How to Avoid Car Accidents in Los Angeles in 2020

As more people move to Los Angeles, and as the roads become more and more congested, the rate of highway accidents continues to rise. Find out how you can minimize your risk of getting into an auto collision. And, get tips on when you need to contact a Los Angeles accident attorney.

How to Avoid Car Accidents in Los Angeles in 2020

There are many good things about living in the greater Los Angeles area. There’s beautiful scenery, all within an easy drive. There are countless opportunities for employment, and for education. The restaurant scene is essentially without peer, and entertainment avenues abound. Yet as more and more people are drawn to Los Angeles, and to all these benefits and amenities, there are also a few downsides. Perhaps the biggest one? Traffic.

The highways in and around Los Angeles are famously congested, and as they get more and more overburdened with cars, we’re seeing more and more accidents and fatalities. Even the safest driver can’t completely erase the risk of a highway collision, but there are some steps you can take to keep that risk as low as possible.

In this post, we’ll offer some tips for safe driving in and around Los Angeles. Then, we’ll advise you on what to do if you ever do get into an accident, via a qualified Los Angeles car accident attorney.

Avoiding Accidents: Tips from a Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

To begin with, here are some geographically specific safe driving tips from a leading car accident attorney in Los Angeles.

  • First, it’s important to always try to keep with the flow of traffic. Driving faster than the other cars is a potential hazard, but so is driving too slow! When it comes to driving speed, you generally don’t want to be the outlier.
  • Try to minimize the time you spend on the road during rush hour. Yes, sometimes it may be unavoidable. But when traffic is especially dense, and when drivers tend to be in a big hurry, that’s when people start making poor decisions, and when accidents start to happen.
  • It’s also best to avoid driving at night as much as possible. Quite simply, there are a lot of Los Angeles streets and neighborhoods that aren’t well-lit. Impaired visibility heightens your risk of accident and injury.
  • Also try to minimize the number of left turns you make at lights. In Los Angeles, a lot of accidents tend to happen when drivers turn left at lights, even at major intersections.
  • As fun as it can be to explore unknown parts of the city, the safest approach is to stick with familiar roads and routes as best you can. Try to avoid any surprises when you drive.
  • If you know there’s a street that’s especially narrow or bumpy, try to avoid it. Also plan your routes to go around streets with a lot of potholes, or streets that are just generally in disrepair.
  • Finally, remember that drunk driving is a big problem in Los Angeles. You may be completely sober when you’re behind the wheel, but you can’t make that assumption about other motorists. Stay alert and keep your wits about you: You never know when you’ll encounter an inebriated driver who’s behaving erratically.

These are just a few suggestions for driving safe in Los Angeles. But again, these tips alone don’t guarantee that you’ll be accident-free. Wrecks happen even to the most cautious and careful of drivers, and it’s important to know how to respond if you ever are involved in an incident on the highway.

When to Call a Los Angeles Accident Lawyer

Here are a few best practices and rules of thumb to keep in mind, should you ever find yourself entangled in a highway accident of any kind.

  • The first and most important step is to check for injuries. Take stock of your own condition, and if you’re able to, check on other people in your car or in the other cars involved in the accident. If anyone is visibly injured, call 911 and have an ambulance dispatched to the scene right away.
  • If at all possible, it’s best to move your vehicle out of the road and onto the shoulder or curb. You want to prevent your vehicle from being an obstacle to other drivers, and potentially causing another accident. But only move your vehicle if you feel like you can do so safely.
  • It’s typically best to call the police and ask them to dispatch an officer to the scene. The officer will take statements, snap some photos, potentially make a sketch or two, and file an official report. This report can provide a meaningful foundation of fact, and it will be useful to you in processing your insurance claim or eventually going to court.
  • When you talk to the police officer, simply offer your account of what happened to cause the accident. Avoid name-calling or blaming other parties. Also avoid apologizing or admitting to fault (even if you secretly think you were the one to blame for the crash).
  • Try your best to document the scene: Make yourself some notes and use your phone to take pictures of the damaged vehicles and damaged property.
  • Gather names, insurance details, and contact information from the other drivers. Provide them with your information if asked.
  • Contact a Los Angeles car accident attorney and ask for a valuation of your case. A good attorney will guide you through processing your insurance claim and/or pursuing further legal action.
  • Always make sure you seek a full medical evaluation, even if you don’t think you were hurt. You can get a check-up from your normal doctor, from an urgent care facility, or even in the Emergency Room. Don’t delay this step. The sooner you can get checked out, the better.

The aftermath of a car accident can be disorienting, but when you follow these tips, you can protect not just your safety, but the integrity of your legal claim.

Speak with a Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

Do you have more questions about how to deal with a Los Angeles car accident? Are you ready to move forward on your own car accident case? Don’t hesitate to contact a skilled local law firm. Contact us today (24/7) to talk with an experienced car accident attorney in Los Angeles.