Accidentes de vehículos

Ariel Law Group luchará por Your Rights In Motor Vehicle Accident Cases

At Ariel Law Group, we represent all types of motor vehicle accident victims throughout Los Angeles and Southern California. Whether you’ve been injured in a car crash, truck collision, motorcycle accident, or rideshare incident, our team of motor vehicle accident lawyers has the experience and proven track record to fight for maximum compensation on your behalf.

With over 39 million residents and over 386,000 lane miles of road in California, our state leads the nation in the number of traffic fatalities that involve vehicles of all types, including cars, pickups and SUVS, large tractor-trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles, with 3,306 deaths – and the statistics only consider deaths, not total accidents. Accidents and injuries might be 10 to 20 times that, especially you consider that at least 1- million crashes go unreported each year (NHTSA, 2015.) If you live in the Los Angeles area, the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths are among the highest in the state. Your chances of being injured (or worse) in a motor vehicle accident sometime in your life are great.

Those involved in motor vehicle accidents are not only at risk of losing their lives but can also suffer property loss, loss of loved ones, or bodily injury that can result in serious impairment, traumatic brain injury or spinal trauma, loss of wages, inability to work, medical and rehabilitation bills. Many of the damages suffered in traffic accidents are permanent, irreplaceable, and life-changing, and not even the best insurance in the world can make life whole again for the victims.

En Ariel Law Group, nuestra misión es ayudar a las víctimas de accidentes a recibir el mejor acuerdo posible para compensarlas por sus pérdidas. Incluso si otros conductores tienen un seguro de primera, el trabajo de estas empresas es pagar la cantidad más baja posible en nombre de sus asegurados para que su negocio pueda seguir siendo rentable. Esta situación significa que las cantidades canceladas a las víctimas por pérdidas tangibles e intangibles son terriblemente bajas. Los abogados y el personal de Ariel trabajan incansablemente para que los clientes luchen por la verdadera justicia para que las víctimas de accidentes puedan recuperar sus vidas.

*A menos que se indique lo contrario, las estadísticas que se utilizan a continuación se recopilaron de varias fuentes

Lesiones por accidentes automovilísticos

Estadísticas recientes del IIHS para California indican que el 52% de las muertes por accidentes vehiculares ocurren entre conductores y pasajeros en automóviles y cada vez más en camionetas y SUV. Los choques traseros, a menudo causados ​​por el seguimiento de vehículos, representan aproximadamente el 29% de los choques, pero los choques frontales o laterales son los más mortales y son responsables del 54% y el 25% de las muertes de ocupantes de vehículos de pasajeros, respectivamente. (IIHS, 2018)

Aunque los automóviles son cada vez más seguros con una mayor protección contra vuelcos, 7488 ocupantes de vehículos de pasajeros murieron en choques de vuelco, y el 28% de las muertes no involucraron ningún otro impacto. Si bien algunos choques pueden ser el resultado de una conducción distraída o las condiciones climáticas, otros pueden deberse a peligros en la carretera que pueden ser el resultado de la negligencia por parte de un municipio u otro organismo gubernamental.

If you are injured or lose a loved one in a vehicular accident by a car, light truck, or SUV, the motor vehicle accident lawyers at the Ariel Law Group are ready to help you by taking action against the other party or even a governmental entity. Contact us today.

Accidentes de camiones

Each year, 130,000 people are injured in 500,000 truck collisions, and crashes of large trucks are responsible for 11% of all motor vehicle crash deaths. A startling 84% of fatal crashes and 88% of non-fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on weekdays (FMSCA), and 37% of all fatal crashes, 23% of all injury crashes, and 20% of all property-damage-only crashes involving large trucks occurred at night (FMSCA). Of the 4.119 people killed in large truck crashes in 2019, 16% were occupants of the truck, and 67% were occupants of a car or other passenger vehicle, and 15% were pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists.

Cars cause 81% of truck accidents by underestimating how long it takes a truck to stop due to its weight or design, improperly merging into traffic, making left turns in front of trucks, and pulling in front of trucks at intersections.

As a victim of a truck accident, you need motor vehicle lawyers who will aggressively examine the facts to make sure that you are not assigned an undue amount of blame in an accident. Call the Ariel Law Group when you or a loved one are injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer.

Conducción temeraria

Los accidentes rara vez ocurren cuando las personas conducen en un día agradable, se concentran en la carretera, siguen todas las reglas de tránsito y no se ven afectadas por la falta de sueño, las drogas o el alcohol. Desafortunadamente, factores como la conducción imprudente, la conducción distraída y la conducción en estado de ebriedad a menudo influyen en los accidentes.

