Getting into a car accident is a traumatic experience for anyone, especially when it involves a crash at high speed from an unsafe lane change. These types of collisions can range from small mishaps to fatal car crashes involving several cars or trucks.
If you have ever suffered injuries from a car accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation to cover costs and damages. Consulting a Los Angeles unsafe lane change lawyer can help you understand your legal options. It may be a good time for you to discuss your case with a representative of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444.
Accident Statistics
Cars failing to stay in the proper lane resulted in over 3,800 fatal crashes in 2017, according to statistics from the Insurance Information Institute (III).
Drivers being distracted while making a lane change by texting, talking on the phone, or eating also cause crashes. Any of these can cause a car to veer from one lane to another within seconds. When that happens, car crashes occur. These common distractions generally cause lane change accidents.
Deaths from distraction-related car crashes were nearly six percent of the total fatal car crashes in 2017, according to III.
Lane Change Accident Scenarios
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are different types of common collisions involving cars in lane-change accidents. Some of these include cars that travel too fast and make illegal (or ill-advised) lane changes. Another is a lane change by a driver who is distracted by something in the car, or outside on the road. This distraction then causes an accident.
The first of these is a sideswipe collision. This type of accident occurs when the driver loses focus on driving, and sways to the left or the right, moving into a new lane without signaling intention.
A sideswipe collision means that one car has made an impact with another car on the side. If this accident happens on a local street in 25 mph zones, the contact may produce scrapes on the auto’s sides, but can be kept to minimal damage if both drivers react correctly.
Of course, if one car bumps another on a higher-speed local road or a highway from an unfocused lane change, the crash could turn catastrophic. This could cause a massive multi-car pileup.
Another type of lane change accident that can occur is a tailgating driver. Imagine driving on a two-lane road, and a car behind you is impatiently getting faster and closer to your back end. The driver looks impatient to get around you, but is unable to pass because of oncoming traffic.
In some cases, the tailgater could rattle the driver in front enough to cause the front driver to try to move toward the side of the lane to let the impatient driver pass. This move in itself could cause a misguided lane change accident involving one or more cars.
Driving near a tailgater is a precarious driving situation. If the front car has to hit the brakes suddenly, and the tailgating car is unaware, then the tailgating car might try to swerve away from a fender bender and might cause a car crash in the oncoming lane. The potential for a terrible accident can happen from a lane change incident.
If you have a loved one or close friend who has been in a car accident, that person might be able to explore legal options for financial compensation with a Los Angeles unsafe lane change lawyer. Getting in touch with a team member at Pintas & Mullin Law Firm might be your next step.
For a free legal consultation with a Unsafe Lane Change Accidents Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Reasons for Unsafe Lane Change Accidents
An unsafe lane change is a practice committed by drivers much too frequently on the roads. If an unsafe lane change occurs, putting other drivers in danger, that driver could be held liable for any accident that happens.
Here are some common reasons found in accidents where unsafe lane change was determined as the fault of the accident:
- Difficulty driving in weather-related conditions (ice, snow, torrential rain, etc.) that cause unsafe road conditions.
- Driving too fast for conditions, which lowers a driver’s reaction time.
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Unfocused, negligent driving, without any care or attention for other cars.
- Distracted driving, looking at a cellphone, or another distraction.
- Speedy, reckless passing of other cars.
Los Angeles Unsafe Lane Change Accidents Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Fault in an Unsafe Lane Change Accident
How do highway cops and insurance companies determine fault in an unsafe lane change accident? An accident with an unsafe lane change is usually assessed by speaking to the drivers, noticing their post-accident personality characteristics, and looking at the wreckage on each car. There are clues that an officer can use to get a sense of the accident.
A person who has gotten into a car accident involving an unsafe lane change could contact a Los Angeles unsafe lane change lawyer to handle a personal injury claim to collect financial compensation. This claim would try to collect damages for the costs of the car, any medical bills to be paid from trauma from the accident, any mental damages as a result, and other circumstances surrounding the accident.
The amount of compensation might be based on the particular actions of the drivers involved in the accident, and whether or not mutual liability could be a factor as well.
Contact the office of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to explain your accident, get some guidance and knowledge about legal options, and find out if you are eligible to receive monetary compensation from damages incurred in the accident.
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