When you reside in beautiful San Jose, you live near Silicon Valley, where technology is always booming. The weather is sunny and warm; you can enjoy California’s beauty daily. However, San Jose has more than one million residents living in tightly packed urban and suburban communities. All these people living so close together means more traffic and car accidents.
San Jose, not unlike other large cities, is congested with traffic. I-280 and several other interstates and highways are some of the most traveled routes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Unfortunately, I-280 is the site of many serious and fatal car accidents every year.
Below, learn about car accidents on the I-280 in the San Jose area. Talk to a San Jose car accident lawyer promptly if another driver’s negligence injured you. You can receive compensation in a car accident lawsuit.
Where Do Auto Accidents Happen Most In San Jose?
San Jose is an attractive place to live, but auto accidents happen daily. In a recent 10-year span, 556 people were killed in San Jose auto accidents, and thousands suffered an injury. Serious and fatal auto accidents can happen in one or two seconds, leading to devastating injuries.
Two hazardous routes in San Jose are I-280 and Monterey Road. Just last year, ten motorists died in auto accidents on the section of the I-280 running between McLaughlin Avenue and Meridian Avenue. Also, there were 42 deaths and 350 serious injuries on Monterey Road in the last year. Other problem roads in San Jose with many auto accidents are:
- Blossom Hill Road
- First Street
- Fruitdale Avenue
- Hillsdale Avenue
- King Road
- Santa Clara Street
- Story Road
- Senter Road
- White Road
Call the police immediately if you suffered an injury in a San Jose auto accident. Then, call a personal injury attorney to determine if you have a case. It may not always be clear initially who was at fault, so have a car accident lawyer review your case for free. They’ll inform you if your case is likely to lead to compensation.
What Causes San Jose Car Accidents?
There are many causes of serious San Jose car accidents. These are the most common reasons for auto accidents in the city by area:
Highways
Highways such as I-280 present challenges for drivers because of heavy traffic, high speeds, and a limited number of access roads. Common causes of auto accidents on I-280 and other highways are:
- Sudden lane changes: Heavy traffic on I-280 and other interstates may cause drivers to change lanes without warning, leading to serious auto accidents involving many drivers.
- Tailgating: Tens of thousands of other drivers use I-280 every morning. Traffic congestion may cause some drivers to tailgate others so they don’t have time to slow down when traffic stops. Tailgating can cause serious rear-end accidents that involve many vehicles.
- Fatigued driving: Many drivers must commute long distances on the I-280 to get to and from work. Long drives and intense traffic can lead to fatigue and many serious crashes.
Intersections
San Jose intersections are also common locations for auto accidents. Many vehicles converging from several directions can trigger serious accidents if just one driver doesn’t do what they should do. Common causes of San Jose accidents at intersections are:
- Not yielding: San Jose drivers may not yield the right of way at busy intersections. It can cause severe or fatal collisions with cars going through the intersection or turning.
- Running red lights and stop signs: Everyone is in a hurry in San Jose, and red light runners are common. Running red lights and stop signs is extremely dangerous because it can lead to devastating T-bone accidents. These crashes are hazardous because the sides of cars offer little protection in an accident.
- Speeding: Excessive speed in San Jose causes far too many severe auto accidents. Talk to the police and a car accident attorney if a speeding driver hits you in a car accident. The police may cite the driver for speeding, making it easier for your attorney to hold them accountable in a claim.
- Distracted driving: Most people in San Jose text and drive because of the long time spent in traffic. Looking away from the road for only a second can cause a devastating crash. Your auto accident lawyer can review the driver’s cell phone records to learn if they were distracted by a phone.
Parking Lots
Parking lots may seem like a ‘minor’ place for auto accidents in San Jose. However, large numbers of vehicles packed into a small area mean auto accidents are common in parking lots. Some of these auto accidents may be low-speed, but parking lots also have many pedestrians, so severe injuries and deaths are possible:
- Distracted driving: Looking at a cell phone in a parking lot is dangerous because so many cars and pedestrians are packed into a tight area.
- Backing crashes: Backing out of a parking space without closely looking for pedestrians and vehicles can lead to a serious accident.
- Unusual traffic flow: Some San Jose parking lots have confusing designs that can increase the chances of a vehicle going in the wrong direction and hitting others.
Neighborhoods
San Jose neighborhoods may seem safer than I-280 and other busy roads. But many families live in dense neighborhoods, and accidents happen for these reasons:
- Speeding: Even in a suburban community, many drivers speed, putting pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists at risk.
- Distractions: Neighborhoods in the Bay Area often have many children playing, people walking their dogs, and cyclists commuting to work. Distractions such as cell phones and eating and drinking often lead to serious crashes.
