Fatal Car Accidents

Losing a loved one in a tragic car accident is an experience no family should ever be faced with. However, more than 3,800 Californians die in fatal car accidents each and every year. When taking into account the family members these tragedies impact, fatal car accidents affect hundreds of thousands of people across the state each year. At Power Trial Lawyers, we’ve assembled a dedicated team of Los Angeles personal injury lawyers who are both compassionate and effective in our approach. We understand the challenges your family is facing and want to do everything we can to help you pursue justice on behalf of your loved one.

From complex highway systems to gridlock traffic, Southern California is known as one of the most challenging—and dangerous—places to drive in the entire county. Not surprisingly, the rates of fatal car accidents in Los Angeles and Orange County are incredibly high. For example, in 2017, there were 715 people killed in fatal car accidents in Los Angeles and another 197 people killed in fatal Orange County collisions. Together, this makes the greater Los Angeles area the most dangerous place to drive in the entire state.

The California Highway Patrol tracks the causes of all car accidents in the state to help better understand the causes of these accidents and how to help prevent them in the future. According to the most recently available data, the following are the most common causes of fatal car accidents.

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol claims approximately 760 lives per year, making it the single most common cause of deadly car accidents in the state. Adding to the grief and frustration families feel is the fact that every single fatal DUI accident is entirely preventable.

While speeding is very common among Southern California drivers, it is also extremely dangerous. Speeding and other types of aggressive driving claim nearly 560 lives each year, making it one of the leading causes of California fatal car accidents.

Drivers who initiate an improper turn or lane change cause roughly 710 fatal motor vehicle accidents each year. In part, this figure is so high due to the complex—and crowded—highway system in Southern California.

These three types of accidents are, by far, the most common causes of fatal traffic accidents in Southern California. However, other common causes include:

• Failure to yield,
• Driving the wrong way on the highway,
• Following too closely,
• Failing to follow a traffic sign or signal, and
• Brake malfunctions and equipment defects.

Notably, distracted driving is not listed among the causes because CHP does not consider distracted driving to be a “primary crash factor.” In part, this may be because law enforcement officers often will not know that a driver was distracted until further along in their investigation. However, some estimate that approximately 20 percent of all fatal car accidents involve a distracted driver.

Families who lost a loved one due to another driver’s negligence can pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible party. A wrongful death claim is a type of personal injury claim filed by grieving family members. Proving a wrongful death claim is very similar to proving a traditional personal injury lawsuit in that family members must establish that the at-fault party violated a duty of care they owed to the accident victim and that the other driver’s actions were the cause of the victim’s death.

If your family is dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one following a fatal car accident, Power Trial Lawyers can help. At Power Trial Lawyers, we understand what your family is going through and can help you pursue the justice both you and your loved one deserve. With more than a decade of experience successfully bringing wrongful death claims against negligent drivers, our lawyers know what it takes to get your family the result you are looking for, whether it’s through a settlement offer or a jury verdict. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with an attorney today, call 844-844-POWER (7693). You can also connect with us through our online contact form. We proudly represent clients in Los Angeles County and Orange County and have conveniently located offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach.