Southern California moves fast. From the congested corridors of downtown Los Angeles to the sprawling suburban grids of the San Fernando Valley and the Inland Empire, millions of drivers navigate intersections every single day.
Southern California sits at the heart of the state’s worst intersection accident data. Nearly half of California’s most dangerous intersections sit within the City of Los Angeles alone. When a collision happens at an intersection, the consequences can be life-altering: broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and worse.
If you are involved in an intersection crash, hiring a California intersection accident lawyer is often the deciding factor between recovering full and fair compensation and walking away with far less than your damages warrant.
The attorneys at the Law Offices of Steers & Associates handle these cases every day and understand the engineering failures, driver behavior patterns, and legal fault standards that drive these crashes.
We provide our clients with over 40 years of combined personal injury legal experience and work on a contingency-fee basis. You owe us nothing unless we recover for you.
What Does the Data Say About Los Angeles Intersections?
Los Angeles County reports higher countywide collision rates than any other county in California. According to crash data compiled by Crosstown LA from LAPD records, Figueroa Street and Slauson Avenue recorded 66 serious collisions over four years, making it among the most dangerous intersections in California.
Sepulveda and Roscoe ranked second with 65 crashes. Downtown Los Angeles generated 937 deadly or injurious crashes over a comparable period, more than any other neighborhood.
Steers & Associates attorneys have worked cases mirroring these conditions. When an adjuster tries to argue that a collision was unpredictable or that the injured driver shares blame, an attorney who recognizes those structural patterns can challenge that argument with facts, not just legal theory.
What California Laws Govern Intersection Crashes?
Few areas of traffic law are more contested than the left-turn intersection rules California has codified in its Vehicle Code. California’s right of way statute:
- Requires the driver on the left to yield to the driver on the right at uncontrolled intersections,
- Places the burden on the turning driver to yield to all oncoming vehicles close enough to constitute a hazard, and
- Requires the turning driver to continue yielding until the turn can be made with reasonable safety.
California’s negligence per se doctrine creates a rebuttable presumption of negligence when a driver violates any of these rules and causes the type of harm the statute was designed to prevent.
A red-light runner who causes a T-bone collision has not merely behaved carelessly. That driver presumptively violated a legal duty, and the injured party can use that violation as direct evidence of fault.
Why Do Insurance Companies Fight Accident Claims So Hard?
California operates under a pure comparative negligence system. Under this system, a jury assigns each party a percentage of fault, and the plaintiff’s recovery is reduced by that party’s percentage. For example, a person found 30 percent at fault still recovers 70 percent of proven damages.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company will try to settle your claim for as little as possible. When you report an intersection crash to the at-fault driver’s insurer, the adjuster will probe for facts that suggest you contributed to the collision. For instance, they may argue:
- You were traveling slightly over the speed limit,
- You were distracted, or
- You failed to see the other vehicle in time.
Each concession you make during that call reduces the carrier’s exposure. Unrepresented claimants routinely accept fault allocations far higher than the facts support.
What Does a California Intersection Accident Lawyer Do That You Cannot Do Alone?
You can move forward after a car accident without hiring an attorney, but many people find the process far more complex than expected. Representing yourself often puts you at a significant disadvantage, both when dealing with insurance companies and if your case proceeds to litigation.
Our experienced intersection accident attorneys in California offer resources and strategies that are difficult to replicate on your own, including:
- Evidence preservation. Our lawyers move quickly to obtain police reports, secure witness statements, and preserve traffic camera footage.
- Accurate valuation of your claim. We calculate the full value of your losses, including current and future medical bills, lost wages, and noneconomic damages like pain and suffering.
- Management of legal procedures and deadlines. A car accident lawsuit involves court filings, procedural rules, and strict deadlines, such as the two-year statute of limitations, that vary depending on the facts of the case. Missing a deadline can result in the extinguishment of the claim, regardless of merit.
- In-depth knowledge of California’s negligence law. Understanding how fault is determined, how liability is argued, what evidence resonates with judges and juries, and how to frame your narrative within the law takes years of practice.
- Access to credible expert witnesses. We collaborate with accident reconstruction experts, medical providers, and vocational rehabilitation specialists.
- Knowledge of insurer tactics. Adjusters may ask questions to elicit statements they can later use to argue you share fault. An attorney advises you on how to communicate with carriers and protects you from making statements that could damage your claim.
While you can handle a claim on your own, working with an attorney helps ensure your case is presented as thoroughly and strategically as possible from the very beginning.
From the Streets of Los Angeles to the Courtroom
Southern California’s intersections are among the most dangerous in the country, and the legal landscape after a crash is just as treacherous. A California intersection accident lawyer understands the statutes, the fault rules, and the tactics insurers use to minimize what they pay.
The Law Offices of Steers & Associates was built on the conviction that injured people in Southern California deserve the same quality of legal representation that insurance companies retain every single day.
Our firm’s mission is not just to recover compensation; it is to restore dignity and a path forward for people who had no say in the changes to their lives.
We represent clients across Southern California, from Beverly Hills to Bakersfield, and work exclusively on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Contact the Law Offices of Steers & Associates for a free consultation today.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process:
- Right-of-Way, Cal. Veh. Code § 21800 (2010).
- Left Turn Right-of-Way Statute, Cal. Veh. Code § 21801 (1993).
- Circular Green Signal / Traffic Signals, Cal. Veh. Code § 21451 (2023).
- Turning Rules Statute, Cal. Veh. Code § 22100 (2025).
- California Negligence Per Se, Cal. Evid. Code § 669 (1967).
- Two-Year Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 (2023).
- Government Claims Act – Six-Month Deadline, Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 (2016).
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal. 3d 804 (1975).
- Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI) No. 405 (Comparative Fault of Plaintiff).
- California Assembly Bill 1962 (2023) (Minimum Auto Insurance Coverage Increase, Effective January 1, 2025).
- Crosstown LA / Los Angeles Police Department Collision Data: “The Most Dangerous Intersections in Los Angeles” (October 2025).
- MoneyGeek Analysis, “Los Angeles’ Most Dangerous Intersections” Doug Milnes, CFA, (December 29, 2025).