La conducción imprudente puede supone un par de conductores desplazándose a toda velocidad por una calle pública, pero la mayoría de las veces implica:

• No atender las señales de alto o semáforos
• Desvío hacia el tráfico que se aproxima
• Driving onto sidewalks or other areas not intended for motor vehicle operation
• Tejer, seguir de cerca o pasar de manera insegura
• Speeding a certain number of miles over the speed limit (15 in California)

Ya sea intencional o no, el comportamiento imprudente puede provocar accidentes, especialmente cuando otros conductores perciben el comportamiento como intencional y responden de manera agresiva.

If you have been involved in a reckless driving accident, the attorneys at the Ariel Law Group can advise and help you. Contact us to learn more. 

Conducción distraida

Whether someone texts, talks on the phone, applies makeup, or adjusts the controls on the dashboard, they take their mind off the road and are subject to being involved in an accident. The maximum amount of time a driver can safely divert their attention from the road is two seconds, yet drivers routinely attend to other things.

Texting, for example, takes an average of 5 seconds while driving and increases the risk of crashing by 23 times (NHTSA, 2018), while dialing a phone increases the chance of a crash by 12%. Many states prohibit texting or talking with a hand-held phone but even using a hands-free electronic device is four times more distracting than talking to an adult passenger. (Driver’s Alert, 2017)

Si bien el teléfono es una fuente importante de distracción, los conductores emplean su tiempo en otros distractores:

• La interacción con aplicaciones de teléfonos celulares como Snapchat, Pokemon Go o Waze puede alentar a las personas a prestar más atención a las criaturas virtuales en la carretera informando las condiciones del tráfico que mirando la carretera.
• Atender a un niño puede distraer 12 veces más que hablar por teléfono celular.
• Más del 80% de los conductores admiten comportamientos peligrosos mientras conducen, como cambiarse de ropa, conducir con el pie, pintarse las uñas o incluso afeitarse.
• La causa más frecuente (62%) de accidentes por conducción distraída es perderse en sus pensamientos o dejar que su mente divague. (TeenSafe, 2018)
• Conducir mientras llora o está visiblemente enojado aumentó 10 veces el riesgo de chocar. (Instituto de Transporte de Virginia Tech, 2016)

Most of these behaviors seem innocent enough, but the results can be deadly. If you have been injured by a distracted driver, Ariel Law Group’s motor vehicle accident lawyers will fight for a fair settlement for you.

Conducción deteriorada

Drivers of any vehicle, along with pedestrians, are fair game for accidents if they are impaired by drugs, alcohol, or even lack of sleep. Latest statistics show that when drivers are under the influence, crash rates increase 36 times (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2016); three to five people will be involved in crashes due to impaired driving during their lifetime. (National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2017)

No todo el deterioro se debe a sustancias ilegales. Incluso tener un resfriado puede dejar al conductor confundido y con un tiempo de respuesta más lento; Además, el uso de algunos antihistamínicos de venta libre puede elevar los niveles de alcohol en sangre por encima del 0,08% de los límites legales en la mayoría de los estados y aumentar los riesgos de accidentes.

Driving while sleepy can increase the likelihood of having an accident by 2.5 times, while even missing 2 or 3 hours of sleep adds to the risk. A quick nod-off is all it takes. If a driver falls asleep for just four seconds while traveling at a speed of 62 mph, the vehicle will travel 364 feet without a driver in control – slightly more than the length of a US football field, including the two end zones (Transport Accident Commission, 2018)

Escalating numbers of drivers of cars and semis, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists involved in accidents have drug and alcohol levels in their blood that exceed the legal limit – and ups the liability of anyone involved in an accident that is impaired.

Debido a que la discapacidad es un factor común en los casos de accidentes, necesita un buen abogado de lesiones personales de Ariel Law Group a su lado para luchar por sus derechos después de haber sido lesionado en un accidente.

Accidentes de bicicletas y peatones

Al competir contra automóviles y camiones en calles y carreteras, los peatones y ciclistas tienen un historial deficiente. Estadísticas recientes informan que las muertes de peatones representaron el 16% de todas las muertes por accidentes de tránsito (NHTSA, 2018), y que el 81% ocurrieron en áreas urbanas (IIHS, 2019). Más de la mitad de todas las muertes por accidentes de tránsito en todo el mundo ocurren entre peatones, ciclistas y motociclistas. (OMS, 2018) Es preciso señalar, que las lesiones que sufren las víctimas de accidentes de peatones y bicicletas en accidentes con vehículos pueden llegar a ser incluso más devastadoras que las que un automóvil inflige a los humanos que viajan en otro.

In California, a comparative negligence state, the role of all participants in an accident is assessed, and the percentage they contributed is taken into account. If, for example, a pedestrian crosses against a light or outside of a crosswalk or a cyclist fails to stop at a stop sign or a light, these would be considered negligent. Walking or biking while drunk or texting while crossing the street can also increase your liability. The advantage of having Ariel Law Group’s motor vehicle accident lawyers on your side is that we will work tirelessly to show the court that your role in the accident was minimal.

