California Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes are a common occurrence on California’s roads and highways, often leading to serious injury for all parties involved. Filing an auto accident claim may be a viable avenue for compensation for your injuries, but uncooperative parties and unhelpful insurance companies may prevent you from securing the recovery you deserve.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an accident, and you are seeking compensation for your damages, a California auto accident attorney from the law office of Pollard | Bailey can help. Our car accident attorneys have the experience and knowledge to help you navigate the legal process, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for the compensation that is fair.

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Why Choose A California Car Accident Attorney?

Pollard | Bailey is a boutique personal injury law firm that utilizes our experience and knowledge to maximize claims for our clients.

• We have more than 40 years of combined legal experience successfully representing clients in all types of personal injury claims.
• We do not delegate paralegals and junior associates to your case, and we monitor our caseload so that each and every one of our clients receive one-on-one service and legal counsel.
• We have a reputation for results, successfully securing a verdict or settlement in more than 96% of cases we handle.
• We operate on a contingency fee basis so that your financial hardships don’t restrict you from high-level representation. There are no upfront fees, we don’t charge any out-of-pocket expenses, and you only pay legal fees when we win your case.

We are committed to providing exemplary legal representation for all of our client victims.

Why You Need A Car Accident Lawyer

Dealing with a standard personal injury claim may seem fairly straightforward, but it’s important to note that one involving serious, catastrophic injury can involve many complex, potentially confusing factors.

• Serious car accidents typically involve more than one party, which can make everything from standard communications to determining liability incredibly difficult.
• If any serious injuries are involved, you or your loved one may require constant and ongoing medical attention, which can significantly impact how you prepare for your claim.
• Insurance companies may often attempt to contact you first in the hopes of a quick settlement. These offers are often far lower than what is necessary for you to make a full recovery.
• Determining the true value of your claim may be difficult without the help of a financial expert, such as an accountant or economist.

Retaining an experienced accident attorney can be invaluable in dealing with such factors.

What Are Common Causes of Car Accidents in California?

Some common causes of vehicle crashes include:

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents in the United States. Unfortunately, the frequency of distracted driving incidents is on the rise.

Distracted driving refers to people losing focus and not paying attention to the road. The usage of smartphones and texting while driving is the chief contributor to the rise in distracted driving, but there can be any number of other causes, including keeping children under control and watching videos or reading.

Speeding

Not only is speeding one of the most common causes of traffic violations ticketed by the police, but it is also responsible for its fair share of car wrecks. The faster a car goes, the more damage it will inflict when it hits something. Moreover, the faster a car travels, the less time a driver has to react to a situation on the road, whether that is someone ahead braking unexpectedly or a person crossing the street.

Drunk Driving

Drunk drivers, or any form of impaired driving, is incredibly dangerous to everybody sharing the road. Those who drive while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol tend to have poor judgment and slower reaction times, resulting in drivers who may swerve, speed, and be slow to brake for stopped vehicles or traffic signals.

Reckless Driving

Sometimes, even without distractions or substances, people simply choose to drive poorly. Rapid lane changes with or without out signaling, speeding, taking turns too quickly, or even ignoring traffic signs and lights to get to a destination faster are all common signs of reckless driving. These actions have resulted in serious injuries and fatalities.

What Are Common Injuries from Car Accidents?

There are a variety of different injuries that a person can sustain when involved in an accident. If your injuries are severe, immediately seek medical treatment.

Whiplash

Whiplash refers to the rapid movement of the neck-snapping forward, then backward. The movement is usually the result of an impact with another car or object or sudden braking. Symptoms may take hours or even days to appear. You might notice headaches, bouts of dizziness or vertigo, and nausea or vomiting.

Brain Injuries

Concussions are a type of brain injury that occurs when a sudden impact causes your brain to make contact with your skull. Your brain is ‘floating’ securely inside your skull, and this impact has damaging effects, such as bruising, blood vessel tears, stretching of nerves, and more. Concussions usually involve disorientation, nausea, and temporary memory loss.

Though concussions are serious, there are brain injuries that can be so severe that the damage is permanent. Called traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), these types of injuries usually involve extended loss of motor or cognitive functions, along with symptoms such as constant headaches and inability to remember or concentrate for prolonged periods of time.

