Automobile Accidents

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Los Angeles County Car Accident Statistics

The California Office of Safety has reported that there was nearly 52,000 victims injured or killed in car accidents in Los Angeles County in 2013. Being involved in an auto collision can be distressing, especially when bodily injury is a factor. A car accident can significantly disrupt your life, causing painful injury, lost wages and leaving you without transportation. More serious collisions may have far more devastating effects, including loss of a loved one or permanent disabling injuries.

If you have suffered injury in an auto accident then you might have a claim for personal injury. You can be compensated for medical expenses, wages lost as a result of your injuries and be compensation for your pain and suffering. It is very important you contact a Los Angeles car accident lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Auto accidents and personal injuries affect not only the injured individual, but their family members as well. A loss of consortium claim is another claim that is related to a car accident. This is a claim that can be brought by the spouse of a car accident victim. This type of claim seeks to compensate spouse for their loss associated with the victim’s injury, such as the victim not being able to assist with housework, loss of help with child care, loss of companionship and loss of enjoyment of sexual relations.
If you or a loved one were involved in an auto collision, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney early on to ensure that your rights are preserved. The statute of limitations on a personal injury claim in California is two years, which means that lawsuits for these claims must be filed within two years from the injury.

Why it is Important to meet with a Los Angeles Auto Accident Lawyer

Auto Collisions almost always result from the fault of one of the parties. Whether you were the driver or passenger of a vehicle hit by a careless driver, you may be able to recover damages, including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. However, in order to safeguard your rights, it is important to speak with an attorney before you speak with the insurance company.

A car accident may seem like a relatively straightforward personal injury case but often is not. To avoid making large financial payouts insurance firms will use whatever means possible to cast doubt on liability or the amount of damages claimed. Our car accident lawyer Los Angeles uses investigators to collect evidence and interview possible witnesses to preserve necessary evidence. We take depositions that bring out inconsistencies in the insurance company’s strategy and use skilled expert witnesses to refute their allegations. Preparation is vital in these cases and we work hard to ensure that we are prepared to fight aggressively for your rights.

The Insurance Company Is Not Your Ally

Even if the insurance company seems interested in helping you, their goal is to minimize the amount of money they pay out on claims. They will contact you in the days after the accident in an attempt to take your statement and potentially settle the claim. It is important to consult with an experienced Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney before you speak with the insurance company. Insurance companies pay their lawyers work hard to make sure you get no little or no money on your claim. You need someone on your side to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your injury and loss.

Do not give a statement to the insurance company until after you have consulted with an experienced car accident attorney in Los Angeles because your statement can be used against you.

Do not agree to settle your insurance claim without first consulting with an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney. Many auto accident injuries are not readily apparent until weeks and sometimes months after the auto collision. Once you agreed to settle a claim you will not be able to recover for your injury in the future. It is important to seek medical care for injuries sustained in an accident so that you are fully aware of the extent of your injuries.

Low Speed Collision or Minor Impact Soft Tissue Injuries

When an injury claims arises from an auto accident involving little or no damage to the vehicle, insurance companies will often dispute that the injury was caused by the accident. This is especially true when the victim has suffered only “soft tissue injuries,” such as whiplash. Even when the other driver admits that he is at fault, insurance companies often dispute or deny soft tissue injury claims that resulted from a low speed or minor impact collision.

Defense attorneys for insurance companies will often claim that people who have been in low speed collisions will not have sustained serious injuries. Many people who have been the subject of serious injuries at low speed would certainly disagree with this view. Insurance defense attorneys will use paid experts to provide testimony and these people will say anything to help the insurance company not accept liability. In accordance with this strategy our Los Angeles Auto Accident lawyers will use our own experts to provide testimony to the contrary.

If you believe have been injured in a collision it is important that you seek medical treatment, even if it was a low speed or minor impact collision. Regardless of what the insurance adjuster may want you to believe, serious injuries can result from low speed and minor impact collisions. It is important that you follow the advice of your physician and receive recommended treatment. Not all injuries manifest themselves at the time of the accident. Some injuries may not become readily apparent until days or weeks after the collision.

After seeking treatment, it is important to meet with an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss the facts of your case. Even if the insurance company disputes the validity of your claim, an experienced Los Angeles Auto Accident attorney will carefully evaluate your case to determine its true value. Most often, claims are worth far more than an insurance adjuster is willing to admit. The Legal Team at our Los Angeles Personal Injury law firm has experience negotiating with insurance company and knows the ins and outs of personal injury claims. We will work to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your injury, even if the collision was minor impact.

Call our Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer Today

Hiring an attorney can be a daunting decision. We offer Free Consultation to allow you the opportunity to meet with our Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney to learn more about how we may be able to help you. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take your calls and to get your case progressing as quickly as possible.

Trucking Accidents

Accidents involving trucks, busses and big rigs and very different from your run of the mill automobile accident. Due to the size and weight of these vehicles, special rules apply to the drivers of trucks, busses and big rigs. The size and weight of these vehicles also make the consequences of not following the special rules devastating. The damage these vehicles can cause is catastrophic and you will need an attorney that is not only knowledgeable about the special rules applicable to trucks, busses and big rigs, but also knowledgeable about catastrophic injuries caused by these special vehicles.

Many trucking accidents are caused by the blind spots, squeeze play, brake failure and stopping distance. Blind spots for truck and busses are much larger than for cars simply because the trucks, busses and big rigs are larger than cars. Drivers have to use special mirrors and take extra precautions to make sure there is nobody in the blind spot. The squeeze play is cause by the larger turning area needed to turn a truck, bus or big rig. Often times trucks crush cars as they makes these turns. Brake failure and stopping distance accident often create the most devastating injuries. That is because of the mass necessary to stop a truck, bus or big rig when the driver has failed to judge properly.

If you are in an accident involving a truck, bus or big rig, contact our law firm for a free, no obligation consultation. We advance all the costs of the case and if there is no recovery, there is no fee.