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A major car accident is a devastating life event that could change your life forever. If it doesn’t, it tangles you up in medical, insurance, and legal problems for some time. The shock and the trauma of that day feel like they will never end.
The chances of you being in a collision are good. The car insurance industry has calculated that the average American will file a car collision claim every 17.9 years. Your insurance company expects you to have at least three or four collisions on your driving record in the course of your lifetime.
That number won’t mean anything to you when you are in the moment of dealing with the aftermath of a car accident in California. Car accidents take thousands of American lives every year and cost the country billions in comprehensive costs. It is a traumatic experience from beginning to end.
If you have been in a car accident, you are one of many struggling with this pain and suffering. A major car accident is a major life change. At Arash Law, our car accident team can help you to get through this change. When we represent you, we will fight for you to recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at (888) 488-1391, and we will review your case for free.
Trauma and Shock After a Car Accident
A car accident is considered a major life stressor that can put you into trauma or shock. So is getting sued, taking someone to court, getting stopped by the police, or witnessing a horrible thing happening to somebody. All of these things can happen at once during a major car accident.
You are going to experience some shock and trauma and may feel overwhelmed by the weight of this crisis. Shock after a car accident is also a physical condition that is also known as acute stress disorder. It can be both.
An acute condition is temporary and will heal with time. It can be a physical condition that is also psychological. The symptoms of shock include:
- Cold skin, clammy or moist to touch
- Pale
- Behavior changes
- Lips and fingernails that are blue or gray due to blood flow problems
- Increased pulse and breathing
- Enlarged pupils
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Weakness or fatigue
In extreme cases, you can even lose consciousness. Shock is staged by medical professionals, with Stage III shock being the most severe and life-threatening. You can get help at the scene of a car accident by medics if you are in shock.
Shock will be treated with IV fluids, oxygen, and medication in order to bring your internal systems back to equilibrium. It is important to note that when you are in shock, your body is pumping adrenaline, and you may not feel physical pain the way you would normally. You may not even know you are in pain for a few hours.
If you don’t know the answer to a medical or legal question, you can just say you don’t know. Document as much as you can at the scene of the accident, as well as when you are getting treatment. You do have the right to refuse treatment if you wish.
Severe injuries should always be tended to right away. We know you are going through a lot right now. We can fight for you to get the compensation you deserve after a major car accident in California. Call the car accident lawyers at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 to book a free review of your case. When you don’t know what to do after a car accident, we are here.
What to Do After a Major Car Accident
After you have been in a major car accident, it will be hard to think straight. You might be in shock and not have any idea how to clear your head and your breathing to figure things out. Important things to keep in mind should you find yourself in the aftermath of a major car accident include:
- Report the accident as soon as possible, call 9-1-1 if injuries are severe.
- When there are injuries, California Vehicle Code Section 20008 stipulates that you must provide a written report to the DMV within 24 hours.
- If the police arrive at the scene of the accident after it happens, you do not have to do this since the report will be filed for you.
- While you are waiting for the police or emergency personnel, gather information from the other driver or drivers and information of all witnesses if possible.
- Get their names, phone numbers, and any contact information.
- Do not accept any offers to settle the costs of the accident. If you receive any offers to settle, tell the party that you will take that to a lawyer for review.
- Call your insurance company to report the accident.
- Your insurance company is not likely to offer to settle immediately. However, should they propose an offer after the accident, tell them the offer will be reviewed by an attorney.
- When your insurance company offers to settle the claim, they will try to do so for as little as possible, which is why you need a personal injury attorney.
- Document as much of the scene as you can with photos and notes, including weather indicators, traffic indicators, even sections of the roads where the accident did not occur.
- You are not required to show your cell phone or any mobile device to anyone without a warrant. Please do not give your phone or any of your devices to anyone that you do not know, no matter how nice they may seem.
- Know that your insurance company is required to respond to you within 15 days of the accident. If they do not, tell your attorney.
- Call a personal injury attorney or car accident attorney to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
If you have been in a major car accident, you are a car accident victim and are entitled to compensation. Let the police do their job, and the insurance company do their job. Then, contact a personal injury attorney to do the job of fighting for you.
