Rancho Cucamonga Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re driving along, listening to the radio, and the next, you’re spinning out of control, trying to figure out what happened. In 2020, there were over 3,000 reported motor vehicle-related fatalities reported in California, with passenger vehicles accounting for most of them. Since the rate of auto accidents is higher in dense, populated urban areas, Rancho Cucamonga has started to rank on this list.
With an average of 175,000 residents, those living in Rancho Cucamonga must be cautious about auto accident risks. Furthermore, they must know what to do in an unexpected auto accident. If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact a Rancho Cucamonga car accident lawyer today. Our personal injury law firm can help you seek compensation for your losses, including lost wages, property damage, and catastrophic injuries.
If you are an injured party hurt by someone else’s negligence, call our car accident attorneys for a free consultation.
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Why Choose Sierra Accident Lawyers Over Other Law Offices?
Our law office has years of experience handling complex personal injury claims, including rollover accidents, rear-end accidents, multi-vehicle crashes, motorcycle accidents, and accidents caused by drunk, distracted, and reckless drivers. A car accident lawyer can also help you file a claim even if the driver who injured you is uninsured or underinsured.
Our personal injury law firm works on a contingency basis, meaning you don't pay unless we win. Our law firm has access to the best medical providers in California, and you'll need them to confirm the extent of your injuries. Our resources and unparalleled experience have earned us the reputation of having a winning track record. So when you need the services of the best personal injury lawyers in Rancho Cucamonga, call Sierra Accident Lawyers.
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Benefits of Hiring an Attorney After a Car Accident
There are many reasons to hire an experienced lawyer after an auto accident, with the most significant being that this is the first time you've ever been involved in something like this.
Personal injury attorneys have a firm grip on the law, so they can determine whether you have a case worth pursuing and whether it falls within the statute of limitations. For example, in California, injured victims must file a legal compensation claim two years after the accident.
In addition to knowing when to file a claim, your personal injury lawyer can also estimate your claim worth since they have likely seen and represented clients with these types of injuries before. While each case is different, this can give you a ballpark estimate of what your case is worth if and when you decide to move forward with legal representation; it makes all the difference. In addition, a personal injury attorney can recover higher compensation than someone unfamiliar with personal injury law.
In these personal injury cases, an accident victim has the right to compensation covering mounting medical bills, lost income, and expenses incurred from civil litigation.
Another benefit of hiring a personal injury lawyer is familiarity with the games insurance company adjusters play. Insurance companies are designed to focus on their bottom line, not the well-being of an accident victim – and they know how to take advantage of you. For example, if your car is damaged and you're out of work, they know you'll be more likely to accept a low insurance offer. However, you might not know how the insurance company operates unless you work in the legal industry. Sometimes, you hear this first after speaking with a Rancho Cucamonga car accident attorney.
These are just a few of the benefits speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney has when it comes to protecting your rights.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Personal injuries associated with auto accidents vary depending on the severity of the accident, however, the most common include:
Whiplash
A neck injury caused by sudden and rapid movement. While symptoms of whiplash typically end within a few weeks, some catastrophic injuries can last years, if not forever.
Bruising
Usually caused by significant impact with airbags and seatbelts.
Broken bones
Arms, legs, and ribs are at most risk during a car accident and can take up to two months to heal, depending on the severity.
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal injuries include spinal fractures, ruptured discs, and spinal stenosis, which may require surgery and mandatory time off work.
Back and neck injuries
Ranging from mild to severe, back and neck injuries may be long-lasting due to the powerful impact of the car accident.
Traumatic brain injuries
These include concussions, brain bleeding, swelling, and more. Symptoms may include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty performing daily tasks.
In severe automobile accidents, some drivers and passengers may suffer from herniated discs, organ damage, internal bleeding, and paralysis. Some car accident victims may even suffer burn injuries. In addition, after a car accident, it’s not uncommon for some vehicles to leak gas. Not adequately treated at the scene can lead to a vehicle fire and cause significant burn injuries and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
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Common Causes of Car Accidents in Rancho Cucamonga
Regarding most car accidents in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, driver error is one of the leading causes. Driver error can include everything from deciding to speed through a yellow light before it turns red to ignoring local traffic laws and speed limits that put other drivers in harm’s way. In all cases, driver error usually results from making the wrong decision after recognizing the danger of a situation.
The most common causes of auto accidents in Rancho Cucamonga include the following:
- Distracted driving – Includes picking up the phone to answer a call, browsing social media, or sending a text message. Or, it could be adjusting the radio station, talking with other passengers, or playing a game. In recent years, especially in California, operators of self-driving cars have been in severe accidents due to playing a game on their phones instead of watching the road.
- Drunk driving – Though it’s illegal to drink and drive in California (and everywhere else around the continental U.S.), alcohol impairs your judgment, making it easier for otherwise responsible drivers to get behind the wheel. Approximately 35% of all car accident deaths in California are attributed to alcohol consumption. The tragic thing about drunk driving accidents is that they are entirely preventable.
- Road rage – Common examples include weaving in and out of traffic, following another vehicle too closely, ramming another car on the road, passing them on the left, or blocking vehicles from changing lanes.
- Speeding – Different roads in Rancho Cucamonga have different speed limits, so any driver who exceeds the posted speed limit is another common cause of auto accidents.
