Zachary OakesSo, you have been involved in a car accident, and the damages are beyond your tolerance level. You can’t pay for the damages done to your car and those done to your body.
Even if you can pay for those medical expenses, why should you when you were not at fault? That’s the main foundation of any Los Angeles car accident case.
Someone’s negligence results in an accident, and then you have to hold them accountable for the accident, not just verbally but by making them pay for the medical expenses. This is where a Los Angeles car accident lawyer is needed.
A personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, such as attorneys from Ehline Law Firm, can help you build your case against the at-fault party. Remember that even the most straightforward accidents where you can see the person at fault can be twisted by the at-fault party.
They will try to prove that it was not their fault and hence won’t agree to pay for the damages they have caused. The last thing you want to do is pay for everything out of pocket.
Why Get a Car Crash Lawyer Immediately
So, it is never enough to iterate this point that you should not be paying for car accident injuries and property damages out of pocket.
You are looking at tremendous costs, especially if bodily severe injuries are involved. The worst-case scenario is when you don’t feel any physical injuries at first and think that you are just fine.
However, you only discover after a few months that an internal car accident injury is getting worse and even putting your life, mobility, or body functions in danger. Your whole life could be turned upside down due to an accident, especially if you have lost wages from common car accident injuries.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense that you hire a Los Angeles car crash lawyer to help you with your case as soon as possible. The lawyer will help you build any car accident injury case and prove that you were in the right.
At the same time, especially with minor car accidents. The lawyer will do their best to settle the case between you and the at-fault party outside of the court.
You don’t want your case to go into court because you will have to wait for a long time before you recover the medical expenses you had to make out of pocket. A trial case makes it even more difficult for you to get compensation for your damages.
How a Los Angeles Auto Accident Lawyer Can Help
There are many ways you can get help from a Los Angeles car accident attorney. You might think they are there only for legal representation, but a lawyer proves to be a relief for you in many different ways.
Let’s look at some of the ways a lawyer can help you with car accidents in Los Angeles.
· Settle the Case Fast
Be Compensated Reasonably
First and foremost, you want a settlement for all the damages to your body and car as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait because it can worsen your health.
Not to mention that you will be paying for everything out of pocket until you get the compensation from the at-fault party.
Proving Car Accident Injuries May Be Delayed
Secondly, you have to keep in mind that the more time passes, the more difficult it becomes for you to prove that your injuries resulted from the accident in question.
After a long time has passed, it becomes easy to mix things up and prove that your serious injuries were already there before the accident.
A Lawyer Knows How to Go Fast on Cases for Car Accidents
When you have a car accident lawyer on your side, you will see things moving faster than when you try to deal with everything independently.
· How Can They Build a Strong Case?
By Proving You Were Not at Fault
You will have a strong case when you have the right team by your side.
Don’t forget that after a car accident, you are trying to prove that you were not at fault and it was the other party that caused the accident. You have to work a lot to prove that.
By Helping with Insurance for Car Accident Victims
If you don’t have a strong case, the insurance company on the opposite side will try to avoid paying for any insurance or car accident claims on medical bills and damages. However, they take you seriously when they see that you have a lawyer working with you.
They know if they don’t settle the case out of the court, they will spend much more time, money, and effort on the subject.
· How Can They Keep You from Making a Mistake?
By Avoiding a Case from Party at Fault
Suppose you are one of the accident victims pushing a case of car accident claims on the at-fault party that their negligence has resulted in thousands of dollars in bodily personal injury and property damage. In that case, the other party will try to make you say something wrong.
By Helping You Avoid a Trap
They will try to lure you into a trap where you say something that proves that the defenders are not at fault. In other cases, they might try to settle everything with you without the involvement of a lawyer by offering you a significant sum of money.
By Getting You More Compensation
It might seem to you that they are offering you a significant sum of money, but it is nothing compared to what a lawyer can get for you.
By Being More Reasonable
That’s the sole reason they are trying to avoid the situation of you hiring an auto accident attorney. So, if you want to get every penny you deserve in compensation, you have to have an auto accident lawyer in Los Angeles on your side for all motor vehicle accidents.
Why Contact a Car Accident Lawyers After a Car Accident
You Might Be Thinking Otherwise
You might think you could just get away with things because the car accident was not your fault, but that’s not how things work in the legal world.
