Two cars crashed and skidded into Thai restaurant Bangkok@12 on Saturday in downtown Sacramento. The crash happened at around 3 pm at the intersection of 12th and I streets.
The two cars collided and then slid into the restaurant, injuring 3 people inside and 8 people overall. Two were reported as having moderate injuries, while most others had minor injuries.
One witness who works at a local convenience store stated that he has seen “at least” 20 accidents in the area in the 2 years he’s been there. He said accidents at this intersection happen too often.
Speed is believed to be a factor in the cause of the accident
Danger of Intersections
Intersections pose a number of hazards for drivers and pedestrians alike. More than 50% of fatal and injury wrecks occur at or near intersections.
One predominant factor in wrecks at intersections is a driver or pedestrian’s negligence. Below are several reasons why intersections are so dangerous:
• Speeding
• Illegal and dangerous turns
• Distracted pedestrians
• Distracted drivers
• Pedestrians believing they have the right of way
• People are in a rush and don’t pay attention
• Too many points of entry at the intersection
What should you do if an intersection auto accident occurs?
1. If possible, move the cars out of the way safely
2. Check on injuries and call 911
3. Speak with police and file a police report
4. Take pictures/videos of the scene:
a. How the cars ended up
b. Surrounding area (any obstructions, lights, stop signs, etc.)
c. Injuries
5. Get contact and insurance information from other driver
6. Get contact information from witnesses
7. Seek immediate medical care by going to the ER, urgent care, or set up an emergency appointment with your primary care physician to determine extent of injuries
8. Contact your insurance company to report the crash
Determining liability after an intersection auto collision
If your car was hit at an intersection collision, it’s possible that you sustained personal injuries. If someone else was negligent when you were struck, they could be responsible for your medical bills, missed time from work, pain and suffering, and property damage.
To determine if another party is negligent, four elements must be met. The first is that the other driver must have a duty to you. This could either be by a traffic law or an unwritten rule of the road, i.e., that every driver has a duty to act reasonably in the circumstances.
Next, the other driver must breach that duty. Examples would be going over the speed limit, running a red light, or going too fast for the weather conditions. In each of these there is a duty to: go the speed limit, follow traffic signals, or drive reasonably in weather conditions.
The third element that must be met is that the accident causes your injuries. This is called causation. This means that you can’t sue for a broken arm that happened the week before. You may sue if it injures the arm more, but not for the original injury.
Finally, there must be some type of damage. Even low impact accidents can cause serious damage . However, if there isn’t any injury or damage, then there won’t be a claim for negligence.
If you’ve been in an intersection car accident, then a personal injury attorney might be able to help you. At Car Accident Attorney Hanecak Law Inc , we offer a free case evaluation.
We will go over your case with you as well as any medical records and bills, discuss time off from work, your pain and suffering and more. Please feel free to call us today at (916) 619-5452 for a case at evaluation at no cost to you. Or if you feel more comfortable filling out a form online, we have one on our website as well.
