Archive for October, 2009

Car Accident Lawyers Use Local Traffic Knowledge

An experienced Placentia car accident lawyer will advise you that if you are injured in a car crash in Placentia, California, consulting a lawyer who is familiar with Placentia’s traffic problems and local accident statistics can be helpful.

For example, most Placentia lawyers know that in 2006, two people were killed and 164 people were injured in Placentia car crashes. Pedestrian car accidents killed one and injured 13. Bicycle accidents killed one and injured 11. Motorcycle accidents injured six. And DUI crashes caused 13 injuries. In 2007, two car collisions ended in two fatalities. A study revealed that five percent of Placentia car crashes in 2008 involved drivers without licenses and 8.5 percent involved impaired drivers.

How Car Accident Lawyers Use Accident and Traffic Information

Placentia car accident lawyers use local accident statistics and traffic information to help them understand why and how a car accident occurred. Say, for instance, you got into a car accident on Jefferson Street in Placentia. An experienced car accident lawyer familiar with the city would know that drivers here tend to speed, endangering those trying to cross the street. A skilled lawyer would analyze statistical data at this street and would have discovered that the city had been urged to install speed bumps on Jefferson or a stop sign at Zion Street to slow down traffic. If such recommendations were ignored, these facts could be used to assign a degree of fault to the city and thus lay the groundwork for a possible larger settlement demand by your car accident lawyer.

The same could be said for car accidents occurring on Van Buren Street, another high-risk area for car crashes. Placentia car collision lawyers representing clients involved in this stretch of roadway would draw attention to the fact that commuters have turned this residential street into a hazardous shortcut to and from Orangethorpe Avenue. Speeding motorists and heavy traffic endanger children on bikes and skateboards here. Car accident lawyers would bring to light that fact that residents have long pressed the city for sidewalks along the east side of Van Buren to make it safer for children walking to and from school. These factors would be used to influence a jury to grant a higher settlement, or be used at the settlement table to achieve the same result.

Similarly, a car accident on Melody Lane and Chapman Avenue would be equally scrutinized by Placentia car crash lawyers for any problems there. The tragic facts are that at least three pedestrians have been struck and killed at this intersection in the last five years. Could these tragedies have been prevented if the city had not waited so long to install a traffic signal at this intersection? Once again, questions like these could be raised and used as leverage to gain more compensation for injured accident victims.

By: J. Bisnar

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Friday, October 30th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments

Car Accident Lawyer Urges Accident Victims to Keep Receipts to Substantiate Losses

It’s always prudent to ask a San Bernardino car accident lawyer for advice should you become involved in a car accident in San Bernardino, California. There are a number of specific economic damages you may recover if you are injured or sustain property damage in a car crash. The fact is, if you drive a motor vehicle in San Bernardino, you may find yourself in need of sound legal advice, for accidents happen with disturbing frequency in this city.

No One is Immune to Car Accidents

In 2006, for example, the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported that 32 people died and 1,177 were injured in San Bernardino car crashes. Seven pedestrians were killed and 75 were injured in car collisions. One bicyclist was killed and 28 were injured in car accidents. And motorcycle accidents killed one and injured 60. Drunk drivers caused 11 fatalities and 136 injuries. In 2007, 33 car collisions ended in 37 deaths.

A Wide Range of Economic Damages

If you are the victim of a car accident, San Bernardino car accident lawyers say the most common types of economic damages include medical, pharmaceutical and therapeutic expenses; costs of household services; the expense of household modifications needed to accommodate special needs arising from the accident; lost wages; loss of employment and fringe benefits; loss of earning capacity; funeral expenses; estate administration costs; and property damage, which includes your motor vehicle and its “loss of use” while your car is being repaired after an accident.

Some Valuable Tips

If your car is “totaled,” don’t automatically take the adjuster’s estimate of the value of your car. The Kelly Blue Book is not the “bible” in establishing its actual cash value. Use auto sales magazines, newspapers and online classified ads, and take into account your car’s year, make, model, mileage, optional equipment and condition. Insurance companies are supposed to look at the actual replacement cost of the vehicle.

Finally, remember to pay all out-of-pocket expenses with checks or credit cards to substantiate every item of damage. If you must use cash, keep receipts. More and more San Bernardino car crash lawyers no charge, no pressure, consultations to inform you of your rights and point you in the right direction.

By: J. Bisnar

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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments

Car Accident Lawyers and Local Car Accidents

Car accidents occur with unsettling frequency in Brea, California. If you are injured in a car crash in this city, it can be to your advantage to seek the advice of a Brea car accident lawyer who knows Brea’s traffic and car accident profile.

For instance, it might be helpful to know that in 2006, 260 people were injured in Brea car collisions; that drunk drivers were responsible for 30 crash injuries; that 17 bicyclists, 17 pedestrians and 16 motorcyclists were injured in traffic accidents; and that in 2007 and 2008, one car accident caused one fatality each year.

Understanding Brea Car Accidents

Utilizing a knowledge of local accident statistics and traffic hazards, Brea car accident lawyers can more effectively evaluate a car accident. If, for instance, your child were injured in a car accident at the intersection of Poplar and Birch, it would be helpful to know that this intersection was considered dangerous for Laurel Elementary School children by several residents. It would also be advantageous to know that several safety measures were proposed to enhance the safety of this intersection. Among these were to station a crossing guard to guide children across the street and to install flashing yellow light at the intersection. If these suggestions were ignored, that fact could be used to assign a degree of fault to the city and thus support the argument for a larger settlement award made by your car accident lawyer.

Moreover, car accidents occurring on Whittier Blvd or Puente Street, two other high-risk areas for accidents could also be carefully analyzed for contributing factors. The fact that many local residents requested traffic calming measures on these streets would be used to influence a jury to grant a higher injury settlement for an accident victim seeking compensation for injuries suffered there.

Likewise, Brea car crash lawyers representing car crash victims injured on Brea Canyon Road would know, for example, that many areas along this road are poorly lit and that reflectors on the road’s guard rails become un-reflective over time due to the accumulation of graffiti or dirt. A stronger case could be made for greater injury compensation if it can be shown that the city chose to ignore these problems, thereby endangering the safety of motorists.

By: J. Bisnar

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Monday, October 26th, 2009 Car Accident Lawyer No Comments
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