California Fatal Car Accident Lawyers
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California’s Most Aggressive Fatal Car Accidents Lawyers
Car accidents are sometimes life-altering and traumatic. Because of how universal cars are to our lives, drivers often forget just how dangerous they can become and that severe and even deadly car crashes can occur. They sometimes drive recklessly, speed, get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or drive distracted.
Every year millions of people are injured in automobile accidents on roads across the United States. Tens of thousands of drivers and passengers lose their lives each year due to crashes. According to the United States Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), there were 33,654 fatal vehicle crashes in 2018, which caused 36,560 deaths.
This fact means there were 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, and one death every 12 to 15 minutes in the U.S. When a car accident occurs, the victims, their families, and the entire community are often devastated. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) reports that there were 3,563 car accident fatalities throughout the state in 2018 alone. Thousands of people must deal with grief and sudden loss in the wake of California’s deadly accidents.
If you recently lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, you are familiar with this. You might wonder how you will ever be able to live your everyday life again. It will take time, and there are no quick fixes, but you can learn to cope and rebuild your life. One step that many families find helpful after losing a loved one in a car accident is meeting with a compassionate fatal car accident attorney.
- The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that an estimated 38,000 people were killed in U.S. motor vehicle accidents in 2019
- Over two million were injured or disabled in auto accidents
- 675 children 12 years old and younger were killed as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and almost 116,000 were injured in 2017
- The lifetime economic total expense to society for each traffic death is $1.4 million. Over 90 percent of this figure is due to lost workplace and household productivity and legal costs.
- That comes out to around $820 per person
- The cost of fatal accidents in California in 2018 was $5.83B
- Car, motorcycle, and truck accidents are the leading cause of death for individuals aged 8 – 34
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
California’s Most Dangerous Roads
According to one study conducted by OTS, nearly 57 percent of Californians believe that it is okay to drive 10mph over the speed limit on this state’s freeways. Almost 40 percent of those said their chances of getting a ticket for speeding 10mph over the speed limit were unlikely.
Fatal accidents by freeway:
5 Freeway
101 Freeway
99 Freeway
Los Angeles County is the site of many fatal accidents. The top five most dangerous intersections for car accidents in Los Angeles County are:
- Sierra Highway – Santa Clarita Valley
- I-405 in Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys
- I-5 Golden State Freeway
- Route 57
- State Route 118 / Ronald Reagan Freeway
Deadly Auto Accidents are Far Too Common in California
Fatal car crashes frequently occur on California’s large and congested highways. Numerous individuals are killed each year on California’s roads due to travel at high speeds and truck accidents. You might be surprised to learn that there are fatal accidents that occur at low-speeds on side streets. These low-speed accidents could happen because drivers are often less attentive while driving at slower speeds with less traffic. Many of them are distracted by their cell phone.
Fatal motor vehicle accident victims can be of any age. They are often following the law and are usually wearing their seatbelts for safety. Several hundred pedestrians are also hit and killed by cars every year in California. No matter the cause of your loved one’s deadly wreck, a fatal car accident lawyer can offer you invaluable direction about what to do next.
Some of the most common causes of fatal vehicle crashes include:
- Intoxicated Drivers – Nearly 30 percent of all fatal car accidents involve a drunk driver, as per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Reckless Drivers – Reckless drivers can cause deadly crashes by making unsafe lane changes, speeding, and tailgating
- Distracted Drivers – Many serious and fatal accidents happen when motorist are using their phones, speaking with their passengers, or eating
- Defective Vehicles – If your car was poorly constructed or built with a malfunctioning auto part, it could result in a fatal crash
- Exhausted Drivers – Drivers sometimes fall asleep behind the wheel leading up to a deadly wreck. These types of accidents happen a lot due to overworked truck drivers and people who work night shifts
Our fatal car accidents attorneys have witnessed firsthand that almost half of the injured individuals are left with permanent disabilities such as brain damage, paralysis, amputation injuries, orthopedic injuries, and other serious conditions that substantially and destructively affect the lives of crash victims. When a motor vehicle accident leads to death, the family members of those who died suffer both emotionally and, often, financially.
