San Mateo Car Accident Lawyer – Michael Rehm
Free Consultations: Call (650) 293-9070
In San Mateo County, there's something for everyone. Surfers love Mavericks, hikers and bikers enjoy the trails in Sweeney Ridge, and kids love to visit CuriOdyssey. Getting to those locations, as well as shopping destinations, coffee shops, and restaurants, requires San Mateo County residents and visitors to brave the county's crowded roads.
In addition to I-280, I-380, and U.S. 101, five State Routes run through San Mateo County, as well as the El Camino Real and countless other roads and city streets. The San Mateo Daily Journal reports that traffic congestion in the county has increased by 40% since 2010. The average San Mateo County resident spends 80 hours each year stuck on roads in congestion-related delays.
Unfortunately, traffic congestion causes frustration, which leads to accidents. When congestion eases, drivers speed or drive aggressively to make up for lost time. When traffic comes to an unexpected halt, rear-end collisions are common. Congestion causes drivers to lose their focus, increasing the risk of head-on collisions and sideswipes.
When collisions occur, the Law Office of Michael Rehm is here to help. Attorney Rehm represents accident victims in all San Mateo County communities, including Daly City, Redwood City, San Bruno, and all other collision locations.
San Mateo County Traffic Accidents
In the most recent year for which statistics are available, almost 3,500 people were injured or killed in San Mateo County traffic accidents. About 380 injury accidents occurred in Daly City and about 240 in the City of San Mateo. Many accidents took place on highways or roads outside of any city boundaries.
In addition to cars colliding with other cars, San Mateo Country traffic accidents included collisions with:
- Trucks
- Busses
- Farm Equipment
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Pedestrians
Any collision has the potential to cause a serious injury, but collisions with large vehicles and those involving motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians often lead to catastrophic injuries or death.
Rear-End Collisions in San Mateo County
Traffic jams lead to rear-end collisions. In stop-and-go traffic, drivers sometimes go while they are behind a car that is still stopped. Or a driver stops for a gridlock and the driver who is following fails to stop. Rear-end collisions should never happen, but drivers who are impatient or paying more attention to a cellphone than the road cause crashes.
Even a low-speed rear-end collision can cause a lasting whiplash injury. Insurance adjusters used to claim that any accident that didn't cause damage to the rear-ended car could not have harmed the car's occupants. Experts in biomechanics have now established that collisions at speeds too slow to damage a bumper can cause whiplash injuries.
Insurance adjusters also used to claim that accident victims were faking whiplash injuries if they didn't complain of pain at the scene of an accident. They made “whiplash” a dirty word. Doctors now understand that whiplash injuries develop over time, and that the onset of pain does not usually occur until 12 to 72 hours have passed — and in some cases, even longer.
Whiplash injuries can be painful for weeks or months. Some injuries last longer. Some are permanent. Typical symptoms of a whiplash injury are:
- Limited range of motion when turning the head to the side or nodding
- Sharp pain when moving the head
- Constant or intermittent neck pain
- Neck pain that radiates into shoulders and arms
It is important to see a doctor at the first sign of whiplash pain. Immediate treatment usually shortens the duration of symptoms, while delayed treatment leads to longer-lasting conditions. Seeking prompt treatment also helps accident victims avoid the accusation that they are faking their injuries.
Intersection Accidents in San Mateo County
Left turns in front of an oncoming motorcycle are the leading cause of motorcycle accidents in San Mateo County. Intersections are often the site of accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles, as drivers fail to look carefully before turning into an intersection.
When drivers try to beat a red light, fail to see a red light or stop sign, or fail to yield to oncoming traffic, they often cause a side-impact (“T-bone”) collision. At high speeds, a T-bone collision can produce a rollover, leading to crush injuries and brain damage. Even at lower speeds, T-bone collisions cause serious injuries, including:
- Head injuries
- Broken bones
- Cuts and scarring
- Joint injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Nerve damage
- Torn and stretched muscles, tendons, and ligaments
Injuries from a side-impact collision are usually more serious when vehicle occupants are not protected by a side-impact airbag.
Highway Accidents in San Mateo County
In addition to rear-end collisions when traffic is congested, highway accidents in San Mateo County include:
- Head-on collisions
- Sideswipes during merges or lane changes
- Collisions with motorcycles during lane changes
- Accidents caused by cargo spills from a truck
Since highway accidents often occur at high-speeds, injuries that occur in a highway collision can be catastrophic or fatal.
San Mateo County Wrongful Death Compensation
When traffic accident injuries cause a death, the victim's children, spouse, and certain other relatives are entitled to seek compensation from a driver whose negligence caused the accident. Wrongful death compensation covers:
- Lost financial contributions the victim would have made to family members if the victim had survived
- Lost value of services (such as cooking or home maintenance) the victim would have provided to the family
- Lost emotional support, companionship, and guidance the victim would have given to family members
Any person who inherits from the victim's estate might also benefit from a settlement if the victim did not die immediately in the accident.
San Mateo Traffic Accident Injury Compensation
Compensation for accident injuries is measured by the losses that the accident victim sustained. Financial losses may include:
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings
- Past and future medical expenses
- The cost of coping with a disability (caretaker expenses, wheelchairs, vocational rehabilitation, etc.)
Nonfinancial losses include pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. There is no formula for calculating the compensation that should be paid for nonfinancial losses. Experienced traffic accident lawyers consider many factors, including verdicts returned by San Mateo County juries in similar cases, when they place a settlement value on personal injuries.
San Mateo Car Accident Attorney
The Law Office of Michael Rehm provides compassionate service to injury victims in all San Mateo County communities. We help victims of car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.
To learn how we can help you, call Attorney Michael Rehm at 650-293-9070 for a free, confidential consultation.
Free Consultations: Call (650) 293-9070
Personal Injury Attorney Michael Rehm provides representation on all auto, car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accidents and wrongful death cases in Daly City, Redwood City, San Bruno, Pacifica, Menlo Park, Foster City, Burlingame, San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and throughout San Mateo County, California. Call (650) 293-9070 for a free consultation.
San Mateo County Resources:
Daly City Police Department