In these situations, drivers can identify the dangers involved, but if they fail to make the right call, they put themselves and every other driver on the road near them at risk of an auto accident. While human error accounts for a huge portion of car collisions, there are many other causes that contribute to such car crashes.
Other reasons to account for Rancho Cucamonga accidents include the following:
- Teenage drivers may not possess the skill and awareness of road hazards or how to avoid a collision.
- Poor weather such as the sudden onset of heavy rain may hinder a driver’s visibility and reaction time.
- Improperly maintained roads that have broken or missing traffic signs, potholes, or other imperfections.
- Dangerous construction zones that aren’t properly marked.
- Faulty auto repair or vehicle inspections.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident
The first few moments after a motor vehicle accident can leave you puzzled as you try to figure out what just happened. While this is understandable, you should also bookmark this page for a list of steps you should take to make sure your rights are protected if you decide to pursue legal action:
- If you can, pull off somewhere safe. If this isn’t possible due to the damage to either your vehicle or yourself, put your hazards on, call 911, and stay in your vehicle.
- Tell the police officer what happened and document everything you can. When the police arrive, they will ask for an account of what happened. Give them as much detail as possible, including what the other driver did and any relevant info that could help determine fault such as how fast everyone was traveling, if they made any attempt to brake, existing road hazards, what time it happened, and where. Also, take photos of your property damage and injuries. Also, write down the names and contact info of any witnesses and the name of where your vehicle is being towed, if applicable. Document the make, color, and model of the other vehicle involved in the car crash, as well.
- Swap contact info with the other driver(s) involved. Be sure to get their names, email addresses, phone numbers, and insurance providers. If the police arrive at the scene, they will gather this information in the police report, as well.
- Seek medical attention. In most cases, the paramedics will arrive on the scene when law enforcement does. If you choose not to go to the hospital right away, try to go within the first 24 hours after the accident. The adrenaline one feels after a car crash may mask serious injuries, so seeking medical attention is the best way to ensure you’re not significantly hurt. These medical records will also be used to determine the value of your auto accident claim later on. Remember, many injuries take time to appear so keep an eye on them, regardless of whether or not you go to the hospital immediately following the automobile accident.
Liability for a Rancho Cucamonga Car Accident
California is an at-fault car accident state, which means that the driver who caused the accident will also be responsible for paying the victim’s compensatory damages. Keep in mind that who is liable for a California car accident will vary on the details of the accident itself, so it's very possible that liability could be split between two parties. An example of this would be one driver looking down at their cell phone while another crashes into them because they ran a red light. In this situation, both drivers will still be able to collect damages for their loss as outlined under California’s comparative negligence laws, despite them both playing a part in the cause of the accident.
In many car accident cases, when it comes to determining liability for a car accident, proof can be found in a violation of state traffic laws. For example, if another driver ran a red light and T-Boned you while traversing an intersection, they would likely be held liable since running a red light is against the law under California Vehicle Code Section 21453 VC.
Two definitive ways to prove fault in a car accident are through the police report and eyewitness testimony. Once created, a police report will document the details of the accident, including who was involved and what happened. The same applies to eyewitness testimony which can confirm how the events unfolded. If you don’t have eyewitness testimony, don’t worry. Car accident lawyers in Rancho Cucamonga, CA have access to accident reconstruction experts who will utilize their expertise to piece together how the accident occurred, how fast each driver was traveling, and other factors that led to the accident. They will be able to reconstruct the accident scene to help support your claims of what happened.
How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
The value of your personal injury case depends on the details of your case. Simply put, some accidents and subsequent injuries will be much worse than others, so the amount of money you receive for your claim will vary on these factors and several others.
To calculate the value of your car accident claim, your Rancho Cucamonga car accident attorney will analyze several pieces of evidence, starting with your medical bills and expenses. After seeking medical treatment for your car accident injuries, be sure to keep a copy of your co-pay receipts and out-of-pocket payments for ER visits, prescriptions, follow-up visits, rehabilitative care, and, if you took an ambulance from the accident scene to the hospital, a copy of your bill. These medical expenses can be used to calculate the value of your accident claim. But this is just part of it.
If your vehicle suffered extensive property damage or was totaled, record how much the insurance company valued it. It would be best to document the cost of any items damaged in the accident, such as work equipment or other valuables. If the vehicle wasn’t totaled, keep repair receipts and what was done to your car.
Or, if you were working at the time of the accident, you’ll want to get your pay stubs to calculate your lost wages and earning capacity if you’re unable to return to work now or in the future. These are all known as economic damages; however, you may be able to recover compensation for your non-economic damages, as well as the emotional distress or fear of driving you developed from the accident. Co-pay receipts from therapy appointments or doctor’s notes can all be used to help determine fair monetary compensation.
A car accident lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga from our law firm will help you determine the value of your personal injury case.
Get a Top-Rated Car Accident Lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Were you injured in a car accident in Rancho Cucamonga? Dealing with an auto accident can be overwhelming and frightening without an auto accident lawyer. One minute you’re driving, and within the blink of an eye, your car is totaled, and you have serious injuries. Let an experienced car accident lawyer ease the burden of seeking compensation off your shoulders. We have a winning track record of helping car accident victims in Rancho Cucamonga and throughout San Bernardino County.
A car accident attorney in Rancho Cucamonga will work to maximize your compensation for the damages suffered while you’re on the road to recovery. Call us at 909-942-7632 or fill out our online contact form to get started. Contact our law firm for a free consultation today.