7 Causes of Car Accidents You Should Know

There are more than six million accidents each year. While some of them can involve small and minor damages or involve one vehicle only, there are countless individuals who suffer significant injuries. In these matters, it’s vital for individuals to understand their rights where negligence may exist.

When it comes to filing a claim or a lawsuit, determining liability is crucial. One factor of liability is causation, which means you must show that the person you are filing the claim against did something to cause the accident. To help you with this, we explain some of the most common causes of accidents and how negligence can play a role.

Seven causes of crashes you need to know about include:

1. Speeding
2. Drunk driving
3. Distracted driving
4. Texting and driving
5. Weather conditions
6. Road dangers
7. Drowsy driving

Continue reading to learn more about each of these and how they involve negligence.

Call our firm today at (213) 232-4848 if you suffer significant harm in a crash involving negligence.

1. Speeding

Speed limits are posted for a reason. It’s not just a matter of law, it is a matter of safety. Unfortunately, there are countless drivers on the road who ignore these signs, and they drive much faster than they should. When they speed, though, they put you and other drivers on the road at risk of severe injuries.

Someone speeding may not have the same reaction time or control of their vehicle as you would if you were driving the speed limit. The high speeds make it difficult for individuals to stop in time when approaching traffic, react to dangers on the road, or otherwise avoid significant harm, and a crash can occur.

2. Drunk Driving

Roughly 28 people are fatally injured in drunk driving accidents in the United States each day. Unfortunately, this is something that happens far too often, and it’s vital to recognize signs of negligence. Intoxication can cause significant impairment, and drunk drivers often exhibit the following signs:

• Swerving from one lane to another
• Slowing down and speeding up often with no other traffic nearby
• Erratic braking when there are no vehicles in front of the driver

Unfortunately, even if you can recognize potential negligence, it’s not always possible to avoid a crash.

3. Distracted Driving

Distracted driving comes in three main forms: cognitive, manual, and visual. A cognitive distraction is one that causes a driver to focus on something other than driving, such as daydreaming. A manual distraction removes the driver’s hand(s) from the steering wheel, and a visual distraction removes the driver’s eyes off the road.

Distracted driving can be anything from eating and drinking to looking at something on the side of the road and turning to speak with passengers. It’s vital for individuals to stay focused and vigilant on the task at hand.

4. Texting and Driving

We’ve listed texting and driving on its own because it is something that combines all three forms of distracted driving. A driver may take his or her hand off the steering wheel to pick up a cellphone, his or her eyes off the road to read the message, and his or her focus off of driving to respond.

Despite the known dangers of texting and driving, countless individuals admit to doing it. If you suffer harm as a result of a distracted driver, you can take action to pursue the compensation you need.

5. Weather Conditions

While there are many situations in which weather conditions can cause a significant accident, it’s also imperative for drivers to take the necessary steps to stay safe. Even with the weather conditions, drivers must act in a way that is safe for these conditions, including driving slower than speed limits and giving everyone enough space.

A driver who doesn’t adjust to weather conditions can cause a significant collision, and you may suffer catastrophic injuries as a result.

6. Road Dangers

Road dangers can cause significant harm as well. For instance, when there is a pothole in the middle of the road, it can cause you to lose control of your vehicle or crash. Similarly, if a traffic signal is down, it can cause individuals to drive negligently, especially if they’re unaware of how to approach the situation.

There are many factors that go into determining who is considered negligent when road dangers cause harm. Liability can fall on the government agency responsible for maintaining the roads, or it can fall on another driver who is driving unsafe for conditions and fails to recognize a road danger.

7. Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving is much more dangerous than most people think, and the number of crashes is much higher than most think. Drowsy drivers exhibit some of the same signs as drunk and distracted driving, as fatigue can easily cause many impairments.

What Is the Impact of a Car Accident?

Los Angeles has one of the highest volumes of car accidents in the country. Our city frequently ranks near the top for injury-causing and fatal traffic collisions, often resulting in tens of thousands of injuries annually. These effects can drastically reduce your quality of life due to chronic pain and even strain your personal relationships. Each one of these collisions impacts victims in a number of ways, including:

• Physical: Immediate car accident injuries often include broken bones, soft tissue damage, or internal organ damage, while long-term effects may include spinal degeneration or chronic pain.
• Psychological: Victims of vehicular collisions may experience PTSD, driving phobias, depression, and memory loss.
• Financial: Economic losses after a car accident go beyond car repairs to include expensive medical bills, long-term care, and months or years of lost income.
• Daily Life: Loss of transportation after a car accident could cause a loss of independence, as well as disrupt work, school, and social schedules.
• Relationship Strain: The stress of injuries and financial pressure caused by a car crash may deeply affect relationships with family and friends.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Car Accident?

In California, anyone who contributes to a motor vehicle accident, either in whole or in part, could be held responsible for the crash. Liability is based on negligence, and under the state’s pure comparative negligence system, more than one person’s actions could have contributed to the accident and fault is divided by percentage. Common parties held responsible include:

• The Drivers: The most common at-fault party is a driver who fails to exercise “ordinary care” because they were speeding or distracted, for example.
• The Vehicle’s Owner: Under vicarious liability principles, a registered owner may be held liable under certain conditions, even if they were not driving at the time of the crash. For example, if they gave express permission for another person to drive their car and the borrower crashed it. However, liability for owners is generally capped at $15,000 for injury or death and $5,000 for property damage, unless the owner was personally negligent.
• Negligent Entrustment: If the owner knowingly lets someone unfit drive the car, such as a person who was unlicensed, intoxicated, or a reckless driver, they may be held responsible. In this case, they could face full liability without caps.
• Parental Liability: Parents or guardians could be held financially responsible for accidents caused by their minor children.
• Employers: If an employee causes an accident while performing job-related duties, the employer may be held responsible under the principle of respondeat superior. This condition typically applies to delivery drivers, trucking companies, rideshare drivers, and corporate employees running errands for the company.
• Vehicle Manufacturers: If a mechanical defect, like faulty brakes, caused the crash, the manufacturer can be held strictly liable regardless of negligence.
• Government Agencies: If dangerous road conditions, missing signs, or broken traffic lights contributed to the accident, city or state agencies may be liable.
• Auto Repair Shops: A mechanic could be responsible if they improperly repaired or maintained a vehicle, leading to a failure on the road.

Let Us Discuss the Cause of Your Accident and Who May be Liable

At LNN, we believe that any person who is negligent should be held fully accountable for their actions. That is the driving principle behind why our firm works hard to help you pursue the justice you deserve. Our skilled legal team committed to helping individuals who suffer injuries as the result of negligence and we have recovered more than $100 million for our clients.

Our Los Angeles car accident attorneys are here when you need us most to help you understand where negligence exists, as well as what your rights are if you suffer an injury. We’ll stand in your corner every step of the way to guide you through the legal process and pursue compensation, allowing you to focus on your recovery.