Articles Posted in Car Accidents

California is famous for many things but one thing may be more accurately termed as infamous; celebrity car accidents. There is a high concentration of celebrities in this state, so it stands to reason there would be more celebrity auto accidents here but the fact is still dismaying. Often times it is the excesses of success that lead to the accident. Plentiful, drugs, alcohol and little responsibility can be a dangerous combination.  Other times it is road construction, negligent drivers or just dumb luck. Regardless of how it happens, our California roads have taken many famous lives.

Paul Walker

Paul Walker is the most recent celebrity to die on California roadways. He was a passenger traveling with friend, Roger Rodas, who was a Pro-Am racer and also Walkers financial advisor. They had left a charity event in Rodas’s Porsche. While no drugs or alcohol played a part in this terrible accident that left Paul Walker dead and burning in a car on a Hercules Street in Santa Clarita, California, careless, childish drag racing may have. Police have made no connection between the accident and drag racing, although the section of the road the accident occurred on is popular for drifting cars, they did, however, say that speed was definitely a factor. The area was a 45 mph zone. Reports show the car going in speeds excess of 100 mph.

It isn’t new news that car accidents caused by DUI are usually cataclysmic and the effects can last an entire lifetime, and yet people repeated drive drunk year after year. Often it is intentionally, sometimes it is accidentally but it is always devastating. The physical and emotional struggle that follows is felt not only by the survivor but the family as well. Add to that the financial struggle and the medical and legal problems associated with a DUI and the misery is compounded with no end in sight. DUI drivers who cause death or injury face serious legal penalties and enormous civil liabilities.  DUI drivers found negligent and culpable are required to pay for all damages they cause, medical, physical and financial.

Out of every five fatal car accidents in California, one is DUI related. Over 20,000 people are injured in California DUI accidents each year and more than 1000 are killed, according to the CHP or California Highway Patrol. Alcohol is not the only way to have a DUI accident. DUI or Driving Under the Influence can mean the influence of anything impairing, including prescription pills, marijuana and other drugs. Studies have shown that approximately 10% of the American public has driven under the influence of some kind of chemical within any given year. It is unclear exactly how many accident this causes per year but experts say it has a definite effect on the total yearly fatalities.

Consequences for driving under the influence vary according to how often it has happened as well as how affected the driver is. The latter is deducted by blood alcohol level. California has a very low blood/alcohol level. If a drivers BAC level (Blood/Alcohol level) is .o8% or higher, they are considered under the influence. Drivers who consistently drive drunk and cause accidents can expect harsher penalties. First time offenders can count on a night in jail, hefty fines and a loss of driving privileges. If a death occurs, the driver will go to prison regardless if it’s his or her first offense. A felony DUI is one that causes death or serious injury. Harsh penalties and catastrophic effects aside, DUIs still occur with alarming regularity across California.

California Highway 138

California Highway 138

It is no surprise that California is home to some of the most dangerous roads in the country. Partly due to road construction, partly our area geography, our roads are infamous for devastating and taking lives. The areas of Orange County and neighbors such as San Bernardino, San Diego, and Los Angeles are the most dangerous. While knowing this fact is uncomfortable for drivers, being aware of the danger is a big step in avoiding it.

Highway 138

Highway 138 gained its notoriety when the television show Dateline investigated its deadly reputation for its story on America’s most deadly roadways. The section east of Palmdale and west of Interstate 15 was determined to be the worst area of road in the country. The problem is said to be the wide variety of dangers faced on the road as it typifies the issues California drivers face on the states profusion of two lane highways. In its early days, Highway 138 served as a rural, farm to market travel way. The traffic was slim to none, except on market days. Its original travelers were in considerably smaller cars, going at much slower speeds. Today, the vehicles are much greater in number, size and speed, overloading the original intent of the highway. To add insult to injury, modern day travelers have designated the highway the short and scenic route to Las Vegas, hence it is often inundated with drunk drivers.

Yes, California is known as the state that rarely rains or snows, but there will come a time during the winter months when we’ll have to travel out of state bounds. Driving in heaps of snow can be challenging, especially if you are not used to doing so. If you’re not extra careful and skillful you can easily have an accident. If the need arises for you to cross state bounds here are some tips you should keep in mind to ensure your safety on the road.

Prepare Your Car

First off, you should make your vehicle is ready to handle the snowy roads. Taking simple maintenance/mechanical precautions can prevent an accident. If you are not experienced in working on cars than its best you seek the professional help of a skilled and trustworthy mechanic.

