Car accidents happen far too often, and there are some places where they’re more likely to occur. The car accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani have represented many auto accident victims. Crashes often result in serious, life-changing injuries. Our goal is to fight for your rights and ensure you’re fairly compensated. Building a strong case requires gathering all the facts of an accident, including how and where it occurred.
These are the most common places where auto accidents tend to happen:
Close to the Driver’s Home
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most car accidents take place within five miles of the victim’s residence, and most fatal accidents happen within 25 miles of the home. This is because of various factors, including the following:
- Frequency: You drive more in your local area, and even your neighborhood, than anywhere else. Therefore, the chances of experiencing a crash are higher.
- Attentiveness: Another reason car accidents occur near home is drivers pay less attention while driving in a familiar place. Your brain is on autopilot. The tendency to use muscle memory rather than vigilance or be on full alert reduces your ability to react to something unexpected.
- Inexperience: Less experienced, younger drivers generally stay close to home. Restrictions on where, when, and how far they can drive aim to keep it this way and improve safety. However, it also means younger drivers are more likely to be in a car accident in their neighborhood.
Your Route on a Daily Commute
Commuters in Los Angeles are stuck in traffic for hours each day. They’re often strapped for time from when they wake up to when their workday starts. Many people resort to multitasking behind the wheel. Aside from being frustrated and exhausted, commuters may eat, shave, or put on makeup while driving in stop-and-go traffic. Other contributing factors during rush hour include speeding, recklessness, and inexperienced drivers.
Intersections
Intersections are a common place for car crashes. Drivers may be unaware of or react slowly to traffic lights and stop signs. Defective signals can also contribute to accidents. Intersections are conducive environments to collisions because vehicles must cross paths from different directions. A driver failing to yield the right of way increases the risk of an accident. These are factors a car accident attorney must consider.
Parking Lots
Car accidents are common in parking lots. A variety of factors contribute to the increased risk, including having to navigate compact spaces and drivers competing for limited spaces and being stressed out. Most parking lot accidents are low-speed, so they rarely cause serious injuries. However, costly repairs may result from backing up into another vehicle, getting clipped by another car, or a vehicle being sideswiped by another driver while they’re parking.
Rural Areas
It would seem logical for most accidents to occur in crowded cities. However, more accidents are reported on rural roads. There are also more fatalities. Some of the reasons may include higher speed limits and fewer police patrols compared to urban areas. Poor lighting, two-lane roads, and few barriers to prevent crashes or animals from running on roads are also contributing factors.
Construction Zones
Car accidents are common in construction zones because inattentive drivers have little time to take action when approaching the area. Rear-end accidents are common where there’s a lane closure or a driver must navigate a road shoulder. The victims of road construction crashes are often construction workers and police officers.
How Does the Site of a Car Accident Impact Liability?
Car accident attorneys look at evidence of an at-fault driver’s carelessness or recklessness. A breach of duty is a factor no matter the location of an accident. However, whether they obeyed traffic laws or breached their duty by speeding or ignoring a stop sign or traffic signal can strengthen the case against them. Your lawyer must then show the breach of duty caused the collision and, as a result, you suffered injuries, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Are Car Accidents More Likely at a Certain Time?
Regardless of location, vehicular accidents are more likely to occur on the weekend or late afternoons during work days. The incidence of car crashes increases at times when people are rushing to get home or are fatigued. High-volume traffic, urgency to return home from work, and picking up kids are factors that lead to more accidents in a variety of places. Car accidents are also more frequent during holidays, including July 4th, Memorial Day Weekend, and Thanksgiving.
Need an Experienced Car Accident Attorney? Call Jacob Today
At The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani, we specialize in car accident cases among many other practice areas. Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys ensure you get the medical treatment you need and the legal representation to compensate for your injuries, emotional hardship, property damage, and financial losses. We charge no upfront fees and get paid only if you win. Our attorneys are also highly skilled at negotiating with insurance companies. To schedule a free case evaluation, call us at (888) 952-2952 today.