California Collision Lawyers
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Our California Collision Lawyers Can Provide You With Clear Legal Guidance After A Crash
Experienced California collision lawyers can help you navigate the claims process if you sustained injuries in a car wreck. The California Highway Patrol notes that there were approximately 277,160 people injured on California highways in 2017. Negligent driving is one of the main contributors to these accidents.
Every single one of those injuries is a potential personal injury claim and/or property loss claim. A California car collision is often a life-changing event that causes trauma and losses in life, at work, and in your peace of mind. A California car collision lawyer can assist you in managing the process of seeking compensation from liable parties.
Our seasoned collision lawyers have been representing California residents who have been injured in a car or by a vehicle for years. Contact our personal injury team at (888) 488-1391 for a free initial consultation on your case.
(No guarantee of outcome. Results displayed were dependent on unique facts of that case, and different facts will bring different results.)
Personal Injury Compensation After Car Accidents
The state of California has an at-fault (or tort) insurance system. This means that if an accident is caused by another person, victims may pursue compensation for their accident-related losses in an injury claim. In fact, under California’s comparative negligence system, even people who were partially at fault may be able to seek compensation.
What this means is that when it comes time to determine settlements, a determination will be made on who is most at fault and by how much. That “how much” is determined by a percentage system. So, for example, if the other party, in your case, is found to be 95% negligent, and you are found to be 5% negligent, you may be able to seek 95% of the settlement or compensation. Or the other party pays 95% of the total cost of the accident. That means that if a judge or jury or settlement offer arrives for $100,000, you may seek $95,000.
Our team of personal injury lawyers has experience litigating cases under comparative negligence law. We help injury victims move forward by providing legal representation in negotiations or in court. Contact our Arash Law personal injury attorneys for a free review of your case.
Head-On Collisions In California
Head-on collisions in California are among the most dangerous and expensive kinds of crashes. When two cars hit head-on, the losses and injuries are often greater than if they hit each other at the same speed but in a different direction or angle.
Life-changing injuries and losses happen during head-on collisions at almost any speed. When you need help pursuing compensation after a head-on collision, book a free initial consultation with our personal injury team.
Causes Of California Motor Vehicle Crashes
The cause of your car accident in California is very important when it comes to determining who may be at fault. Liability is a critical factor in determining how much compensation you may be able to seek for personal injury and/or property loss. Your car collision lawyer can explain to you the different causes of car accidents and how they relate to your claim.
These are the most common causes:
- Drunk driving: Accounts for one-third of traffic fatalities in America, and is a violation of California Vehicle Code 23152
- Falling asleep at the wheel
- On-ramp confusion and/or wrong-way driving
- Texting and driving: A violation of California Vehicle Code 23123
The following are the most common injuries sustained after a car accident in California:
- Whiplash, head injury, back injury
- Bone fracture
- Paralysis
- Burn injury
- Brain and spinal cord injury
The other important thing to note is the most common kinds of car accidents in California. Those are:
- Multiple-vehicle collision
- Rear-end collision – Most common type of car accident.
- Broadside/T-bone crashes
- Approximately 21% are weather-related.
- Improper turning
- Trucking and other commercial vehicle accidents, with California truck accidents making up 7.3% of the national rate of trucking accidents.
- Bus accidents
- Train accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bike accidents
The most important pieces of information about your car accident are the details about the causes of the accident (weather, DUI, etc.), the kind of accident it was (T-bone, head-on collision), and the injuries sustained.
Our California car collision lawyers can help you pursue compensation that may amount to your actual losses. Contact our car accident lawyers at (888) 488-1391 to learn more about the process and what we can do on your behalf.
Car Accident Do’s and Don’ts From Collision Lawyers
The second you get involved in a car accident, your first instinct, if you are able, will be to start your claim. However, there are steps to consider to safeguard your rights and your health. Here are a few dos and don’ts California car collision lawyers may recommend. It’s never too late to check them off the list.
DO’s
- DO check whether you and all of your passengers are okay.
- DO call 911 to report the accident to the police or highway patrol, even if the accident seems small.
- DO move your car to the side of the road to prevent further accidents.
- DO document whatever you can and wherever you can.
- Do get as many pictures of everything as you can; you never know what will be important in your case.
- DO make notes on everything that you see and hear.
- DO call a collision lawyer for the next steps. They will want you to contact your insurance company, and you can tell your insurance company that you have already talked to a lawyer.
DON’T’S
- DON’T tell your insurance company (or anyone) you have a lawyer if you don’t have one.
- DON’T give a statement to anyone other than the police or the Highway Patrol.
- DON’T take settlement offers at the scene of the accident.
- DON’T sign anything unless the police or patrol ask you to.
- DON’T discuss the accident with anybody until your attorney says it’s okay. Witnesses may try to trip you up or trap you while the scene is fresh.
- DON’T leave the scene of the accident without telling the police you are doing so, or unless it is with their permission to leave.
- DON’T leave until you have a lot of images and information from the other driver or drivers.
Compensation California Car Accident Lawyers Can Help Pursue
You probably feel traumatized by your accident. You may even feel like this is something that has never happened to anyone else before. However, it happens to a quarter of a million California residents every year.
While past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in your case, experienced collision lawyers follow well-developed legal frameworks to analyze liability. The kinds of claims in a California car accident are all very similar and typically include:
- Medical Costs — Past (before you talk to a lawyer), present, and future. This may also include physical therapy or rehabilitation fees.
- Property Damage — This includes the repair of the car, the replacement of the vehicle, and any property loss suffered from property inside the car.
- Lost Wages — If you miss work, that has value and can be added to your claim. This includes future earnings as well.
- Pain & Suffering — This is a traumatizing experience. If you suffer as a result of the accident, this has value.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life — If your quality of life changes because of the accident, you may be compensated for it.
- Punitive Damages — These are damages that are “punitive” in nature. The other driver may be charged, but even in that event, the only remedy the law has for punishment is civil compensation that has a dollar sign beside it.
For your accident, you may be entitled to seek some or all of these different kinds of compensation. An experienced California collision attorney would know. Contact Arash Law’s personal injury attorneys to get the ball rolling on your potential case.
Deadline For Filing Accident Claims In California
You cannot wait until you are ready or have compiled ten years’ worth of pain and suffering to file a claim for your car accident. There is a time cap on everything in the law. We call that the statute of limitations. California has a statute of limitations for everything related to car accidents.
The legal time limit for filing a personal injury claim after a car accident is generally two years. Some exemptions exist that may shorten or even pause the deadline for qualified scenarios. If you have some concerns about the applicable deadlines for your specific case, consulting with a California collision lawyer is advisable.
Contact Our Skilled Collision Lawyers In California!
When you have been in a car accident, you may feel emotional and overwhelmed in the aftermath. Everybody does. When you are in that state, it isn’t easy to make reasonable decisions. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what collision lawyers are for.
Our legal team can investigate your crash, identify the potential at-fault parties, and file your claim with the civil court system. Your car insurance company wants this settled as quickly as you do. But some claims do take time.
Book a free case review by calling our experienced California collision team at (888) 488-1391. You can also fill out our “Do I Have A Case?” form. We will provide you with an initial assessment and outline possible next steps.
