Turlock Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer

Turlock is a city of roughly 72,000 in Stanislaus County. It lies between Modesto and Merced and is intersected by State Routes 165 and 99. Incorporated in 1908, it is mostly an agricultural area. Home to the California State University, Stanislaus, it prizes educational development. Recently, there has been a retail and housing boom in the area served by Highway 99, coinciding with population growth. Statistically, with an increase in population, roadway accidents increase, making the possibility of being involved in a motor vehicle crash higher.

Accidents in Turlock

Let’s look at the types of collisions, their severity, and any violations as well as environmental and other aspects associated with them in 2015, the last year complete data is available:

• Types of Collisions (top three)
  • Broadside collisions account for the largest group and are the cause of accidents 35.9 percent of the time
  • Rear-end collisions are the second largest cause of accidents in Turlock at 25.5 percent
  • Head-on collisions accounted for 10 percent of accidents in Turlock

• Severity of Collisions
  • Fatal crashes occurred in 1.7 percent of accidents
  • Severe injuries happened 3.8 percent of the time
  • Visible injuries occurred in 31.4 percent of all collisions
  • Injuries resulting in pain occurred in 63.1 percent of accidents

Now, let’s look at the types of violations seen with crashes in Turlock:

Violation	Incidence by Percent
Motor vehicle right of way	66
Driving at an unsafe speed	62
Making improper turns	33
Disobeying traffic signs or signals	29
Driving while under the influence	16
Ignoring pedestrian safety	11
Driving on the wrong side of the road	6
Unsafe changing lanes	4
Tailgating	3
Not applying brakes in time	1

Most collisions happen on Wednesday (17.9%), with Friday a close second at 16.9 percent. The fewest crashes occurred on Saturday. In addition, most accidents occurred during daylight hours.

Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents

While the incidence of motorcycle accidents (4.5%) and bicycle accidents (5.9%) out of all collisions in Turlock occur less frequently, the damage and injury that result can be severe. Both bicyclists and motorcyclists have no protection as car drivers and passengers do. In addition, motorcycles and bicycles are often not visualized by motorists.

Motorcycle riders in California can split lanes, riding along the line both on highways and lesser roads. Car and truck drivers need to be on the outlook for this to avoid an accident. Bicyclists may not be visible, particularly in the dark if no bicycle lights are used. Special attention is needed on rural roads where lighting is not available.

About Our Office

As Turlock car accident lawyers, my staff and I get to know our clients and remain friends with many long after their cases are resolved. I firmly believe this is particularly helpful at the beginning of our relationship. Claims are not limited to the vehicles involved in a crash or the damage that is done. They are about the people whose lives were radically changed, at least for a while.

I love the law and the work I do and the chance I have to help my clients during difficult times in their lives. While I specialize in serious, significant accidents, if you were involved in a less severe accident, I can recommend another attorney in Turlock. Give me a call, and I will offer friendly, free advice no matter the size or complexity of your accident.

The video below explains what you can expect in the free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Negligence exists when an individual owes a duty to another, such as driving safely on the road, and breaks that duty, and the other person is injured because of that. The injury usually has a financial impact on the victim such as the cost of hospital and other medical expenses and lost wages at the time of the accident and in the future. It is an attorney’s job to prove negligence and deal with insurance companies to demand a just settlement. That does not always happen. The attorney must then be prepared to take the case to trial so that his or her client will receive maximal damages. In addition, it is essential to make sure how the client responds to medical treatment and whether future care might be involved.

Wrongful Death Cases

Wrongful death exists when, through the negligence of another, someone dies. It can occur after a car accident or surgery. Wrongful death is a particular type of personal injury in that both are caused by negligence.

In wrongful death cases, medical treatment is not expected, although the decedent might have been treated between the time of the accident and the time of death. In this situation, the person might have suffered pain with the knowledge that he or she was dying. This is called a survival action and is part of a wrongful death lawsuit. Personal injury damages literally survive a person’s death.

One other way that wrongful death is different from personal injury lawsuits is in the way negligence is perceived. In these cases, the elements of a wrongful death case involve the death of someone due to the negligence of another with or without a purposeful intent to harm the individual. As a result of the death, family members suffer financial harm.

In both cases, someone needs financial help, either the victim of an accident or the family of the decedent. I pledge to use every tool at my disposal to make sure that the family of the victim will receive just damages.

Turlock FAQ

Where are the best places to have my car repaired?

My staff and I found the following repair shops in Turlock to have excellent reviews on Yelp:

E&M Auto Service
1744 McCormick St
Turlock, CA 95380
(209) 668-2222

Broadway Auto & Auto Body Repair
401 S Broadway
Turlock, CA 95380
(209) 634-8890

Where is there a good rental car agency in town?

My staff researched this question for Turlock and found the following rental car company to have good reviews on Yelp:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
1636 Carnegie St
Turlock, CA 95380
(209) 632-800

Turlock Personal Injury Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Turlock car accident lawyer. If you have been injured, or if a family member has died due to the negligence of another person, call me at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.

We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See a list of our past cases on our verdicts and settlements page and our client reviews on Avvo, Yelp, Google.

Editor's Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy. [cha 8.21.20]

Photo by Brandon Randolph from Pexels

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