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A car accident is not only just a terrifying experience, but one that can also leave you with high medical bills and costs for repairing or replacing your vehicle.
By working with an experienced personal injury lawyer to file a claim, you may be able to obtain the financial compensation you deserve to help cover your costs. Contact LegalFinders if you are looking for a top-quality car accident lawyer in Los Angeles, CA.
A car accident can leave you with severe injuries and damages to your car, or worse, the loss of a loved one.
By filing a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver, you may receive financial compensation for these damages. You may also get compensation for more indirect damages such as pain and suffering or loss of consortium.
A personal injury lawyer can help relieve some of the stress after an accident by guiding you through the legal process and submitting your claim. They can even serve as your legal representation in court in the case that your claim turns into a lawsuit.
If you are looking for an experienced car accident attorney that can help you file your auto accident claim or lawsuit in Los Angeles County, LegalFinders can help.
The city of Los Angeles saw the highest amount of car accident-related deaths in two decades in 2022, according to the Los Angeles Times.
There were more than 300 deaths on LA streets last year, which was a 5% increase from 2021 and a 29% increase since 2020.
Of those lost to auto crashes in Los Angeles, there were:
These troubling rates have prompted city officials to push for steep changes to city roadway engineering and education through a program that has worked well for large cities such as New York City.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, these are the most dangerous intersections in LA:
A contributing factor to the numerous auto accidents in Los Angeles that lead to both injuries and fatalities every year is speeding, or driving over the speed limit.
According to a report from an informal survey conducted by the California Highway Patrol, the top areas for speeding citations in LA are:
If you are looking to file a personal injury claim after an accident, it’s important to determine which of the motorists involved can be considered at fault for the accident.
While it may initially seem obvious who should be considered at fault for a car accident, it is often a complicated situation.
In some cases, multiple drivers are found to be at fault. In other instances that are considered unavoidable accidents, such as a person hitting a deer, no one is at fault.
Further, a motorist who is found at fault for an accident will not necessarily be found liable for any resulting damages or injuries.
The at-fault driver is not always liable in a car accident. Sometimes, multiple parties can even be found liable.
To be found liable for an automobile accident, a motorist does not only have to be responsible for the accident occurring, but they must also have acted in a negligent manner.
A person who has faulty brakes and is left with no choice but to run a red light and hit another car head-on may appear responsible for the accident at first.
However, there was no negligence present, because the motorist was not acting careless, thoughtless, or unreasonable given the situation they were presented with.
In this case, it would likely be the company that manufactured the car who would be found liable for the resulting damages.
The first legal action that you can take following an auto accident is to file a personal injury claim with the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
By filing a claim, you are seeking compensation for any injuries that you acquired in the accident, as well as for less direct damages.
You can file a claim on your own, however, an experienced personal injury lawyer from a reputable law group can help you build a strong case and secure fair compensation.
A car accident lawyer can also provide continued legal guidance and support in the event that your claim is unsuccessful and you decide to file a lawsuit.
You will likely have a lot on your mind or even need medical attention after a car or truck accident, but there are some actions that you can start taking right away.
The aftermath of an accident can be chaotic, but it is in your best interest to collect as much information as possible while you are still at the scene.
Important items of evidence to be collected at the scene of an accident may include:
If the accident was severe and leaves you with catastrophic injuries, you may need a loved one to help you with gathering these documents.
A car accident lawyer can also help you to separate the information that is relevant, as well as assist you in submitting evidence when the time comes.
It’s a good idea to contact a personal injury lawyer or legal team as soon as you are able to after a car accident, to avoid saying or doing anything that might hurt your accident claim settlement.
By reaching out to an attorney right away after an accident, you can ensure they will be there to assist you every step of the way, even if your claim turns into a lawsuit.
After you have found the right car accident lawyer from an established law firm, your next step will be to file an accident claim against the liable party.
An attorney experienced in personal injury law can do this for you, while also gathering and submitting any relevant documents or pieces of evidence.
One of the biggest benefits of working with an experienced car accident lawyer is that you have someone to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.
Your lawyer, along with that of the other party, will communicate back and forth with each other and insurance adjusters until a settlement amount is agreed upon.
It is not common for the parties involved in an auto accident to not be able to reach a resolution and fair settlement during the negotiation process, but it does occasionally happen.
This is where it can be especially important to have a good auto accident lawyer handling your case, as they will be the ones standing for you in court.
There are many types of damages that can be listed on a personal injury claim in California, though some of them are more common than others.
Injury victims from a car accident may cite these types of common damages:
Auto accident injuries can range from mild to severe. All car accident injuries can and should be listed on a claim, no matter how minor they may seem.
A successful claim can ensure that most, if not all, of your medical expenses are covered and that you and your loved ones can focus on healing from the accident.
Common injuries from car accidents listed on Los Angeles auto accident claims include:
While there is no single cause that can be linked to all auto accidents, most car accidents can be in some way associated with negligence.
People rarely intend to cause car accidents on purpose, but accidents can still be caused by a person’s carelessness or thoughtless actions.
Common causes of car accidents in Los Angeles, CA may include:
Here are a few California laws that may affect your personal injury claim.
Like many states, California is an at-fault state when it comes to car accidents and insurance. This means that in order to collect damages for an accident, you would file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
In states that are no-fault, car accident victims instead file claims with their own insurance company.
In California, a personal injury claim must be filed before the statute of limitations runs out, a frame of time which begins on the date of the car accident.
According to the Judicial Branch of California, that statute of limitations in California is a period of two years. This may seem like a lot of time, but it can pass quicker than you think.
This negligence principle means a claimant can claim damages even if they are up to 99% at fault for the accident.
This differs from states with a modified comparative negligence principle, for which the amount of fault is capped for each party at 50%.
The following are questions that people commonly have regarding car accident claims in the state of California.
Finding the right Los Angeles car accident lawyer can make all the difference when it comes to a successful claim or lawsuit verdict and receiving maximum compensation for your injuries.
Contact LegalFinders today for a free consultation and case evaluation or to connect with a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles who has years of experience and a superb track record.
In addition to car accidents, the award-winning lawyers we work with handle cases in multiple practice areas of personal injury law, including dog bites, motorcycle accidents, and slip and fall cases.
