Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Near Me
We’ll tell you if you have a case or not, call (888) 488-1391 — We’re here 24 hours a day.
Our Los Angeles Car Accident Attorneys Near You Can Offer Clear Guidance For Your Legal Journey
Car accidents often cause severe stress and trauma for the involved parties. If you’re unsure of what to do next, consider speaking to a lawyer who can help explain your rights and options for pursuing compensation.
Our experienced Los Angeles car accident attorneys have handled many injury claims across California. They’re also near you, and they’re ready to help you learn more about what causes car accidents, the injuries you might have sustained, and what an attorney can do to protect your rights during the process of filing an insurance claim.
Our client was driving with his wife and son on a two-lane highway when a drunk driver crossed the double yellow lines, causing a head-on collision that claimed the life of a loving wife and mother.– Arash Khorsandi
Traffic In Los Angeles
As of 2019, Los Angeles has around 3.96 million residents, which makes it the second-largest city in the United States. It’s no surprise that traffic congestion in the city can be severe.
According to the 2020 Global Traffic Scorecard, the Hollywood (101) Freeway to the Harbor (110) Freeway and the San Diego (405) Freeway to the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway are among the most heavily traversed. Recent traffic research indicates that drivers in Los Angeles experience considerable delays as a result, placing the city among the most congested in the country.
Los Angeles Auto Accidents
Los Angeles continues to encounter major challenges related to traffic safety as part of its Vision Zero initiative. LAist reports that more than a hundred pedestrians are killed every year by drivers in Los Angeles. Even with the implementation of Vision Zero initiatives in 2015, Los Angeles has experienced an increase in traffic fatalities over the last decade. Traffic accidents in Los Angeles lead to a high number of injuries every year, with serious injuries consistently surpassing 1,500 annually in recent years.
So what can drivers in Los Angeles do to prevent accidents? Part of Project Vision Zero involves the identification of high-risk areas. The LA Department of Transportation has identified a “high injury network” of areas where pedestrian deaths are most likely to occur.
Los Angeles has recognized a High Injury Network of roads that experience a significantly higher number of traffic fatalities and serious injuries. As a result, Vision Zero safety initiatives are focused on these key routes. Drivers should check this map to find any areas that are on their common routes. Use caution in these areas and watch carefully for pedestrians.
Heavy Traffic
Traffic can pile up anywhere, but it is a recurring problem here in California, especially in large metro areas like Los Angeles. Drivers who are not prepared to handle heavy traffic can potentially cause accidents and injure other road users through their negligence. One of the most important skills a driver can utilize in heavy traffic is simply paying attention. Cars will engage in a lot of “stop and go” (or “slow and go”) movement, so it is important not to get distracted by a cell phone, passengers, or anything else that takes your attention away from the road ahead of you.
Another important skill to have in traffic is patience. Understandably, drivers will start to feel impatient after a lengthy wait in stopped traffic. Unfortunately, this impatience may lead some drivers to make dangerous moves, increasing the risk of injury to other road users. Do not make fast lane changes or tailgate other vehicles.
Please pay attention to your frustration and find another outlet for it. Perhaps you like to listen to calming music in the car. Perhaps comedy podcasts or radio stations keep you in a good mood. Whatever your outlet is, be sure that you do not take your frustration out on other drivers. Impatient driving can lead to injuries, criminal charges, or even death.
Wildfires
Wildfires can move quickly, which means that residents may have very little time to evacuate a dangerous area safely. It also means that roads can become closed or simply unsafe with little or no notice. It is important to make preparations to evacuate as soon as you become aware of a wildfire in your area. If you wait until an official evacuation order is issued, you might not have enough time.
Check for road closures and routes that have been affected by the wildfire. Do not waste time gathering household items. Take only the essentials and get out as quickly as possible. The more time you have, the better options you will have to get out of the fire’s path safely. When many cars are trying to evacuate quickly with closed routes due to fire, accidents can happen. Avoid this confusion by getting out of the path of danger as soon as possible.