Accidentes de motocicleta

Conducir una motocicleta es una forma económica de llegar al trabajo y una manera agradable de sumergirse en el clima y el paisaje de California, pero la actividad resultó mortal para casi 500 personas en 2019 (a nivel nacional, nuestro estado es solo superado por Florida en muertes de motocicletas). Estadísticas recientes muestran que el número de muertes de motocicletas por milla recorrida fue casi 27 veces el número de muertes de automóviles por milla recorrida. (IIHS, 2018)

Mientras que los accidentes automovilísticos provocan lesiones o la muerte aproximadamente el 20% de las veces, el 80% de los choques de motocicletas resultan en lesiones o la muerte. (NHTSA, 2003)

Estadísticamente, si se lesiona en un accidente de motocicleta, hay mucho en juego para usted, independientemente de quién haya causado el accidente. Incluso si cojea con su vida, es posible que tenga lesiones graves que requieran atención médica costosa y afecten su capacidad para trabajar.

The personal injury  and motor vehicle accident lawyers at Ariel Law Group are the advocates you want fighting for you after a motorcycle accident. Contact us to learn more. 

Viajes compartidos de Lyft y Uber

“Ridesharing” companies like Uber and Lyft are an increasingly popular way for people to book rides, but as the drivers are independent contractors who use their own vehicles to transport others, insurance liability is complex in case of an accident. To make sure you are fairly compensated if you’re involved in an accident while in a Lyft or Uber vehicle, you may need the services and support of motor vehicle lawyers at the Ariel Law Group.

Empresas como Lyft o Uber con consideradas como una red de transporte, o TNC, ya que conectan a quienes necesitan transporte con quienes lo proporcionan en sus propios automóviles. Si bien estas compañías brindan cierta cobertura de seguro a quienes usan los servicios, existen excepciones cuando están involucrados otros conductores, ciclistas o peatones. Varias compañías de seguros pueden estar involucradas en cualquier reclamo.

Complex legal issues arise when third-party liability insurance is involved, as in the ridesharing industry. Laws have continuously challenged the policies of Lyft, Uber, and similar ridesharing services, but it doesn’t appear that we will see clear regulations on this anytime soon.

At Ariel Law Group, we have a team of experienced and competent attorneys who specialize in motor vehicle accident liability law. Contact us to learn more.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Traffic Violence Continues to Surge in L.A.

Over the last year, Los Angeles has experienced a tremendous spike in traffic-related violence to surge in L.A., culminating in a wave of tragedy for its residents. Motor vehicle accidents have been the source of much of this turmoil, with numerous fatalities and injuries occurring. The number of motor vehicle incidents has increased drastically due to reckless driving behaviors such as speeding and distracted driving. It has resulted in considerable property and life damage, as well as an increase in traffic-related fatalities around the city. In addition, motor vehicle accidents tend to be even more severe during peak travel times due to high traffic volumes on busy streets. Many individuals have suffered from severe physical trauma or loss of life due to these preventable accidents. The city government is attempting to curb this trend by introducing stricter laws surrounding reckless driving behaviors, such as harsher penalties for those who violate them.

What is the Safest City to Ride a Motorcycle?

Examining cities nationwide to determine which is the safest city for motorcycle riders provides insight into road safety. The top five safest cities for motorcycle riding are Reno: Nevada, Huntsville: Alabama, Visalia: California, Montgomery; Alabama, Eugene; Oregon. The factors that make these cities safer for motorcyclists include stricter enforcement of traffic laws and regulations such as speed limits, and helmet use laws. Additionally, many of these cities have implemented public education programs to increase awareness about motorcycle riding risks and how to reduce them.

At What Speed do most Motorcycle Deaths Occur?

Fatal motorcycle deaths occur at high speeds, with research indicating that a significant percentage of fatalities involve excessive speed. Analysis revealed that when motorcycles traveled faster than 55 mph, the likelihood of a fatality increased exponentially. Data shows that over 39% of all fatal motorcycle accidents occurred at speeds greater than 50 mph and 15% at rates greater than 75 mph. These statistics demonstrate how essential it is for riders to stay within posted speed limits to minimize risk and avoid severe injury or death.

What is the Statute of Limitations on Motorcycle Accidents in California?

In California, the statute of limitations for filing a claim pertaining to a motorcycle accident is two years. It implies that if a person was involved in a motorbike accident, they must file a lawsuit within two years after the occurrence or face being prohibited from doing so. To initiate this process, an individual must file a lawsuit in either the small claims court or superior court with jurisdiction over the matter and then serve notice of their claim to all parties involved in the accident. California requires that all personal injury claims related to motor vehicle accidents be filed within two years, regardless of who is responsible for causing them.