Car Accident Lawyers in California

The Need For Our Specialized Auto Accident Lawyers

Driving has become a second nature to people. Whether it is for a short distance or for long drives, people prefer to take their own vehicle instead of public transport. This creates a lot of traffic on the road, which may result in long traffic congestion, or worse, accidents due to negligent or rash driving.

Being in a car crash can be traumatic. You end up injured and with a lot of medical expenses, sometimes you even lose wages, get life-long injuries or paralysis, and in a worst-case scenario, death. It is not fair to deal with all this trauma alone when you can seek the expert assistance of lawyers who specialize in accidents.

Why Do You Need To Hire Our Car Accident Attorneys For Your Case?

Though you must deal with the physical injuries sustained during an accident, hiring a lawyer can ensure that you are adequately compensated for the trauma you are going through. Often, victims involved in automobile accidents think they do not need an attorney, but that is quite wrong. A victim without a lawyer is often taken for a ride by insurance companies. Since people are already in shock from surviving the accident, they do not realize the extent of injuries and the repercussions it may have on their remaining life.

If you are one of the lucky few, who came out relatively unscathed from an accident, you might end up resuming your normal life in a few days. However, some people involved in motor vehicle accidents end up with severe and life-threatening injuries. In such cases, they require longer hospitalization periods, numerous physical therapy sessions, and may need to cope up for their entire life.

In the latter scenario, assessment of the extent of injuries is important and so is hiring an adept accident lawyer to help you get proper compensation for the pain, trauma, hospitalization, medical bills and any loss of pay due to injuries sustained.

What Difference Do Our Car Accident Lawyers Make?

Often without the guidance of car accident lawyers, insurance companies short sell you the compensation which is often inadequate to deal with your condition. Huge medical bills and no source of earning can send you under huge mounds of debt, which can be difficult considering your condition and situation. However, with skilled attorneys by your side, you can be sure that you get every dime essential for your case, out of the pockets of the guilty party.

Since the laws of every state vary, it is important to hire a local attorney to take care of an accident case involving a motor vehicle. The injuries sustained in a car accident case will differ from those of a motorcycle accident. It is important to hire the best attorney for your case. At Farahi Law Firm, APC you are sure to get justice in cases involving:

• Drunk-driving accidents
• Car/auto accidents
• Hit-and-run accident
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Other personal injury claims
• SUV rollovers
• Intersection accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Head-on collisions

Considering how prevalent automobile accidents are today, it is absolutely vital that drivers are educated about what their legal options are should such an accident occur. Where injury results from the negligent operation of a vehicle, the operator of the vehicle who was negligent should be held accountable for the consequences of their negligent acts. If you or a loved one has been injured in the California area please call us immediately at (844) 824-2955. 

Car Accident Statistics in California

In California, the Office of Traffic Safety keeps track of all the relevant data about car collisions in the Golden State. Their most recent statistics from 2019 show:

• Traffic fatalities decreased 5.1% in 2019, from 3,798 in 2018 to 3,606
• The fatalities per 100 million miles traveled is 1.06 in 2019
• Alcohol impaired driving fatalities – collisions involving an at-fault driver with alcohol blood concentration 0.08 or higher – decreased 4.5% in 2019 from 1,116 in 2018
• Of all drivers tested in 2019 for drug use, 50% were positive for legal or illegal drugs, an increase of 8% from 2018
• Teen fatalities in auto accidents decreased 25.2% in 2019 from the previous year and teen driver fatalities decreased 12-7% from 95 in 2018 to 83 in 2019.

While fatalities decreased from previous years, California still ranks among the states with the highest traffic accident count in the country. With it being one of the most populous it is important to also look at the causes for which accidents happen in our streets.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

California is the state with the most licensed drivers in America with about 26.8 million people having driver’s licenses. This is more than 10% of the total drivers in the United States.

As such, the streets of California are heavily congested, more so in high population areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco. This makes drivers more prone to traffic accidents.

Normally car collisions are the product of human error more than vehicular failures. While some of these accidents are little more than fender benders with no grave consequence, thousands of lives are taken every year because of car accidents and traffic collisions.

It is true that not all drivers are reckless, and while you might take all the precautions possible, we cannot control the actions of others. If you practice safe driving and get in accident, it most likely wasn’t your fault. As such you are entitled to fight for your rights and seek rightful compensation.

Our expert team of personal injury lawyers are here to help you, as such we have outlined the most common causes of car accidents in California for you:

• Distracted Driving: Most accidents in California are the product of negligent drivers being distracted while behind the wheel. Texting while driving, eating, or doing another task divide your attention making it borderline impossible to keep concentrated on the road.
• Driving under the influence (DUI): Intoxicated driving is one of the most common and dangerous causes for traffic accidents around the world. The NHTSA reports that drunk driving claims more than 10 thousand lives per year.

Be mindful that some drivers might also be under the influence of both illegal and prescription drugs that could impair their judgment and reaction time while on the road.

• Speeding: The second most common cause of accidents, it is often paired with other risky behaviors on the road. Running a red light or overall going over the speed limit can make the car harder to control in case something unexpected happens on the road leading to a serious collision.
• Road Conditions: Badly maintained roads, potholes, improper signage and other factors can be a catalyst for accidents. A road without proper maintenance can pop your tires or inhibit your ability to brake properly.
  Weather conditions: The weather can also play a big part in traffic accidents. Roads can become slippery because of rain, hail, or snow, affecting your traction. Mist is another factor to consider when going out, as it hinders visibility of other vehicles on the road.
• Vehicle problems: Not giving proper maintenance to your car can also lead to accidents. Doing a routine checkup of the engine, tires and brakes regularly can prevent your can from failing while on the road and causing an accident.

