San Diego is full of scenic views, especially along the coast. The sunny climate, natural bounty, and sightseeing lure thousands of tourists from other states and even offshore places. However, few of them realize how important it is to drive safely when exploring those scenic places. Otherwise, they can end up crashing with other cars, driven by locals or other visitors. This has occurred at the La Jolla Cove and Harbor Drive near the airport, for example.
While local drivers are aware of the issue, visiting ones often overlook the safety angle. When a distracted tourist causes an accident, finding the liability can be tough. If you get involved in such harsh cases, seeking the assistance of local lawyers is necessary. You will have to hire a veteran car accident lawyer to resolve it.
Why do tourists crash their cars in San Diego?
A large share of tourists visiting San Diego drives cars, including those renting. First-time visitors often get carried away by the amazing coastline and greenery as they drive. And that is what leads to the accidents. Let’s look at a few scenarios in this context.
- Trying to spot and snap the dolphins or surfers while driving the coastal roads
- Getting distracted by hang gliders at Torrey Pines
- Trying to take a panorama shot of the coastline while driving
- Trying to find wildlife while driving and ignoring road signs.
All these, coupled with unknown roads and confusing freeway interchanges, can lead to car crashes. In such situations, hiring a capable and reliable San Diego car accident lawyer is the best option.
When locals collide with tourist cars
While San Diego local drivers remain alert to accident-prone spots, they cannot always predict the moves of tourist drivers. A tourist driver, for example, can suddenly slow from 50 to 20 mph on Scenic Drive because they spotted seals or dolphins! The local behind them, despite having driven this route a thousand times, can’t expect the sudden deceleration. That leads to a rear-end crash. Of course, other types of car crashes take place.
In such cases, both drivers can be held liable for the crash. However, the sudden, unsafe speed change by the tourist driver may constitute comparative negligence. That may reduce the rear driver's liability percentage.
A look at the legal angle
As a driver in San Diego, one must pay attention to the roads. Watching great sights cannot be used as an excuse. If there are playful kids in the car, that can add to the distraction.
The bottom line is that being a tourist doesn't reduce your legal responsibility. The law expects each driver to check directions rather than navigate while driving. When you are on a new route, you are expected to drive more carefully.
The need to hire expert lawyers – final thoughts
Most tourists drive rental cars in San Diego, and that adds another layer of complexity. The overlapping insurance coverage may add to the confusion here. Only veteran lawyers like those associated assist such crash victims and resolve the legal complexities.
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