Southern California Wildfires
As thousands of acres of forest continue to burn in Southern California, attorneys warned those fleeing the wildfires to stay alert to an increase of traffic accidents. With only about 5% of wildfires contained in early December, evacuation orders were sent out to the remaining residents still residing in the danger zone. Unfortunately, the first wildfire-related accident occurred just a few days after the evacuation orders were issued. A Santa Paula woman tragically lost her life after crashing her vehicle on an evacuation route.
The closure of major roads increases the chances of an accident due to driver unfamiliarity with evacuation routes, increased traffic congestion, and anxiety from a very stressful situation. Furthermore, distracted driving due to watching the fires, taking pictures while driving, or using cell phones in general during evacuation can worse driving conditions in an already dangerous driving situation. Drivers who are evacuating the wildfire areas are encouraged to stay alert while driving and to minimize the amount of distractions within the car cabin.
If you are in a car accident, Modesto personal injury lawyers Arata, Swingle, Van Egmond and Heitlinger insist that you focus on your healing first. A car accident can be life changing and it would be best to handle any legal claims in the aftermath of a car accident. An attorney can handle the legal claim for you during such trying times, taking into account any personal injury that may have occurred due to the accident, and ease the stress of getting your life back on track.
