According to the latest available statistics (as of September 2021) from the California Office of Traffic Safety:
With a population of nearly 3.9 million people in the city and more in the county, Los Angeles is one of the most populous areas in the U.S. With its extensive network of crisscrossed freeways, interstates, and highways combined with its large population, it is little wonder that Los Angeles also experiences a high number of motor vehicle collisions every year.
Accident statistics of U.S. cities reveal that Los Angeles is ranked sixth in terms of the greatest car accident risks in the nation. On average, people in Los Angeles only go an average of 5.81 years between motor vehicle collisions. Six of the roads with the greatest number of accidents are located in California. One is in Los Angeles, and two others are in Los Angeles County outside of the city in Glendale and Pasadena.
Los Angeles is also widely known for its car culture and its traffic congestion. On the city’s numerous freeways and highways, traffic accidents are common occurrences. Whether you live in the city, drive into it from outside for work, or are planning a visit, it’s important to understand the risks you face when traveling on the city’s roadways.
According to the data compiled by the City of Los Angeles based upon Traffic Collision Reports made in relation to auto accidents city-wide from 2010 to the present, the following are the most dangerous roads in L.A.
Many Californians enjoy bicycling as a fun recreational activity, an opportunity to get exercise while enjoying the outdoors, and as a means of transportation. As cycling has increased in popularity in the last few years because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of bicycle accidents and resulting injuries have sharply increased. An Oct. 2021 report by the American College of Surgeons found that trauma caused by bicycle accidents surged by 100% during pandemic-related lockdowns.
Some of the dangers involved with riding bicycles can be attributed to sharing the roads with motor vehicles. Both cyclists and motorists must understand the rules of the road and their responsibilities while riding or driving. To try to curb the number of bicycle accidents and their resulting injuries and fatalities, the California Legislature recently passed a bill that aims to protect bicyclists and decrease the danger that they will be involved in accidents. This law became effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Here’s some information about the new law and its impact on the rights and responsibilities of motorists who share the roads with bicyclists.
Pedestrian fatalities have been increasing across the U.S. In 2021 alone, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported that an estimated 7.485 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. The GHSA reports that was a 12% increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities over those who were killed in 2020. The GHSA also reports that the number of pedestrian fatalities in 2021 was the largest in four decades.
While the overall pedestrian fatalities in California decreased in 2021 from those killed in 2020, the same is not true for Los Angeles. In LA, 289 people were killed in pedestrian accidents through Dec. 25, 2021. This represented a 21% increase over 2020. A recent report also reveals that Los Angeles has been rated as the second-deadliest city in the U.S. for pedestrians. Here’s what you need to know about this report and what it means for pedestrians in Los Angeles.
The recent accident and subsequent death of actress Anne Heche captivated the attention of many people in California and throughout the U.S. The horrific accident and Heche’s conduct leading up to the crash also raise questions of liability and how the victims might pursue claims to recover damages for their losses. Los Angeles personal injury attorney Steven M. Sweat analyzes the crash from a legal perspective below.
On Aug. 5, 2022, TMZ reported that Anne Heche had been involved in a hit-and-run crash before she fled and crashed into an occupied home nearby. The second collision ignited a fire that engulfed both her vehicle and the home she crashed into, and the fire destroyed the home. The resident was seated inside of her house at the time of the crash, and Heche’s vehicle stopped just a few feet from her. Thankfully, the resident escaped without injuries. Heche was taken to the hospital with burns and other injuries, and she slipped into a coma and subsequently died a few days later.
A horrific car crash in Los Angeles claimed the lives of five people and one unborn baby. The multi-vehicle wreck happened on Aug. 4 when a woman sped through a red light while traveling at an estimated 90 miles per hour at 1:30 pm. The tragic collision illustrates the importance of following California’s traffic laws to prevent similar collisions from occurring.
A 37-year-old traveling nurse, Nicole Linton had worked in multiple states, including Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas before taking a position in California at the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. She had originally graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor’s degree in marketing before changing career paths and becoming a nurse. Linton was licensed as a nurse in California in 2021 and had been working in the state for a year at the time of her collision.
Many people enjoy the convenience of ordering chef-created meals through delivery companies that can be easily prepared and ready in minutes. One such company, Daily Harvest, has been a favorite of people who are trying to eat healthfully with its emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and healthy grains. Unfortunately, however, Daily Harvest initiated a voluntary recall in June 2022 of its Fench Lentil + Leak Crumbles because of potential adverse health effects. More than 28,000 units of recalled products that were sold to people across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, were affected by the recall.
Here is some information about the recall and what you should do if you have experienced serious illness following consuming this product. If you were sickened and injured after consuming this product, you might be entitled to pursue compensation through a defective product injury claim with the help of the Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC.
In 2015, the City of Los Angeles adopted Vision Zero following its implementation in multiple European cities. The city’s Vision Zero plan aimed to decrease traffic fatalities each year with the goal of eliminating all of them by 2025. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an executive directive through which he committed the city to Vision Zero with the intention of reducing traffic death to zero by 2025 through a combination of infrastructure improvements and new policies. While the initiative initially showed promise with the city’s modifications of 18 traffic corridors to include protected left-turn signals and extended curbs, the traffic fatality statistics demonstrate that the impact of Vision Zero has not been as intended. Instead, traffic fatalities have increased since 2015 to reach a 20-year high of 289 people in Los Angeles in 2021. Similarly, other U.S. cities that have adopted Vision Zero programs have also seen increases in traffic fatalities, including New York City, Portland, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
By contrast, European cities with similar programs have demonstrated a steady decline in traffic fatalities. For example, Helsinki, Finland, a city with a population the size of Las Vegas, Nevada, only had three traffic fatalities. By contrast, Las Vegas had 304 traffic fatalities that year despite having a Vision Zero program.
There are several reasons why Vision Zero has not worked as intended in the U.S. while it has been effective in Europe.
Employers are generally not liable for the negligent actions of their employees when the employees are traveling to or from work while off the clock. However, if an employer creates a risk of injury during the employee’s commute, and the employee then causes an accident as a result of that created risk, the employer might be liable. In Feltham v. Universal Protection Service, LP, Cal. Ct. App. Case No. A161190, the California Court of Appeal considered whether the trial court’s ruling that the special risk exception had not been met was correct.
Clanisha Villegas worked for Universal Protection Service, LP (DBA Allied Universal Corporation) from Feb. 2015 to May 2016 before leaving to have a baby. Universal provided security guard services to multiple medical facilities through the University of California, San Francisco. Villegas reapplied for a security guard position in 2017 and asked to work the overnight shift. During her interview, she informed the company that she had an eight-month-old baby and did not have daytime childcare. The interviewer did not ask Villegas about her daytime activities or when she was able to sleep.
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