Confusing Traffic Diversions
In situations involving construction zones, road closures, or other emergencies, drivers can become confused and cause accidents. This is especially common in busy downtown areas where there are one-way streets. Drivers should slow down and be patient. Follow posted signs and the directions of anyone who is directing traffic on the scene.
If you are not sure where to go, pull over and give yourself a moment to be certain it is safe to drive. Doing so also allows other drivers to go around you, preventing accidents from impatient drivers and showing you where other cars are going.
Flooding
On the opposite end of the natural disaster spectrum is flooding. Some areas of California can get huge amounts of rainfall in a relatively short time, which has caused dangerous flooding in the past. As with fire, it is important to give yourself as much time to evacuate as possible. Roads can be washed out quickly.
Your evacuation route may become impassable, so leave as soon as you can. As with other natural disasters, car accidents can occur when many people are trying to evacuate the same area all at once.
Mudslides
Flooding can, in turn, cause mudslides. Mudslides are common when there is a lot of rainfall in an area without trees, cement, and other infrastructure to absorb it. Rain meets with dirt to create a large amount of mud that has nowhere to go. Homeowners should keep a careful watch for potential mudslides in their areas.
If you purchase a home in a dangerous area, consider consulting with your homeowners’ insurance carrier to verify if mudslide damage is covered by your policy. Many California families have lost their homes to mudslides. You should also be sure that you have comprehensive auto insurance coverage to pay for any damage caused to your vehicle by a mudslide and liability coverage for accidents that can occur when evacuating a mudslide area.
Common Types Of Injuries Car Accident Victims Get
There are many different types of injuries that car accident victims sustain. The most common ones are:
- Cuts and bruises.
- Lacerations.
- Fractures and broken bones.
- Head and neck injuries.
- Whiplash.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
Common Types Of Car Accidents
There are many different ways in which a car accident can occur. The type of accident you are involved in will determine the types of injuries you sustain, which in turn will affect the amount of compensation you can pursue. Here are some of the most common types of car accidents and the injuries they may cause:
Rear-End Accidents
A rear-end accident involves a large amount of force from the back of the vehicle. These collisions often lead to whiplash: a neck injury caused when your neck is forced forward in a rear-end collision, cracking the neck like a whip. This motion can injure the spinal cord, the bony vertebrae, and the neck’s soft tissue. Mild whiplash cases sometimes resolve on their own with a few days of rest and over-the-counter painkillers.
More serious cases might require medical treatment. Whiplash can also lead to lasting neck pain, and some injury victims need physical therapy or chiropractic care to get relief from their pain. You may be entitled to compensation for the ongoing pain and suffering you endure due to lasting injuries.
Rollovers
Rollovers also generate a lot of force and thus cause serious injuries. As the vehicle rolls, it can have forceful impacts with the ground, again and again. This fact means that an injury victim can suffer multiple serious injuries to many different parts of the body in a single accident. An injury claim becomes far more complicated when there are multiple serious injuries involved.
Some of your injuries may be temporary, while others take longer to heal. Permanent injuries may leave you with ongoing pain and suffering as well as restrictions on the work you can perform and the wages you can earn. You might benefit from consulting with our car accident lawyers, who handle cases involving complicated injuries.
T-Bone Accidents
A T-bone accident occurs when one vehicle hits another directly on the side. Since the collision is not a glancing blow, the side of the vehicle that the other car hits absorbs the full force of the impact. This force can cause serious injuries to vehicle occupants riding on the side of the other vehicle that was struck. Broken bones, brain injuries, and crush injuries to the internal organs are possible in a T-bone accident. Passengers are also likely to suffer ongoing pain as they recover from these injuries.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions can cause extremely serious injuries. In many cases, vehicle occupants can suffer serious brain damage or even brain death. The force of the collision could damage their internal organs. Their limbs could require amputation due to irreparable crush injuries to the blood vessels, nerves, bones, or other tissues.
Speeding Accidents
Speeding also increases the risk of serious injuries and fatalities in an accident. In 2018, the National Safety Council reported that speeding played a role in 26% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States, resulting in about 24 fatalities each day due to speeding.