Car Accident Victims Also Ask:
Any time you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, your first priority should be getting to safety. Get out of the vehicle and find a safe spot on the side of the road that is far away from the flow of traffic. If you cannot leave the car, call 911 and let them know that you are trapped. They will send the proper equipment and responders right away.
Next, you need to take care of your medical needs. Let the emergency medical personnel on the scene evaluate your injuries and follow any of their recommendations. If you choose not to leave the scene in an ambulance, you should still visit an emergency department or an urgent care facility right away.
Even if you think you are not injured at all, it is always important to follow up with your primary care doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries may not start to show symptoms for days or weeks after an accident occurs. Only a qualified medical provider can determine the extent of your injuries. Whether you think you are injured or not, this documentation will be critical evidence in your personal injury claim.
Once you have addressed your medical needs, it is time to address your legal needs. Find an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Do not make any statements about the accident to the insurance company until you have retained a lawyer. Once the insurance company is notified of your attorney’s contact information, they can no longer contact you regarding the accident, which will protect you from inadvertently saying something that could be detrimental to your personal injury claim.
If your attorney files a lawsuit on your behalf, there is a chance that you might have to come to court. Before trial, there are status conferences to handle scheduling and other administrative matters. You usually will not have to speak at these conferences. If the attorneys disagree on the evidence that can be used at trial, the court might hold a hearing to determine whether the evidence can be admitted.
While this may sound overwhelming, it is essential to understand that very few personal injury cases ever go to trial. The vast majority of car accident cases in the United States settle outside of court. This fact makes it unlikely that you will have to go to court, but if you do, your attorney will thoroughly prepare you for what to expect and what will happen.
The law enforcement officers who respond to the scene have the responsibility to file a police report about the incident. This report is a critical piece of evidence. You usually can not get a police report unless the officers respond to the scene. The officers will take your statement about what happened. (While you should not discuss the accident with the other driver or bystanders on the scene, you should give your statement to the officers to be used in their official police report.)
If you have an auto accident attorney, you will not have to worry about filing a claim. Your attorney will handle the paperwork for you. He or she will also prevent you from saying something to the insurance company that could hurt your claim. If you choose to handle your case without an attorney, you will have to call the insurance company to file your claim.
The insurance company will rarely make a fair settlement offer on the first try. Instead, they will try to lowball you with an offer that does not fully compensate you for your pain and suffering. These methods are why it is crucial to be represented by an experienced car accident lawyer. A lawyer knows how to respond to lowball offers and then prove what the claim is truly worth.
If a fair settlement offer cannot be reached in negotiations, your lawyer might want to file a lawsuit on your behalf. In many cases, the mere fact that a lawsuit was filed is enough incentive to get the insurance company to raise its settlement offer. If not, the parties will engage in the discovery process, which involves investigating the case to find evidence that is then exchanged. Evidence found in discovery can also affect the insurance company’s settlement offer.
Unlike criminal defense or divorce lawyers, who charge an hourly rate, most personal injury lawyers work on contingency. Working on contingency means that they will be paid an agreed-upon percentage of any eventual settlement. If you don’t get paid, the attorney doesn’t get paid. If the attorney must file a lawsuit on your behalf, the work required on your case goes up dramatically. This fact is why most personal injury lawyers often take a higher percentage if a lawsuit is filed on your behalf. There will also be court costs and litigation expenses, so it is important to be clear on who will pay those fees if the case goes to trial.
The key thing to understand is that you can hire a personal injury lawyer with no upfront fees. Some injury victims do not get representation because they are worried about the cost. Not hiring a lawyer can lead to you hurting your claim. You might say something to the insurance company that leads them to believe you were at fault for the accident.
Surprisingly, the empty roads are riskier than before the pandemic caused by COVID-19. A news release by NSC shows that despite the decrease in driving and mileage of drivers, there has been an increase seen in a few places. The early data is indicating a 14 percent jump in year-over-year fatality rates per miles that were driven in March, despite an 8 percent drop in the total number of car accident deaths in March of the previous year.
Below are the states that have seen an increase in car accident deaths with in the first 3 months of 2020.
- Arkansas (16 percent)
- California (8 percent)
- Connecticut (42 percent)
- Illinois (11 percent)
- Louisiana (23 percent)
- Nevada (10 percent)
- New York (17 percent)
- North Carolina (10 percent)
- Oklahoma (9 percent)
- Tennessee (6 percent)
- Texas (6 percent)
The states listed below have seen decreases in the number of car accident deaths for the first three months this year.
