Highway Accidents in San Diego

Highway 101, I-5, I-805, and other major highways run straight through the heart of San Diego, allowing residents and tourists alike to navigate the city. However, San Diego regularly ranks as one of the worst cities in the state of California for traffic. Highways are often overloaded and slow, making the commute a stressful one. Not surprisingly, this leads to accidents. In fact, more than one-third of all San Diego car accidents happen on a state highway or interstate. 

If you’ve been injured in a highway accident in San Diego, California, don’t hesitate to contact the award-winning San Diego injury attorneys at Singleton Schreiber. You may be entitled to compensation, and our San Diego car accident lawyers can offer the passionate legal representation and winning reputation you need to maximize your recovery.

Backed by national resources and decades of collective experience, our local lawyers have helped injury victims and families recover over $3 Billion in settlements and jury awards. Force the case results you deserve after a car accident on a San Diego highway by calling us today. Your first consultation is free.

San Diego Highway Accident Statistics

According to state crash data, 5,756 car accidents were reported in the city of San Diego in 2023. A total of 2,239 of these auto accidents happened on state highways, for a total of 38.9 percent of the city’s total collisions.

Based on this data, more than one-third of San Diego car accidents happen on high-speed roads running through the city.

Highway accidents in San Diego aren’t just common, they’re also usually quite serious. Between state highway and interstate collisions, 3,075 injuries and 37 fatalities were reported. These represented 39.9 percent of all crash-related injuries and 34.6 percent of all crash-related deaths in the city of San Diego that year.

Occupants of motor vehicles aren’t the only ones involved in highway accidents in San Diego, either. In 2023, motorcyclists were involved in 14.7 percent of the city’s highway accidents, while pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for 2.2 and .6 percent of crash victims, respectively. 

What Causes Most Accidents on San Diego Highways?

Speeding is undoubtedly the most common cause of car accidents on San Diego highways. In 2023, 51.72 percent of accidents on state highways and interstates involved a speeding driver. 

Speeding is a big factor because:

• Drivers have less time to react to changes in traffic when traveling at high speeds
• The faster a vehicle travels, the more time and space it’ll need to stop
• It’s easier for drivers to lose control of a vehicle or rollover

Other commonly cited causes of accidents on San Diego highways include:

• Improper turns
• Unsafe lane changes
• Drug and alcohol use
• Turn signal errors
• Blind spot errors
• Merging errors
• Tailgating
• Driver fatigue
• Braking errors

Auto defects, particularly those affecting steering or braking mechanisms, can also contribute to motor vehicle accidents on highways in San Diego. There are also times when road defects - such as potholes, uneven pavement, obscured signage, or poor road design - can cause wrecks.

What Types of Car Accidents Happen Most Often on Highways in San Diego?

Nearly half of all San Diego highway crashes are rear-end collisions. According to 2023 statistics, 47 percent of accidents on the San Diego Freeway, the Escondido Freeway, the Jacob Dekema Freeway, SR-52, and other highways were classified as rear-end wrecks. 

Rear-end collisions are common when a driver follows another vehicle too closely, especially in stop-and-go traffic or when approaching a turn. Factors like road rage, aggressive driving, and distracted driving can increase the odds that a driver rear-ends the vehicle in front of them on a San Diego interstate.

Other types of car accidents that are seen frequently on highways across the city of San Diego include:

• Striking a fixed object, like a road barrier or construction cone (18.7 percent)
• Sideswipes, often related to merging errors or blind spot errors (18.7 percent)
• Rollovers (6.5 percent)
• Broadside accidents (5.5 percent)

Head-on collisions account for the least number of highway accidents in San Diego annually. In 2023, just 43 highway accidents were frontal crashes. However, these types of highway crashes tend to have catastrophic consequences. While there were only 43 of these collisions in 2023, those resulted in 72 injuries and 3 deaths.

Why Should I Hire a San Diego Car Accident Attorney After a Highway Accident?

It’s simple: highway accidents can cause catastrophic injuries and turn your life upside down. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney in San Diego to handle your car accident case gives you time to focus on moving forward while also giving you the best opportunity to recover a life-changing financial award.

Highway car accident victims in San Diego trust Singleton Schreiber because we’re nationally acclaimed civil trial attorneys with an undeniable ability to win top case results. Recognized by the San Diego Tribune, Best Lawyers in America, and other reputable organizations for leadership in civil litigation, we take on insurance companies, government agencies, and corporations and force them to take accountability for our client’s injuries. 

When you ask for our help after an accident on a San Diego highway, we’ll:

• Conduct a thorough independent investigation
• Enlist the help of highly-qualified expert witnesses
• Build a winning legal claim, and
• Handle all administrative elements of your fight for compensation.

We’ll accept nothing less than a maximum settlement offer and, if the insurance company won’t play ball, our California trial attorneys won’t hesitate to take your car accident lawsuit to court.

You’ll have a limited amount of time to seek compensation from a negligent motorist, their insurance company, or the city of San Diego. In California, a two-year statute of limitations applies to most cases - and it’s even shorter if the government is involved. Our team is available right now to help you get a jump start on your highway accident case. Call us today to discover how we can help you maximize your recovery for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. There’s no charge for your first consultation.