Alameda County Car Accident Lawyer – Michael Rehm
Free Consultations: Call (510) 418-0820
Six interstate freeways and nine major state highways carry a large volume of traffic through Alameda County, California every day. Commuters and Bay Area visitors also fill city streets. Sports fans travel to Oracle Arena or the Coliseum, while music fans drive to concerts at the Paramount Theatre. County residents seeking a respite from urban noise drive to Tilden Regional Park, although Lake Merritt in Oakland allows urban dwellers to find serenity after driving on city streets. On hot days, it seems like everyone drives to Crown Memorial State Beach.
With so much to see in Alameda County, from the Oakland Museum to a trip with the kids to Children's Fairyland, it isn't surprising that roads are crowded. High-speed collisions on freeways can be deadly. Crashes involving motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians also lead to catastrophic results.
Even everyday accidents at moderate speeds can produce serious injuries. A 10 mph rear-end collision can produce agonizing whiplash injuries. Intersection accidents commonly cause joint injuries, broken bones, and torn muscles that produce months of suffering — and sometimes lead to permanent impairments.
Alameda County residents and visitors need a local lawyer who has experience handling personal injury cases when they become the victims of an Alameda County traffic accident. The Law Office of Michael Rehm helps accident victims in all Alameda County communities, including Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, and all other Alameda County cities and towns.
Alameda County CA Car Accidents
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, more than 9,800 people were injured or killed in Alameda County during the most recent year for which statistics are available. Those statistics include more than 800 pedestrian accidents, almost 700 bicycle accidents, and more than 700 motorcycle accidents. Controlling for population and daily miles traveled, Alameda County is the most dangerous county in California for pedestrians over the age of 65.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission reports that the number of fatal car, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian collisions in the Bay Area increased by 43% between 2010 and 2016. According to CBS News, Niles Canyon Road between Fremont and Scotts Corner is the deadliest road in Alameda County. Bicyclists and pedestrians, however, are more likely to be killed on city streets.
Traffic accidents can occur on any highway or local road. The most common accidents involving two or more cars include:
- Rear-end collisions
- Intersection (T-bone) collisions
- Sideswipes during lane changes or merges
- Head-on collisions
The accidents most likely to cause fatalities and catastrophic injuries are head-on crashes and T-bone collisions that cause a rollover. Any collision with a pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist has the potential to be fatal or catastrophic, simply because the accident victim doesn't have the same protection as the occupants of an enclosed vehicle.
Causes of Alameda County CA Motorcycle Accidents
The increase in Alameda County traffic accident fatalities in recent years can be explained in part by a growing population and longer commuting distances, but those factors cannot account for all of the steep increase. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission attributes much of the increase to the growth of unsafe driving behavior, including:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Unsafe turns
- Driving under the influence
Distracted driving has become an increasingly common cause of traffic accidents. Many behaviors can be distracting, from unwrapping a meal purchased in a drive-thru to putting on makeup in a mirror, but the use of electronic devices while driving has become the most common reason that drivers are distracted.
Texting while driving is illegal in California, as is making a call on a handheld cellphone. But even using a hands-free cellphone can be momentarily distracting when a driver looks at a screen before answering a call. At 60 mph, a car travels 88 feet every second. When a driver looks at a screen for just one second, the driver's eyes will be off the road while the car moves six car lengths ahead. Careful drivers always watch the road, looking for brake lights, road hazards, cars changing lanes, merging traffic, and everything else a driver needs to notice in order to avoid accidents.
Traffic accidents that injure pedestrians and bicycle riders are typically caused by distracted or drunk drivers. Making a careless left turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle is the number one cause of motorcycle accidents.
The law refers to careless driving as negligence. A negligent driver is responsible for injuries caused as a result of the driver's careless behavior. In California, even if both drivers in an accident are at fault, an injury victim can recover compensation in proportion to the other driver's fault. That means a driver who was 75% at fault can be held responsible for 75% of the injury victim's damages.
What You Can Recover
Pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle, and high-speed car accidents can all produce catastrophic injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, amputations, blindness, and paralysis are examples of the life-changing injuries that Alameda County car accident lawyers refer to as catastrophic.
Compensation for a catastrophic injury helps accident victims cope with the expense of living with a disability, including:
- The expense of ongoing treatment and future surgery
- Vocational rehabilitation for patients who are able to work in a different occupation
- Wheelchairs and other medical appliances
- Wheelchair accessible vans and hand-operated vehicles
- Remodeling a home to widen doors and to add ramps and wheelchair lifts
- Caretaker salaries or residential costs in an assisted-living facility
Injuries that are not catastrophic are nevertheless painful. Many injuries are either temporarily or permanently disabling. Common traffic accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Puncture wounds and lacerations
- Elbow, knee, and ankle injuries
- Neck, back, and shoulder injuries
- Disfiguring scars
- Burns
- Road rash
- Organ damage
- Nerve damage
- Torn or stretched muscles, ligaments, and tendons
Compensation for all Alameda County traffic accident injuries should include:
- Loss of wages (past and future)
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Other healthcare expenses, such as physical therapy
- Pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
Compensation depends upon the severity of the injury and its impact on the accident victim, as well as a number of other factors. An experienced Alameda County personal injury attorney can help accident victims maximize the compensation they receive.
Wrongful death compensation is available for certain relatives, including spouses and children, of traffic accident victims. Wrongful death compensation replaces financial losses and helps families cope with the loss of a loved one's emotional support. An Alameda County Personal Injury Lawyer can help families understand the remedies that are available for wrongful death and can identify family members who may be entitled to participate in a wrongful death claim.
Alameda County Car Accident Lawyer
The right attorney can help accident victims and their families recover the compensation they deserve. The Law Office of Michael Rehm provides compassionate service to injury victims in all parts of Alameda County. We help victims of car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.