You Need to Prove Things
Even if you were not at fault, you have to prove that you weren’t because the other party does not want to accept that they were at fault. Expect to see some blame-shifting game after a car accident.
Because You Should
But if you were not at fault, and it is clear from the car accident scene and other pieces of evidence, should you get in touch with the best auto accident lawyers in Los Angeles? Yes, you should. Here are the reasons why.
You Don’t Know the Complexity of Law
You Haven’t Studied Law
You might know a few things from here and there, but that’s not going to help in traffic accidents with severe injuries. To obtain total and fair compensation, you must have detailed knowledge of everything when handling personal injury claims.
If you are not a lawyer, the chances are thin that you will have the expertise to defend yourself or prove your case and get the compensation you deserve.
You Might Not Have Time Needed to Pursue a Case
If you are a full-time employee or have your own business, you might not have the time to spare for reading all the law-related material to represent yourself in the case.
Even if you have read some books and educated yourself with all that’s related to traffic accident laws in California, you will not have the entire understanding of their depth and complexities that make simple cases muddled.
A Lawyer Knows What to Do
In other words, only someone who has dealt with the twists and turns of car accident laws of Los Angeles should be responsible for taking care of your case for you. For example, what if the other driver’s negligence was due to distracted driving?
Your Southern California Insurance Won’t Cover You
Sometimes, people are confused about the type of vehicle insurance they have from their insurance company. They believe the insurance coverage will compensate for their bodily injuries and property damages, but that’s not true.
If you have auto insurance, it is there to cover your liability. In other words, it will come into effect when you are at fault in car accidents. If it was someone else’s fault, they are the ones who will pay for your damages.
The Case of Uninsured and Underinsured
Police reports don’t tell you everything about the other party’s insurance coverage. So you have no way to know whether you will receive maximum compensation unless the automobile accident victim has an excellent legal team. You end up in a rather double the unfortunate situation when you are involved in car accidents with an underinsured or uninsured person.
In such a case, you will not be able to get the total amount recovered from the person who has caused the car accident. Your insurance company has to step in if you have coverage for such incidents.
A personal injury or car accidents lawyer can provide you with the guidance you need to get your money. If your insurance company has to pay for the damages, the car accident attorneys will make sure they do.
You Could End up being the At-fault Party
If you have been a part of an accident that is not very clear from a superficial investigation, you have to make sure you get in touch with a car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
In such cases, while you are thinking in your head that you are not at fault, the other party is building a lawsuit against you. Since details are unclear, they could make a strong case against you due to ambiguities.
You don’t want to be the defendant in a situation where you were not at fault. When you contact a vehicle crash lawyer in Los Angeles, they immediately get in touch with the defending party and their insurance company.
This ensures and pushes the narrative that the accident was their fault, not yours. So, make sure you get in touch with one as soon as possible.
The Defendant Can Disappear
If you had an accident after which the party at fault disappeared and never stopped, you have to take action immediately. Things can turn rough in such cases.
In some cases, the person you are trying to hold accountable for the accident is nowhere to be seen. Remember that you can’t go for a settlement or trial unless you have the defending party present claiming you didn’t suffer permanent injuries and are a liar.
Some of the cases get delayed only because the person whose negligence resulted in the accident is not found. The more time you spend waiting, the higher the chances that you will lose sight of the defendant.
It is, therefore, recommended that you get in touch with a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles right after completing the preliminaries of an accident.
Do You Have Only 2 Years to File an Auto Accident Claim?
There are many details associated with personal injury cases, and that’s why an experienced car accident attorney is the best person to take care of everything on your behalf.
Many people are under the impression that they only have two years to personal injury claim compensation on medical bills, but the answer is not that simple. You can have two years or three years, depending on the type of damage.
Suppose you have been involved in an accident that has resulted in bodily injuries and you are pursuing a settlement for physical injuries, in particular. In that case, you have to file that case within two years.
However, if you are going against the at-fault party whose car accident caused property damage, you have three years to take your car accident claim to the authorities.
What Happens After 2-3 Years After a Car Wreck?
To think that you can’t get the help of a Los Angeles car accident lawyer in California after three years of the accident is wrong. Even if it is has been more than three years after the incident, you can still file a car accident claim on medical bills against the defendant to recover compensation.
