seen a steady increase in deaths due to distracted driving.
Accidents Involving Drunk Driving in California
Despite the fact that drinking and driving are no longer as prevalent as it was 10-20 years ago, there are still far too many incidents. The alarming rise in DUI accidents and arrests in Bakersfield is part of what prompted the city to install more cameras at stoplights. Last year, there were 135 traffic deaths in Bakersfield, which is the largest number in the last five years. DUIs with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of.08 or higher accounted for about a quarter of those. Alcohol-impaired deaths accounted for 29% of all fatalities in the state, a lower percentage than the national average of 31%.
Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 34 in the United States. Every day, thirty-two people in the United States die in a car accident involving alcohol. In 2007, alcohol was involved in 37.5 percent of all traffic deaths in California. In 2007, there were 30,783 non-fatal alcohol-related car accidents in California, accounting for 11.5 percent of all car accidents. Following an eight-year upward trend, California's alcohol-related traffic deaths fell by 6.8% in 2007.
In 2008, California had the second-highest total number of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the nation, with Orange County accounting for a large number of these drunk driving incidents. Despite the fact that California did not lead the country in terms of alcohol-related traffic injury deaths, its 37.5 percent was higher than the national average of 32 percent in 2007. Thirty percent of Americans would be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some stage in their lives, so knowing how to spot drunk drivers and what to do if you suspect anyone of driving while intoxicated is critical.
Car Accidents: The Most Common Causes
Los Angeles Car accidents are not only continuing to occur but are actually growing in number and severity as cars incorporate more safety features and accident-avoidance technologies. Los Angeles has the highest rate of injury-causing or fatal incidents in the nation, with the number of fatalities up more than 55 percent since 2016.
Distracted driving is one of the main reasons why the number of car accidents is increasing across the country. Even as more drivers switch to hands-free mobile phone setups in their vehicles, many modern cars now have touch-screen screens that compete with typical driving distractions like the radio, eating a snack, or looking back at the kids in the backseat for drivers' minimal attention.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pointed to broader demographic shifts as one of the reasons why accidents are becoming more common. Over the last decade, the number of motorists aged 65 and up has grown by 30%.
Finally, according to an NHTSA study, human decisions trigger 94 percent of serious accidents in the United States. From drunk driving to speeding, the person behind the wheel is to blame for the vast majority of car accidents, rather than external, non-human factors like road conditions or vehicle failure.
Los Angeles Car Accidents have Medical Consequences
Every year, more than 3 million Americans are injured in automobile crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The severity and extent of such injuries can range from minor scrapes and cuts to severe head and spine injuries that can be devastating to the victim. Despite all of the advances in vehicle safety, the number of car accident accidents continues to rise.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries suffered by Los Angeles car accident victims. When a vehicle collides with another at any speed, the force that the vehicle cannot withstand is passed to the passengers. This can result in a rapid forward push, stretching connective tissues and muscles all over the body. This form of impact damage is particularly dangerous to the neck and upper back.
At the scene, not all injuries are instantly visible. When most people are shocked and stressed by accident, their bodies start pumping adrenaline. For days, weeks, or months after the initial collision, this may mask discomfort or internal injuries. Many people are able to walk away from a serious injury, only to discover that their back pain is intolerable later.
Car Accidents Cause Financial Damage
Car accidents have a staggering financial impact. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic accidents cost Americans a total of $871 billion in 2014, with $594 billion of that coming from the "loss of life, suffering, and reduced quality of life" caused by automobile accidents. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also stated that car accident victims account for about 26% of all motor vehicle collision costs.
Isn't this why we have auto insurance? Both yes and no. It's important to keep in mind that insurers profit from premiums while losing money on payouts and settlements. As a result, they want to optimize the former while that the latter. This suggests that most insurers representing the insured actively operate against most auto accident victims seeking compensation. As a result, adjusters either propose fast settlements below full compensation or seek to gather facts limiting their driver's fault.
Consider this if you need a justification to hire a Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney In Los Angeles: as a car accident survivor, you are entitled to full compensation for your injuries and belongings. You may not be able to get the compensation on your own if you go up against insurance companies.
Types of Car Accidents in California
Any form of a car accident can result in personal injury or even death to the occupants of the vehicle. The following are some of the most common forms of automobile accidents that necessitate the services of a Personal Injury Lawyer.
Multi-Car. A "multi-car" crash is one in which there are more than two cars involved. Almost all accidents can result in multiple vehicles being involved. A rear-end collision, for example, might drive the forward car into the car in front of them. Collisions involving multiple vehicles can be complicated.
Rear-End. One of the most common forms of automobile collisions. From behind, another vehicle collides with yours. Many rear-end collisions are caused by a forward vehicle stopping too quickly and the following vehicle not having enough room to brake.
Head-On Collision. This is an accident in which two cars collide in front of each other. Since this is rare to occur on divided highways, it is more likely to occur on two-lane streets or freeways. Intersections are another popular location for head-on collisions.
Side-Impact. These collisions are most common at intersections or on freeways where one car is changing lanes or turning. When making a left-hand turn at a light, the turning vehicle is often struck by another vehicle passing through the intersection.
Side-Swipe. If one vehicle collides with another going in the same direction, an accident occurs. On freeways, side-swipe collisions are most common, where one car tries to change lanes and collides with another vehicle in the lane next to them.
Hit-and-Run. A hit-and-run collision occurs when one of the parties exits the scene without sharing details or communicating with the authorities. Drivers involved in a crash that affects any vehicle must stop at a near distance under California law.
If you were injured in a Los Angeles car accident, the following should be your top priorities:
Getting the best medical treatment available to help you recover from your injuries.
Recovering an adequate sum of money to compensate you for your injuries, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Your physicians and Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer are in charge of representing you and assisting you in achieving these objectives. Following an accident, we suggest that you do the following:
See a doctor. A car accident that goes undiagnosed and untreated has the potential to become long-term or permanent. As a result, you must see a doctor as soon as possible after your accident. The earlier you see a doctor, the better chance he has of assessing and diagnosing your injuries and preventing further damage. Taking this action as soon as possible after the accident serves the dual function of persuading a jury that your injuries were caused by the accident, thereby enhancing the outcome of your legal proceedings.