Were You Rear-Ended in Los Angeles and Unsure What to Do Next?
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident that was caused by someone else’s careless driving, reach out to a qualified rear-end collision lawyer in LA today to obtain the compensation you deserve.
When another car hits the back of your car, the driver should be held accountable for your damages. After all, it’s his or her responsibility to maintain an appropriate stopping distance behind the vehicles traveling ahead.
Depending on what kind of motor vehicle struck you, and the speed at which you were hit, you could have suffered critical injuries that can have a lasting impact on your life. Speak with a Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer at Haffner Law for more information about how to proceed with a claim that can ensure you are fairly compensated.
Haffner Law specializes in rear-end collision personal injury claims. Their legal team uses their knowledge of local and state legislation and bargaining skills to help accident victims. They have expertly handled many rear-end collision cases, fighting for accident victims’ rights. They pursue client recompense. Contact Haffner Law immediately to discuss your case and learn how their attention to clients’ rights and welfare can help you get fair compensation.
What is a Rear End Collision?
A rear-end collision occurs when a vehicle hits the back of the vehicle in front of it. This is common in Los Angeles, CA, often caused by careless driving or distracted drivers. Such accidents can lead to serious injuries and significant vehicle damage.
What are the Causes of Rear-End Collisions?
Rear-end collisions in Los Angeles, CA can happen for many reasons. Common causes include distracted driving, speeding, or sudden braking. Poor weather or traffic conditions can also contribute to these accidents.
Injuries in a Rear-end Impact Crash
While many would consider the injuries sustained in a rear-impact collision to be minor, this is far from the case. Injuries of this nature can often be just as severe as those in any other type of auto accident.
Most car accidents involve rear-end collisions. Such occurrences can cause a wide range of injuries, depending on factors like vehicle speed and size and passenger health. A Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer can help you negotiate the issue and get compensation for injuries like:
- Back Injury: This refers to any injury to the muscles, ligaments, or spinal disks in the back, often caused by the abrupt forward and backward motion in a rear-end collision.
- Facial and Head Injury: These are injuries that occur when the head or face strikes against the vehicle interior, like the steering wheel or window, due to the impact of the collision.
- Arm, Hand, Wrist, and Finger Injuries: These are often caused by bracing against the steering wheel or dashboard during a crash. They can include fractures, dislocations, or strains.
- Seat Belt Injuries: Despite saving lives, seat belts can cause injuries during a crash, such as bruising, chest injuries, or fractures from the force of the restraint.
- Whiplash: This common injury happens when the collision jerks a person’s head and neck forward and backward, straining or tearing neck muscles and tendons. Neck discomfort, stiffness, headaches, and disorientation may appear days after the injury.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): The collision can reposition the brain inside the skull, causing long-term cognitive difficulties, memory loss, or personality changes.
- Spinal cord injuries, disfigurement, traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, third-degree burns, and internal bleeding from broken bones can all leave significant damage that can require substantial hospital stays and lengthy physical and occupational therapy in order to recover to the fullest extent.
In some cases, a full recovery is not possible, and survivors are left to deal with permanent effects of their injuries, which could include chronic pain and an inability to continue working for the foreseeable future.
- Other Injuries: Broken bones, internal injuries, facial disfigurement, and psychological trauma are also potential outcomes of a rear-impact crash.
What to Do Following a Rear-End Collision
After a rear-end collision, it’s crucial to protect your safety, evidence, and legal rights. Here’s a simple guideline to follow:
- Ensure Safety: Assess your and other passengers’ health first. Dial 911 for injuries.
- Notify the Authorities: Call the police to the accident scene regardless of severity. The police record can help your Los Angeles rear-end crash lawyer prove liability.
- Exchange Information: Contact and insurance information with the other driver. Get their name, address, phone number, insurance company, and license plate.
- Document the Scene: If you can, picture the accident scene, including all vehicles, their positions, visible damages, road conditions, and other facts. This proof can strengthen your argument.
- Seek Medical Attention: Seek medical assistance quickly after the accident, even if you feel fine. Whiplash symptoms may appear days after the crash.
- Contact a Los Angeles Rear-End Collision Lawyer: Contact a Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer immediately. They can advise you through the complicated process of submitting an injury claim, negotiating with insurance companies, and preparing for litigation.
Liability in a Los Angeles Rear-End Collision
In a rear-end crash, the driver of the other vehicle nearly always has some culpability for the accident. This is because it is up to all drivers to maintain a responsible stopping distance between cars, whether they’re traveling on a highway, high-traffic city road, or a side street.
