Thousands of people are killed in motor vehicle collisions each year in California. Hundreds of thousands are injured.
No one is ever expecting a catastrophic vehicle crash to happen to them. But in the aftermath, victims and their families are left with the burden of devastating injuries and mounting bills. There’s also the expense of repairing or replacing their vehicles and dealing with the pressure of the insurance company. It’s hard for anyone to endure.
If applicable, the skilled accident lawyers at the law firm can investigate defective car parts or roadway defects that led to an accident. With two full-time investigators on staff, CaseyGerry’s car collision legal team can get started on your free consultation as soon as you call. Reach out today to begin working with a skilled San Diego car accident lawyer.
CaseyGerry has the experience to help injured victims. As the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego, our team has a decades-long groundwork of knowledge to go the distance against negligent parties. We put our client’s interests at the forefront and help them obtain the compensation they deserve.
It has been our job for more than 70 years of practice to protect victims and advocate for them during tough times. We know the California automobile accident law and the complex rules of the road that govern drivers, and even the technicalities behind advanced driver assistance systems.
If you were injured or a family member was killed in a car crash in California, please contact the auto accident lawyers at CaseyGerry. We can discuss your case evaluation, what happened to you, the next steps, and what you can expect.
Like many states, California is an at-fault car accident state, which means that injury victims turn to the person who caused the accident for compensation. In no-fault states, injured parties file claims with their own auto insurance company, regardless of who was at fault.
At-fault laws hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence, but they can also make cases more contentious. When accident fault is disputed, injured parties have to prove that the defendant caused the accident in order to recover compensation for their injuries and damages.
In general, to prove fault in a car accident claim, the plaintiff must show that the defendant’s negligent conduct caused the car accident. To prove negligence, the following four elements must be satisfied:
A San Diego car accident attorney can help with this process.
Fortunately for those injured in California car accidents, state laws are favorable for injury victims, even for those who were partially at fault for their accidents. In many other comparative fault states, a plaintiff’s right to collect compensation is limited to a maximum percentage of fault.
For example, some states permit plaintiffs to collect compensation so long as they are less than 50% at fault. If they are found to be 51% at fault for the accident, they lose the right to collect any compensation from the defendant.
In California, however, the comparative fault law is very liberal. Injured plaintiffs are permitted to recover compensation if they show that the defendant was even marginally at fault for the accident. The percentage of fault is allocated to each party at trial by the judge or jury.
After fault is determined and the plaintiff’s injuries and damages have been calculated, the plaintiff’s compensation is reduced by his or her portion of fault. Suppose a jury decides that you were 50% at fault for the accident, the defendant was 50% at fault, and your total injuries and damages were $100,000. You would be awarded $50,000 (50%).
Intoxicated drivers are responsible for a large portion of serious and fatal car accidents in California. DUI convictions serve to punish those who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but injury victims must pursue personal injury claims against the driver to recover compensation for their losses. Evidence of driving under the influence can be used to support the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant.
While rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft tout their million-dollar insurance policies, the rideshare company denies responsibility in most motor vehicle accident cases. If you do not know California’s rideshare accident laws, determining liability can be complicated, and there may be multiple defendants and auto insurance companies involved in your claim.
Collisions with large trucks and buses are different than regular automobile accidents. Truck and bus accident defendants are often government entities or large trucking companies with many legal and financial resources. Injury victims should be represented by a San Diego car accident attorney with experience in mass transit and commercial motor vehicle accident litigation.
When pedestrians and bicyclists are involved in automobile collisions, the injuries are often catastrophic. Costs associated with injuries and damages can be significant due to excessive medical bills, missed work, disability, and pain and suffering. When injuries are fatal, surviving family members often experience substantial losses as a result of losing their loved ones.
Single motor vehicle accidents are not always the automobile driver’s fault. Common causes of single-vehicle accidents include road obstructions, poor road maintenance, lack of signage and warnings of potential dangers, and automobile defects. Those injured in a single-vehicle accident may seek compensation when someone else was responsible for the accident.
Drivers should never try to multitask when they are operating a vehicle. It only takes seconds for a distracted driver to cause an accident. When drivers text, eat, talk on the phone, send emails, or do anything that takes their attention away from driving, it puts everyone else on the road at risk.
Teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than other driver demographics, especially teens who are in the first six months of driving. Teenagers are inexperienced, frequently distracted, and tend to make mistakes that more mature drivers would not normally make. Many teens also fail to appreciate the impact that accidents can have on injury victims and their families.
The most common types of injuries associated with motor vehicle accidents in San Diego include the following:
A leading injury reported from car accidents is whiplash, which is a form of soft tissue damage caused by a person’s neck being forcefully ‘whipped’ back and forth. Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries affecting the neck can be excruciating and take a considerable amount of time to heal.
