Sacramento car accidents are all too frequent, with a combined injury and death rate of almost 2,000 per year within city limits. Many of these happen on the freeways, but city-surface streets also present opportunities for collision. Intersections can be the most perilous, with cars and trucks making turns, speeding up or slowing down, and pedestrians crossing (sometimes against the light). Unfortunately, many drivers see a yellow light as a signal to speed up, rather than slow down and prepare to stop.
Sacramento Car Accident Map
Based on Sacramento City Police Department reports from 2012, these are the city’s most dangerous intersections:
- Folsom Boulevard and Howe Avenue: 11 crashes reported
- Franklin Boulevard and Mack Road: 9 crashes reported
- North 12th Street and B Street: 9 reported
- Mack Road and Valley High Drive: 8 crashes reported
- Elder Creek Road and Stockton Boulevard: 8 crashes reported
- Cosumnes River Blvd. and Bruceville Rd.: 7 reported crashes
- Meadowview Road and 24th Street: 7 crashes reported
- Stockton Boulevard and Fruitridge Road: 7 crashes reported
Who is At Fault for an Intersection Accident?
A personal injury attorney would investigate several factors to establish liability in an intersection accident case. The other driver may be at fault if he or she failed to:
- obey traffic signals
- obey signs
- use caution in poor weather
- drive at the posted speed limit
- use appropriate signals
- keep appropriate distance from the car ahead
Other factors may include:
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Distracted driving/texting while driving
- Road rage
- Poorly timed lane changes
An accident may also be caused by conditions that could have been avoided with proper maintenance. In these cases, the state may be liable if it’s established that the cause was due to:
- Poor design of the roads and intersection
- Inadequate lighting
- Inadequate signage
- Placement of poles and trees that cause obstruction
- Broken traffic lights
- Dangerous road conditions, such as potholes
How to Handle a Sacramento Car Accident
If you’ve been injured at an intersection and you were not at fault, be sure to document the details of the situation after you seek medical treatment. Contact one of our personal injury attorneys for a free case evaluation.