Speeding reduces the time a driver has to react to obstacles in the road. It also increases the distance required to stop the vehicle and reduces the protection provided by road safety structures (such as guardrails, physical median dividers, and concrete barriers). Since speeding is so dangerous, courts often deem drivers who are going above the speed limit or driving too fast for current road conditions (such as rain or snow) automatically negligent.
A speeding accident can cause the same serious injuries as other forceful collisions: internal organ damage, amputation of limbs, permanent brain injuries, or even brain death.
Your Legal Rights After An Auto Accident
The most important legal right you may have after being injured is the chance to pursue compensation for your injuries. A negligent driver who causes an accident has a legal obligation to compensate victims who suffer injuries through his or her negligence. This fact is why California, like other states, requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage on their auto insurance policies.
You are not required to insure your vehicle. However, you are legally required to carry insurance to pay for injuries you cause to other road users. They must also carry auto insurance to pay for injuries they cause. You may be entitled to access this insurance and pursue appropriate compensation for injuries resulting from a careless driver.
You also have other related rights that protect your eligibility to pursue compensation. For example, once the other driver’s insurance company is aware that you have an attorney, they can no longer contact you about the accident. This restriction protects you from accidentally saying something that could hurt your injury claim and reduce the amount of compensation you can pursue. Consider consulting a Los Angeles injury lawyer to understand your rights and learn more about the best ways to seek compensation in your case.
Steps You Should Take After A Car Accident In Los Angeles
In the aftermath of a car accident, taking certain actions may help you protect yourself both physically and legally. These can include the following steps:
Call Local Authorities
After a car accident, immediately alert the police and ask them to create a report detailing what happened. Ask the officer for a copy of the report for future reference when you file a claim.
Never Admit Fault
Avoid talking to the other party and do not apologize for the crash. Watch what you say, as your words may be misinterpreted by the other party and insurance agents. Once you admit fault, even just by accident, it may affect your claim.
Seek Medical Attention
Physically assess yourself for any injuries. If you are seriously injured, call for emergency help. Tell the emergency responders about the symptoms that you are experiencing and request a complete examination to see the extent of your injuries. If you feel like your injuries aren’t that serious, it’s still important to see a doctor to be properly diagnosed. This will help you recover quickly, and the doctor’s notes may also be used when filing for a claim.
Gather Evidence
Attempt to document everything that happened. Ask for the contact information of everyone involved, including witnesses. Take photographs of the crash site, as these can be used as evidence. Take both close-up shots and wide shots of the area. Don’t throw away any vehicle parts that were damaged by the accident, as your attorney may examine them to gather important information about how the crash occurred.
Consult An Experienced Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Near You
An experienced attorney can guide you through the claims process. If you have a case, they can advocate for your rights while helping you pursue compensation that closely reflects the value of your damages.
Why Should I Bring My Case To A Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer Near Me?
You have the right to represent yourself in a personal injury claim. However, this may be difficult to do if you don’t have prior legal knowledge and are simultaneously recovering from your injuries.
The process of filing a personal injury claim can be complicated. You will need to prove that another’s negligence caused your accident, estimate the value of your losses, file your case within certain legal deadlines, and negotiate a settlement with at-fault parties and their insurers. In some cases, your claim may need to be taken to court.
A Los Angeles car accident attorney from Arash Law is nearby and can assist you with these tasks. After reviewing your claim and studying its validity, we can take on the legal side of your accident so you can focus on getting better.
Feel free to get in touch with us to learn how we may help after your car accident in Los Angeles.
Call Our Los Angeles Car Accident Attorneys For Practical Legal Help
If you’re searching the internet for “car accident attorneys near me,” consider checking out Arash Law. Our auto accident lawyers in California are available to offer guidance and support to victims after a car crash. Our attorneys have decades of experience handling various personal injury cases throughout the state, and we’re ready to review yours.
We serve clients in San Francisco, Riverside, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Sherman Oaks, and across California. We can handle the legal matters of your case and advocate for your rights throughout the claims process while you focus on your recovery.
Call (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation with our team of skilled attorneys at Arash Law.
Latest Traffic Reports in California