In some instances, you can take your personal injury claim to the authorities after 2 or 3 years. For example, you might have internal injuries that you did not discover at the time of the accident.
If you feel that specific injuries have resulted from the accident, you can file your claim even after the statute of limitations has come into effect.
In some cases, the person who has caused the accident will run away from the scene, never to be found. Unless the defendant is found, you can’t do anything with your claim.
This is yet another situation in which you can file a claim even after 2 or 3 years governed by the statute of limitations.
Do You Have to Have Auto Insurance?
One of the things to keep in mind is that you have other alternatives to carrying an insurance policy. California law allows you to take up different methods that will enable you to obtain the license to drive on the road without having a conventional insurance policy like a bond.
So, if you are not comfortable with dealing with insurance companies, you can go for the simple route of depositing the required cash with DMV.
Interestingly, your expenses will still be the same for auto insurance under the 15/30/5 rule. In other words, deposit an amount of $35,000 in cash from DMV, and you can drive on the road.
You can also apply for the certificate of self-insurance. Either way, the other party’s insurance company may not cover everything. For example, what if there is a wrongful death claim? What then? And with hit and run accidents, most car accidents aren’t fully covered if you don’t carry insurance. So think about that if you believe crash victims are safe from rear-end collisions by drunk drivers. (proven scofflaws and likely uninsured.) What if you suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a negligent driver? You need a skilled lawyer to decipher automobile accidents, liability insurance or not!
Can You Do without Insurance?
Our skilled legal team can tell you some things with certainty. For example, it would be an unwise move not to carry an insurance policy. Would you choose the same for someone who causes an accident in your car and damages your body, including medical treatment for brain injuries, etc.?
Firstly, you cannot obtain the license to drive a vehicle without having proper car insurance or proof of auto insurance claims alternatives.
Also, if you don’t have insurance at any point in time, you can end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for causing damage to someone else’s vehicle.
Is Los Angeles Safe for Driving?
As unfortunate as it may sound, Los Angeles is one of the top-rated cities in the US in terms of car accidents. Despite implementing the Vision Zero plan in the region, car accidents have not gone down. Don’t let the emotional distress slow you down. Hire an experienced attorney straight away.
The opposite of what was expected has happened in the minds of most insurance agents and insurance adjusters, acting as though they are helping accident victims. Since the Vision Zero plan launch in Los Angeles, car accidents have only been increasing by 43% and a further 20% in subsequent years.
How to Pick the Right Car Crash Lawyer in Los Angeles
There are various factors to consider before you hire a Los Angeles car crash lawyer. Your choice will decide how fast your case closes and whether you win it or lose it.
Look for Locally Acclaimed Names
The first thing you want to ensure is that you pick a law firm located in your region that works specifically for that region. The more local they are, the more they will be able to help you.
It is not difficult to know some good names. You can perform a basic search on Google and find some experienced car accident lawyers in Los Angeles.
Consider the Past Record
The best thing about modern times is that almost all auto accident attorneys have a digital presence. In other words, you can visit their websites to see what they have to offer.
So, what you want to look for is the law firm’s record or the car accident attorney in question. Usually, these law firms have their statistics and portfolios right on their website.
Their record will give you a quick idea of how many cases they have fought, how much money they have won in settlements, and how many cases landed in court.
Request for Contingency Fees
One thing that makes today’s law firms stand out from those in the past is that they have a contingency fee plan to offer. In this fee plan for auto accident victims, you pay the law firm only when you win the case.
If the law firm cannot get the settlement for you, then you don’t pay them the legal fees. There might be some small fees required, which you can ask before hiring them.
Evaluate the Way They Talk to You
Are they listening to you when you are telling them your problem? Is there a car accident attorney communicating with you or just some random agent on the phone writing notes?
In addition to that, you want to see how they are treating you when you talk to them. Most importantly, professional lawyers will never promise you anything, and that’s the right thing to do.
If you have are in touch with a law firm that promises and guarantees results, you want to hang up the phone as soon as possible.
See If They Have Free Consultation
To elevate their customer experience, law firms are now open to the idea of offering free consultation. This means you can talk to the law firm initially without having to pay any fees for the consultation.
