Long Beach Car Accident
Lawyers
- Do You Need a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer?
- Long Beach Car Accidents Continue to Rising
- The Most Dangerous Driving Times for Californians
- What Causes Car Accidents in Long Beach?
- What Types of Accidents Require an Injury Lawyer?
- How Can Our Long Beach Car Accident Attorney Help You?
- Seek Medical Care After Your Accident
- The Most Common Car Accident Injuries
- Your Right to Fair Compensation after a Long Beach Car Accident
- California Law Limits on Damages
- California Car Insurance Laws
- Car Accident Liability
- Crucial Steps to Take After Car Accident in Long Beach
- Hire a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer
- Why Hire Our Attorneys to Handle Your Car Accident Claim?
Long Beach Car Accident Lawyers
Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach is a city of over 462,0000 located in coastal Southern California. It is home to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the El Dorado Nature Center, the Long Beach Museum of Art, and the Queen Mary. About 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, this city completely surrounds the city of Signal Hill. Residents here enjoy to mild to warm winters, hot summers and some rainfall in the winter.
Until the 1950s, Long Beach was the only major retail hub between Los Angeles and Santa Ana. Today, Long Beach offers many options for retail shopping, including the Los Altos Center.
The Long Beach Unified School District is the largest employer here, with 12,808 employees as of 2017. Other significant employers include the city itself, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, California State University, Long Beach City College, and Boeing.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s largest shipping ports and is the second busiest container ports in the United States. Long Beach is also known for its water recreation and cultural arts.
Long Beach has a dense city infrastructure. High-risk driving areas are found along I-710, between Artesia Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard in the eastern end of Carson. Traffic signals around the Long Beach Airport and Signal Hill carry greater possibilities of collisions, as do areas in the vicinity of Palm Beach near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Shoreline Drive.
You need experienced personal injury attorney, who will fight for you!
Car Accident
$6,000,000.00
Our client was driving with his wife and son on a two-lane highway when a drunk driver crossed the double yellow lines, causing a head-on collision that claimed the life of a loving wife and mother.– ARASH KHORSANDI
Do You Need a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer?
Car accidents cause the loss of loved ones, medical bills, and even decreased mobility or other physical limitations. In a single moment, your life has changed forever. After an accident, you might need assistance receiving fair compensation for your losses.
An experienced Long Beach accident lawyer can help if you or a loved one suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident. This compensation can help you pay for your medical bills and additional costs related to the accident.
You could use this money to provide for you when you are unable to work due to your injuries. Pursuing your legal rights might also help future potential car accident victims from experiencing the same type of loss.
California Car Accident Statistics
- Studies show that drivers in Long Beach are nearly 16% more likely to be involved in a car accident compared against the national average
- In 2016 and 2017 there were a combined 61 fatal car crashes on Long Beach roads, resulting in 63 deaths
- California road fatalities are on the rise, with 3,651 vehicle deaths in 2018
- An average of 6 million car accidents occurs every year across the U.S.
- More than 3 million people suffer car accident injuries every year nationwide
- In 2011, there were 2,374 fatal car collisions and 203,822 non-fatal car accidents statewide, according to the California Highway Patrol
- Of those, 26 fatal collisions and 1,829 injury collisions occurred in Long Beach
- More than half of the vehicle occupants killed in Long Beach accidents were not using seat belts or other safety equipment
- Slightly over 20% of Long Beach auto accident fatalities involved drunken driving, as did 162 of the injury-only accidents
Long Beach Car Accidents Continue to Rising
According to NHTSA, there were 3,602 traffic fatalities in 2017. This number represents a decrease from 3,837 in 2016. California’s rate of 9.11 fatalities per 100,000 population in 2017 was less than the national average of 11.40.
However, in August 2013, a report from Allstate Insurance Company ranked Long Beach among the cities with the most traffic collisions in the entire U.S. Long Beach drivers were 15.8 percent more likely to get in a crash compared to the national average. Furthermore, the Los Alamitos Traffic Circle was identified as the most accident-prone intersection in the city, according to its Traffic Engineering Division.
The Most Dangerous Driving Times for Californians
Any time you get into a vehicle, whether as a driver or passenger, there is an inherent risk that you might be involved in an auto accident. According to the California Highway Patrol, the most dangerous time of day to drive is during the afternoon rush hours of 5 pm-7 pm. The second most dangerous time is between the hours of 11 pm and 3 am because this is when drunk drivers are often on the road.
July is the most dangerous month of the year for car accidents in California. The weather is warm and clear, and the kids are out of school. Accidents are more common around certain holidays as well. More crashes happen on Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and New Years’ Eve than any other holidays throughout the year.
