When you’ve been in a car accident, the last thing you need is the added stress of paying for expensive medical bills and finding a way to replace your lost wages. You and your family are hurting during this time, and you deserve someone who understands what you’re going through and can help you get the money you’re owed.
At Berg Injury Lawyers, our Fresno car accident lawyers have helped thousands of individuals and families who suffered physically, emotionally, and financially after devastating car accidents, and we want to help you too. Give us a call or fill out our free online form to get in touch with our legal staff today.
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Common Causes of Car Accidents in Fresno
Understanding the common causes of car accidents can help drivers prevent them. Some factors contributing to crashes in Fresno include:
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These factors are behind many of the collisions we see here in Fresno, with our city ranking as one of the worst in the nation for drunk driving. Hopefully, spreading awareness of these causes can inspire drivers to be safer on the road and potentially prevent accidents going forward.
Berg Wins 60x
Insurance Company’s Offer in Auto Accident Case
Berg Injury Lawyers obtained a recovery worth SIXTY TIMES the insurance company’s original settlement offer in an auto accident case.
Our client suffered a significant neck injury in a crash caused by another driver who made an illegal U-turn in front of him. He required two cervical fusions because the hardware used in the first procedure failed. Our client was offered a settlement by the insurance company prior to hiring Berg Injury Lawyers which he did not accept. The representation by Berg Injury Lawyers helped him settle for 60x what he was offered prior to hiring our law firm.
Insurance companies are in the business of making money, not giving it away—which means they will offer you as little compensation as they think they can get away with, even when you have a rock-solid claim with the other party obviously at fault. When you hire a lawyer, you are protecting your rights and knowing your own value.
Types Of Car Accidents In Fresno
Fresno sits at the crossroads of major highways like 99 and 41, which means heavy traffic and more serious accidents. Different types of crashes can affect how much compensation you get.
Head-On Crashes
When two vehicles hit front-to-front, the damage to both is often severe. Head-on crashes happen when drivers cross into oncoming traffic because they’re distracted, tired, or intoxicated.
Because both vehicles are moving toward each other at full speed, a massive and highly forceful impact occurs that can crush one or both of the cars and cause severe injuries. Victims could end up with brain injuries, spinal cord damage, chest injuries, or broken bones. Many people who survive are permanently disabled and need lifelong medical care, which is why getting compensation is so important.
Rear-End Crashes
These accidents happen when one vehicle strikes another from behind, often during stop-and-go traffic or at traffic signals. Despite seeming less severe than other crash types, rear-end crashes can cause serious harm, especially to the neck and back.
The jolt inflicted on the head and neck can damage soft tissues, joints, and nerves, leading to chronic pain conditions. More forceful rear-end impacts can cause spinal injuries, concussions, and damage to internal organs. Many victims find their injuries worsen over time, affecting their ability to work and enjoy daily activities.
Rollover Crashes
Vehicle rollovers occur when cars flip onto their sides or roofs, creating extremely dangerous situations for occupants. These accidents can happen during high-speed turns, when vehicles are struck at certain angles, or when drivers overcorrect after leaving the roadway.
Taller vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks face higher rollover risks. The injuries from rollover accidents are often severe and multiple, including head trauma from contact with the roof or ground, spinal cord injuries from the violent rolling motion, and cuts from broken glass. The unpredictable nature of rollovers also increases the risk of being thrown from the vehicle.
T-Bone Accidents
Side-impact collisions create a “T” formation when one vehicle’s front end strikes another’s side. These crashes are common at intersections where drivers fail to stop for red lights or stop signs. The side doors and windows provide minimal protection compared to a vehicle’s front and rear, leaving occupants vulnerable to direct impact.
Victims often suffer broken ribs that can damage internal organs, head injuries from side window contact, and injuries to the pelvis and legs when the door is forced inward. Recovery from T-bone accidents often requires extensive medical treatment and can result in permanent limitations that affect quality of life.