- Failure to stop: Some drivers rush and don’t stop fully, putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
- Reduced visibility: San Jose neighborhoods may have many cars and trees, making it more difficult for drivers to see oncoming traffic.
What If You’re In A Car Accident On The I-280?
When a traffic accident happens on the I-280 caused by another driver, you have rights under the state’s personal injury laws. These personal injury rights are intended to help recover damages related to the crash – both financially and physically. Generally, the legal concept at the heart of a car accident claim is negligence.
Negligence occurs when someone does not act with the level of care that another typical person would, which leads to harm. So, if a driver was distracted on the I-280 and rear-ended and injured you, they can be deemed negligent.
Victims of I-280 accidents in San Jose can usually seek compensation for their losses, such as medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. To do so, the auto accident victim must prove that the other party was negligent and that the negligence led to the accident. Multiple drivers in an I-280 San Jose accident can be at fault, and liability can be shared. You should have a San Jose auto accident attorney represent you if another driver or multiple drivers caused the crash.
Auto insurance usually plays a significant role in serious auto accidents. Most California drivers have auto insurance to pay for at least some of an accident’s costs. Car accident victims can file a claim with the liable driver’s policy so they are compensated for their losses. However, many Californians don’t have auto insurance, so you may need to use your own uninsured driver coverage to pay for your losses. You should always have a San Jose car accident lawyer help if you need to file an uninsured driver claim on your policy. The insurance company can short-change you even though you are its client.
How A San Jose Auto Accident Lawyer Can Help You
You may feel overwhelmed when an I-280 auto accident happens in the Bay Area. You may not know what happened, your injury, or who is to blame. After you call the police to report the crash, your next call should be to a San Jose auto accident attorney. Your legal advocate can do several things to benefit you immensely:
- Review your auto accident claim for free. A personal injury attorney is paid by contingency agreement, so they don’t get paid unless the case produces compensation. This means the auto accident attorney will carefully review the accident and how it happened. They only take your case if another party is likely at fault.
- Investigate the auto accident: Once the attorney takes your case, they will thoroughly investigate it to understand how it happened and who caused it.
- Hold the liable parties accountable for their negligence: Once the attorney knows how the crash happened, they will hold the liable driver or drivers accountable. This process usually involves negotiating with the liable insurance company for a settlement.
- Negotiate for the most money: The liable insurance company may offer a low settlement, and your auto accident lawyer will keep negotiating until there is a fair offer.
- Take the case to court if needed: Most Bay Area auto accident claims end with an insurance settlement. However, sometimes, going to trial is necessary to maximize compensation. A car accident attorney will prepare your case for trial and present the evidence in a way that will help you get a favorable verdict.
- Estimate your losses and damages: Your auto accident attorney will review your medical bills and prognosis, lost earnings, and pain and suffering to understand what the claim is worth. They may bring in medical and other experts to accurately gauge a potential settlement value.
- Communicate with you regularly: You have much at stake in a serious auto accident claim. You will want to know how the case is going and what it’s worth. A skilled auto accident lawyer will often update you about the case status.
In summary, hiring an auto accident lawyer in San Jose is a good idea if another driver injures you. Car accident lawyers know what auto claims are worth and how to get the most money in a settlement or trial. Attempting to settle a significant accident case without a lawyer almost always causes you to have less money in your pocket.
What Is A San Jose Auto Accident Claim Worth?
Everyone wants to know how much money they can get in a car accident settlement or lawsuit. Unfortunately, the answer depends on many factors, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, a skilled car accident attorney can review your case today and provide an approximate case value range based on these factors:
- How serious your injuries are: Severe injury cases are worth much more than if you have a minor injury that heals in a month.
- How much insurance is available: California only requires a minimum of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage. So, your claim’s value can easily eclipse that amount, making it difficult to get a fair settlement in some cases.
- How much your medical bills are: People with hundreds of thousands usually get more than someone with $5,000 in medical expenses.
Remember The California Statute Of Limitations
It’s imperative to act quickly if another driver injured you in a Bay Area auto accident. The reason is that California has a two-year statute of limitations for filing personal injury lawsuits. You can have a serious injury from a crash but not realize it for several months. Then, you realize your aching back is because of the auto accident that another driver caused. But you can lose the right to sue for damages if more than two years have passed since the accident.
Therefore, see a doctor promptly after any auto accident. You should know if another driver’s negligence injured you immediately. That way, you have plenty of time to file a lawsuit before two years pass.
Speak To A San Jose Car Accident Attorney Today
Did another vehicle hit you on I-280 in San Jose? You should be compensated for your medical bills and other losses. A San Jose car accident attorney can help you get the money you deserve. Talk to a car accident lawyer in San Jose for a free consultation about your claim. You don’t pay legal expenses unless your attorney wins your case.