What Causes Car Accidents in Long Beach?
Driving in Southern California can be exceptionally stressful. When you hire an auto accident lawyer in Long Beach, they will examine the factors and circumstances that might have led up to your accident. The specifics of these details will steer your lawsuit in the right direction. Knowing what causes car accidents in Long Beach can help with accident prevention and safe driving skills.
What Types of Accidents Require an Injury Lawyer?
Many types of accidents can leave a person with debilitating injuries that permanently affect daily life. When someone else’s negligence leaves you with pain and suffering, you are legally entitled to compensation for your injuries. Here are some of the most common types of accidents that our California personal injury attorneys handle:
- Distraction
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Drowsiness
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Making unsafe lane changes
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Tailgate
- Make improper turns
- By being inexperienced
- Road conditions like sharp turns in the road or potholes
- Weather conditions such as ice, snow, rain, fog, and high winds
- Vehicle issues, for example, loose objects in the car, vehicle design defects, and tire blowouts
How Can Our Long Beach Car Accident Attorney Help You?
You might be wondering how an accident attorney in Long Beach, CA, can help you. When you hire us, you hire an advocate and partner in securing compensation for your losses. Our Long Beach injury firm help clients who have suffered injuries in many different types of accidents, such as those involving:
- Commercial trucks
- Product defects
- Vehicle recalls
- Pedestrian collisions
- Poor roadway planning or maintenance
- Defective vehicles or their parts
- Improper mechanical work
For you to receive compensation for your injuries, you must prove that someone else is at fault for the accident. We help injured clients who become the victim of another person’s negligence show their injuries and the fault of the other driver. Negligent driving actions include the following:
- Following too closely
- Speeding
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Rear-end collisions
- Over-compensating
- Running red lights
- Sudden lane changes without looking
- Looking left while turning right
- Inattentiveness, texting, using a cell phone
- Hit and run
- Drunk driving
- Driving while sleepy or fatigued
- Driving with certain known medical conditions
- Illegal street racing
- Unlicensed driver accidents
- Engaging in personal hygiene tasks, such as applying makeup, shaving, or brushing or flossing one’s teeth
Some car accidents can have complicating factors. For instance, if the other driver was uninsured or the driver fled the scene of the accident immediately. In both of these instances, you would need to rely on your uninsured motorist coverage to obtain compensation for your injuries. If this happens, you may need legal representation to get your own insurance company to abide by their contract with you. Since they are the ones liable for paying the claim, they will do whatever they can to pay you less than what your claim is worth.
Seek Medical Care After Your Accident
It is crucial to your injury claim that you seek medical care as soon as you can after a car accident. Any delays in medical care can be construed by the other party’s insurance company to mean that you did not suffer serious injuries. They will argue that if you had suffered injuries, EMTs would have transported you via ambulance from the scene of the accident to the hospital, or you would have sought medical care yourself.
The insurance company will leverage any consistencies in your getting medical care. Issues related to medical care could include any lengthy gaps between medical appointments and no-shows for appointments.
Get the Medical Care You Need
When you hire a Long Beach accident attorney from our firm, we can help you get the medical care you need. In fact, not only can we facilitate your medical attention right away, but we also can refer you to providers that will treat you on a lien basis. Obtaining care through a medical lien means you do not have to pay upfront, which is especially essential if you do not have insurance. Instead, they will wait to get paid until you receive a settlement or a court award. Medical liens can alleviate a lot of stress when it comes to getting your bills paid after an accident.
The Most Common Car Accident Injuries
- Head and face injuries – bruises, lacerations, fractures, and broken bones, TMJ and other dental injuries
- Brain injuries – loss of consciousness, concussion, closed head injury, post-concussion syndrome and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Neck injuries – strain, whiplash, fractures, cervical radiculopathy, and disc injury
- Back injuries – sprain, strain, fracture, disc injury, spinal cord injury, and annual tear
- Chest injuries – bruised and broken ribs may take weeks to heal and possibly puncture a lung or damage other internal organs resulting in life-threatening and sometimes fatal injuries
- Shoulder, arm, and wrist injuries – strain, sprain, fracture, dislocation, rotator cuff tear, carpal tunnel syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome
- Foot, knee and leg injury – laceration, fracture, sprain, dislocation, hip injury
- Knee injury – ACL tear, PCL tear, meniscus tear, MCL tear
- Psychological injuries – depression, fear of driving, nightmares, flashbacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Death
If you have any of the following injuries, you will likely incur significant medical expenses:
- Back and neck injuries that cause lasting paralysis and limited mobility
- Amputations can leave you with lingering pain and require a mobility-assisting device
- Fractured bones can prevent you from returning to work and leave you with intense pain.