Car accidents can be very tricky situations. No one wants to be at fault. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous drivers and insurance agents as well, that will go to great extremes to show themselves or their clients as above reproach, even if it isn’t true.

Hopefully, you’re a prepared driver and have all your information at the ready, in your car. Your insurance validation, registration forms, and a valid driver’s license are all needed at the scene of a car accident.

Everyone involved in an accident wants to be seen in the most favorable light and what you say at the scene of the accident has a great bearing on the settlement outcome. Even if you’re the victim, things you say to the police and to the negligent driver can have an effect on the trial. It is important to know what to say and how to say it, if you’re ever involved in an accident.

Are you trying to find out what auto accident lawyers in California do? If so, you are not alone. People only have limited knowledge of what lawyers do. Their information typically comes from TV ads and shows. As a matter of fact, there are only a very few people out there who actually know what auto accident solicitors do. The competition between lawyers has made lawyers much more greedy than before. They try to snatch as much money as possible from their innocent clients. Right? No, these are just rumors. As we know, black sheep are in almost every profession and field of law is not an exception.

Personal Injury

Auto accident solicitors out there work in a broad field of law, which is termed as personal injury. Personal injury cases, for the most part, are filed against individuals who cause injury to others due to negligence. That person could be an individual or a company. For example, if you slip and fall in a mall and get injured, you may choose to file a case against the owner or manager of the mall. The same applies in case of a car accident as well, if you lost control over your car due to another person’s negligence, you have a right to file a case against him or her. In this case, the accident could have been avoided if the other individual had taken enough care.

After an accident, you may find it difficult to deal with things, as there are a lot of things going on. Due to the injury you sustained, you may not be able to carry out your day-to-day activities. In the same way, you will find it very hard to file a claim against the party that caused you the injury. For that reason, you should visit with a smart auto accident lawyer in Sacramento, CA. Once you have hired one, you will be able to focus on your life while your lawyer takes care of the things related to your case.

Here it is important to bear in mind that for hiring the best solicitor, you will have to do some research. Hiring a wrong or inexperienced attorney will do more harm than good to you. Depending upon the severity of the accident you faced, you will end up dealing with various experts in order to prove that you deserve compensation. That is why, it is so important to have a good solicitor on your side.

If you really want the best legal service, you may want to go for the best solicitor out there. He or she will ensure success in a short period of time. Other things you should consider when seeking a good one are qualification and reliability. Of course, you should go for an auto accident solicitor in California who is trust worthy. For success, your claim should be valid and it should be heard in the court of law.

For the past few years, the number of car crashers due to drunk driving has been going out of proportion. It ranges from car vs. motorcycle collision, to 18 wheeler truck vs. school bus, to single vehicle accident to multiple damaged autos. This has been a major worry not only to authorities but also to average pedestrians. There are thousands of innocent pedestrians dying all of sudden because of alcohol intoxication while driving.

Lack Discipline not lack of Education

With all the media platforms that we have in our time, ignorance to advocacies, statistics, and other information relating to auto accident is almost impossible. The government has been incessant about the advocacy. Obviously, what is really lacking in the society is the discipline to adhere, comply, and apply all the information available. The education about drunk-driving is not a top confidential subject which you could not see in mainstream media. It is something which is being repeatedly shown in many avenues.

Even with the effort of the government and other private sectors who are relentlessly informing the public about car crashes, there are still 1,300,000 people dying each year because of auto accident around the globe. What is more surprising is the fact that even those people who are considered responsible enough to drive like licensed drivers, young adults, and other highly qualified drivers, are also involved in most auto accident due to driving errors.

Negligence and Litigations

Most of auto accident cases are nothing but struggles to establish who are the people at fault; this means that the driver or the person accused is being tried because of his omission of the necessary care, conduct, or commission of error to cause the accident. There are times that the auto accidents are deliberate but this will be seen in court as a negligent action of an individual.

If you have faced a car accident, you may be suffering immense frustration and pain. The best call you can make is to find and hire a good personal injury lawyer in California provided the accident has been caused by someone else. After all, the other party should pay you for the injuries you sustained. Depending upon the damages and injuries, your lawyer will figure the amount of compensation you deserve. This is a complicated job, though it can be made a lot easier with the legal assistance of a personal injury lawyer in California.

Why Hire

By hiring a lawyer, you won’t need to understand and memorize the laws related to personal injuries. The lawyer will make certain you are going to get the fair amount of compensation as soon as possible. Insurance companies strive to save themselves as much money as possible. As a result, you are not paid a fair amount of compensation. This happens when they are dealing with a person who has no knowledge of insurance companies.

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