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After a car accident, your life can change for the worse in a heartbeat. Even minor injuries can leave you facing expensive medical bills and unexpected insurance disputes. The repair bills for your car might very well be just as expensive as the medical bills. Worse, you might be injured so severely that you’re unable to work while you recover.
If this is your situation, you need an aggressive and committed Norther California car accident lawyer on your side to help you overcome the legal challenges ahead and face down insurance companies who will try to minimize your settlement. Turn to the California legal team from the Law Offices of J.Chrisp in your time of need.
The answer is no; California is a fault state. This means that if you are injured in a car accident, you may sue both the at-fault driver and their auto insurance company for compensation to cover damages.
So what happens if you are at fault in a car accident? You are responsible for the damages of anyone who was injured in the accident. The other driver has the right to file a claim to receive compensation, just as you do if you are injured in an accident is not your fault.
In most cases, your auto insurance will cover the expenses that you are responsible for as the at-fault driver, depending on your plan.
While most Americans get into a car every day, many of us don’t fully understand the risks involved in doing so. In 2013 alone, car crashes resulted in over 2.4 million hospital visits. This included over 33,800 vehicle accident fatalities — the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States.
You can’t control what other drivers are doing. This means that even the safest drivers are at risk of being in a car accident.
From speeding to texting while driving, negligent drivers put us all in danger. Your Northern California car accident lawyer will investigate the details of your wreck and help you pinpoint precisely where the fault lies. Doing so will allow you to pursue compensation from all responsible parties.
Car accidents happen so often that it is statistically likely that you will be involved in one at some point in your lifetime. It’s best to be prepared.
No matter what type of accident you are in, if you are the driver or the passenger, at fault or not at fault, these steps are important to follow for both your safety and car accident injury claim.
Detailed below are just a few of the more common causes of car crashes:
Over 1 million drivers are charged with driving under the influence (DUI) every year. These reckless drivers cause more than 300,000 injuries and about 10,000 accident fatalities annually. By one estimate, almost one out of every three Americans will be in an accident caused by a drunk driver during the course of his or her life.
DUI is an act of gross negligence which leaves the drunk driver responsible for your injuries and damages. You may also be able to hold the business who served the driver accountable. A knowledgeable Northern California car accident lawyer from our firm can advise you as to whether pursuing this is appropriate.
Handheld cell phone use while driving is banned in California, and all cell phone use behind the wheel is forbidden to drivers under the age of 18. Texting while driving is banned for all drivers. By some accounts, 80 percent of accidents are caused by distracted driving, and cell phone use is the number 1 cause of distracted driving today.
Finding evidence of the distraction that caused your crash can be challenging, but your motor vehicle accident lawyer will know where to look. Whether through cell phone records or witness testimony, we can find it and present it in your case.
Speeding is another form of driver negligence, and it causes some of the most destructive crashes. Getting injured because someone was in a hurry or looking for an adrenaline rush can be an overwhelmingly frustrating experience — one that could leave you disabled and in debt.
By working with a Northern California motor vehicle accident lawyer from our office, we’ll make sure the speeding driver who hit you accounts for his or her actions.
Since founding his law firm in 2010, Jesse Chrisp has built a reputation as a dedicated personal injury trial attorney serving Northern California’s Bay Area.
He has represented thousands of injured clients and holds the record for the highest personal injury verdict in Lake County. Mr. Chrisp was selected to Northern California Rising Stars from 2013 to 2019, an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in the state.
The goal of any insurance adjuster will be to minimize your financial settlement. Obviously, this goes against your best interests, and things can get even more difficult if opposing attorneys get involved.
After an accident, you should always immediately speak with a car crash lawyer from our office.
To protect your claim, always bear the following in mind:
Yes, you should get a lawyer if you were involved in a car accident, even if it was not your fault. Even if you did not cause the accident, you cannot assume that things will work out in your favor — you will need to prove that you did not do anything wrong.
An experienced Lake County car accident lawyer can help ensure that the liable party pays for damages that you may have suffered. They can also guide you throughout the process — if the other driver was at fault, their insurance company may come after you and try to trick you into making statements that will lower the value of your claim.
They may also try to settle for less than the full amount of your damages. An attorney by your side can stop this from happening.
If you were not injured in the car accident, you cannot file a personal injury claim; in order to have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit, you must prove that the other person’s negligence or wrongful conduct led you to suffer measurable injuries and/or damages.
However, a car accident that doesn’t lead to physical injuries can still result in significant damage to your vehicle. This can cause you to face considerable financial hardship and practical challenges when it comes to commuting to work, traveling, and getting around.
If you were not injured in the crash, but your car or vehicle was damaged, you can file a claim through your own insurance provider (if you have the appropriate coverage) or against the at-faulty party’s auto insurance company.
Property damage claims are different—and often less complex—than personal injury claims. Frequently, people are able to file and resolve these claims on their own, without the help of an attorney.
To file a property damage claim, you should do the following:
If your vehicle was totaled in the accident, the insurance company is responsible for reimbursing you for its “fair market value.” Note that this does not mean that the insurance company has to pay you the same amount you paid for the vehicle, nor does it have to pay you for the amount you still owe (if your car is not paid off).
Rather, the insurance company must pay you an amount based on the average selling price of your vehicle, as calculated by averaging two comparable vehicles listed or sold within 90 days of the accident.
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J. Chrisp and his associates took care of my legal needs in a professional, timely manner. Updates were frequent and regular and all my questions and concerns were addressed thoroughly. The outcome was far better than expected.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Jesse Chrisp, who has been continuously recognized as a leader in personal injury law since starting his law firm in 2010.
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