Bone & Organ Injuries

Being thrown from the vehicle or in a high-impact, low-protection position can result in serious harm to your body. The force from the impact and contact with other objects may result in crushing or breaking bones, while glass may cause serious lacerations and puncture wounds that require stitches.

What to Do After a Car Accident

While the scene of an auto crash is often chaotic, you can do some things to both help the current situation and a future legal case. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, try to remain calm.

Here are the steps to take after an accident:

1. Assess the safety and health of yourself and any passengers. If you or anyone else requires medical attention, you should contact emergency services. If you and the other passengers are fine, you should check the situation with other drivers involved in the accident and see if any EMS attention is required.
2. Contact the police. Regardless of whether anyone sustained injuries or not, someone must contact the police if there is major damage to personal or public property. A police report is a valuable piece of evidence that may help you determine liability for your claim. Additionally, secure any relevant contact information of anyone else involved, including those who witnessed the collision.
3. Do not discuss the details of the auto accident with anyone. Even a casual remark on your part such as “I didn’t even see you,” can be construed as admitting fault. Document any evidence that you can to help substantiate any future claims you may make. Take photos or videos of the scene to document the damage and path of the collision.
4. Following the accident, contact a skilled car crash attorney as soon as possible. These California personal injury lawyers can comprehensively assess your case and determine the value of your claim.

Is There a Time Limit to File a California Car Accident Case?

Every state has a statute of limitations, which is the amount of the time you have to file a lawsuit. The majority of lawsuits HAVE to be filed within a certain time frame. If they are not filed in the appropriate time frame, it’s likely the legal claim will no longer be valid.

The type of legal claim will determine the time in which you can file a lawsuit. In the case of a California personal injury claim, it can be filed 2 years from the injury. If the injury was not noticed right away, then it’s 1 year from the date the injury was discovered. Get in touch with a California car accident attorney to ensure your case is viable.

Damages You Can Recover

If you were involved in a car wreck due to someone else’s negligence, you may be compensated for:

• Any medical bills, including ambulances, the emergency room stays, etc
• Any future medical costs, such as rehabilitation, prescription medication, and follow-up visits
• Property damage
• Loss of earnings due to time off work
• Loss of future earnings due to an inability to work
• Pain and suffering
• Funeral and post-accident expenses if wrongful death is involved

At Pollard | Bailey, our auto accident lawyers in California we can help investigate what damages you are eligible to recover, and our proven track record will get you the maximum compensation for your injuries with the insurance companies.

What Should I Ask a California Auto Accident Attorney?

Before your first initial consultation, you’ll want to compile a list of questions to ask your lawyer when the time comes. Be comfortable asking a range of questions such as their expertise, experience, fees, and their assessment of your case.

Background & Expertise:

Be sure to ask a car crash lawyer important background information. Based on their responses, this will give insight as to whether or not the lawyer will be the right fit for you.

• Where did you go to law school and graduate from?
• How long have you been practicing personal injury law?
• What type of injury cases do you represent the most?
• Roughly, how many accident clients have you successfully represented?

Assessment of the Case

Once you discuss the details of your accident case, it is time to ask the lawyer their take on it. Their legal advice will let you know the reality of your case and the possibilities that can occur.

• Based on the details of my case, what is your assessment of it?
• What factors of my casework in my favor, and which don’t?
• Is it best to take a settlement or go to court?
• Could I expect a reasonable settlement?
• How would you approach my auto accident case?

Case Management

Lastly, you’ll want to ask questions regarding the management of your case. Questions to include in your discussion are as follows:

• Will you specifically be handling my case or other lawyers at the firm?
• Who will be providing me updates about my case?
• Who will be my day-to-day contact?
• Who do I contact if I have questions?

The California Car Accident Attorneys Want to Hear Your Accident Case

Our team wants to hear from you. If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle collision, contact Pollard | Bailey immediately to discuss your options for compensation. Our California car accident lawyers are highly recommended, can help you get the relief you deserve. Call us today at (310) 854-7650 for a free initial consultation.

Our office resides in Beverly Hills, but proudly serve the entire State of California – all 58 counties. At any given time we have a multitude of cases pending in both Northern and Southern California, frequently litigating cases on behalf of clients in the following Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Napa, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama and Ventura.