Fulton Avenue and Alta Arden Expressway Site of Intersection Collision
An intersection collision caused injuries to several people in Arden-Arcade on June 16. The accident happened around 9:46 in the evening at the intersection of Fulton Avenue and Alta Arden Expressway. Officers with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol (CHP) were on the scene as well as responders with Sacramento Metro Fire. The two vehicles involved were a Tesla and a Ford Mustang.
Both Vehicles Heavily Damaged in Intersection Collision
The Mustang sustained major front-end damage while the Tesla was damaged in the rear. Those who were injured in the intersection collision were treated at the scene and released. Speed may have been a factor in the accident, and the CHP is investigating to determine the cause and assign fault.
Intersection Accidents
According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are roughly 2.5 million collisions that take place annually. Of these, half result in serious injuries and 20 percent in fatalities.
Intersections are complex and an area where drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists meet. Because of this complexity, it is necessary to design intersections in a way that promotes safe traffic flow. Many use traffic lights or signs to accomplish this, and some have crosswalks to help pedestrians maintain safety. However, when the design is faulty, the city or state government is responsible for any harm inflicted on individuals using the intersection.
When this happens to you, it is important to obtain legal help. Claims against a government agency differ from other personal injury claims. Your attorney will be able to make sure the claim is filed properly, and all documents are submitted within the time limit. In California, an injured individual has six months to file an administrative claim with the agency. The agency has 45 days to respond. If the filer is denied their claim, they have six months to file a lawsuit. If the agency does not respond, the filer has two years to file a lawsuit.
Reasons for Intersection Collisions
Most intersection accidents are caused by driver error. Some of the most common are listed below:
- Distraction: Drivers who are not focusing on the road cause many intersection collisions. They often fail to see that a light has changed or other vehicles have stopped in front of them.
- Speeding: Drivers who are speeding cause many intersection accidents. This occurs when the driver wants to beat a red light, something which causes 165,000 accidents every year in intersections around the country. Speeding also causes the driver to be unable to control their vehicle.
- Drunk drivers: Such motorists are responsible for 10,000 fatalities every year. They also cause many problems at intersections due to slowed reaction times and loss of cognitive functioning.
- Fatigued drivers: Due to a non-stop schedule, many people drive fatigued. This can be as big a problem as drunk driving. Fatigue causes motorists to lose the ability to handle their vehicles safely.
- Defective parts: Being unable to stop due to defective tires or brakes causes many intersection collisions. When this happens, the injured party has the right to file a claim against the manufacturer to recoup damages such as medical costs and lost wages.
Investigating an Intersection Collision
At our firm, we dispatch investigators to the accident scene to gather the evidence before it disappears or is hidden. Our investigators talk to witnesses, obtain videos from traffic light cameras, and review police accounts of the intersection collision for mistakes. They check whether defective brakes or tires were involved and look for intersection design defects.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. Phone me for my free and friendly advice following a traffic accident injury at (916) 921-6400 in the Sacramento area. From other locations in Northern California, you can call toll-free at (800) 404-5400. I can also be reached online.
I’ve helped residents of Arden-Arcade and Sacramento for over 38 years, helping them to get the compensation they deserve following an accident injury. From traffic crashes to wrongful deaths, traumatic injuries and more, I’m always here to help.
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Learn more about my firm on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/car-accident-broken-glass-splatter-337764/
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