Anaheim Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Lawyer Anaheim, CA

If you sustained injuries in a car accident, you may want to get in touch with a car accident lawyer Anaheim, CA residents rely on. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your losses. A lawyer can help you hold the right parties accountable and protect your rights.

Should You File a Car Accident Lawsuit?

After sustaining injuries in a car accident, it’s important to speak with an experienced Anaheim, CA car accident lawyer before making any assumptions about whether it is – or isn’t – in your best interests to pursue legal action at this time. At JSM Injury Firm APC, we don’t “sell our services” to accident injury victims. We provide pressure-free legal consultations so that injury victims can learn about their rights and options in ways that are informed, objective, and empowering. If we believe that you have a strong case, we’ll tell you so. If we believe that you’re unlikely to receive compensation in an amount that makes pursuing legal action worth your time, we’ll tell you that too.

The primary considerations you’ll need to ponder when determining whether you should file a car accident lawsuit are the relative strengths/weaknesses of your case and the potential value of damages that you could be awarded as a result of the harm you’ve suffered. You don’t need to know the details of either of these realities before scheduling a consultation with our firm’s Anaheim car accident lawyer team. In fact, a big part of our job involves investigating injurious circumstances and assessing evidence so that we can make objective evaluations related to both of these big issues on behalf of our prospective clients.

The Strengths/Weaknesses of Your Case

Before a personal injury case can lead to a significant compensation award, a plaintiff must generally prove three critically important legal elements. First, they must be able to prove that any given named defendant owed them a duty of care under the law. Second, they must be able to prove that the defendant engaged in negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous conduct. Third, they must be able to prove that the defendant’s conduct directly caused their harm.

It’s going to be important that you have enough evidence to strongly support each of these legal elements, otherwise, it will be unlikely that your case will succeed on its merits. Therefore, the dedicated legal team at JSM Injury Firm APC will thoroughly and objectively assess your circumstances to weigh both the relative strengths and weaknesses of your case so that you can determine whether pursuing legal action is worth your time and effort.

The Potential Value of Your Case

If you have strong grounds upon which to file legal action, you’ll need to assess whether the value of your case makes pursuing it worth your time and effort. The value of your case will hinge upon three primary factors. First, how badly were you injured? Second, how have your injuries affected your life? Third, were you partially responsible for your injurious circumstances?

If you have sustained serious injuries that have affected your life in significant ways, chances are that your case is worth a significant amount. However, any compensation award to which you’re entitled will be reduced in proportion to any percentage of fault that is assigned to you. If this reduction in likely compensation renders pursuit of legal action unworthy of your time and effort, our Anaheim car accident lawyer team will be honest with you about that reality.

If Your Crash Was Work-Related

It’s perhaps particularly important to connect with an experienced Anaheim, CA car accident lawyer with JSM Injury Firm APC urgently in the wake of an injurious crash if your collision was work-related. Unless you are properly classified as an independent contractor or you’re otherwise affected by a coverage exception, chances are that you’re entitled to receive a workers’ compensation benefits award due to the work-related nature of your crash and your injuries.

You don’t need to drive for a living in order to apply for workers’ compensation benefits after a crash occurs. If you were traveling for work-related purposes or otherwise engaged in work-related activity when you suffered physical harm, these circumstances qualify you for workers’ comp benefits.

There are two primary reasons why it’s important to act quickly when initiating the workers’ comp benefits application process. First, this process is time-sensitive and if you don’t act quickly, you may be barred from receiving the money you’re owed. Second, navigating both the personal injury process and the insurance claims settlement process can be a lengthy process. By collecting the workers’ comp benefits you’re owed, your family’s finances won’t be as affected by your crash-related costs while you’re waiting to secure a (hopefully) substantial amount of compensation as a result of insurance negotiations and/or a lawsuit.

It’s also worth noting that because workers’ comp isn’t a fault-based process, you’ll likely have a far easier time securing these benefits than you will other kinds of compensation. By speaking with an experienced Anaheim car accident lawyer quickly, you can help to ensure that there will be money in your pocket when crash-related bills come due.

