car accident

What Cities in California Have the Most Accidents?

profile photo
By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose are the three cities with the highest number of total motor vehicle accidents involving injuries or fatalities in California. That number is based on the total number of accidents, not adjusted for population.

If you got injured or lost a loved one because of an accident in our state, a California personal injury attorney could help you seek compensation from the party whose negligence caused the collision. Let’s explore the concept of what cities in California have the most accidents.

California Cities with the Most Accidents

Cities with the highest population tend to have the highest numbers of motor vehicle accidents. We will use the average of the accident statistics for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, because the sharp decrease in driving in 2020 due to the pandemic skewed the numbers significantly. Our data came from the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) at the University of California at Berkeley.

On average, there are nearly 108,000 injury or fatality collisions in California per year. More than 27,000 of those happen in Los Angeles. Over 5,700 happen in San Diego. More than 3,500 take place in San Jose. The next three highest accident rates by the city are, from highest to lowest, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Long Beach.

Damages for Traffic Accident Injury Claims

If you got hurt in a car accident in California that was someone else’s fault, you might be able to recover some compensation from the at-fault party for your losses. Here are some of the common categories of money damages in these injury claims:

  • The reasonable cost of the medical services you needed to treat your wounds.
  • Future medical care that your doctor anticipates you will need because of your injuries. 
  • Long-term care if your injuries leave you unable to live independently.
  • Pain and suffering; in other words, the physical discomfort, inconvenience, and emotional distress of the accident and your injuries.
  • Other intangible losses, like disfigurement from extensive scars, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and loss of enjoyment of life.

Also, if an accident took the life of your close relative, we might be able to pursue additional compensation on behalf of the legal beneficiaries.

More Things You Might Want to Know About California Highway Accidents

According to the California Traffic Safety Quick Stats from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), overall traffic fatalities in our state decreased in 2019. There was a 5.1% reduction from 3,789 in 2018 to 3,606 in 2019. Also, California’s 2019 mileage death rate (MDR), which measures fatalities per 100 million miles, is 1.06.

Other notable California highway accident topics include:

  • Driving fatalities that involve an alcohol-impaired driver or motorcycle rider decreased from 2018 to 2019.
  • Half of all drivers who lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 tested positive for legal or illegal drugs, which was 8% higher than in 2018.
  • The number of passenger vehicle occupants who died in crashes while not wearing a seatbelt decreased from 2018 to 2019.
  • Motorcycle fatalities decreased significantly in 2019.
  • Motorcycle fatalities from not wearing a helmet decreased even more than motorcycle fatalities overall.
  • Teens aged 16 to 19 who lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes decreased more than 25% from 2018 to 2019.
  • Pedestrian fatalities decreased slightly from 2018 to 2019.
  • Bicycle fatalities went down nearly 20% from 2018 to 2019.

A California personal injury attorney can advocate for you if you got hurt in an accident. Contact our office today for legal assistance.

author photo
About the Author
Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.