- Traumatic brain injuries can permanently alter brain function
- Burns that are severe can leave you permanently disfigured or disabled
Your Right to Fair Compensation after a Long Beach Car Accident
- Past and future medical bills
- Mental health treatment
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Lost wages
- Impaired future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage or destruction
- A decrease in vehicle value
- Rental car or loss of use of your vehicle
- Incidentals expenses that you would not have incurred but for the accident such as a home health aide, driver, housekeeper, childcare, and gardener
Non-economic damage:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of affection or companionship
- Mental anguish
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
California Law Limits on Damages
Unfortunately, California law limits the damages you can receive under some circumstances. First, you have a set amount of time to file your personal injury lawsuit. This time frame is referred to as the statute of limitations.
In California, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. While two years might seem like plenty of time, it can go by quickly when you are also trying to heal from your injuries and juggle your bills.
For claims regarding property damage, you have three years from the date the damage was incurred to file a lawsuit. Claims against the government or its employees have a stricter deadline of only six months from the date of the accident.
If you do not file by the deadline, your case will lose merit, and you will no longer have the right to pursue damages within the court system. It is imperative that you meet with an auto accident lawyer in Long Beach as soon as possible after your accident.
If needed, we can meet you in the hospital in the days after the accident to initiate a legal strategy. The sooner we start working, the more evidence we can secure and use to protect your rights. We will also ensure that your lawsuit is filed well within the deadline set by the state.
Another factor that can limit your injury compensation is the legal concept of comparative fault. This concept can reduce the amount of compensation the injured party can receive based on their own actions or inactions in the accident. For example, if another driver ran a red light and t-boned your vehicle, they will be liable for the accident. However, if you were not wearing your seatbelt and were texting at the time of the accident, you can also be liable.
If your case settles out of court before litigation, your actions or inactions that possibly contributed to the accident will be a factor in settlement negotiations. If your case ends up in litigation, the jury will be asked to determine what percentage of fault the other driver should be assigned for their actions and what percentage you should be assigned.
Let’s say the jury determines that your claim is worth $100,000. The other driver is 70 percent at fault, and you are 30 percent at fault. The other driver would owe $70,000 to you for compensation, but since you were 30 percent at fault, you will not receive the remaining $30,000.
By working with a skilled Long Beach accident lawyer, you can maximize your compensation even if you think you could be partially to blame for the accident. Your car accident attorney will work tirelessly to decrease your liability. Your damages could also be limited if you do not have proof of financial responsibility. For most people, financial responsibility is auto insurance coverage.
If you do not have the proper minimum amounts of coverage at the time of your accident, you will not be allowed to claim non-economic damages in your lawsuit. While you can still seek compensation for damages such as medical bills, property damage, and lost wages, you are barred from seeking compensation for damages such as pain and suffering or loss of companionship.
Proving Personal Injuries and Suffering
You cannot just say that you suffered injuries and damages and be paid compensation from the insurance companies. You must prove your injuries and substantiate your damages. An auto accident lawyer in Long Beach can take on these tasks for you.
However, there are several steps you can take to help in this process. For example, keep a claim file for all of your documentation and be sure to save and include:
- Your medical bills
- Receipts for prescriptions, medical devices, glasses, and other related medical costs for which you will not receive a statement
- Photographs and video footage of the car accident scene or your injuries
- Information for any potential witnesses to the accident
- Copies of any applicable insurance policies
- Your written description of the accident
- Keeping an injury journal that details your pain and suffering, impacts on your daily life, and any significant events or activities you have missed out on due to your injuries.
California Car Insurance Laws
- $15,000 personal injury for one person
- $30,000 personal injury to more than one person
- $5,000 property damage
These are the amounts that the driver’s insurance company will pay up to in the event of their covered driver caused an auto accident. If the injured party’s claims exceed this amount, the at-fault party will be held liable for any amounts remaining after their insurance coverage has paid based on their policy.
Long Beach's Most Dangerous Intersections and Roads
- Seventh and MLK
- Long Beach Blvd. and Wardlow Rd.
- South St. and Paramount Blvd.
- Pacific Coast Highway and Cherry Ave.
