Thousand Oaks Multiple Vehicle Accident on U.S. Route 101
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks car accident lawyer. A crash on June 23 between several vehicles along U.S. Route 101 southbound injured at least one person. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating the multiple vehicle accident to determine cause.
Thousand Oaks Accident Details
According to a representative of the CHP, the car accident happened south of the exit for Lynn Road shortly before 5:30 in the afternoon. Two of the vehicles identified were a Subaru sedan, red in color, and the other was a Ford Mustang. Both the Mustang and one of the other vehicles were reported to have damage to their front ends. Two lanes on southbound 101 were closed while the investigation proceeded, roadway debris, and vehicles cleared. An ambulance was summoned to the crash site; however, there has been no information released on who was injured or the extent of the injuries.
Reasons for Motor Vehicle Accidents
Driver error causes most car accidents, although there are other reasons they can occur such as problems with the vehicle’s brakes. Following are some of the most common reasons:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Making an illegal turn
- Failing to signal when making a turn
- Failure to keep a safe distance
- Failure to yield
- Consumption of alcohol or drugs
Thousand Oaks Crash Statistics
The city of Thousand Oaks had 938 fatalities and injuries from accidents in 2014, which ranked it as 23rd out of 57 counties, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. Sixty three of those accident injuries and deaths involved motorcycles. Pedestrians were injured or died in 32 of the accidents, and bicyclists were killed or injured in 37 accidents. Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 62 crashes and 237 individuals were arrested for DUI that year. Speeding contributed to 273 of the accidents. Thirty five of the collisions resulted in a hit-and-run.
Ventura County Statistics
Accidents with injuries in Ventura County totaled 4,117, which placed the county as number 37 out of the total number of counties in California. Of that number of injuries and deaths, 254 were motorcyclists, 183 were pedestrians and 202 were bicyclists. Alcohol as a precipitating factor was present in 367 injuries and deaths, and speeding was a factor in 1,035.
Comparative Liability in a Car Accident
California is a pure comparative fault state. This means that each driver in an accident is responsible only for his/her percentage of fault in the accident. A person who has been injured in a collision involving one other vehicle or more is only responsible for their percentage. This means that person can still recover damages. For example, say a person was deemed to be 1 percent at fault. That means the injured person can still recover 99 percent of the awarded damages. The only difference is that the award will be 1-percent less.
Award of Damages
Under California law, economic and/or non-economic damages may be awarded. An injury lawyer who specializes in car accidents can help to recover fair compensation by calculating damages and including present and future expenses if the injury is expected to continue.
Breach of Duty in Drunk Driving Accidents
In an accident, such as a collision with a drunk driver, it is up to the injured person to prove negligence. A drunk driver may be arrested by police responding to the accident, following the administration of roadside exams such as Breathalyzer and/or field sobriety tests. This can be used as evidence in a civil claim against the defendant to prove he or she disregarded the law against drunk driving, breaking the duty of care every driver has to drive safely.
Car Accident Attorney Ed Smith
Thousand Oaks Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks car accident lawyer. When a family member or you yourself have suffered an injury due to negligence by the driver of a motor vehicle, please phone me at (805) 372-0200 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400. My free and friendly advice is just a call away.
Information about a legal practice is helpful when seeking an accident attorney. My client reviews are at Yelp, Avvo and Google. Added information on previous Verdicts and Settlements offers an idea of cases and their resolutions.
Million Dollar Advocates is a group reserved for primary counsel trial lawyers who have won settlements/verdicts of $1 million or more for clients. I am proud to be featured as an accident attorney in the Million Dollars Advocates Forum.
I am owner/founder of autoaccident.com, and have been practicing law as an accident lawyer since 1982. Over the years, I have helped many Thousand Oaks residents recover fair and just compensation for their personal injuries suffered by the negligence of others.
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