Wrong-Way Collisions
Wrong-way accidents happen when drivers travel in the wrong direction on freeways or divided highways. In some cases, they occur because the driver is tired, impaired, having a medical emergency, or became confused.
These crashes are especially harmful because both cars are going full speed toward each other. Victims might suffer brain injuries, spinal damage, broken bones, or internal bleeding. Recovery takes a long time and costs a lot, often requiring specialists and months of rehab.
Multi-Car Accidents
Multi-vehicle crashes involve many cars and often create a domino effect where one collision triggers others. These accidents sometimes happen during poor weather conditions, heavy traffic, or when visibility is reduced. Determining responsibility becomes complex when multiple drivers and insurance companies are involved.
A victim’s injuries depend on where their vehicle was in the pile-up. They might have minor injuries if their vehicle was on the edge or suffer severe trauma if it was in the middle. These chaotic crashes can also leave victims with lasting emotional trauma.
The Most Dangerous Roads In Fresno
State Route 99 and Interstate 5 serve as vital transportation conduits for the Central Valley. Agriculture is vital to the area, and highways and interstates in and around Fresno carry a large amount of traffic from commercial trucks. According to a recent study, the number of accidents and injuries in Fresno doubled between 2019 and 2020.
The following Fresno roadways saw the most crashes and fatalities:
- State Route 99: This state route contains infamously dangerous stretches of highway. One study (updated in 2021) found that in a four-year period, there were about 62 fatal collisions per 100 miles on this stretch. Fresno also saw the highest frequency of fatal crashes.
- Blackstone Avenue: Law enforcement investigated 11 fatal collisions along this main throughway from 2008 to 2018.
- Shaw Avenue: During the same time period, there were nine fatal accidents recorded on this avenue.
Types Of Compensation Available In Car Accident Claims
Car accidents result in many types of damages, economic and non-economic, which victims can pursue in their claims:
- Economic Damages: These include quantifiable financial losses such as medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs.
- Non-Economic Damages: Non-economic damages describe intangible losses like pain and suffering, emotional stress, and negative impacts on quality of life and personal relationships.
It’s crucial to understand these different types of damages in order to pursue fair compensation for all aspects of your suffering.
Steps To Take After A Car Accident In Fresno
Experiencing a car accident can be overwhelming, but knowing what steps to take afterward can help protect your rights and ensure your safety:
Ensure Safety: If possible, pull to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights to prevent additional collisions. Check yourself and others for injuries and call for medical attention if needed.
Call the Police: Contact law enforcement to report the accident and request assistance. A police report can provide valuable documentation for insurance claims later on.
Gather Information and Evidence: Exchange contact and insurance information with other parties involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses. Take photos of the scene, including vehicle damage and road conditions.
Notify Your Insurance Company: Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible to initiate the claims process. Avoid speculating about or admitting fault.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer: An attorney can protect your rights, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for compensation on your behalf.
Hiring an attorney early in the process can be beneficial for several reasons. A lawyer can help you avoid mistakes that hurt the value of your claim. They will deal with the insurance company on your behalf. With an experienced advocate handling your claim, you can focus on your health and let them deal with everything else.
At Berg Injury Lawyers, we’re used to dealing with insurance company tactics. And we offer the No Fee Guarantee® with our services, which means if you don’t win, you pay nothing. After your accident, the more time we have to build the strongest possible case for you, the better. So don’t wait another day to get the help you need—contact us today.
Get Our Experience On Your Side
When you and your family have been involved in a serious car accident, you need a legal team that knows Fresno car accidents, knows California law, and knows how to get you money. When you call Berg Injury Lawyers, you’ll get a team of lawyers who will go to work on your case right away, which means you get the money you need sooner. With our No Fee Guarantee®, if you don’t win, you pay nothing. So stop by our law office in Fresno, or call now and get the legal help you deserve.
Fresno Law Office
516 West Shaw Ave.,
Suite 200,
Fresno, CA 93704