The 405 Highway Accidents

405 and 101 Interchange Accident Attorneys

Los Angeles is a city of dreamers. People travel here from all walks of life to pursue their dreams, and ultimately settle down. With thousands of people escaping to LA every year to enjoy the sunny weather and run into their favorite celebs, our city has become – to put it lightly – crowded.  As a result, we spend much of our beautiful day sitting in traffic.

405 and 101 Junction Dangers

While there are some freeways that you can breeze through with no problem, the 405 will turn your quick run to the mall into an all-day event. The junction where the 405 and 101 meet here in Encino can be a hotspot for car accidents.

The 405 itself is consistently one of the busiest freeways in the country, with over 390,000 cars using this freeway per day. The influx of cars all trying to change lanes at the same time is a recipe for disaster, but if you proceed with caution and take your time, you can minimize your likelihood of getting in an accident. If you do, however, always pull over to the shoulder if you can to avoid obstructing the flow of traffic.

If you get in an accident near this junction, or anywhere for that matter, there are a few other precautions you should take, such as:

• Stop your vehicle and get out. Make sure your car is no longer moving, turn off the engine, shift into park, or set the hand brake if you drive a manual. Take a moment to catch your breath. Check to make sure it’s safe to get out of your car before opening the door. Of course, if you are on a freeway this means pulling safely onto the shoulder.
• Check on others involved. Check on all the other parties involved, including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, to make sure no one is hurt. Call 911 if anyone may be injured.
• Call the police to the scene. Even in minor accidents, a police accident report can prove invaluable when dealing with your car insurance company and other drivers. Cooperate fully, but avoid admitting fault or blaming others while at the scene. Let the police objectively judge events and determine who, if anyone, is at fault in the crash.
• Gather info. Try to write down as much information as possible in the accident aftermath. This can include time of day, driving conditions, and circumstances of the freeway accident.
• Document the scene. If you have a smartphone with a camera, snap some photos of the accident scene. They’ll come in handy during the claim process.

Whether you are commuting to or from the Valley, or anywhere in Los Angeles for that matter, the reality is you run the risk of being involved in a collision. If that happens, the LA car accident attorneys at Novik Law Group, A Professional Law Corporation, will work hard to ensure you get the best outcome possible. Call us today at (818) 305-6041.

405 Freeway On & Off Freeway Ramp Accidents

A huge percentage of car and truck accidents happen on these ramps.
Every year, hundreds of motor vehicle accidents occur when negligent drivers are unfamiliar with highway ramp traffic patterns or simply think that other drivers should move over.

Vehicles often negotiate the ramps at a high rate of speed, weaving through or merging with of multiple lanes of traffic. About half of all crashes occur when at-fault drivers are in the process of exiting interstates about less than half occur when drivers are entering, and the rest at midpoints of access roads or on-ramps connecting two interstate freeways.

In Los Angeles alone, a city that three of the busiest highways in the country run through, the 405, which is the busiest in the U.S., sees an average of 390,000 cars every single day. One common danger seen on highways and freeways are the wrong way accidents that can occur on interstate entrances and exits. The majority of these crashes would be classified as “run-off-road” accidents, where the offending car pushes the victim’s car off of the road, and speeding was frequently a factor.

A completely negligent driver may be rushing on their morning commute and cut through the HOV ramp lane while the on-ramp light is directing traffic can broadside unsuspecting commuters. This is the same type of driver who might exit the carpool lane and proceed to exit the interstate crossing over 4+ lanes that 1/4 of a mile away putting ever vehicle in his way at risk.

It’s important to always be careful when entering or exiting a highway or freeway. Don’t speed down an exit ramp towards the street you’re trying to merge onto. You should also be extra cautious on ramps at night or when the weather is bad. When it comes to accidents that occurred directly on the ramps themselves, most frequently happen at night, in foul weather, or on parts of the ramp that were curved.