Riverside Personal Injury Lawyers Discuss How Transportation Accidents Increase Personal Injury Risk

Riverside, California, the county seat for Riverside County lies within what is known as the Inland Empire region. The nearly 300,000 resident of this city have seen a fair share of traffic and transportation accidents in the last few years. Any personal injury lawyer will advise Riverside residents to be knowledgeable about these issues, namely high rates of death by drunk-driving.

According to statistics collected by California Highway Patrol SWITRS, 155 people died and 1975 were injured in alcohol involved fatalities in Riverside in 2006. The 155 fatalities came in second of all California cities after Los Angeles, who saw 300 alcohol related deaths that year. Riverside has far fewer residents than Los Angeles and many other large California cities, making the death toll alarmingly high.

During the 4th of July holiday period in 2007, a total of 200 traffic-related deaths occurred. Forty-four percent of those accidents involved a car or motorcycle driver with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher. The 2008 July 4th holiday also had a large proportion of alcohol-related car accidents, totaling to 382 that involved intoxicated drivers.

"Too many people still fail to understand that alcohol and driving don't mix," said Karen Haverkamp, Riverside Police Traffic Supervisor. In order to stop drunk-driving in the region, Haverkamp is part of AVOID the 30 program, where more DUI stops are planned to check for driver intoxication.

Riverside Metrolink Involved in Fatal Accidents

In the last two years, Metrolink train service has been involved in two unfortunate fatal accidents. The first, in 2007, has been described as a "freak" accident by police, where two women, aged 18 and 23, were in a car that was stuck on the train tracks in Riverside. Though the women exited the car, they were having a hard time running from the train because of their high-heeled shoes. The train hit their car and pushed it into the women, killing them both.

Though the high-heels may have played a large role in the deaths of these young women, Riverside police spokesman Steve Frasher said, "We don't know how much warning they had before the collision."

In 2009, another Riverside person fell victim to a train accident. A 15-year-old student was struck and killed by a Metrolink Train as he walked to school. Apparently the barriers and bells sounded at the train-crossing, and the conductor even blew his horn, but the young man was hit by the eastbound train after the westbound train had passed. It seems that he did not know another train was crossing, and it is possible that the warning was not clear enough to denote the passing of two trains. Train accident law firms warn pedestrians, or anyone traveling by train, to be aware of safety precautions.

Riverside Personal Injury Law Firms Can Help with Transportation-Related Injuries

If you have been injured in a DUI-related car accident, a train accident, or have sustained any other kind of personal injury and need consultation, a Riverside car accident attorney can help you sort out the details.

Your accident attorney will explain the legal issues of your personal injury case and fight for damages owed to you. While there are many personal injury and accident lawyers claiming to have your best interests at heart, it is helpful to keep in mind that the best law firms will always offer a free consultation on your case.

Law firms with strong records of successfully handling personal injury lawsuits meantime may also offer a no-fee guarantee meaning that you don't have to pay them unless they win your case.

If you are the victim of a personal injury, you owe it to yourself to get a FREE copy of the book, "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Can Wreck Your California Personal Injury Claim" ($14.99 value). If you need help immediately, call one of our expert personal injury lawyers now at 1-800-561-4887 and we will schedule a consultation the same day or by the next business day at the latest.

BISNAR | CHASE Riverside Office

Riverside Legal Resources

For the best in client care and legal representation, please see Riverside attorneys. Our Riverside car accident lawyers specialize in Riverside car accidents. See Riverside car accident digest and and California car accident lawyer and California personal injury lawyer for more information.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

BISNAR | CHASE, in conjunction with WeTip, a leading anonymous crime reporting service and law enforcement advocacy non-profit organization, is launching a program intended to wipe out hit-and-runs in the state of California by offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest and felony conviction of hit-and-run drivers. See Hit-and-Run Reward for more details.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.