If a Safety Seat Was in Your Car During the Crash

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, child safety seats – whether they were occupied during impact or not – should always be replaced in the event of a moderate or severe crash. However, if a crash doesn’t result in injury, there is no visible damage to the seat, the door nearest the seat wasn’t harmed in the accident, no airbags deployed in the car, and the car was drivable away from the scene, motorists should check with the manufacturer to see if they can keep using the seat instead of replacing it.

What to Do if You’re Unsure

One of the most common responses that crash injury victims have in response to the trauma they’ve suffered is inaction. They aren’t sure what to do or where to turn, so they simply fail to reach out for guidance. As a result, they often find themselves saddled by crash-related costs that should rightfully be shouldered by those who were responsible for causing their harm.

Whether you’re unsure of your legal options, if you have grounds to file legal action, or what to do next, connect with the experienced personal injury legal team at JSM Injury Firm APC. Our Anaheim car accident lawyer team can advise you of your rights and options in a no-pressure, low-stress environment. Should you decide to pursue compensation, we can offer you all of the assistance you’ll require.

Common Car Accident Injuries

While some people may leave unharmed from a car accident, others may sustain various injuries. Both drivers and passengers are susceptible to injuries during a crash. Here are the most common car accident injuries.

• Head injuries. People can sustain head injuries if they strike their head against a dashboard, steering wheel, or other item during a car accident. They can also occur when someone’s head jerks back and forth suddenly. Symptoms of a head injury include dizziness, headache, nausea, loss of consciousness, and blurred vision. However, some head injury victims may not experience any symptoms immediately. Head injuries can sometimes result in long-term memory problems, cognitive difficulties, and personality changes.
• Knee injuries. Car accident victims may also suffer knee injuries if they hit their knees against any part of the vehicle during a collision. Knee injury symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, instability, and a popping sound. Some knee injuries can be treated with immobilization, physical therapy, and rest. However, if a knee injury is very severe, surgery may be necessary.
• Lacerations. Lacerations can result from broken glass, torn sheet metal, and other items hitting your skin during a collision. As an Anaheim car accident lawyer can confirm, lacerations can lead to bleeding infection, scarring, and other complications. As such, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.
• Whiplash. If your head jerks back and forth suddenly during a car accident, it can strain your neck. Common symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, and shoulder pain. If the injury is not treated promptly, it can lead to chronic neck pain.

Damages in a Car Accident Claim

If you have been hurt in a car accident, you may be entitled to receive several types of damages, including:

• Medical bills. Medical expenses are one of the easiest damages to calculate and may include emergency room visits, surgery, medications, physical therapy, and doctor’s bills.
• Lost wages. If you have to take time off work to recover from your injury, you may be able to collect lost wages. If your injury is severe enough to render you disabled, you may be eligible for loss of earning capacity damages.
• Property damage. If your vehicle suffered damage in an accident, you may be reimbursed for your repair bills.
• Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering refer to the physical and mental stress that results from an injury. For instance, if you suffer a back injury that makes it difficult to sleep at night, you may be entitled to pain and suffering damages.

Schedule a consultation with an Anaheim car accident lawyer from JSM Injury Firm APC today to talk about your case.

Five Common Reasons Why Car Accidents Happen 

Following a car crash, you may need to contact an Anaheim, CA car accident lawyer. Even minor crashes can cause significant damage to your vehicle. Meanwhile, some crashes result in fatal injuries. Let’s look at five common reasons why car crashes occur:

1. Distracted Driving

When it comes to distracted driving, we typically think about people texting while driving or talking on the phone. Definitely, scrolling through social media while on the highway can cause serious accidents. However, there are other forms of distracted driving like:

• Driving while eating or drinking
• Playing loud music
• Grooming (like putting on make-up)
• Reaching for something in the passenger seat

2. Driving While Under the Influence 

A driver doesn’t necessarily need to be completely drunk to cause an accident. Going to see a friend and having one too many drinks can mean you’re above the legal drinking limit. Of course, alcohol and drugs can slow a person’s reaction time or have them engage in risky driving behaviors that they would otherwise not do if they were sober. Even if driving while under the influence wasn’t the primary factor that caused an accident, if a person was under the influence when an accident occurred, they can face DUI charges.