- Broadway and Cherry
- I-405 and I-710 freeways are both known to have high rates of car accidents
- Anaheim St has the highest rate of fatal car accidents in Long Beach
- The Signal Hill area also poses serious collision dangers to those on the road
Long Beach Car Accident Liability
Your car accident lawyer in Long Beach can help determine who is liable for your injuries. Sometimes, multiple parties can be liable. In civil cases, people who acted negligently to cause an accident are the ones liable. It is the liable parties or their insurance companies who owe you compensation for your injuries. Our personal injury law firm knows that it can be difficult to prove liability in a car accident. However, our highly skilled Long Beach car accident attorneys will work to build the most persuasive case possible on your behalf by examining evidence and determining fault.
How Insurance Companies Work Against You
Whether you are dealing with your own insurance company or that of another driver, remember that their job is to save the company money. As such, they want to pay you less. They use many different tactics to be able to do this.
They may try to contact you immediately after the accident. With this call, there are several ways that you could sabotage your claim. You could say something that is misconstrued as admitting fault. Even if the adjuster seems nice and appears to be advocating for you, they are not your friend and will do anything to get you to say something that helps them.
The insurance adjuster could offer you a low claim, and you could accept it. The sooner they can contact you with a low-ball offer, the more likely it is that you have not talked to an attorney and are unaware of the true value of your claim.
Do not speak to the insurance company. Instead, call a car accident lawyer near me. Your car accident attorney in Long Beach can speak to the insurance adjuster for you and work on settlement negotiations. Attorneys know how to work with insurance companies and can prevent you from mistakenly saying something that will harm your claim.
Long Beach Car Accident Liability
The Long Beach accident lawyer you choose will have a tremendous impact on the success of your case. It is imperative that you not hire the first attorney you come across. There are several qualifications you should look for in an accident attorney near Long Beach, CA.
The attorney you select should have practice experience in California personal injury law and car accidents. They need to be licensed to practice in the state and familiar with the relevant legal jurisdictions. Other factors you should research to ensure you hire the best car accident attorney possible include:
- Professionalism: Does the Long Beach car accident lawyer have good professional ratings and successful settlements in their past? Is there a record of state bar complaints against them? This can give you better insight into their practice history.
- Fee structures: You should know when and how your car accident lawyer in Long Beach will need to be paid. Most personal injury lawyers take cases on a contingency fee basis. This means they do not charge any upfront fees. Once they obtain a settlement or win your case at trial, they will be paid from those monies. However, this does not include operating costs, such as making photocopies or obtaining medical records. Those costs will also come out of your compensation when the case is over. Be sure you have a clear understanding of how their fee structure works before hiring them. Stay away from attorneys who do not want to answer your questions about their fee structures or who cannot give you a clear and reasonable answer
- Litigation abilities: The majority of car accident cases will settle outside of court. This will likely happen in your case, but you should still select a Long Beach car accident attorney that is not afraid to go to trial and has experience doing so. If the insurance company does not meet reasonable demands and refuses to offer you a fair settlement, you will want to take your case to trial. You might want to look over your potential attorney’s settlement and verdict history to determine their willingness to pursue fair compensation through litigation.
- Available resources: Look for an auto accident lawyer in Long Beach who has a robust network of modern legal resources. Does their firm have case management, investigations, and expert witness networks to draw from? In many cases, working with experts is necessary to bring a case to its most favorable resolution.
Crucial Steps to Take After Car Accident in Long Beach
Get Medical Attention
Your health and safety should be paramount to anything else. If you have sustained moderate to severe injuries in a crash, do not feel right, or are experiencing severe pain or immobility, consider taking an ambulance to the hospital. If your injuries appear to be minor and your pain is mild, you can wait and go to an urgent care or make an appointment with your doctor.
Your injuries and medical care should be documented as soon as possible so that there is a record of them. If you do not seek care when you should, you are failing to mitigate your damages, which could decrease your injury compensation.
Keep in mind that some injuries do not show up right away or can become more severe as time goes on. Even if you are not sure that you are injured or feel that your injuries are minor, it is always a good idea to be examined by a doctor after a car accident.
Do Not Admit Fault
Even if you think you are to blame for the accident, do not admit fault. If you get out of your vehicle and apologize or say something like “I just didn’t see you coming,” or “I guess I should have stopped,” you can jeopardize your chances of receiving the compensation you are entitled to. The insurance company will use what you say against you to further its goal of paying you as little as possible.
Collect Evidence
Evidence in a car accident case is essential to maximizing your compensation. If you can do so, take pictures or videos with your smartphone at the scene. If you are not able to, you might be able to ask a bystander to do so. Whether you remain at the scene or go to the hospital, take pictures of your injuries. Be sure the lighting is good and consider taking pictures of evidence from different angles.