There are some instances when, despite the driver doing his or her part to maintain an appropriate stopping distance, a rear-end accident occurs anyway. This could be due to a malfunctioning or recalled part on the car, which would make the manufacturer or a vehicle technician liable for your injuries.
If the road itself was the issue, due to large potholes, debris in the road, or mismarked or missing street signs, government road authorities could be at least partially to blame for a failure to maintain safe roads.
In any case, when you are injured by a rear-end impact, you shouldn’t need to worry about how you’ll cover the costs of your injuries and continue to support your lifestyle if you are temporarily or permanently unable to provide for yourself. The people whose negligence caused your injuries should compensate you for the harm they’ve done. A rear-end collision attorney in LA can make sure they do.
Determining the Value of Your Damages from a Rear-End Collision
Rear-end collision damage calculations are complicated. To collect adequate compensation, you must fully explain your losses. Here’s a brief overview of the elements that might be included:
- Medical Expenses: Emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, drugs, and continuous therapy or rehabilitation are included. Consider long-term or permanent injuries’ medical costs.
- Lost Income: You may be entitled to recover lost pay if the accident kept you from work. Your claim may include lost earning capacity if your injuries impede your future work.
- Property Damage: This usually means vehicle repair or replacement expenditures. Other accident-damaged personal items can be included
- Pain and Suffering: You may be entitled to compensation for physical pain and emotional distress.
- Punitive Damages: In cases where the at-fault driver’s actions were particularly egregious or reckless, the court may award punitive damages as a form of punishment and deterrence.
What Happens When the Negligence of Two or More Drivers Causes the Accident?
In Los Angeles, CA, when two or more drivers are at fault in an accident, it’s called shared fault. Under California’s comparative negligence law, each driver may be assigned a percentage of blame. The amount of compensation a driver can receive is reduced by the percentage of fault.
Los Angeles Law and the Comparative Negligence System
In Los Angeles, the law uses a system called comparative negligence. This means if you’re partly at fault in a car accident, you can still seek damages. However, your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of blame.
Chain Reaction Rear-End Collision in Los Angeles
A chain reaction rear-end collision happens when three or more vehicles hit one after the other. This often occurs in heavy traffic in Los Angeles. The driver who started the chain reaction is usually at fault. But determining liability can be complex in these cases. It’s vital to consult with a Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer in such situations.
How to Avoid a Rear-End Accident
Avoiding a rear-end accident can be simple by following these steps:
- Keep a safe distance from the car in front.
- Pay close attention to the road and traffic.
- Avoid distractions, such as cell phones.
- Always check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes.
- Regular vehicle maintenance helps prevent sudden breakdowns.
Understanding California’s At-Fault System for Car Accidents
California is known as an “at-fault” state when it comes to car accidents. This means the driver who caused the accident is responsible for any damages. An injured party can seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company or through a personal injury lawsuit.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases in California?
California personal injury cases have a two-year statute of limitations. You have two years after the accident to sue for damages. If the harm is not immediately found, the discovery rule provides for an exception to the statute of limitations.
What Does a Rear-End Collision Lawyer in Los Angeles Do?
A Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer provides a crucial service to accident victims. They perform numerous tasks to get the best outcome for their clients, including:
- Investigation: Rear-end collision lawyers investigate the accident thoroughly. Police records, eyewitness accounts, photographs, and incident videos must be collected and analyzed. This is crucial to proving culpability and creating a case.
- Negotiation with Insurance Companies: These lawyers deal with insurance companies, which want to reduce claims. A lawyer can argue for fair compensation for your injuries and damages against cheap settlement offers.
- Litigation: If settlement fails, a Los Angeles rear-end crash lawyer will prepare for trial. They’ll draft, file, and argue your case.
Speak with an LA Rear-End Collision Lawyer
Los Angeles rear-end crash? Claim your compensation before it’s too late. Haffner Law’s Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyers provide complete support and committed representation.
Our practice goes beyond rear-end crashes. Haffner Law handles other personal injury lawsuits, long-term disability claims, fire damage claims, and more. Our legal experts will fight for your rights and help you achieve the best outcome.
Now that you know that the accident wasn’t your fault, you can begin to move forward with your life by doing your part to secure the compensation you deserve. Contact a qualified Los Angeles rear-end collision lawyer with Haffner Law today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Give us a call or fill out the quick contact form below.