3. Aggressive or Risky Driving 

Aggressive or risky driving can come in many forms, including road rage. Additionally, some drivers may speed or run a stop sign. A driver doesn’t necessarily need to disobey the law to engage in aggressive or risky driving either. For example, a driver might be in their legal right to pass a car on certain roads. However, this doesn’t mean it’s always safe to do, and the accident they cause can still result from negligence. Of course, breaking traffic laws will make a driver likelier to lose a personal injury case, especially if you have an Anaheim car accident attorney on your side.

4. Drowsy Driving 

Trying to perform basic actions while exhausted can feel like an impossible task. When it comes to driving, operating a vehicle while trying to stop your eyes from closing can be extremely dangerous. Drowsy driving is a huge problem in the trucking industry as many drivers are expected to work long shifts out on the open road with very few, if any, breaks. When drowsy driving, your reaction time is much shorter, and you can even risk closing your eyes and falling asleep at the wheel. It’s better to stay off the road if you’re tired.

5. Conditions Outside the Driver’s Control 

Of course, a car crash isn’t always the driver’s fault. Some examples of this can include:

• Poor weather conditions, like rain, snow, or hail
• Improper sign markings
• Lousy road conditions
• A defective part in the vehicle outside the driver’s control (for example, if there’s a faulty part that didn’t trigger warning lights like the check engine light to pop up)

Furthermore, these conditions can combine with a driver’s negligence, making solving a case harder to prove. For example, the insurance company can try to argue that the road conditions are what created the accident and not the driver being distracted. Contact JSM Injury Firm APC to discover how an Anaheim car accident attorney can assist.

Anaheim Car Accident Lawyer FAQs

Car accidents can be a traumatic and confusing experience, leaving you with a lot of questions for an Anaheim, CA car accident lawyer to answer. If you’re involved in an accident, it’s important to understand your rights and when you should consider getting a lawyer involved. Check out five of the most common questions about car accidents and when to get a lawyer involved below, and then contact an attorney at JSM Injury Firm APC for help.

What Are the Most Common Injuries?

Besides some of the injuries mentioned towards the top of the page, car accidents can result in a variety of injuries, ranging from minor to life-threatening such as:

• Neck and Back Injuries – Whiplash is the most common injury in this category, but disc injuries such as herniated discs, torn ligaments, and muscle strains can also occur.
• Broken Bones – Any number of bones can be broken due to the force of a car crash, including ribs, arms, legs, and hips.
• Burns – Vehicle fires, explosions, and even airbag deployment can cause serious burns that require long-term medical treatment.
• Soft Tissue Injuries – Muscles, tendons, and ligaments can be damaged in a car crash. Symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, and limited mobility.

How Do I Know if I Have a Case?

An Anaheim car accident lawyer will determine if someone else is at fault. If you were injured due to the negligence or carelessness of another driver, then you may have a case. Examples of negligence include speeding, driving while distracted, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition, if you were injured due to a defective auto part or road hazard, such as a pothole or broken traffic signal, you may also have a case. In either of these scenarios, it is important to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that your rights are protected and that any applicable time limits do not expire before your case is resolved.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Case?

When it comes to car accidents, the length of time it takes to settle a case depends on many factors. The severity of the accident and the complexity of any insurance claims are two of the major variables that can affect the timeline. Generally, a case may be resolved quickly if there is no dispute between the parties involved or if all medical bills and other costs are already paid.

Who Will Cover My Medical Bills?

After a car accident, the responsible party’s insurance will cover the cost of any medical bills you incurred as a result of the crash. This includes bills for ambulance rides, hospital visits, medications, physical therapy, and any follow-up visits. If you were partially at fault for the accident, you may still be able to get some of your medical bills covered. The other party’s insurance company may try to deny coverage if they feel you were partially responsible for the accident. In this case, it is wise to seek out the help of an experienced lawyer who can help you negotiate with the insurance company.

What if the Accident Was My Fault?

In some cases, even if you were at fault, you may still be able to file a personal injury claim against another driver if they were negligent in their actions. If the other driver was distracted or recklessly driving, for example, you could potentially recover damages for any medical bills, property damage, lost wages, or other costs associated with the accident.

Contact an Anaheim car accident lawyer at JSM Injury Firm APC today to ask any other questions you may have!