Chula Vista Car Accident Lawyer - Michael Rehm
Free Consultations: Call (619) 787-3456
The beautiful views in Chula Vista give the city its name, but the second fastest growing city in the nation offers residents and visitors a variety of dining, shopping, and golfing experiences in addition to spectacular scenery. The Chula Vista Nature Center and Otay Valley Regional Park showcase some of the city's beauty, while vibrant neighborhoods like Third Avenue Village provide opportunities for friends to gather as they listen to local bands or sample craft beers.
Unfortunately, too many beers can lead to drunk driving accidents. Of 15 California cities that are comparable in terms of size and miles driven by residents, Chula Vista has the highest accident rate involving minor drivers who are under the influence. Chula Vista also has the unfortunate distinction of being ranked in the top five cities for motorcycle accidents and for bicycle accidents involving children.
Chula Vista residents and visitors need an honest and professional accident lawyer when they are injured, or when a loved one is killed, in a collision. The Law Office of Michael Rehm helps accident victims in Chula Vista and surrounding communities recover compensation for their losses. Call (619) 787-3456 for more information on how Michael Rehm can help.
Drunk Driving Traffic Accidents in Chula Vista
Drivers are responsible for traffic accidents when their negligent driving causes the accident. Driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug is an act of negligence. In some cases, drunk driving rises to the level of recklessness.
In a civil case, driver impairment can usually be established with evidence that the driver was “over the limit.” The police typically gather that evidence by taking post-accident breath or blood samples from drivers. When necessary, a Chula Vista car accident lawyer can call an expert witness to explain that a driver who tests at or just above the legal limit has a reduced ability to react quickly to other vehicles and pedestrians.
In many cases involving drunk or drugged drivers, however, negligence is obvious. Drunk drivers can fall asleep at the wheel, drive through a red lights, cross into lanes of oncoming traffic, or engage in other obvious acts of negligence that can only be explained by the consumption of too much alcohol.
Juries tend to punish drunk drivers who cause accidents with large verdicts. Knowing that, insurance company lawyers usually settle cases involving drunk drivers rather than risking a trial. Representation by an experienced traffic accident lawyer is essential to maximize the settlement that the insurance company will pay.
Bicycle Accidents in Chula Vista
Chula Vista developed its first bikeway plan in 1996, replaced it with a new plan in 2005, and updated the new plan in 2011. Despite all that planning, bicycle accidents are still frequent in Chula Vista.
A state law requires drivers to stay three feet from bicyclists while passing. Even when bicyclists are riding in a dedicated bike lane, drivers do not always maintain the required distance from bicycle riders. Drivers enter bike lanes when they turn, sometimes without determining whether the lane is occupied by a bicyclist. Drivers sometimes pull into bike lanes in anticipation of making a turn, again without noticing that a bicyclist is using the lane.
Drivers also cause bicycle accidents at intersections when they fail to yield to bicyclists who are riding in or crossing the street. The greatest problem in Chula Vista, however, is that drivers pay too little attention to children who are riding their bicycles to school. Drivers should be particularly vigilant in school zones or in residential neighborhoods near school hours, but distracted or speeding drivers too often collide with bicycles ridden by Chula Vista children.
Bicycle Accidents in Chula Vista
Collisions with pedestrians often occur at intersections when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. A study cited by the San Diego Union-Tribune found that the intersection of Quintard Street & 3rd Avenue is the most dangerous location for pedestrians in Chula Vista. However, drivers are also responsible for their negligent failure to observe pedestrians who are crossing in the middle of the street.
Motorcycle Accidents in Chula Vista
Motorcycle crash injuries and fatalities have increased steadily since 2013. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reports that, per mile traveled, motorcycle fatalities occur 28 times more often than passenger car fatalities in traffic crashes.
The most common motorcycle accidents in Chula Vista involve a car that turns left in front of an oncoming motorcyclist. Cars also enter streets from driveways or parking lots without regard to oncoming motorcycles. Studies show that drivers either don't notice motorcycle riders or misjudge their speed. Motorcyclists crash into cars when they are not given time to react to the car's encroachment on their lane of traffic.
Car Accidents in Chula Vista
Car collisions in Chula Vista happen for many reasons. Accidents in busy intersections usually occur because a driver is distracted and fails to notice a red light or oncoming traffic. NBC7 recently reported that the intersection of Paseo Del Rey and East H Street in Chula Vista is particularly dangerous.
The I-5 off ramp at H Street has also been identified as a high accident area in Chula Vista. Too many drivers who exit I-5 ignore traffic signs and cross H Street to reenter the freeway rather than turning right or left.
Chula Vista car accidents include:
- Rear-end collisions
- T-bone collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Unsafe backing collisions
- Sideswipes
Regardless of the nature of the accident, injury victims are entitled to compensation when the accident is caused by the negligence of another driver.
Chula Vista Car Accident Compensation
Accident victims are entitled to compensation for their injuries, including:
- Neck and whiplash injuries
- Back injuries
- Head and brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Joint injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Road rash
- Burns
- Amputated limbs
- Punctures, cuts, and resulting infections
- Organ damage
- Spinal damage
- Nerve damage
- Torn or stretched muscles, ligaments, tendons, or cartilage
Injury compensation replaces lost income and, if the injury is lasting or permanent, the loss of future income. Compensation also covers past and future medical expenses, including physical rehabilitation and medications.
When an injury is disabling, compensation covers the cost of coping with the disability. Wheelchairs, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, home remodeling to accommodate a wheelchair, vocational rehabilitation, caretakers, home helpers, and assisted-living facilities are among the expenses that compensation might need to address.
The largest component of compensation is usually awarded for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. While the amount of compensation depends upon a number of factors, experienced personal injury attorneys are able to quantify the settlement value of injury claims based on their knowledge of the damages that local juries have awarded in similar cases.
When accident victims die from their injuries, wrongful death compensation is available to spouses, children, and certain other family members. Wrongful death awards compensate a family for the lost financial and emotional contributions that result from the accident victim's death.
Free Consultations: Call (619) 787-3456
Chula Vista Personal Injury Attorney Michael Rehm provides representation on all auto, car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accidents and wrongful death cases in Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Bonita and throughout South County, San Diego California. Call (619) 787-3456 for a free consultation.
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