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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What Are the Common Causes of Car Accidents in Fresno?
Fresno’s mix of busy highways, crowded surface streets, and high-speed rural corridors makes it one of the more crash-prone cities in California’s Central Valley. Drivers face everything from dense fog on Highway 99 to heavy commuter traffic on Shaw and Blackstone, and a single moment of inattention can turn an ordinary drive into a serious wreck.
Car accidents rarely happen without a reason. In Fresno, collisions are most often caused by:
- Distracted Driving: Texting, phone calls, eating, and interacting with navigation or entertainment systems all pull a driver’s attention from the road. Any distraction, whether visual, manual, or cognitive, increases crash risk.
- Impaired Driving: Alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription medications, and even some over-the-counter drugs can slow reaction time and impair judgment. Impaired driving remains one of the most preventable causes of fatal crashes.
- Speeding: Higher speeds mean less time to react and greater force on impact. According to NHTSA data, speeding was a factor in roughly 29% of all U.S. traffic fatalities in the most recent reporting year.
- Drowsy Driving: A fatigued driver can have reaction times comparable to a drunk driver. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that drivers who sleep fewer than seven hours a night face a higher crash risk.
- Tailgating: Drivers who follow too closely give themselves no margin for error when traffic slows or stops suddenly.
- Aggressive Driving and Road Rage: Weaving through traffic, cutting off other drivers, and failing to yield are dangerous on any road. Fresno’s mix of highway and surface-street traffic makes these behaviors especially risky.
- Vehicle Defects: Brake failures, tire blowouts, and defective safety systems can cause crashes even when a driver is doing everything right. In these cases, a manufacturer or distributor may bear responsibility.
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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.
Deadly Roads and Intersections in Fresno
Fresno County consistently ranks among the most crash-prone areas in California. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, the county sits near the top of statewide rankings for fatal and injury collisions, alcohol-involved crashes, and pedestrian victims compared to similarly sized counties.
State Route 99 and Interstate 5 serve as vital transportation conduits for the Central Valley, and the heavy commercial truck traffic moving through Fresno contributes to the higher rate of serious accidents and fatalities the county sees year after year.
According to Fresno crash data from City-Data, several roads stand out as the deadliest in the city. These roads see higher traffic volume, frequent congestion, and a mix of commercial and local traffic, all of which contribute to increased crash risk:
- Highway 99
- Blackstone Avenue
- Shaw Avenue
- Cedar Avenue
- Clinton Avenue
Pedestrians have also been struck and killed at several Fresno intersections, including:
- Shaw Avenue and Valentine Avenue
- First Street and Angus Avenue
- Ashlan Avenue and Blackstone Avenue
- First Street and Tulare Avenue
Examples of Fresno Car Accidents That Resulted in Injuries and Deaths
It’s always a tragedy when someone is critically injured or killed in a vehicle crash, yet these accidents are not uncommon. Examples of serious Fresno car collisions include:
- 17-Vehicle Fog Pileup on Highway 99 (January 2026): A 61-year-old man was killed, and multiple others, including children, were injured after a massive highway pileup involving 17 vehicles amid dense fog on Highway 99 in Fresno. A second victim later died from her injuries.
- Older Couple Killed on Auberry Road (January 2026): A 21-year-old Clovis man with a suspended driver’s license crossed into the westbound lane on Auberry Road and struck a vehicle head-on, killing an 87-year-old man and his 86-year-old wife.
- Husband and Wife Killed by Suspected DUI Driver Near Coalinga (December 2025): A 30-year-old suspect veered into the northbound lane on Highway 145 trying to pass two cars and collided head-on with a vehicle, killing a 69-year-old man and his 62-year-old wife. The suspect was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).
- Four Dead in Suspected DUI Crash in Fresno County (January 2025): Four people were killed and two others injured in a DUI-related crash investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
- Fresno County Man Killed by Drunk Driver (November 2024): A Fresno County man was killed in a DUI crash, leaving behind his wife and twin children.
- Head-On Crash Kills One, Hospitalizes Two (August 2024): The driver of a car was traveling in the wrong lane and caused a head-on collision in Fresno County. A passenger was killed, and both drivers were taken to Community Regional Medical Center with significant injuries.
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 protect your rights and know 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. The kind of crash you’re in can shape your injuries, your medical bills, and the value of your claim. Common types of car accidents in Fresno include:
- Head-On Crashes: Head-on crashes occur when drivers cross into oncoming traffic due to distraction, fatigue, or intoxication. Because both vehicles are moving toward each other at full speed, the impact is massive and can crush one or both cars. Victims could end up with brain injuries, spinal cord damage, chest injuries, or broken bones, and many survivors are permanently disabled and need lifelong medical care.
- 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. More forceful impacts can cause spinal injuries, concussions, and damage to internal organs, and many victims find their injuries worsen over time.
- Rollover Crashes: Vehicle rollovers occur when a car flips onto its side or roof, creating extremely dangerous situations for occupants. They can happen during high-speed turns, when vehicles are struck at certain angles, or when drivers overcorrect after leaving the roadway. Taller vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, face higher risks. Injuries from rollover accidents are often severe and multiple, including head trauma, spinal cord injuries, and cuts from broken glass.
- 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, and side doors and windows provide minimal protection. Victims often suffer broken ribs, internal organ damage, head injuries, and injuries to the pelvis and legs. Recovery from T-bone accidents often requires extensive medical treatment.
- Wrong-Way Collisions: These accidents occur when drivers travel in the wrong direction on freeways or divided highways, often because they are tired, impaired, experiencing a medical emergency, or simply confused. Because both cars are going full speed toward each other, victims may 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 Pileups: Multi-vehicle crashes involve many cars and often create a domino effect where one collision triggers others. They sometimes occur during poor weather, heavy traffic, or reduced visibility. Determining responsibility becomes complex when multiple drivers and insurance companies are involved, and a victim’s injuries can depend on where their vehicle was in the pile-up.
- Hit-and-Run Accidents: Hit-and-run crashes occur when a driver causes an accident and leaves the scene without providing contact information, offering assistance, or waiting for police to arrive. In California, this is a crime that can result in felony charges if someone is seriously injured or killed. When the at-fault driver can’t be identified, compensation may depend on uninsured motorist (UM) coverage.
Our attorneys handle these complex cases by working with investigators, gathering and reviewing evidence, and negotiating with insurers so victims can focus on healing.
Top Fresno-Area Hospitals Where Car Accident Injuries Can Be Treated
There are several hospitals in and around Fresno where people injured in car accidents can receive medical care. These include:
- Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC): Located in downtown Fresno, Community Regional Medical Center is home to the Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center, the only Level I Trauma Center between Los Angeles and Sacramento. The trauma center is staffed 24/7 by board-certified surgeons. It is located at 2823 Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93721.
- Saint Agnes Medical Center: Saint Agnes Medical Center is a full-service hospital offering emergency, surgical, cardiac, neurological, orthopedic, and cancer care. It is part of Trinity Health and one of the primary destinations for accident victims with non-life-threatening injuries in Fresno. It is located at 1303 E. Herndon Ave., Fresno, CA 93720.
- Valley Children’s Hospital: Valley Children’s Hospital manages pediatric trauma cases throughout the Central Valley. It is located at 9300 Valley Children’s Pl., Madera, CA 93636.
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. An experienced car accident 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
