Four Injured in Highway 99 Accident
An accident on California State Route 99 sent four people to a hospital on Saturday, September 9. An investigation as to cause is still proceeding at the time of this report.
Details of the Accident
The accident happened in the vicinity of the off-ramp for 47th Avenue on SR 99 heading north at about 10:00 a.m. Although at this time there is no word on the number of vehicles that were involved in the crash, three were found on the emergency right shoulder. The vehicles included a Mercedes and two others. The Sacramento Fire Department was at the scene of the accident as were other emergency responders and tow trucks to help clear the site of the crash.
Accident Injuries
Four of the Mercedes occupants were injured, according to official reports. One of the accident victims said they had chest pain. All four were taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. The nature of their injuries is unknown at this time.
Highway Entrance and Exit Ramps
Exit and entrance ramps generally have more accidents than other parts of the highway. About 50 percent of the accidents occurred on exit ramps, and approximately 36 percent were seen upon entrance to the highway. The remainder happened on access roads.
Crash Types
Of all crash types, three were most prominent: accidents involving one vehicle rear-ending another, run-off-road and crashes where one vehicle sideswiped another. Exit ramp accidents commonly involved a run-off-road crash, while the other two types were mostly seen on entrance ramps. Access road incidents are often rear-ended accidents.
Factors That Increase Accident Probability
Factors that increased the number of accidents include congested roadways in rear-end accidents. Alcohol-impaired drivers accounted for a large proportion, particularly for run-off-road crashes.
Avoiding Highway Accidents
Avoiding accidents, particularly on busy highways, is complex. While it is important to move with the flow of traffic, maintaining a distance from a lead vehicle, is vital if that vehicle stops short, thus avoiding rear-end collisions. The distance is dependent on factors such as weather, speed and the condition of the road.
Other Ways to Avoid Highway Accidents
According to EHS Today, other ways to avoid highway accidents are:
- Enter traffic carefully from on-ramps, making sure that you are able to blend into the flow of traffic easily.
- Check the area 10 to 12 seconds ahead. This enables you to get a jump on what you will need to do.
- If a truck is involved, make sure you are not in the truck’s blind spot.
- Be aware of how other drivers perform on the road. A driver who is drifting from one lane to another may be a distracted or drunk driver.
Damages in an Automobile Accident
When you are injured in an automobile accident, you are able to obtain financial compensation for damages you incurred due to the negligence of another. The damages are broken down into economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic Damages
- Medical expenses: This involves emergency room costs, hospital expenses, doctor visits, medication and such things as at-home nursing care.
- Lost wages: You are able to be compensated for the wages you would have earned had it not been for the accident and subsequent injuries. If you are unable to work in the future, you will be able to collect future lost wages also.
Noneconomic Damages
These differ from economic damages in that they vary considerably from case to case and person to person. Noneconomic damages involve mental anguish, psychological distress and physical pain that is chronic.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. When you are involved in a car accident, you need the assistance of a seasoned attorney that can help make sure you receive the compensation you deserve. If this happens to you, call me at (916) 921-6400. If you are out-of-state, my toll-free number is (800) 404-5400. I am available to give friendly advice that is free of charge.
As a California injury lawyer for 35 years, I have helped many clients and their families in Sacramento and Northern California to receive the compensation they deserve for their traumatic injury and wrongful death claims.
Ratings and reviews by my prior clients can be found at Yelp, Google or Avvo. To see some of the results I have obtained, go to Verdicts and Settlements.
I belong to the Million Dollar Advocates. The trial lawyers who are invited into this group have either won verdicts or settled cases worth $1 million or more.
Autoaccident.com offers Northern Californians comprehensive information on personal injury law.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/car-accident-clash-rome-highway-2165210/
:cd [cs804] cv