Most Common Injuries in Car Accidents

Getting injured in a car crash can be devastating on your way of life. The medical treatment needed to treat grave injuries can put someone in serious trouble financially speaking. But, with our lawyers by your side working to hold the one responsible for your injuries accountable, you will be able to quickly recover your health and get the financial compensation you need for your injuries.

From the thousands of clients, we have helped we can deduce that the most common traffic accident injuries are:

• Whiplash: The most common injury. It is caused because of the momentum of your body after a car stops abruptly, such as in a car accident. The force of the impact results in traumatic damage to the muscles and tendons of the neck and can even result in long term disability if the impact was too strong.
• Head and Brain Injuries: Aside from superficial injuries like cuts and bruises, hitting your head during a traffic collision can lead to concussions or a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which can lead to a debilitating condition that seriously affects your way of life.
• Back and Spinal Cord Injuries: Because our bodies are not designed to sustain the forces of a car accident, it is common to have our backs injured in the ordeal. It’s common for the symptoms to take some time to appear, so it is important to get a medical examination as soon as possible after the incident.
• Bone Fractures: Broken bones are extremely common in car accidents. The severity of the fractures varies, ranging from simple breaks that require a cast or severe compound fracture requiring surgery.
• Internal Injury: A serious accident can send stuff flying inside the vehicle, from broken glass to shrapnel, coupled with the force of impact can cause damage to your internal organs. Suffering internal bleeding is one of the most dangerous internal organ damages and requires immediate treatment.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Cuts, bruises, muscle sprains and tendonitis are often a common result of a car accident. While one might think they are minor injuries some of them (specially torn muscles and ligaments) can have long lasting effects.

What to Do After a Car Accident in California?

We know that the moments after a car accident can be emotionally and physically stressful for you. Nevertheless, it is imperative that you take some necessary steps to protect your rights to not be left at the mercy of negligent parties and their insurance adjusters.

Taking some simple measures after a vehicular collision can go a long way to protect your claim. As your prime personal injury law firm, we recommend you do the following:

1. Stay at the scene
2. Check yourself for injuries
3. Move to a safe location
4. Call emergency services (911)
5. Take pictures of the scene
6. Exchange information with other parties involved
7. Note down everything that happened
8. Get witness statements
9. Report the accident to your insurance
10. Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

What Can You Recover After a Car Accident?

When you file a personal injury claim or lawsuit seeking fair settlement, it depends on the damages awarded to you in a court of law. These are made to compensate you from all the financial and emotional trouble you have gone through after the accident.

What we know as compensatory damages are divided into two main categories:

Economic Damages: also called objective damages these are awarded to compensate you for monetary losses and help you get your life on track as it was before the accident.

Normally economic damages account for tangible losses such as:

1. Medical bills and treatment
2. Property damage
3. Lost wages
4. Missed days from work
5. Loss of earning capacity

Non-economic damages: the second type of damages that you will be awarded are also called subjective damages as they seek to compensate you from intangible losses that are difficult to put in a monetary perspective.

They include but are not limited to:

1. Emotional distress
2. Pain and suffering
3. Loss of enjoyment of life
4. Quality of life reduction

A third type of damages called punitive damages can also be awarded, although this are more uncommon, they are made to dissuade and punish the at-fault party of the accident from engaging in violent or other egregious behavior towards you.

Liability and Negligence Laws in California

Seeking compensation after a car accident involves many legal issues, the most important of them are the concepts of liability and negligence.

What is liability?

In simple terms, liability determines who is at fault (liable) for the accident. Liability can be determined by the existing local, state, and federal laws. In a personal injury claim, determining liability is the first step needed to recover your rightful compensation.

What is Negligence?

Negligence is determined as the failure to take reasonable measures to protect the safety of others. Also known as duty to care, it refers to the actions one should take to avoid harming others. Some of these can be:

1. Paying attention to the road
2. Avoiding distractions
3. Follow traffic signs and lights
4. Yielding the right of way
5. Performing regular vehicle maintenance
6. Respecting the speed limit.

When someone fails in their duty to care, that classifies as a negligent action. Depending on the state laws, the grade of negligence in a vehicular collision can affect your case.

In California, vehicle laws operate under the law of comparative negligence which means that even if you had a degree of fault in an accident you still can seek compensation, albeit reduced by your percentage of negligence.

For example, if you get in an accident and it is determined that you had 20% of fault you can still pursue compensation for 80% of the damages incurred by the party that was principally at fault.

Statute of Limitations in California

We know that you might be debating yourself about what is the best time to file a personal injury claim. You must consider the statute of limitations in California. This is a period established by state law in which you must file your accident claim.

In California, this period spans two years from the date of the accident. Failure to file your claim within this time will make it troublesome for you to get your rightful compensation since it might get invalidated.

Also, if you get in an accident with a public entity, like a government owned vehicle, the statute is reduced to mere six months after the date of the accident. So, you must keep that in mind.

Contacting a personal injury lawyer is your best bet. We will process everything you need before the statute of limitations expires. That way, your claim will be safe, and you’ll get the justice you deserve from being an accident victim to the negligence of others.

Injured in an Accident? Get in Touch with Us!

If you’ve been a victim in a vehicular accident because of someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to suffer nor handle the process on your own. With the help of our expert team of car accident lawyers, case handlers and medical examiners, we’ll hold the ones responsible for your injuries and property damage accountable for their negligence.

Our experienced car accident attorneys will help you through all the personal injury lawsuit or claiming process without you having to worry about handling insurance companies, getting all the documents you need or looking for the right medical treatment for your injuries. We will do everything for you without taking any money out of your pocket.

We work on a no fee guarantee, meaning you don’t have to pay anything until we win your case. No fees until we win! Contact us today for a free consultation of your case at (844) 824-2955.