Marin Car Accident Lawyer – Michael Rehm
Free Consultations: Call (415) 251-1680
Marin County is one of the most beautiful counties in the United States. Hikers and bicyclists flock to Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais, and Stinson Beach. Frank Lloyd Wright fans enjoy touring the Marin County Civic Center, while shoppers and sightseers enjoy the charm of communities like Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Sausalito.
Scenic roads in Marin County are abundant, including State Route 1, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, and Paradise Drive. Unfortunately, drivers who admire the scenery may not be paying attention to the road. Drivers who are distracted by nature's beauty sometimes cause traffic accidents. Impatient drivers on mountain roads with blind curves and hidden driveways also contribute to the traffic accident rate in Marin County.
Traffic accidents can lead to tragic results for drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. When collisions occur, The Law Office Michael Rehm is here to help. Michael Rehm represents traffic accident victims in all Marin County communities, including San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, and all other accident locations.
Marin County Traffic Accidents
In the most recent year for which California's Office of Traffic Safety compiled statistics, almost 1,400 people were injured or killed in Marin County traffic accidents. The Marin County Highway Safety Improvement Program has targeted several accident-prone roads, including:
- Lucas Valley Road
- Panoramic Highway
- Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
- Point Reyes-Petaluma Road
Adding guardrails and making speed limit signs more visible are important safety measures, but traffic safety begins with cautious drivers. Most accidents are caused by negligent drivers who fail to obey traffic safety rules or who take their eyes off the road.
Marin County ranks as one of the most hazardous counties in California for bicycle riders, when compared to other California counties of similar size. That's a sad reality for all of the bicycling enthusiasts who enjoy the county's breathtaking beauty.
Marin County Bicycle Accidents
Mountain bikers can choose from a number of trails in Marin County, but competing with cars and trucks before reaching those trails can be risky. Most roadways in Marin County were not designed with bikers in mind. Narrow shoulders force bicyclists to share traffic lanes with drivers who view bicyclists as a nuisance. When drivers do not give bicyclists the respect they deserve, bicycle riders end up paying the price.
Some cities and towns in Marin County have made a dedicated effort to become bicycle-friendly by creating bike paths and bike lanes that recreational riders and commuters can use to pedal to their destinations. Unfortunately, not all roads have bicycle lanes, and drivers often encroach on bike lanes when they execute turns.
Bicycle helmets help safeguard riders against serious head injuries, but no helmet offers protection against brain injuries that are caused by a crash with a speeding car. Common injuries in bicycle accidents include:
- Broken bones
- Road rash
- Internal injuries
- Hand and foot injuries
- Joint injuries
- Neck and back injuries
Unfortunately, collisions with bicycles are more likely to be fatal than collisions involving two cars. Families of bicyclists who are killed by a negligent driver are entitled to bring a wrongful death claim as a means of pursuing justice.
Marin County Car and Truck Accidents
Truck accidents are particularly dangerous in rural Marin County. When truck drivers make a wide turn on a curve, stray over a centerline, or drive too fast on wet roads, they put other drivers at risk. A jackknifed truck creates a serious hazard on mountain roads because the truck may be hidden by hills or curves.
Although conditions for truck drivers are better on Highway 101, truckers can cause accidents on any road when they drive while fatigued or engage in distracted driving. Other truck accidents are caused by:
- Speeding
- Unsafe backing
- Merging without yielding to cars that occupy the lane
- Unsafe lane changes
- Rear-end collisions
- Cargo spills
Multiple-car pileups are usually caused by a truck driver rear-ending a car with sufficient force to cause a chain reaction. The forces produced by heavy trucks in collisions account for the fact that a collision involving a car and truck is much more likely to be fatal than a collision involving two cars.
Of course, a collision between two cars can also have serious consequences. Catastrophic injuries that result from car and truck accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Limb amputations
- Organ damage
Less serious consequences can still have a dramatic impact on the quality of an injury victim's life. Car accidents can:
- Interfere with work
- Make it difficult to climb stairs or ladders
- Impair the ability to lift a child
- Make it painful to drive
- Interfere with sleep
- Make the simple tasks of daily living difficult
- Lead to anxiety and depression
Painful injuries may be troubling for weeks or months. Some injuries produce permanent or long-term disabilities. Any injury that requires medical attention should be evaluated by a traffic accident lawyer so that the victim can make an informed decision about pursuing compensation.
Compensation
Compensation for a traffic accident is designed to make the victim whole. The basic components of compensation are:
- Reimbursing the victim for medical expenses that result from the accident
- Covering the cost of future medical care and therapy that is likely to be necessary because of the accident
- Reimbursing the victim for lost wages when the accident caused the victim to miss work
- Replacing future income when the accident reduced the victim's earning ability
- Covering the cost of living with a disability (vocational rehabilitation, wheelchair purchases, caretaker salaries, etc.)
- Improving the quality of the victim's life to compensate for pain, suffering, emotional distress, and mental anguish
When an accident victim dies, certain family members are entitled to pursue compensation for the loss of financial, housekeeping, and emotional contributions the victim would have made to those family members if the victim had survived the accident.
There is no formula for calculating the compensation that should be paid after a traffic accident. Experienced traffic accident lawyers evaluate a multitude of factors, including verdicts that Marin County juries have returned in similar cases, before advising accident victims or their families about settlement values.
Marin County Car Accident Lawyer
The Law Office of Michael Rehm provides compassionate service to injury victims in all Marin County communities. We help victims of car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.
Michael Rehm will deal with insurance adjusters to maximize settlements so that accident victims can concentrate on healing. Most cases settle, but when adjusters are unreasonable, the courtroom is your friend. To learn how he can help you, call The Law Office of Michael Rehm at (415) 251-1680, anytime.
Free Consultations: Call (415) 251-1680
Personal Injury Attorney Michael Rehm provides representation on all auto, car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accidents and wrongful death cases in San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Sausalito and throughout Marin County, California. Call (415) 251-1680 for a free consultation.
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