San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Accidents Don't Discriminate Between Tourists and Residents

San Diego is one of the country's favorite tourist attractions with its plethora of family friendly sites and activities. When one goes on vacation, one often imagines all the things they can do and see. While nobody plans on getting into an accident, San Diego personal injury lawyers will tell you that this is a very real possibility. Accidents do not care whether you are on vacation or not.

In July 2009, a tourist visiting from Illinois suffered a fatal head injury in San Diego when she fell out of one of the city's famous pedicabs. The elderly woman, who was in town for a conference, fell out of a moving pedicab on Martin Luther King Promenade. The promenade is supposedly off-limits to pedicabs but witnesses said they saw the driver driving in a weaving pattern in a pedestrian area. The vehicle also did not have the required seatbelt.

The incident sparked debate over the use of pedicabs in San Diego and city officials have considered banning the popular tourist activity from sidewalks and in streets where speed limits are greater than 25 miles per hour. Drivers are also required to carry proof of insurance and officials are considering limiting the number of pedicabs allowed to operate in areas with high traffic.

In October 2009, a police officer visiting from Arizona was killed in a scuba diving accident off Sunset Cliffs. The victim ran out of air and it was later discovered that he had been diving with a local scuba company with a history of boating violations. The man's body was found in 65 feet of water. Lifeguards said he was overweighted and had run out of air.

Investigators found that the boating company had been involved in another fatal dive in June 2005, when one of its customers died while exploring the wreck of the Yukon. Despite spotty records, the Coast Guard said that it was difficult to hold dive operators accountable as most dive masters only supervise dives from the boat. Accident injuries from diving accidents can result in brain damage.

San Diego Officials Aim To Make Tourists' Visits Free From Personal Injuries

In an effort to make the city not only tourist-safe but tourist-friendly, San Diego officials have taken many measures. Aside from looking into the city's pedicab policies and vigilantly monitoring boating companies, San Diego officials are also drafting a plan for San Diego cops to train a bilingual police force that would be deployed south of the border. Police officers would be trained in how to interact with visitors and would patrol the tourist corridor between Tijuana and Ensenada, especially as many people have begun to see San Diego as a gateway to Baja California.

Underage DUI Takes Toll On San Diego's Youth

But accidents don't only happen to visitors. San Diego car accident attorneys also say that the city's residents are vulnerable to a number of accidents, especially on the road. As San Diego's population continues to increase, this means that there are more cars on the road battling for position. Road safety is also further compromised by the number of drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol and those who drive while operating their cellular phones.

Records showed that in 2006, at least 94 people were killed and more than 6,000 others were injured in San Diego car accidents. Alcohol related collisions in San Diego accounted for 37 deaths and almost 1,000 personal injuries. Officials said that this is due to the number of bars and nightclubs that serve alcohol and offer "Happy Hour" specials. However, there is also the problem of underage drinking and driving.

In October 2009, a teenager from Torrey Pines High School was killed in a rollover crash. The 17-year-old driver was accused of driving while drunk and investigators said a combination of alcohol and speeding contributed to the car crash. They also suspected that illegal drugs may have been involved. Officials said the car accident happened in the 5000 block of La Granada in Rancho Santa Fe. Another teenager suffered critical personal injuries in the car accident.

A recent study by the California Healthy Kids Survey showed that in 2007, 67 percent of 11th graders at Torrey Pines High School admitted that they had abused alcohol in the month before they were interviewed. This was a 42 percent increase from 2005. Of those surveyed, 24 percent said they had engaged in binge drinking in the past 30 days and 33 percent admitted to driving drunk or riding in a car with someone who had been drinking.

Planners Study San Diego Car Accidents To Design New Safety Measures

San Diego officials have begun to crack down on factors which could contribute to serious car accidents and personal injuries. Laws now prohibit the use of non-hands-free cellular phones and the city has also developed a Traffic Collision Reporting System which officials say will allow them to analyze car accidents better to arrive at more effective safety programs.

The system analyzes car accidents by location, accident type and other contributing factors. IT also includes a database which stores records which shows accidents and injury severity. It highlights "high collision" intersections and creates intersection collision diagrams, which San Diego personal injury law firms say should help city planners to develop the necessary traffic safety improvements.

San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Help Both Residents and Visitors

Whether you are visiting San Diego or call the city your home, it's important to know what to do in the event that you suffer personal injuries in an accident. Your best bet is to consult a San Diego personal injury law firm.

Your accident attorney will explain the legal issues of your personal injury case and fight for any damages to which you may be entitled. They will also ensure that any guilty parties involved in the accident will be held accountable. 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 pay anything 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.

Please see other BISNAR | CHASE California personal injury lawyers and Orange County personal injury lawyers.

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