- Arizona (-4 percent)
- Hawaii (-32 percent)
- Idaho (-28 percent)
- Iowa (-13 percent)
- Mary land (-13 percent)
- Michigan (-12 percent)
- Oregon (-24 percent)
- South Carolina (-12 percent)
Generally, big cars are considered safer than small cars. There are several important reasons for this. First, in a larger car versus light car crash, physics favors the more massive vehicle. Momentum is a product of mass and velocity.
Of course, large car versus small car safety is a far more complicated issue than which vehicle has more momentum in a collision. A vehicle's safety also considers its ability to withstand a crash, or even help the driver avoid an accident altogether. The driver's experience and comfort with the vehicle's features are also critical components of the safety equation.
When it comes to car accidents in California, it's almost always a good idea to get a personal injury attorney. It is commonly thought that a lawyer is not needed if the accident is minor and does not cause injury. But even a fender bender that seems insignificant can turn into a major headache without a car accident lawyer.
It is estimated that speeding alone led to over 10 thousand fatalities in the United States in 2016. In 2019, 2 million Americans suffered permanent injuries from a car accident. A California personal injury attorney can help you navigate the legal mess that can be an unavoidable outcome of an accident.
Under California law, a car accident case involving speeding would be an easy case to show where negligence is indicated. California is an at-fault state, meaning whoever is at fault in a car accident bears most of the burden of responsibility, if not all of it. If you don't know this, you may try to negotiate your insurance claims. Doing this can quickly become a nightmare.
After an accident, you'll have to deal with the police, your insurance company, maybe someone else's insurance company, and the medical field. Sound daunting? It is! Dealing with these problems is what an experienced accident attorney can do for you. Contact a California personal injury attorney as soon as you can after a car accident.
You could undoubtedly hire an attorney, but not just any attorney will give you the results that you deserve. It's crucial to the success of your claim to hire someone with experience and knowledge. It should not be difficult to talk to them about the specifics of your case. Look for these requirements when hiring a California car accident lawyer near you:
- Most or nearly all of the clients they represent are personal injury clients, especially car accident clients
- They have a minimum of 10 years' experience in personal injury law
- They offer free consultations at their office or a location that is convenient for you
- They listen to you, recall the details you give them, and pay attention to you when you talk
- They understand the type of injuries you sustained
- They take your case seriously and care about your pain, it is not just about the money for them
In California, the law allows for what is referred to as the medical emergency defense, also known as the sudden emergency defense. This law is only applicable if the individual has an unforeseen and legitimate medical condition, and all of the following terms have been met:
- The driver was not the cause of the emergency.
- Someone was put in danger of injury due to a crisis that occurred.
- The driver acted reasonably.
This means that for the medical emergency defense to be used after an accident, it would need to be proven that the accident was the cause of a sudden health crisis that arose. The driver at fault aced reasonably as anyone else would have done. The driver at fault would have to provide detailed medical evidence that supports their unforeseen medical emergency occurred. Not all states have the same requirements for this law, but a driver that has suffered from a sudden medical emergency will often be burdened by showing proof that the conditions above were met.
While some physical effects of a crash can be visible right away (e.g., bruises, scars, and broken bones), others may not be noticeable immediately after the accident. Sometimes, high levels of shock and adrenaline after a car accident keep us from recognizing injury symptoms and may even mask the pain for hours. That is why it is vital to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a car accident to diagnose and document all of the injuries and physical damages.
In most cases, the aftereffects of a car accident can be divided into two categories:
- Cuts, lacerations, and bruises. These are some of the most common injuries after car accidents. Often, victims of car crashes suffer a cut wound due to shattered glass, broken plastic parts, and metal fragments from vehicles.
- Burn injuries. Car crashes are also likely to result in burn injuries due to hot metal vehicle parts, fires, and explosions at the scene of the accident.
- Tissue damage. Often, tissue damage is not immediately apparent after a collision, which is why accident victims need to go to a doctor to diagnose this type of injury.
- Fractured bones. Fractured and broken bones are some of the most devastating types of injury after a car crash.
