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Los Angeles - "City of Angels" and Home of Hollywood

Situated in Southern California, Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States and the most populous city in the state of California, with over 18 million people. Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva tribes, Los Angeles is known for its mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, sprawling metropolis, and as the cultural center of the American entertainment industry.

L.A. has the most dense traffic of the major U.S. cities, and the accidents to go along with it.  According to the LA Weekly, in 2012 ‘about 20,000 hit-and-run crashes, from fender benders to multiple fatalities, are recorded by the Los Angeles Police Department each year.’

Los Angeles, with its Mediterranean climate, is both flat and hilly with the highest point in the city proper reaching 5,074 ft. The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district. To get up-to-date road information, go to the California DOT site. And to find out current weather conditions in Los Angeles, go to Accuweather.com. The major freeways of Los Angeles include:

Links to accidents that occur in the Los Angeles area

Here is information on the most recent accidents in the Los Angeles:

If you are looking for information on a specific crash that happened in Los Angeles, go to the link above for the accident type you are seeking. 

If you know someone who has been injured in a Los Angeles accident, here are links to the major hospitals in the area:

Los Angeles grief support information for accident victims

When a loved one is killed in a motor-vehicle accident, it is often helpful for grieving family and friends to get help from a grief support organization. It can be comforting to talk with others going through a similar situation, and the road to recovering from the loss may go more smoothly. Go here to get information on Los Angeles grief support organizations.

Los Angeles legal information for accident victims

When injury or death is the result of a motor-vehicle crash in Los Angeles, many decisions need to be made immediately and questions need to be answered. For example, how much of the medical costs will be covered by the insurance policy? How does PIP insurance help with medical bills immediately? What if the at-fault driver has no insurance?

Where to find legal assistance after a Los Angeles injury accident

After a serious crash, it is crucial to get help from a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who understands the local regulations and legal standards, who knows the issues related to insurance policies, and who can handle all aspects of an insurance claim so the injured person can focus on recovery. If someone is killed in a collision, a Los Angeles wrongful death attorney will launch a claim that will begin the process of financial recovery for the family members left behind. Learn more here about what a great Los Angeles personal injury attorney can do to help.
 
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California

Motor vehicle accidents are an hourly occurrence in Los Angeles and across Los Angeles County. Many crashes are completely avoidable, caused by drunk drivers or distracted drivers. Whatever the cause, car accidents are a major safety and economic issue for the communities in this vast region.

Motorcycle accidents are a common occurrence in the Los Angeles region. These areas are popular with motorcyclists, and with so many bikes on the roads, the number of collisions is high, and motorcycle accidents are a major safety and economic issue for riders in the Los Angeles communities.

According to Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, in 2012, 726 lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes nationally, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S. The death rate from bicycle crashes is high due to the relative lack of protection bicyclists have in an impact with a motor vehicle.

At one point or another, everyone is a pedestrian. As the expense of driving and insuring a vehicle rise, more and more people choose to walk to their destinations. As the number of pedestrians increases, so do the number of pedestrian accidents. To see where the Los Angeles region ranks in terms of pedestrian collisions nationally, please go to this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

Truckers are a growing motorist group using California’s highways, and commercial trucking accidents occur regularly in the Los Angeles region. When a truck crash happens, serious injuries and fatalities are a common result.

Common causes of commercial truck accidents in Los Angeles

According to IIHS, a large percentage of trucking crashes are caused by:

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, from 2013 to 2014, deaths increased from 560 to 610, an 8.9% increase, injuries increased from 2,620 to 2,678, a 2.2% increase and the total number of accidents increased from 4,062 to 4,064, a 0.05% increase. Where the cause of death was known, 78% of fatal boating accident victims drowned; of those drowning victims, 84% were not wearing a life jacket.

While rare compared to other types of motor-vehicle crashes, aircraft accidents do happen regularly, usually with devastating results. Despite significant safety improvements over the past decades, many people each year experience the pain of losing someone in an airplane crash.

As mass transit systems grow across California and Los Angeles County, bus accidents occur regularly. When a bus crash happens, serious injuries and fatalities are a common result.

Statistics related to bus accidents in Los Angeles

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, over the past 10 years nationally:

The number of buses involved in fatal crashes decreased from 274 to 251, an 8% drop;

The size and speed of trains brings death and destruction to anyone and anything in their path. The main forms of train accidents are train derailments, train and pedestrian accidents, and train and car accidents.

To learn about train accidents in Los Angeles, go to the Federal Railroad Administration site.