Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of personal injuries in Orange County. They occur when drivers of cars or trucks collide with motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, or other cars. 

Why do Orange County traffic accidents occur?

Common explanations for motor vehicle accidents in Orange County include:

• Distracted driving (including driving while texting)
• Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI)
• Driving after using medications that cause fatigue
• Failing to yield at an intersection
• Running a red light
• Speeding
• Driving too fast for weather conditions
• Changing lanes without checking the driver’s blind spot
• Tailgating
• Road rage

Of course, accidents can happen for uncommon reasons, as well. Improperly fastened cargo that falls from a truck and an officer's failure to follow law enforcement policies governing high speed chases are just two examples of the many additional acts of negligence that can lead to tragic results on Orange County roads.

When dealing with motor vehicle accidents a collision will likely be classified as a rear-end accident, T-Bone (side impact) or a head on crash.  For specifics reading the latter you can visit the resource Head On Collision Compensation | Free Case Evaluations, which provides a number of statistics and helpful information.

Where do Orange County motor vehicle accidents occur?

In terms of raw numbers, Anaheim and Santa Ana lead Orange County in the number of traffic accidents causing injuries. Cities in Orange County with the most motor vehicle accidents per 1,000 residents are:

• Car Accidents. On a per capita basis, Seal Beach and Laguna Beach have the most car accidents in Orange County.
• Truck Accidents. Brea and Seal Beach both get a significant amount of truck traffic, and are nearly tied for the most truck accidents per capita in Orange County.
• Motorcycle Accidents. On a per capita basis, Seal Beach and Laguna Beach are the most dangerous communities for motorcyclists.
• Bicycle Accidents. Bicycles are a popular form of transportation in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, which explains why they lead Orange County in per capita bicycle accidents.
• Pedestrian Accidents. Laguna Beach has substantially more pedestrian accidents per capita than other Orange County cities. 

Statistics show that, compared to other California cities of their size, accidents involving DUI are particularly likely to occur in Santa Ana, Orange, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach.

Compensation for Motor Vehicle Accidents

 The compensation an injury victim will receive as the result of a motor vehicle accident depends upon the extent of the injury and whether the victim shared responsibility for the accident. As a practical matter, the responsible driver’s insurance policy limits may also play a role in the determining the settlement value of an injury claim.

Catastrophic injuries require funding for a lifetime of care. Catastrophic injuries usually involve brain damage or trauma to the spinal cord. Brain injuries often limit the ability of the accident victim to provide for his or her own care. Spinal injuries may lead to paralysis. Catastrophic injuries may also involve organ damage or the amputation of a limb, resulting in prolonged hospitalization and lengthy rehabilitation.

Other disabling injuries may also reduce an accident victim's earning capacity or cause the victim to endure a lifetime of pain. Neck, knee, and back injuries often have lasting consequences that merit substantial compensation.

When personal injuries result in death, families count on lawyers to bring wrongful death claims against negligent drivers (and in the case of company vehicles, their employers). Wrongful death compensation replaces lost income and sends a message about the value of the love and companionship that the victim provided to family members.

 Premises Accidents

All Orange County businesses have a duty to keep their premises safe for customers. The most common violation of that duty is the failure to notice and correct a hazard that causes a customer to slip or trip.

Falls can occur because a supermarket fails to clean a spill in its aisle, because a business fails to repair a pothole in its parking lot, or because an extension cord is stretched across an area where customers walk. Loose carpeting, damaged stair treads, and improper maintenance of slippery floors all contribute to falls.

Falls lead to broken bones (particularly wrists, arms, and ankles) as well as serious head injuries. A fall can be particularly dangerous for elderly accident victims. More than 95% of hip fractures in senior citizens are caused by falling.

Homeowners also have an obligation to keep their premises safe. They can be held accountable for negligence when they fail to keep neighborhood children away from a swimming pool, fail to warn visitors about holes in the ground or other dangerous property conditions, or leave firearms where children might find them.

Medical Malpractice

Doctors save lives, but when they are careless, they can destroy lives. A personal injury law firm will likely represents individuals who have been harmed due to:

• Birth injuries caused by improper delivery techniques
• Surgical errors
• The failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
• Administration of the wrong drugs or drug dosage during hospitalization
• Failing to explain procedures and obtain consent to treatment
• Anesthesia errors

If you think you were injured or believe a loved one died due to medical malpractice, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately. Steps need to be taken to assure that the hospital or clinic does not alter or destroy records that would reveal their negligent conduct.

Representing All Orange County Injury Victims

An attorney can help represent Orange County injury victims who are suffering due to another person's negligence. Other cases we handle include:

• Defective Products. Exploding airbags, defective knee implants, and toys that create choking hazards are examples of products that can harm consumers due to a manufacturer's negligence.
  
• Dog Bites. Owners are held strictly responsible for dogs that bite. Scarring and infections commonly result from serious dog bite injuries.
• Nursing Home Abuse. Improper care for elderly patients violates state and federal laws and entitles victims to compensation for their pain and suffering.

If you're interested in getting additional personal injury advice try reading the Gorman website, which includes a number of articles on various different legal topics.