- Back and spine injuries. Spinal cord and back injuries are some of the most significant effects of car accidents. Depending on the severity of the crash, a spine injury can result in temporary or permanent paralysis.
- Loss of a limb. Although the loss of a limb is not a common occurrence in car accidents, it does happen in devastating crashes. Losing a limb is one of the most traumatizing and painful types of injury that can lead to many other severe complications.
- Death. Car accidents are responsible for approximately 100 deaths per day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A severe injury can have long-term emotional effects after an accident. Some of the psychological and emotional effects following a car crash can haunt an injured victim for years or even for the rest of their life. The emotional effects of a car accident include:
- Humiliation
- Anxiety
- Shock
- Emotional distress
- Depression
- Fear (phobias)
- Anger
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Sleep disturbances
- Behavior changes
- Mental anguish
- Mood swings
The quick answer to this question is yes, and no. California law stipulates that car insurance follows the car, not the driver. If anyone gets into a car accident in your vehicle, your car insurance will be involved. You will be held liable at some point. However, you may not be held entirely responsible, depending on the circumstance.
There are some situations where you won’t have to worry if another driver gets into an accident with your car. However, what you have to worry about may be different in every situation. Here are some examples of kinds of car crashes where your liability decreases:
- Stolen car
- Another driver at fault for the collision
- All parties are insured
If you are severely injured on the scene of an accident, it is easy to make the decision to go to the emergency department in an ambulance and get medical care right away. But it is more challenging to know what to do if your injuries don’t appear to be serious. Just because you were able to walk away from a car accident doesn’t mean you were not injured in the crash. It is essential to see a doctor to be sure that you did not suffer any latent injuries.
Beyond the medical concerns, there are also legal reasons to see a doctor as soon as possible. Your ability to be compensated – and the amount of compensation you receive – is determined by automated information about your injuries. While you will likely be in touch with a claims adjuster, most of the real insurance adjusting is done by a computer program that will be fed data about your accident and injuries. One crucial piece of data that could increase your odds of recovering fair compensation is whether you sought medical attention in a “reasonable” amount of time after the accident.
As with medical care, it is important to see a legal professional as soon as possible after an auto accident. Any statement you make on the scene or over the phone to the insurance company can be used to attack your claim. Insurance companies even go through victims’ social media accounts to try to find evidence that will contradict their story, or prove that they are not in as much pain as they say they are. An experienced California personal injury attorney can help you fight these insurance company tactics. The sooner you have a lawyer fighting for you, the better protected you will be.
Of course, you must first tend to your medical needs. See a doctor as soon as possible after an accident. Follow his or her recommendations and get the necessary rest. Then, meet with an auto accident lawyer as soon as you are able. Once the insurance company is notified that you have an attorney, they are not allowed to contact you about the accident. You will not have to deal with harassing phone calls or tedious paperwork.
Let our experienced car accident attorneys handle your legal claim so that you can focus on your recovery. You don’t need to wait until you are done with your medical treatment to meet with a lawyer. Sometimes, medical treatment can take months – or even years. Your legal rights are in jeopardy without a lawyer, so you do not want to wait. Find a lawyer as soon as you are medically stable and able to do so. He or she will help move your case forward while you are finishing your medical treatment.
If you lost a loved one or sustained a severe injury in a car crash because of another driver’s carelessness and negligence, you have a legal right to hold that driver accountable for their actions. A fatal car accident attorney can’t turn back the clock to make things the way they were before the car accident. However, we can help you obtain compensation for the awful, unexpected losses the crash caused in your life. A wrongful death car accident lawsuit can also help pay for the high medical expenses and other costs incurred due to the crash.
It can also help provide financial support for those who have lost income because of an injury or an unforeseen death. Legal action might also help prevent a similar tragedy from happening to other families. Sometimes a personal injury lawsuit is the only way to hold offenders and big companies liable for actions that put consumers at risk. We are a reliable car accident law firm that has a proven history of success in auto-accident and wrongful death cases, including a $1.5 billion verdict for a church volunteer’s family killed by a distracted driver.
Act Quickly After A Fatal Car Crash
If someone you love died in a car crash, you must act quickly in reaching out to an experienced fatal car accident attorney. The insurance company for the person who caused the accident will begin their investigation of the accident as soon as possible. They take their claims very seriously. You should take yours seriously as well.
