Statistics on Deadly Auto Accidents in Lake County
Lake County is a gorgeous place and boasts Clearlake as well as mineral springs, wineries, plenty of excellent hiking trails, and a close-knit, friendly community. With a population of just around 64,000 people, it’s one of the smallest counties in California. However, this doesn’t mean that the area doesn’t see its fair share of fatal car accidents. While most people don’t expect any given car ride to turn into a deadly crash, it only takes a single accident to change your life and the lives of your loved ones. To improve safety on local roads, residents of Clearlake and nearby cities may be interested in these statistics on deadly accidents in Lake County.
Lake County Accidents Overview
Data collected and reported by local traffic enforcement agencies, including the Clearlake Police Department and California Highway Patrol, shows that there were 3,171 injurious vehicle accidents in Lake County between the beginning of 2008 and the end of 2019. Out of these collisions, 149 involved a deadly injury. This means that Lake County car accidents had a fatality rate of about 4.7 percent.
These 164 deadly auto accidents included eight bicycle/vehicle crashes, 19 pedestrian-involved collisions, and 27 motorcycle accidents. Just around three-quarters of these crashes occurred on state highways while the remaining quarter happened on either municipal, private, or county roads. Finally, these 164 accidents caused 181 deaths and another 142 injuries ranging from minor to catastrophic.
Common Causes of Auto Accidents in Lake County
The most common causes of fatal car accidents in lake county are listed below beside the number of crashes caused between 2008 and 2019:
- Driving while intoxicated, 58
- Improper turning, 38
- Driving on the wrong side of the road, 14
- Right-of-way violations, 14
- Pedestrian violations, 14
- Speeding, 12
All other causes were marked as the primary causal factor for three or fewer accidents each. These less common factors included improper passing, traffic signal violations, and pedestrian right-of-way violations.
Notably, DUI was the number one cause of deadly accidents in Lake County while it was only third for crashes overall.
Recovering Compensation After Deadly Accidents
Families often face serious financial issues following deadly car accidents. In many cases, suddenly losing a member of your family also means losing access to a vital source of income. Additionally, our loved ones often perform services that are very expensive to replace such as cleaning, taking care of young children, or doing maintenance around the house. Furthermore, families are also sometimes left with medical bills for aid rendered before their loved one passed on. Taken together with funeral and burial costs, these damages can add up to an overwhelming financial impact.
Thankfully, families can reach out for help and are often eligible to obtain compensation for the losses they’ve suffered. Through filing wrongful death claims, it’s possible to hold negligent entities responsible for your losses. In many cases, people are able to claim payments for all of the damages described above, as well as for more personal losses like loss of companionship or parental guidance.
The best thing you can do to learn more about what compensation may be available to you and your family is to contact a skilled, knowledgeable Clearlake wrongful death lawyer about your case.
Related Articles:
- Clearlake Collision Leads to DUI Arrest
- What is a Clearlake Personal Injury Lawyer?
- Crash in Clearlake Involves Big-Rig
Clearlake Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Clearlake wrongful death lawyer. For free, friendly advice about your wrongful death case, please call me right away at (800) 404-5400 or locally at (707) 564-1900.
For more than 38 years, my legal team and I have assisted people in Clearlake with serious injury and wrongful death cases. Take a minute to review our settlements and verdicts to learn more about our work.
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