At Arash Law, we have been helping car accident victims for 30 years to get the compensation they need to continue with their lives after a major accident. Leave us your information online, or call Arash Law at (888) 488-1391.
Causes of Major Car Accidents
There are a number of common causes for major car accidents. California is an at-fault state with comparative fault guidelines. That means that the person that causes the accident will pay the bulk of the costs of the damages. If they are found to be 95 percent at fault, for example, they will pay 95 percent of the costs, and your 5 percent will come out of the final settlement.
The most common causes of major car accidents in California are:
- Distracted driving killed 3,142 Americans in 2019. It is a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23123
- Drunk driving kills 29 Americans every day (or 1 American every 50 minutes) and costs the country $44 billion annually
- Speeding
- Improper turns
- Reckless or aggressive driving
Texting and driving is a form of distracted driving and violates California Vehicle Code Section 23123. It killed 3,142 Americans in 2019. Drinking and driving is criminal and deadly. It kills on average 29 Americans every day (or 1 American every 50 minutes).
When you have been in a car accident, even if you feel like it’s your fault, don’t take the blame or acknowledge guilt to anybody. It might not be your fault. When it comes time to settle the accident, this information will play an integral role in determining your final compensation. Call the drunk driving accident victim team at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 and book a free review of your case.
Coping With Pain and Suffering
When you have been in a major car accident, California personal injury law allows you to make claims for standard losses and damages. That will include medical bills, car repairs or replacement, and even your future medical bills in many cases.
You can also claim lost wages and lost future wages if you are so injured that you are unable to return to work right away. A major accident will also seriously impact your life emotionally.
The initial shock from the accident can become pain and suffering. You may suffer flashbacks from the accident, be afraid to drive again, or have problems coping with the emotions of this problem.
Common signs of emotional trauma that every car accident victim experiences include:
- Denial or disbelief – You can’t believe this happened to you. It may feel like numbness, sadness, or that you’re watching this from afar and it’s happening to someone else.
- Anger – You lost property, possibly your job, and you might have injuries. When you deserve to be compensated for something, feeling anger is a normal reaction.
- Guilt – This feeling is also normal. Maybe if you hadn’t gone to the store that day, had someone else pick up your child from school, or even left the phone at home, life would be the same now. It will take time to process and get through the experience, but you will get there. Accidents happen.
- Anxiety – After you have experienced a major accident, you now know that it can happen to someone. You will be nervous, paranoid a little, and have genuine fears over things connected to accidents, cars, hospitals, and people. Your anxiety will be heightened for a little bit.
Most of these feelings are easy to recognize. Anxiety is a tough one. That is because it shows up in a lot of ways that you don’t really understand. You could be having trouble sleeping one night and not realize that this is a problem connected to anxiety.
Signs that you are struggling with anxiety include:
- You worry a lot, and it may seem like too much to some people. It’s the accident.
- Things you don’t want to think about keep coming to you. Those are called unwanted thoughts.
- Flashbacks or bad memories of the accident
- Problems sleeping, too much or too little
- Problems falling asleep
- Nightmares
- Difficulty concentrating
- Confusion or making simple decisions, such as choosing dinner or what to wear, for example
- Sense of uneasiness around other people
- Staying busy so you don’t have to think about the accident
- Increased heart rate
- Dry mouth
- Crying a lot
- Frequent headaches not connected to physical injury
- Upset stomach
- A sensitive startle response, such as frequently feeling jumpy
- Aches and pains in your muscles that aren’t connected to the accident
The car accident team at Arash Law has been working with car accident victims for decades. When you have been in a car accident in California, you’ll need somebody by your side to help you to navigate this time. Call the California car accident claims lawyers at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 and book a free review of your case. We know what you are going through.
Book a Free Consultation With California Car Accident Attorneys
At Arash Law, we have been talking to people like you every single day for decades. If you have been in a major car accident or someone that you love has, call our California personal injury attorneys for a free case review or leave your information online for us to call you. We will fight for you to get the compensation that you deserve.