It’s an arduous task to handle a wrongful death claim for a fatal car accident on your own, especially if you don’t have the advantage of having a professional legal background. It would be best if you had a fatal car accident lawyer working for you and your family. You must be able to prove that the person who caused the accident was negligent beyond a preponderance of evidence. Using evidence to support your case, you must be able to show that there is a greater than 50 percent chance that the other party caused your loved one’s death.
An Experienced Fatal Car Accidents Attorney Will Fight For Fair Compensation
Car accidents occur under numerous circumstances. Many of them involve the negligent or irresponsible behavior of another driver. After a deadly collision, an experienced fatal car accident lawyer can serve as your legal guide and a trusted advocate. Your fatal car accidents lawyer can construct a robust case for you and fight to receive fair financial compensation for your immense losses on your behalf.
Although receiving compensation doesn’t decrease the pain of losing someone you care about, it will ease some of the stress brought about by your loss. It would help if you didn’t have to deal with a financial weight at this challenging time.
What Are The Expenses Involved in Fatal Auto Accidents?
After a loved one loses their life in a car accident, you may wonder how you will pay the short-term and long-term expenses and damages. These include the following:
- Medical bills: The cost of surgeries, hospitalization, and medications can be overwhelming, especially as the medical bills keep coming in.
- Funeral and burial expenses: These costs can add up to thousands of dollars, depending on the type of service and burial chosen by the family.
- Loss of financial security: If you relied on your loved one’s wages, health insurance, and other financial benefits, the loss of this financial support could significantly burden you and your family.
- Loss of companionship: The sudden absence of a loved one is devastating. Being deprived of missing the companionship and care from your deceased loved one can be harmful to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
- Pain and suffering: The grieving process affects each aspect of your life, including your ability to go to work and concentrate and attend to other obligations. The pain you’re experiencing can often render you susceptible to a plethora of physical, psychological, social, and financial issues.
Reducing the Risk of Auto Accidents and Injuries
Due to other drivers’ actions and choices on the road, you can never eliminate your risk of being involved in a car accident and suffering injuries or death. However, there are several steps you can take to ensure you and your passengers are safe while on the road in your vehicle.
- Buckle up anytime you are in a vehicle – Properly using a seatbelt decreases the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by as much as 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-severe injury by up to 50 percent. Unrestrained drivers and passengers are 30 times more likely to be ejected from the vehicle in a crash. As many as three out of four ejected individuals will die.
- Always use car safety seats for children – The NHTSA reports that proper use of child safety seats decreases the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers involved in passenger car accidents.
- Don’t speed – According to the NHTSA, 26 percent of fatal accidents are speed related – in 2018, that amounted to more than 9,378 deaths.
- Monitor and comply with safety recalls for your vehicle – Some recalls are related to minor issues, but some are issued to fix genuine safety concerns. For instance, in 2014, General Motors issued a recall for two parts in the ignition system of several of its models that could cause the car to shut off key safety features, preventing the vehicle’s airbag from deploying when it should. Look for recalls by vehicle make and model or by using your vehicle’s VIN into the database.
- Avoid drinking and driving – Each day, 29 people in the U.S. lose their lives in motor vehicle crashes involving drivers impaired by alcohol. On average, one death occurs every 50 minutes due to drinking and driving. The yearly total of alcohol-related crashes tops more than $44 billion.
- Beware of pedestrians – In 2018, 6,227 pedestrians were killed by cars in the U.S. Surprisingly, most fatal pedestrian accidents weren’t at intersections
A Compassionate Yet Aggressive California Fatal Car Accidents Lawyer Can Help
Our team of compassionate and experienced California fatal car accident lawyers is available to help you after a loved one’s death in a car accident. The Arash Law injury attorneys led by Arash Khorsandi have recovered more than $400 million for previous clients just like you. We serve victims and their families in San Francisco, Riverside, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Sherman Oaks, and many other areas in California. We also offer legal services in many different languages.
The sudden unexpected death of a loved one can be quite confusing, among other things. You shouldn’t have to be confused or overwhelmed with wrongful death laws during this emotionally difficult time. A California car accident lawyer from our office can handle the legal issues for you. Call our firm today at (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free no-obligation fatal car accident case review.