This consultation usually takes place on the phone, but you can also use the live chat feature, which has become quite common on most law firm websites.
· Look for Experience and Expertise
Not all law firms specialize in a particular type of case. Some law firms are a combination of multiple lawyers and associates, and they deal with all kinds of cases.
You want to get in touch with one specializing in car accidents in Los Angeles. In addition to their expertise, you want to look for their experience.
How long have they been doing it for? Experience teaches car accident attorneys the most valuable lessons to quickly settle the cases in your favor. In other words, experienced lawyers are nothing less than an insurance policy for you.
How the Settlement Process Will Work?
Once you have made up your mind that you will file a claim against the other auto owner, you will go through a few stages of the complete settlement process.
Contacting the Car Crash Lawyer
Firstly, you get in touch with the Los Angeles, a personal injury attorney in your area. Make sure you get in touch with a law firm located in Los Angeles that has a physical office there for you to visit.
Giving Details of the Accident
When you talk to the law firm for the first time as one of the car accident victims, you are probably going through what they like to call a free first consultation. You can inquire if your first conversation qualifies as a free consultation to avoid confusion.
At this stage, you want to give them as much information as possible to clarify the case. Don’t hide any piece of data or detail, even if it seems trivial to you. Keeping secrets will play against you in a case like this.
Listening to the Advice
Once your Los Angeles car accident lawyer has listened to you and decided to pursue your case because of its potential, they will offer you some advice.
The advice for car accident victims will revolve around your attitude and demeanor in the coming days. You have to keep quiet, avoid giving statements and say no to talking to the defendants and their insurance company in the absence of your car accidents attorney.
Handing Over Evidence
Before your car accident attorney approaches the defending party for settling the case, they will collect all the proofs and evidence records to build a strong case for you.
During these stages, you will be required to hand over whatever information you have of the incident, such as number plates, pictures of the car, pictures of the accident scene, police report number, contact details, etc.
· Understanding the Settlement
Once everything is in order, and your lawyer has built a strong case, the defendants will offer a settlement. Your lawyer decides the settlement amount after talking to you.
After the settlement has been completed, you have to talk to your lawyer about the split. You are not going to get the entire amount of the settlement. Of course, you will be paying the legal fees from the settlement amount.
Before any confusion arises, you should discuss the distribution of the settlement sum in car accident injury cases with your lawyer.
Should I Take the Case for a Trial?
It is not something for you to decide. You have to talk to your Los Angeles car accident lawyer about it. Usually, they will look at the details of the case and the background of the negligent party to decide the car wreck itself. Also, the police report is probably a dunning template used in a prior car accident.
- This means it’s likely inaccurate (cops are overworked and make mistakes on paperwork) and it’s not even admissible as evidence most of the time. (probably hearsay.). This is why it’s so important to contact an attorney immediately after you experience a car wreck, let alone serious injuries causing chronic pain and suffering.
If they think the defending party is not offering the compensation you deserve, they might want to push the case into court. Keep in mind that once a chance enters the court, things can take time, so you have to be patient.
Usually, a case goes to trial when the defending party either does not accept its fault or offers a meager compensation against the damages they have caused, especially when it comes to lost wages from being stuck in bed.
In most motor vehicle accidents, your lawyer would prefer to settle without going for a trial because that’s fast and efficient to receive fair compensation for your lost wages and other damages, as I spoke about above.
Hire an Auto Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been in an accident that you think was not your fault, you should raise your voice as soon as possible. After all, you could have internal organ damage or other injuries sustained that require immediate medical attention. If so, you will also be entitled to recover money for non-economic damages with the help of superior legal counsel with a charismatic nature.
You must not forget that you only have two years in California to file a personal injury case after a car accident. More importantly, a lawyer can build a strong case for you when you contact them immediately.
Schedule a Free Consultation About the Value of Your Claim!
Let me share a secret. I ran across this ex-marine lawyer. He donates his time helping military personnel who were lied to by their government and even got cancer for their troubles. I was able to lift most of my material from his website.
Don’t worry about the medical costs since you can get a first free consultation from the right lawyers, such as Ehline Law, where I saw there are still some lawyers who have a brain. So, if you or someone you know has been a part of a personal injury case, get in touch with a Los Angeles car accident lawyer like them immediately to guide you through the entire legal process.
