Sacramento Intersection Accident Injures Four
An intersection accident at Gateway Park Boulevard and Terracina Drive on November 29 caused injuries to four individuals. The incident occurred at approximately 1:00 in the morning. Three ambulances were summoned to the scene to transport the injured to a local hospital. The Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento Fire Department arrived at the accident site to find two vehicles blocking a portion of the intersection. Both vehicles sustained significant damage, with one having been hit on the passenger side. According to reports, a fire hydrant was also damaged. Police noted that airbags were deployed in both vehicles. All southbound lanes remained closed until cleanup efforts were completed. Tow trucks were needed to remove the vehicles and debris from the roadway. At this time, an investigation is underway as to the cause of the accident and to assign fault. It is uncertain if drugs or alcohol were involved.
Intersection Collisions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40 percent of all traffic collisions happen at intersections. Of the 800,000 intersection accidents each year, 90 percent are caused by driver error. Some of the most common mistakes are:
- Failure to look before entering the intersection.
- Obstructed view, especially when making a turn.
- Mistaken judgment of how other drivers will act.
- Driving distracted causes many intersection accidents.
- Illegal maneuvers such as running a red light.
Types of Intersection Accidents
Common types of collisions are:
- Side impact collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end accidents
- Sideswipe crashes
- Multiple vehicle pileups
- Pedestrian and cyclist accidents
Poor Maintenance in Intersection Accidents
Two of the reasons that an intersection accident occurs is when signs are obscured or traffic lights are not functioning properly. This is due to overgrown foliage that obscures stop signs and other warnings. On some occasions, the traffic signs are missing altogether. Responsibility in such cases is not due to reckless behavior by the driver but rather the failure of the government entity in charge of road maintenance. A claim can be made against the government entity in these cases. However, these claims differ from that of a routine personal injury lawsuit, and certain rules must be followed. The injured party needs to file a claim with the government agency within six months from the time of the accident. The agency has 45 days in which to investigate the claim and respond. If they feel that it is a viable claim, they will settle. If not, they will deny the claim. This gives the claimant six months to file a lawsuit. On the other hand, if they do not respond by the end of the 45-day period, the claimant has two years to file a lawsuit. If any of the deadlines are missed, chances are high that the case will not be allowed to proceed. An injury lawyer will make sure that all documents are filed on time.
What an Attorney Can Do to Help
Due to the complexity of intersection accidents, a car accident lawyer’s insight and help is important. At our firm, we send out investigators to the accident site to determine fault. This is essential to a lawsuit since without it, the case will not proceed in most cases. Our investigators interview witnesses, obtain traffic surveillance camera footage, review police reports for mistakes, and examine logistic reports from accident reconstruction techniques. Once the data is accumulated, it is given to our legal team to use in building a strong case for our client.
Car Accident Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. If you are injured in a car crash, you have the right to collect the damages you deserve. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can reach me online too.
I’ve helped many clients since 1982 recover damages in all types of car accidents, wrongful deaths, and other traumatic injuries.
Learn more about my practice by using the links below:
I am a member of the following organizations, among others:
Photo Attribution: Depositphotos_11765047_l-2015
:cd llo [cs 688]