Glendale Car Accident Lawyers

Car Accidents in Los Angeles

Car accidents can have many variations and causes; those caused by negligence by one or more parties fall under California personal injury law. 

These can include: 

• Rear-end collisions: Often caused by tailgating or sudden stops, rear-end collisions can cause whiplash and other injuries.
• Side-impact crashes: T-bone accidents occur when the front or rear of another hits the side of one vehicle. Due to the limited protection from side impacts, these often lead to severe injuries.
• Head-on collisions: Among the most dangerous, these happen when two vehicles collide front-to-front, often resulting in fatal outcomes.
• Rollovers: These accidents are particularly dangerous, involving a vehicle flipping onto its side or roof. Though less common, rollovers have a higher fatality rate than other types of accidents, often caused by sharp turns at high speeds or collisions with other vehicles or obstacles.
• Bicycle accidents: Los Angeles has instituted many bike lanes on city streets. Cyclists sharing the road with motor vehicles are at risk for accidents due to visibility issues or infrastructural inadequacies.

Causes of Car Accidents

Car accidents have many causes. However, human error and negligence play a significant role in the high frequency of traffic accidents, increasing the potential for harm on our busy streets and freeways. Negligence in driving manifests in various forms, with most behaviors violating traffic laws.

• Distracted driving: A leading cause of accidents, distracted driving includes using mobile phones, eating, grooming, or any other activity that diverts attention from the road. Despite stringent laws against cellphone use while driving, the prevalence of such distractions continues to contribute to accidents daily.
• Speeding: Exceeding speed limits or driving too fast for road conditions reduces the driver's ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway and extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, increasing the likelihood of collisions.
• Disobedience of other traffic laws: Violations such as running red lights, illegal turns, and failing to stop at stop signs contribute significantly to accidents. These acts of disobedience disrupt the flow of traffic and the expected behaviors at intersections and along roadways, creating hazardous conditions for all drivers and pedestrians.
• Driving under the influence (DUI): Consumption of alcohol or drugs significantly impairs judgment, coordination, and reaction times, making DUI a significant factor in severe and fatal accidents.
• Aggressive driving: Behaviors such as improper lane changes, tailgating, and failing to yield the right of way indicate aggressive driving. Such practices endanger not only the aggressive drivers themselves but also other road users.
• Fatigued driving: Often overlooked, driving while excessively tired—comparable to driving under the influence of alcohol—impairs decision-making processes and reaction times, posing a substantial risk to all road users.
• Poor vehicle maintenance: Failure to maintain vehicles properly can lead to malfunctions while on the road. For instance, brake failure, tire blowouts, or broken headlights can lead to catastrophic accidents.
• Poor road maintenance: Lack of proper road maintenance, including inadequate signage, obscured traffic signals by overgrown trees, and deteriorated road surfaces, significantly contributes to accidents. These conditions can lead to confusion among drivers and reduce the visibility of essential warnings.

These negligent behaviors underscore the critical need for enhanced awareness and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to protect safety. They also highlight the complexities in determining accident liability, necessitating professional legal guidance to navigate the aftermath successfully.