Santa Monica Intersection Crash Lawyer

Were you injured in an intersection crash in Santa Monica, CA?

At Cohen Injury Law Group, we represent drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians injured in intersection crashes throughout Santa Monica, CA.

If you were injured in an intersection crash in Santa Monica, our Santa Monica, CA intersection crash lawyer can identify every driver whose conduct caused the collision. We pursue compensation for medical treatment, future care, lost earnings, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering from each party responsible. Cohen Injury Law Group handles these claims on contingency, with no attorney fee unless we recover for you. Our office offers a complimentary case review for injured clients.

Intersection Crash Lawyer Santa Monica, CA

An intersection crash is a collision that occurs where two or more roadways meet, or on the approach to that point. Common forms include angle collisions, left-turn collisions, rear-end impacts at signals, and vehicles striking pedestrians or cyclists. Fault often involves more than one driver.

Nationally, FHWA intersection data attributes roughly one-quarter of traffic deaths and about half of all traffic injuries to intersections. In Santa Monica, the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan ranked Olympic Boulevard at 26th Street as its highest-priority intersection, with one fatality and three severe injuries.

Types of Intersection Crash Cases We Handle in Santa Monica

Each type of intersection collision leaves a different evidentiary record. The direction of impact, the signal phase, and the vehicles involved determine how fault is proven. Our Santa Monica intersection crash lawyer handles the following matters.

• Pedestrian accidents. Turning vehicles cross the path of people on foot at nearly every signalized corner. Pedestrians struck at intersections often suffer fractures and head injuries.
• Crosswalk accidents. A driver who fails to stop for a person in the crosswalk may be turning, speeding, or looking away. The walk phase in effect at impact is documented in city signal records.
• T-bone collisions. A vehicle that enters on a red light strikes the side of cross traffic. Occupants on the struck side absorb the force with little protection from the door.
• Rear-end collisions. Vehicles stopping for a yellow or red signal are struck by drivers following too closely. The impact can push the front vehicle into the intersection and into cross traffic.
• Head-on collisions. A driver turning left across oncoming lanes can meet an approaching vehicle nearly head-on. These crashes produce some of the most serious injuries at city intersections.
• Left-hook accidents. A left-turning driver crosses the path of a cyclist riding straight through. Riders are frequently thrown over the hood or into the pavement.
• Motorcycle accidents. Drivers turning left often misjudge the speed of an approaching motorcycle. Insurers then argue the rider was traveling too fast.
• Rideshare accidents. Rideshare drivers make sudden turns and stops near pickup points. Coverage depends on the driver’s status in the app at the time of the crash.
• Drunk driving. Impaired drivers misread signals and enter intersections without slowing. The arrest record becomes part of the evidence of fault.

Why Choose Cohen Injury Law Group as My Intersection Crash Lawyer in Santa Monica, CA?

Organized Evidence From Every Party

As our firm’s Managing Partner, Nicholas E. Cohen brings a background in legal technology to case preparation. He grew up around trial lawyers in his own family. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he earned a merit scholarship to Loyola Law School. He was fourth in his class at the end of his first year. Our firm relies on data-driven case systems to consolidate signal data, witness statements, and vehicle records from several parties.

Claims Against Each Responsible Driver

Intersection crashes frequently involve more than one negligent driver. Each driver’s insurer typically disputes its own share of the fault. Clients who hire our firm are represented by a personal injury lawyer in Santa Monica, CA who pursues each driver whose conduct contributed to the crash. We identify each insurer early so that no responsible party is left out of the claim. Our fee is contingent on the outcome. No fee is charged when there is no recovery.

What Is Important to Understand About an Intersection Crash Case?

What Are Important Aspects of an Intersection Crash Case?

The following issues arise in most intersection claims and decide how fault is divided:

• The signal phase each driver faced. City signal timing records and video establish who had the green light.
• Conflicting driver accounts. Drivers commonly report that each had the right signal, and independent witnesses resolve many of these disputes.
• Visibility at the corner. Parked trucks, buses, and landscaping can block a turning driver’s view of oncoming traffic or pedestrians.
• Multiple insurers. Each carrier evaluates only its own driver’s share, and the claim must address all of them.
• Injury patterns. Side impacts in broadside collisions commonly injure the head, ribs, and pelvis.

What Is the Intersection Crash Case Timeline?

Intersection claims often take longer than single-driver claims because more parties and insurers are involved. A typical claim proceeds in five stages.

1. Medical treatment begins, and the post-crash steps you take, such as photographing the signals and vehicle positions, preserve early evidence.
2. We request signal timing records, surveillance video, and vehicle data before they are overwritten or discarded.
3. We present claims to each driver’s insurer after your condition stabilizes.
4. If the claims do not resolve, the case proceeds to a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Under the two-year statute, the deadline generally runs from the date of injury. A malfunctioning city signal can bring in a public agency, which carries a much shorter claim deadline.
5. The case resolves through settlement, mediation, or trial, with fault divided among the parties.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Intersection Crash Cases

Under Section 1714 of the Civil Code, each driver must use ordinary care and is responsible for injuries caused by failing to do so. When several drivers share liability, a jury assigns each a percentage of fault. An injured person who bears some fault can still recover, reduced by that percentage.

The allocation also affects how damages are paid. Under Civil Code 1431.2, each defendant pays non-economic damages only in proportion to its own share of fault. Economic damages, such as medical bills and lost earnings, are treated differently. Identifying every responsible driver therefore affects the total recovery.

Compensation in these cases can include medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, vehicle damage, and physical pain and emotional distress.

What Should You Bring to Your Intersection Crash Consultation?

Records from the scene and from every driver involved allow an early assessment of fault:

1. The police report number, if officers responded.
2. Photographs of the signals, lane markings, and each vehicle’s final position.
3. Dashcam footage and the names of witnesses.
4. Each driver’s insurance details, along with your own auto policy.
5. Medical records and bills to date.

Our review addresses how the signals were cycling, which drivers may share fault, and the insurance each carries. We then give you a candid view of the claim before you decide how to proceed.

Most Dangerous Locations for Intersection Crashes in Santa Monica, CA

The City’s Vision Zero analysis ranked its highest-priority intersections by the number of fatal and severe-injury collisions.

Streets:

• Olympic Boulevard at 26th Street. The plan ranked this intersection first, with one fatality and three severe injuries. I-10 traffic moves along the Olympic corridor.
• Ocean Park Boulevard at Lincoln Boulevard. This intersection recorded two fatalities and one severe injury. It ranked second in the plan.
• Wilshire Boulevard at 16th, 18th, 21st, and 25th Streets. Four Wilshire intersections appear in the City’s top ten. Heavy traffic and left turns across oncoming lanes characterize the corridor.
• Pico Boulevard at 4th Street. The plan recorded one fatality and two severe injuries at this location near downtown.
• Santa Monica Boulevard at Cloverfield Boulevard. Three severe injuries placed this intersection in the top ten.

Highways:

• Pacific Coast Highway. The plan separately mapped an intersection on PCH, where the Santa Monica Police Department enforces traffic north of the McClure Tunnel.
• Interstate 10 (Santa Monica Freeway). Ramps deliver freeway traffic directly onto city streets, including Lincoln Boulevard and Fourth and Fifth Streets.

Reach Out to Cohen Injury Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Cohen Injury Law Group takes intersection crash cases on contingency. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. The review covers signal data, the drivers involved, and the available insurance. To begin, contact us for a no-obligation review of your claim with our Santa Monica intersection crash lawyer.