Don’t interfere with the police investigation while you are collecting evidence. You should also not rely on the police to collect evidence for you. The purpose of their investigation is different and separate from your collection of evidence. While their accident reports can be helpful to an injury claim, having your own evidence to support your claim is essential as well.
Whenever possible, get the names and contact information from any witnesses. Your Long Beach car accident attorney will need this to get other people’s account of the accident.
Your vehicle is also a piece of evidence. Whether you drive it away from the scene or it is towed somewhere, speak to your lawyer about the next steps regarding your vehicle. Be sure you take pictures and videos of any damage it sustained both inside and out. Your attorney might want you to take specific actions to help preserve it as evidence before it is fixed or dealt with by your insurance company.
Hire a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer
After a car accident, speak to a car accident lawyer in Long Beach as soon as possible. The sooner you speak to one, the better the chances that your lawsuit will be filed on time and that evidence can be preserved in your case.
You need an advocate on your side to handle the insurance company and your adjuster. Adjusters will try to use many sneaky tactics on accident victims to ensure that they can pay them as little as possible for their claim.
If you speak with them before speaking to a lawyer, they might try to get you to say something incriminating you for the accident. They might also try to get you to agree to a much lower settlement offer than your case is worth.
However, they will not use these tactics on car accident attorneys because they know that attorneys will not fall for them. When a claimant hires a lawyer, the insurance company knows that they are serious about getting the compensation they deserve. They are more likely to agree to fair compensation for your injuries.
Why Hire Our Long Beach Attorneys to Handle Your Car Accident Claim?
Our firm is recognized as Long Beach’s premiere car accident and injury law firm for many reasons. There are several details pointing to why a Long Beach accident attorney from Arash Law led by Arash Khorsandi, Esq. is the right answer for your car accident claim. Consider that:
- We focus on car accident and injury cases
- Our high settlement success rate (98%)
- We have over three decades of experience handling cases just like yours
- We are committed to fighting for the rights of clients to ensure they receive the maximum compensation
- We use the law to hold the responsible party accountable.
- You can reach us 24/7
- Our lawyers are the ones handling your case – We are NOT part of a referral network
- Our Long Beach injury attorneys will come to you – at home, the hospital, or place of work and we often have same-day appointments available
How Our Firm Can Help
After an injury accident, there are many details to attend to. Many of them can seem overwhelming and might be urgent. We are a full-service law firm. Not only do we take pride in providing the Long Beach area with the best car accident attorneys, but we can also take care of some of the other details. For example, we can help:
- Retrieve your vehicle from the tow company
- Obtain reimbursement for your out-of-pocket expenses
- Get your vehicle repaired for the top dollar replacement value
- You receive the focused medical care and get your medical bills paid
- Arrange medical liens if necessary
- Get compensation for your lost income and wages
- Negotiate with insurers and bill collectors on your behalf
- With documentation and paperwork
- Estimate how much your case is worth
- By fighting tirelessly to get you the maximum monetary recovery you deserve
In addition, if you already have a lawyer, we can advise you on how to change your representation to us for no additional fee or cost.
Why Hire Our Long Beach Attorneys to Handle Your Car Accident Claim?
Car accidents often leave victims with physical and emotional scars. During this challenging season of life, you need an experienced advocate and their team of legal professionals on your side. Our firm’s goal is to not only help clients recover the compensation they deserve but also to ensure their safety and well-being after the accident and for years to come. Whether you were involved in the fender bender or have suffered catastrophic injuries, our legal team is always ready to help.
If you are looking for the best car accident attorney in Long Beach, look no further than Arash Law and the team led by Arash Khorsandi. We are a top Long Beach personal injury law firm specializing in car accidents resulting in severe injury or wrongful death. With our ‘No Win, No Fee’ guarantee, we want everyone to get the help they need. Our contingency fees allow you to level the playing field by getting top quality Long Beach car accident lawyers for no up-front cost.
Our award-winning law firm has recovered over $400 million for previous clients. Our Long Beach personal injury attorneys and partners take leadership roles in national class-action litigation and have been repeatedly nominated for professional honors, including Trial Lawyer of the Year. Whether you were involved in the fender bender or sustained catastrophic injuries, our legal team is always ready to help.
Our Long Beach car accident attorneys help injured clients in Long Beach and neighboring communities, including Lakewood, Bellflower, Compton, Los Alamitos, Paramount, Cerritos, Norwalk, Downey, Lynwood, Torrance, Seal Beach, Signal Hill, Rossmoor, Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, and Naples.
Call our acclaimed Long Beach injury firm today at (888) 488-1391 or complete our online form to book your free car accident consultation. You do not pay us anything unless we successfully settle or litigate your case.
