Why Accidents Around LAX Can Become Complicated Personal Injury Claims

Los Angeles International Airport is surrounded by a constant flow of travelers, employees, rideshare drivers, taxis, rental cars, hotel shuttles, delivery vehicles, buses, and private vehicles dropping off or picking up passengers.

That combination can create challenging driving conditions.

Accidents around LAX may initially look like any other Los Angeles car accident. However, determining who is responsible and which insurance policy applies can become more complicated when one or more of the vehicles involved is being used for commercial transportation, rideshare work, rental purposes, or airport-related business.

For someone injured in an accident around LAX, identifying every person or company potentially involved can be an important part of pursuing compensation.

Why Traffic Around LAX Is Different

Airport traffic involves more than commuters traveling from one neighborhood to another. Accidents around LAX are frequent for this reason and others.

Many drivers around LAX are unfamiliar with the area. They may be visiting Los Angeles for the first time, following GPS instructions, searching for a rental car return, looking for a hotel, or trying to determine which airport entrance or terminal they need.

At the same time, professional drivers may make repeated trips through the area throughout the day.

The result is a mix of drivers with very different levels of familiarity with local roads.

Sudden lane changes, missed turns, abrupt stops, congestion, and distracted driving can all contribute to collisions.

Unfamiliar Drivers May Make Sudden Decisions

Anyone who has driven in an unfamiliar city knows how quickly navigation can become confusing. LAX has been named one of the most stressful airports in the country.

Around an airport, that confusion may be amplified by time pressure.

A traveler may realize they are in the wrong lane and suddenly merge. Someone returning a rental car may slow unexpectedly while looking for an entrance. A driver picking up a passenger may focus on signs or their phone rather than surrounding traffic.

GPS applications can help, but they can also lead drivers to make last-second decisions when they misunderstand a direction.

If a driver’s unsafe maneuver causes an accident, being unfamiliar with the area does not necessarily excuse the driver’s actions.

Rideshare Accidents Can Raise Insurance Questions

Rideshare vehicles are a major part of ground transportation around LAX, and therefore, accidents around LAX.

When an Uber or Lyft driver is involved in a collision, determining insurance coverage may depend partly on what the driver was doing when the accident happened.

A driver’s personal automobile policy may be relevant in some circumstances, while rideshare-related insurance may apply during certain periods of app use or when transporting passengers.

That makes establishing the driver’s status at the time of the collision important.

Was the app active? Had the driver accepted a ride? Was a passenger already in the vehicle?

Those details can affect which insurance policies need to be investigated.

Hotel and Airport Shuttles Can Add Another Potential Defendant

The LAX area contains numerous hotels, parking facilities, rental car operations, and other businesses that transport travelers.

If a shuttle driver causes an accident while performing work duties, liability may extend beyond the individual driver.

The company employing the driver could potentially become relevant to the claim.

Questions may also arise about driver training, vehicle maintenance, hiring practices, and whether the employee was acting within the scope of their job when the collision occurred.

When a commercial vehicle is involved, it can be important to identify the business responsible for operating it rather than assuming the claim involves only the person behind the wheel.

Rental Car Accidents Can Be Complicated

Rental vehicles are another common sight around LAX.

When a rental car is involved in an accident, the fact that the vehicle belongs to a rental company does not automatically mean the company is responsible for the driver’s negligence.

However, rental accidents can still involve complicated insurance questions.

The driver may have coverage through a personal automobile policy, insurance purchased or selected in connection with the rental, or other applicable coverage.

If a problem with the rental vehicle itself contributed to the collision, questions involving maintenance or a defective component could also arise.

Determining why the accident happened is therefore just as important as identifying who rented the vehicle.

Commercial Drivers May Spend Long Hours on the Road

Some drivers around LAX spend much of their working day behind the wheel.

Rideshare drivers, delivery drivers, shuttle operators, taxi drivers, and other transportation workers may drive for extended periods.

Fatigue can affect reaction time, attention, and decision-making.

If an accident involves a professional or commercial driver, evidence concerning work schedules, trip histories, electronic records, or app activity may help establish what the driver was doing before the collision.

This type of evidence may not exist in an ordinary accident involving two private motorists.

Congestion Can Lead to Multi-Vehicle Accidents

Heavy traffic does not necessarily mean accidents occur only at high speeds.

Congested roads can produce chain-reaction crashes when one driver stops abruptly or fails to recognize slowing traffic.

Multiple vehicles may become involved within seconds.

These accidents can create disputes about who caused the initial collision and whether another driver’s actions contributed to later impacts.

California follows a pure comparative negligence system, which means responsibility may potentially be divided among multiple parties.

In a complicated multi-vehicle accident, identifying every driver’s actions can therefore be important.

Pedestrians Are Also Part of the LAX Traffic Environment

Airport-related traffic is not limited to vehicles.

Travelers, employees, hotel guests, and other pedestrians regularly move through areas with substantial vehicle activity.

Drivers may be entering or leaving hotels, parking facilities, rental car locations, restaurants, and other businesses throughout the surrounding area.

Pedestrians can be particularly vulnerable when drivers are distracted by signs, navigation systems, or unfamiliar surroundings.

When a pedestrian is struck, investigators may need to examine the driver’s speed, visibility, crosswalks, traffic signals, lighting, and other conditions at the location.

Determining Which Insurance Policy Applies May Take Time

One of the biggest differences between a straightforward private-vehicle collision and an accident involving airport transportation can be the number of insurance policies that potentially need to be reviewed.

Depending on the accident, those might involve a driver’s personal policy, commercial automobile insurance, rideshare coverage, employer insurance, or the injured person’s own applicable coverage.

Insurance companies may disagree about which policy applies.

That can make it especially important to understand exactly how each vehicle was being used when the collision occurred.

Evidence Can Disappear Quickly

Evidence preservation matters after almost any serious car accident, but collisions involving rideshare or commercial transportation may generate additional electronic information.

Rideshare applications may contain trip information. Commercial businesses may maintain driver schedules or dispatch records. Nearby hotels, parking facilities, restaurants, and other businesses may have surveillance cameras.

Vehicle cameras or dashcams may also capture what occurred.

Some electronic or video records are not preserved indefinitely.

Identifying potential evidence soon after an accident can help prevent important information from being lost.

What Compensation May Be Available?

People injured in accidents around LAX may potentially pursue compensation for losses including medical expenses, lost wages, future medical care, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

The compensation available depends on the circumstances of the accident, the severity of the injuries, the parties responsible, and applicable insurance coverage.

When more than one person or company may share responsibility, identifying all potential sources of compensation can become particularly important.

Speak With a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney

A car accident near LAX can involve much more than determining which driver received a traffic citation.

Rideshare companies, commercial transportation businesses, rental vehicles, multiple insurance policies, and electronic records can all add complexity to the investigation.

At BB Law Group, we help people injured in Los Angeles-area accidents determine how a collision occurred and identify the individuals, businesses, and insurance companies that may be involved.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident near LAX or elsewhere in Los Angeles, contact BB Law Group today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your legal options.