It’s easy to see your situation as hopeless after you’ve been injured in a car accident. But a Long Beach car crash lawyer can help you find a better financial future.
The risk of accidents is the unfortunate trade we make for the ability to drive. Being involved in a collision is upsetting under any circumstances, but crashes are even more frustrating for the safe driver who realizes the wreck was preventable.
If you’ve been injured in an auto wreck that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for your damages. Contacting a Long Beach car accident lawyer from Haffner Law is a good first step in discovering what your claim is worth.
For you to be paid for your injuries, your attorney must prove the other driver was negligent. Insurance companies don’t want to pay you what you deserve and will try not to, so working with a car accident attorney may be your best chance to be compensated for property damage, injuries, and lost wages, among many other damages.
Dangers on Long Beach Roads
Any number of factors can cause a Long Beach car accident, but some hazards are more likely to causes crashes than others. The baseline requirement for you to receive compensation is that someone else must be at fault, and you must be able to prove it.
In some cases, your accident might not have been caused by another vehicle or driver. For example, if you went over a dangerous pothole that caused your car to lose control, the government entity responsible for maintaining that particular road may be responsible for your crash.
Here is a list of possible causes of your Long Beach car accident:
- Reckless or Dangerous Driving – Speeding, texting while driving, and failure to follow the rules of the road are all examples of reckless or dangerous driving.
- Drunk Driving – Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs puts every other driver and roadside pedestrian in danger. If a drunk driver injured you, you deserve to be compensated.
- Improper Mechanical Work – When mechanics don’t fix or maintain your vehicle properly and that negligence causes an accident, you can get a settlement for their mistakes.
- Defective Car Parts – Car manufacturers can be held responsible for your damages if they sold you a defective car that malfunctioned and caused your crash.
Insurance Companies Work Against You
California is an at-fault state in regard to car insuranceand personal injury claims. This means the other driver must be found to have caused the accident in order for you to receive personal injury compensation
Insurance companies will do anything they can to lower the amount they must pay you. They will try to call you and get you to admit to fault, or at least admit partial fault, which could greatly reduce the value of your claim.
It’s best to let your Long Beach car collision attorney handle the insurance companies for you. We know how to talk to them, and allowing us to do the talking will prevent you from accidentally saying something incriminating when you weren’t really to blame.
A Look at Your Injuries
Many people walk away from car accidents with relatively minor injuries. They are often treated and released from the hospital in a day or two.
When you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, however, your entire life is changed. You might have lost a limb, suffered a traumatic brain injury, or obtained a spine injury.
Whatever your serious injury is, the one certainty is that things are going to change. You might require caregiving help for a while, you may need a mechanical device to assist with mobility, or you may require an array of surgeries. All of this will cost money.
By hiring a Long Beach car crash attorney with our firm, you are greatly improving your chances of receiving a positive outcome in your case. If your accident left you with any of the following injuries, you are going to need compensation to provide for your future:
- Back and Neck Injuries – These injuries can leave you with lasting paralysis and limited mobility.
- Amputations – You may be left with lingering pain and require a mobility-assisting device after you lose a limb in a car crash.
- Fractured Bones – Broken and fractured bones can keep you out of work and leave you with intense pain.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries – Your brain function could be permanently altered if your car crash caused a severe impact to your head.
- Burns – Severe burns can leave you permanently disfigured or disabled.
Compensation for Your Car Wreck
When you’ve been in a serious auto collision, you’re dealing with the financial burden a car crash puts on you on top of the pain of your physical injuries. It can be extremely tempting to take the first settlement offer the insurance company sends you. But this is probably not a good idea.
The low offer the insurer is likely to send probably will only cover the damage to your property and maybe a few medical bills. If you are catastrophically injured, however, you may be out of work for a very long time—if not forever. A small settlement isn’t going to take care of your entire future.
You must be compensated for more than just your vehicle damage and a few current medical bills. The following are some damages you can be compensated for when you’ve been seriously injured:
- Damaged or destroyed property
- Mental health treatment and physical therapy
- Current lost wages and lost future earning potential
- Medical bills
- Caregiving services
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
Long Beach Car Accident FAQ
If you have questions about your claim for compensation, a Long Beach car accident injury lawyer will have answers. Below, we’ve answered some common questions our clients have.
I discovered my car crash injury months after my accident. Can I still file a claim?
Fortunately, California’s two-year deadline for filing personal injury claims usually begins from the date the victim discovers the injury.
If, for example, you had a mild headache after your Long Beach car accident, but a doctor later told you that you had a traumatic brain injury that would affect you for the rest of your life, you would have two years from the date you spoke with your doctor to put together a claim for compensation and file it.
What is comparative negligence, and how will it affect my claim?
Comparative negligence is a doctrine that assigns blame to multiple parties involved in an accident. Even as the victim filing the claim, you can hold some of the responsibility.
If you’re found to hold a percentage of the blame for your Long Beach car crash injuries, your compensation award will be reduced by that percentage.
Am I eligible to receive punitive damages?
Punitive damages are awarded when a negligent party acted particularly egregiously. These damages can significantly increase the amount of compensation you receive, but they’re relatively rare in car accident cases.
However, if the other driver intentionally rammed into you, for example, you might be eligible for punitive damages. Your attorney can help you assess all the damages for which you’re eligible.
Call a Long Beach Car Wreck Attorney
If you’ve been injured in an auto crash that wasn’t your fault, you will likely need compensation for your damaged and lost property, your medical bills, your treatment, and your lost income. A great way to get compensation for these damages is by contacting an attorney at Haffner Law.
Call us at 1-844-HAFFNER (423-3637) for a free consultation with a Long Beach car accident lawyer. Alternatively, you may reach out by completing the online contact form at the bottom of this page.
