The Reality Behind The Facts On Auto And Workplace Accidents In California

Accidents happen. And more often than not, they lead to injuries. Sometimes they cannot be avoided but sometimes there is one party in the wrong.



Two of the most frequently occurring types of accidents that occur with one party in the wrong result from traffic collisions and accidents at a place of work.



According to the most recent statistics available on the California Highway Patrol Website, during 2009 there were just over 425,000 traffic collisions in California. When you recognize that the population of California is just under forty million, that works out as roughly one in every hundred people in the state were involved in a traffic collision that year. A collision was reported roughly every minute in 2009 and someone died every three hours. Only 2,800 of these collisions were fatal i.e. someone died as a result but over 163,000 collisions ended in injury to one of the party involved in the incident. Fortunately there has been a year on year decrease in both fatalities and injuries in the last few years.

Although they make difficult reading, these are the cold hard facts. The chances are that you know at least one friend, colleague or family member who has been in a crash recently. While it is an unpleasant experience to be involved in a collision, especially when someone dies as a result, it is even more frustrating when it is someone else's fault. No matter how careful you choose to be on the roads, you can never account for the dangerous nature of irresponsible drivers.



Another regular type of injury that occurs is injury in the workplace. According to the Bureau of Labor, California experiences a rate of work place injuries of 3.7 for every one hundred employees in 2009, which means there are over 120,000 incidents in workplaces in that year alone or over 300 each day.



There is one key difference between suffering an injury due a traffic collision and suffering an injury at work and it is that your employer has a duty to protect you while you carry out your duties on their behalf. Regardless of whether you work in a more hazardous environment like a factory or in a more sedate environment such as an office, you deserve to be protected from any dangers you may come across.



Injury caused by a collision or by lack of adequate provisions at your place of employment can at best keep you out of work for a short period of time or at worst keep you out of work indefinitely or even permanently. Then there are hospital bills to take into account also. But why should you pay for something that is not your fault?



If you have suffered an injury and you do someone else is responsible, you need to make sure you speak to a good personal injury attorney. An experienced attorney will have dealt with numerous cases similar to yours and will have a great idea about whether or not you are liable for damages for the distress you have been caused.



Here's wishing you a happy and safe year. Remember to practice good habits and always be aware of your environment and your surroundings.