Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer
Preventable car accidents are commonplace in Los Angeles and Redondo Beach. Every day, negligent drivers cause severe car crashes. Accident victims often sustain serious or life-threatening injuries.
At Barrett Law, our car accident lawyers in Los Angeles have years of experience helping people hurt by negligence. We are here to protect your rights and aggressively fight for your best interests. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured due to a careless driver, you may be entitled to compensation.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
The most common causes of car accidents involve driver error. In Los Angeles and Redondo Beach, careless drivers have led to thousands of traffic collision injuries and fatalities each year.
Distracted Driving – Distracted driving has cost numerous lives in recent years. In California, 8.7% of all fatal car accidents are due to distracted driving. The California Office of Traffic Safety reported more than 3,000 deaths in the last reporting year.
Most driver distractions involve the following:
- Checking notifications on a cell phone
- Talking or texting on a mobile phone
- Eating and drinking
- Engaging in conversation with passengers
- Inattention or zoning out
- Adjusting vehicle controls or music
- Using a GPS device or mobile app
- Handling children or family pets
- Grooming (i.e., applying makeup, shaving, combing or brushing hair)
Overall, the most common distraction for teens and young adults is their cell phones. Countless young drivers have caused devastating car crashes while texting or checking social media posts.
Speeding – Speeding is the leading cause of car accidents in the state. According to the latest data:
- Speeding accounts for 1,056 fatalities
- 29.1% of fatal traffic accidents are due to speeding
Driving Under the Influence – Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is strictly prohibited, yet thousands of intoxicated motorists sit behind the wheel every year.
According to the latest statistics, California’s alcohol-involved car accident injuries and fatalities have steadily increased. Drug-related traffic deaths have increased by 13.1%. In addition, drunk drivers accounted for 33.1% of traffic deaths, a 5.8% increase from the previous year. Of all car crash-related injuries, alcohol accounted for 9.7% of bodily damage.
Failure to Yield – When a motorist fails to yield the right-of-way, major car accidents can occur. Some instances of failure to yield car accidents involve:
- Emergency vehicles
- Yield signs
- Pedestrians and cyclists
- Right turns on a red light
- Left turns with a flashing yellow light
- Roundabouts
- Merging or changing lanes
- Intersections with a stop sign
Wrong-Way Driving – Wrong-way driving involves driving against the flow of traffic. Many cities have one-way streets. It is crucial that motorists pay attention to road signage, especially on unfamiliar streets.
Wrong-way driving usually involves a motorist under the influence of alcohol or drugs or distracted drivers. They often result in head-on collisions, especially at night. Wrong-way driving is more likely to result in a fatality or serious injury than any other type of car accident.
Reckless Driving – Reckless driving is different fromthan careless driving. While distracted motorists can make simple mistakes, like failing to yield properly, reckless driving involves actions that are considered deliberate or indifferent to the safety of others.
Examples of reckless driving include:
- Excessive speeding
- Tailgating
- Street racing
- Road rage
- Intoxicated driving
- Running a red light or stop sign
A willful disregard for others while driving can lead to devastating or fatal car accidents.