Car accidents usually follow a few predictable patterns. When a car accident occurs, determining its type can indicate how it happened, what injuries resulted, and who bears liability for any damages suffered.
In California, you need to know this information for a personal injury claim. To get compensation, you must prove negligence. Understanding these crash types and how to assess fault will guide you in fighting for the highest possible compensation.
How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Los Angeles, CA
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 2013 to help accident victims throughout southern California. Our Los Angeles car accident attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience protecting injured victims’ rights to fair compensation when someone else’s actions harm them.
Our firm has recovered over $400 million in compensation for our clients, and we know how to stand up to aggressive insurance companies.
If you hire our personal injury attorneys for help after a Los Angeles car crash, we’ll:
Launch an investigation to determine who shares liability
Collect evidence proving every element of your negligence case
Communicate with insurance adjusters while you focus on recovering
Engage in negotiations to attempt to settle for a fair amount
Represent you in court if we cannot reach an agreement
A car accident in Los Angeles, CA can cause serious injuries regardless of the type of collision. Contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your car accident and your right to injury compensation today.
How Many Car Accidents Happen in Los Angeles?
According to the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) car accident statistics, Los Angeles County had 148,516 total crashes in 2019. Of these, 60,183 caused at least one injury, and 683 caused at least one fatality.
The CHP does not release statistics on crash types or causes. But national statistics provide breakdowns of both crash types and their likelihoods of causing injuries and deaths.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), rear-end collisions are the most common type of crash, followed by angle collisions, sideswipe crashes, and head-on collisions.
Understanding Different Types of Los Angeles Car Accidents
Collisions usually get differentiated by the way the vehicle collides. The nature of the collision can also tell you how the crash happened and who bears liability for the property damage and injuries that resulted.
Some common types of Los Angeles car accidents include:
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end crashes happen about 41.6% of the time, according to the NSC. These crashes occur when a rear vehicle hits the back end of a front vehicle.
These crashes can cause a range of injuries, including whiplash, chest bruises, and facial injuries. But they are rarely fatal. According to the NSC, only about 17.7% of fatal crashes are rear-end collisions.
The liability for rear-end collisions often falls on the driver of the rear vehicle. These drivers must follow at a safe distance. A rear-end crash suggests that the rear vehicle was unreasonably close.
But occasionally, the liability falls on the front driver. This happens when the front driver does something to cause the crash, like brake checking or cutting off the other driver.
These crashes tend to cause more serious injuries than rear-end crashes. According to the NSC, only 35.4% of crashes are angle collisions. But angle collisions make up about 46.8% of fatal crashes, making them the deadliest type of crash.
The liability for an angle collision usually falls on the driver who failed to yield at an intersection. For example, a driver turning left will bear liability if they turn across an oncoming vehicle’s path.
Sideswipe Crashes
Sideswipe crashes usually result from an unsafe lane change or lane drift.
These behaviors can happen due to:
Failing to check the driver’s blind spots
Poor directional control
Distracted driving
Cutting off other drivers
These crashes are the least likely to cause death. Sideswipe collisions only make up 8.9% of fatal car accidents.
Liability for these crashes usually falls on the driver who departed their lane and caused the crash.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on crashes happen when someone drives on the wrong side of the road. Even if it only occurs briefly, a wrong-way driver has a high risk of crashing into another vehicle.
A head-on collision has a very high risk of killing or seriously injuring those involved. Because the vehicles are traveling toward each other, an impact can produce a more substantial amount of crash energy compared to other crashes. Definitely one of the most dangerous types of car accidents.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Los Angeles Car Crash Lawyers To Discuss Your Claim
Car accident claims in Los Angeles require sophisticated legal arguments and evidence to support them. The skilled and compassionate team at M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers has the extensive resources and expert relationships necessary to get you the compensation you deserve.
To learn how an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney can help with your injury claims, contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation today.
