When drivers fail to carefully check the adjacent lane or misjudge speed and distance of a vehicle in the adjacent lane, unsafe lane changes can result in serious collisions resulting in severe debilitating injuries and fatalities. If a driver makes a lane change, the driver has a legal duty to make sure that there is no vehicle already occupying the space that the driver wants to change lanes to and to make sure that there is sufficient space in that lane not to cut off approaching vehicles.
Most lane change accidents are caused by the failure of drivers to take some basic precautions before executing a lane change. Many drivers do not utilize turn signals to warn other drivers that they are going to change lanes, which can contribute to a lane change accident on Bay Area freeways or the streets of San Francisco. Another common factor in lane change collisions is the failure of drivers to turn their head and look before changing lanes. Despite the fact that drivers generally understand that vehicle mirrors have blind spots, they still frequently do not physically turn their head.
Other important issues that drivers should keep in mind that can help prevent a lane change collision include the following:
- Never change lanes where it is prohibited – dashed as opposed to solid lines usually designate it is legal
- Only execute lane changes on long straight segments of roadway rather than curves
- Change a single lane at a time as opposed to trying to pass through multiple lanes simultaneously
- Allow plenty of space for approaching vehicles as opposed to risking cutting drivers off
While these driving practices may sound rudimentary many fatal lane change accidents occur because of the failure of drivers to follow these basic safe driving practices. A lane change collision can easily result in the loss of control of a vehicle resulting in a rollover accident or road departure accident. Rollover collisions and road departure accidents are among the most danger of all types of collisions. Vehicle ejection and roof crush injuries are particularly common in rollover accidents, which may result in catastrophic injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, amputation of limbs, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, fatal damage to internal organs or other devastating injuries and fatalities.
While many higher end makes and models now are equipped with crash avoidance systems that can warn of the risk of lane change crashes, these features may not be standard in a majority of vehicles for years. When you suffer severe injuries or lose someone you love in a lane change accident, it can result in severe physical injury, intense emotional anguish, impairment of your marital relationship, diminished quality of life and enormous financial challenges. Our experienced San Francisco car accident attorneys carefully investigate our clients San Francisco car accident claims caused by unsafe lane changes and zealously advocate for our clients’ interest.
Contact Us For Your Free Accident Consultation Today!
If you are involved in a San Francisco lane change car accident, our experienced San Francisco car accident attorneys have assisted many victims injured in motor vehicle accidents in the Bay Area. We invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.