Placerville Car Accident Lawyer – Michael Rehm
Free Consultations: Call (530) 410-6474
Two national forests, three state parks, Folsom Lake State Recreational Area, and Pine Hill Ecological Reserve all offer unspoiled beauty to El Dorado County visitors and residents. Two ski resorts contribute to the county's winter recreational opportunities, while summer offers opportunities for river rafting, fishing, boating, hiking, biking, and exploring historic towns that were founded during the Gold Rush years.
Statistics from California's Office of Traffic Safety suggest that local residents should be commended for their careful driving. When adjusted for population and miles driven, El Dorado County has fewer traffic accidents than most California counties. Still, in the most recent year for which statistics are available, El Dorado County had more than 800 injuries or deaths that were caused by traffic accidents. Almost a quarter of those were speed-related and more than 10% involved motorcyclists.
Whether a traffic accident involves passenger car occupants, a motorcyclist, a bicycle rider, or a pedestrian, a traffic accident lawyer can help accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve. Michael Rehm represents accident victims in all El Dorado County communities, including El Dorado Hills, South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, Placerville and all other collision locations.
Speed-Related Traffic Accidents in Placerville
The major highway through El Dorado County is U.S. Route 50. It follows the final segment of the Pony Express route. While the Pony Express prided itself on speedy mail delivery, too many people speed on the journey from West Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe. Hairpin turns and steep grades make the highway a challenging drive, particularly in poor weather.
When drivers speed on a dangerous road like Route 50, they put the lives of their passengers and other drivers at risk. Speed-related crashes in El Dorado County are also a problem on State Routes 49, 89, and 193.
A crash can be speed-related even if a driver does not exceed the speed limit, because drivers have a duty to reduce their speed when roads are wet or icy. A driver might cause an accident by driving well under the speed limit if the driver is driving too fast to maintain control of a vehicle on a slippery road.
Drivers who lose control of a vehicle are responsible for the deadliest accidents in El Dorado County. Head-on collisions happen when drivers cannot keep their vehicles in their own lane of traffic. Two vehicles crashing head-on at highway speeds can lead to catastrophic and fatal injuries. When drivers are unable to stop for stop signs at junctions on state highways, T-bone collisions can cause rollovers. Even if a car stays upright after a T-bone collision, vehicle occupants who are unprotected by side-impact airbags are often severely injured.
Motorcycle Accidents in El Dorado County
Beautiful scenery attracts motorcycle riders. Salmon Falls Road from Pilot Hill to El Dorado Hills is a twisty road with tight turns that has become popular with motorcyclists who ride sport bikes. Unfortunately, hills and turns can obstruct a rider's view of oncoming cars that may have strayed from their own traffic lane. Head-on collisions with a motorcycle rider are more likely to be fatal than any other motorcycle accident.
In towns, drivers making a left turn at an intersection without yielding to an oncoming motorcycle rider are the most common reason for motorcycle accidents. Studies show that drivers underestimate the speed of approaching motorcycles. Drivers are also less aware of motorcycles than other vehicles.
Other causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Drivers changing lanes without checking blind spots
- Drivers texting or dialing without watching the road for motorcyclists
- Drivers entering a road from a driveway without noticing oncoming motorcycles
- Drivers tailgating motorcycles
- Drivers backing into motorcycles
- Collisions caused by drunk drivers
People who hold unfavorable stereotypes of motorcyclists tend to think that every collision is the fault of the motorcycle rider. Many insurance adjusters hold that view. To obtain the accident compensation that injured motorcyclists deserve, it is important to have a lawyer who knows how to make jurors and insurance adjusters see motorcycle riders as people, not as stereotypes.
Other Accidents
Traffic accident victims include:
- Drivers
- Passengers
- Bicyclists
- Motorcyclists
- Pedestrians
Traffic accidents can affect everyone, from children to seniors. Common accidents involving two cars (or a car and a truck) include:
- Intersection (T-bone) accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipes
- Head-on collisions
Distracted driving has become a leading cause of traffic accidents. The most frequent accident in El Dorado County is a rear-end collision. Nearly every rear-end collision is caused by a driver who isn't paying attention to the road. Distracted drivers might be texting or dialing a call, unwrapping a cheeseburger, checking makeup in the rearview mirror, programming a GPS, or arguing with children in the backseat.
Distracted driving is a form of negligence. When distracted drivers cause accidents in El Dorado County, the victims they injure are entitled to pursue compensation.
El Dorado County Traffic Accident Compensation
The amount of compensation a traffic accident victim will receive depends upon several factors, including the severity of the victim's injuries. In some cases, it also depends on the amount of insurance coverage that is available.
Catastrophic injuries require the most substantial compensation. Catastrophic injuries are life-changing. They include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputation of limbs
- Loss of vision or hearing
Significant compensation is also necessary when a traffic accident victim's injury causes a permanent disability, such as constant back pain or a badly damaged knee. Every injury that requires medical attention deserves compensation, even if it does not result in a lasting impairment.
Common traffic accident injuries include:
- Neck (whiplash) injuries
- Back (spinal) injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Joint injuries (knees, elbows, ankles, wrists)
- Broken bones
- Punctures, cuts, and skin injuries
- Facial injuries
- Disfigurement
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Nerve damage
- Torn and stretched muscles, ligaments, and tendons
Compensation for El Dorado County accident injuries takes into account:
- Medical expenses
- Anticipated surgeries and other future healthcare expenses
- Medical appliances (such as artificial knees and wheelchairs)
- Wage loss
- Loss of future earning capacity
- The expense of coping with a disability (such as widening doorways in a home to accommodate a wheelchair)
- Pain, suffering and emotional distress
When injury victims dies, children and spouses, as well as certain other family members who depended on the victim for financial support, are entitled to compensation for wrongful death.
El Dorado County Car Accident Lawyer
The Law Office of Michael Rehm provides representation to injury victims in all El Dorado County communities. Our office helps victims of car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.
To learn how the Law Office of Michael Rehm can help you, call (530) 410-6474 for a free, confidential consultation.