Broken and fractured bones are incredibly painful and may require surgery, months with a cast, and physical therapy. Severe fractures can be even more dangerous if a piece of bone breaks off and moves through the bloodstream, then perforates vital organs, such as the lungs or heart.
TBIs, such as concussions, occur when the head takes a violent blow or jolt. Brain injuries can be catastrophic depending on their severity. Victims often suffer long-term ramifications, including permanent cognitive or physical impairments.
Even a small amount of damage to the spinal cord can have catastrophic consequences. A spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in loss of range of movement, partial or total paralysis, permanent cognitive impairment, and loss of control over basic bodily functions.
Many types of back injuries can happen because of a car accident—such as herniated discs, vertebrae fractures, sprains and strains, and others. A severe back injury can take extensive time to heal, but even then, a full recovery is not guaranteed and some victims suffer a lifetime of chronic pain.
Road rash or severe lacerations from a collision can cause permanent scarring or disfigurement. Not only are these injuries painful, but they also impact a victim’s quality of life and confidence.
When a vehicle explodes or catches fire, victims can suffer varying degrees of burn injuries which can be devastating and create lifelong consequences for the victim.
When internal organs are damaged, symptoms can go undetected but can be life-threatening in some cases unless a victim seeks medical attention right after a car accident.
Not all car accident injuries are physical. In addition to an injury or without one, victims can suffer emotional distress—for instance, depression, anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc. As a result, they may require professional treatment for their mental or emotional trauma.
Immediately seek medical treatment after leaving the scene of an accident. Even if you feel “fine,” it is best not to assume you are uninjured since adrenaline could be covering up the pain. A San Diego car accident attorney can help you seek compensation for your injuries.
The aftermath of a car accident can be stressful and overwhelming. Therefore, it is vital to know the right steps to take after—for example:
After a preventable auto accident caused by another party’s negligence, injury victims have the right to recover compensation for their losses. The common types available include:
Current and anticipated future medical treatment related to your accident injuries. That includes emergency care, hospitalizations, surgeries, prescriptions, rehabilitation, and costs of living with a disability, such as in-home care, adaptive medical equipment, etc.
The injuries suffered in a car accident may force you to take time off work and/or significantly impact your ability to work in the future. You can pursue compensation for your current and future lost income in these cases. Additionally, you can recover diminished earning capacity for the difference in the income you can make now.
Compensation for repairing or replacing your vehicle and any personal items that were damaged (e.g., cell phone, clothing, purse, car seat, etc.).
Compensation for the undue physical pain you must endure due to your injuries.
If the accident caused any psychological conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, etc.), you can recover compensation.
A victim’s spouse can recover this type of compensation if a serious car accident leaves them unable to maintain a relationship, either physically and emotionally, or both.
Depending on the defendant’s (at-fault party’s) degree of negligence, the court may also award punitive damages as punishment.
One or more parties may be responsible for your accident, and part of collecting compensation for your injuries is making sure that the right parties are held accountable. Your San Diego car accident attorney will investigate your accident to help determine liability. Potentially responsible parties include the following:
Most car accident cases involve negotiating with one or more insurance companies, and those negotiations can be challenging. Even if you pursue an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company, insurance adjusters can make collecting compensation for the full value of your claim difficult.
If you have legal representation, your attorney will take care of all communication with insurance companies. They will examine all of your injuries and damages to calculate the value of your case. This will help to ensure that you only accept an offer that fairly compensates you for your losses.
Injury clients often ask how long it will take to resolve their case. Many factors influence car accident claim timelines, such as whether or not liability is contested, how reasonable the insurance company is during settlement negotiations, and whether your case settles or goes to trial.
Our attorneys limit the number of personal injury cases that they take on because they want to be able to give personalized attention to every case. They fight for maximum compensation for every client, which means that they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to help you secure the compensation that you deserve.
The majority of personal injury cases settle before going to trial, but to secure a fair settlement, negotiations may not always be quick. Sometimes one or both parties will walk away from negotiations to prepare for trial, only to reach an agreement right before the trial starts. Other times cases will settle within a few weeks or even days.
Every lawsuit is different. How much a case is worth depends on a variety of factors, such as:
These and other factors will help determine the value of your case. An experienced San Diego auto accident attorney can review the circumstances of your individual case to determine what your claim may be worth.
Each case also gets the power of two full-time investigators, who uncover the details needed to show how the crash happened and who is at fault. When necessary, we enlist the help of accident lawyers to provide a full picture of the situation.
It has been our job for more than 70 years of practice to protect victims and advocate for them during tough times. We know other California automobile accident lawyers and the complex rules of the road that govern drivers.
California law limits the time you have to file a car collision lawsuit. Evidence disappears with time. The sooner you take action, the better you can protect your legal rights. Contact our San Diego car accident lawyers today for a free consultation of our case.
