A car crash can happen to anyone – and these days, it seems that only a car accident attorney in Los Angeles is on your side to help you pursue the compensation that you deserve without cheating you out of your hard-earned money (unlike your insurance company, motor vehicle lawyers are getting paid for helping you out – not the other way around).
Your auto insurance company, other parties involved in a road accident, their insurers, even corrupt police officers… All seem to have rallied against you to minimize your car accident and personal injury claim.
Luckily for you, there’s still an option to obtain the compensation you need to cover medical bills, lost wages and lost capacity, pain and suffering, and various other car accident damages available in your particular case. And that option is to seek the legal advice of a Los Angeles car accident attorney.
Fact: over 7.75 million motor vehicles are registered in Los Angeles alone (and over 26 million licensed drivers across California!). That means the number of registered motor vehicles in LA exceeds the county’s population! That also means the risk of getting into a car accident in Los Angeles is ridiculously high.
Our best car accident lawyer in Los Angeles– Howard Craig Kornberg, an AV-rated auto collision attorney (the highest rating given to attorneys for their legal trial skills and ethical standards) – has provided you with this handy guide to understand California car accident laws and maximize your insurance claim if you ever get into a motor vehicle accident in LA.
Deadline To File A Los Angeles Car Accident Claim
Los Angeles car accident victims need to be aware that there is a limited amount of time to file their claims. The California personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date an injury occurs. This gives car accident victims a two-year window to file a claim against the driver who allegedly caused the incident. If an employee of a government entity injures you, the statute of limitations requires that you file a written government claim with the proper government agency within six months.
However, it is essential to note that this statutory deadline does not apply to claims involving insurance carriers. Most insurance companies require a claim to be reported soon after the crash. If a claim is delayed, the injury victim may be denied compensation.
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg will investigate the incident and ensure your claim is filed promptly with the appropriate entities.
Why Do LA Car Accidents Happen?
According to the LA Police Department, there are over 50,000 car accidents annually in LA. The top causes of car accidents in LA are:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Distracted driving
- DUI
- Tailgating
- I am not following traffic laws.
- Road defects
- Fatigue driving
If a negligent driver hits you, you can get paid. The Barnes Firm will help you with that. We’ll be with you every step of the way and get you the best possible result for your case.
Types Of Compensation Available For Car Accident Victims In Los Angeles
Various types of compensation may be available to victims of car accidents in Los Angeles. At the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, our Los Angeles car accident attorney is regularly able to help clients recover various types of compensation. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Complete coverage of all past and future medical bills arising as a result of the crash
- Past and future lost income and earning capacity if a victim cannot work while they recover
- Property damage expenses
- General household AND out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering damages
- Loss of quality of life damages
The total amount of compensation available for a Los Angeles car accident claim will vary depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each situation. Factors that can affect how much they claim is worth include the severity of the injuries. The number of medical expenses, whether you have permanent injuries or require hospitalization or surgery, how much each party was at fault for the incident, and insurance policy limits.
You can claim a car accident if the negligent party’s actions caused injuries and other losses. To seek a settlement, you must demonstrate the damages resulting from the accident. Typically, an accident will lead to the following types of damages:
Economic Damages: These are the monetary losses that can be documented with invoices, receipts, and other records.
Non-Economic Damages: These are non-monetary losses suffered due to the accident.
Punitive Damages: The court can order punitive damages and regular compensation if someone causes harm through extraordinarily reckless or intentional actions.
| Economic Damages | Non-Economic Damages | Punitive Damages |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Expenses | Pain and Suffering | Reckless or Intentional Harm |
| Lost Wages | Emotional Distress | Deterrence |
| Property Damage | Loss of Enjoyment of Life | Severity of Misconduct |
| Out-of-Pocket Expenses | Loss of Consortium | Purpose of Punishment |
Most Common Car Accident Injuries In Los Angeles
The car accident lawyer in Los Angeles at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg has experience helping clients who have sustained a range of injuries, including catastrophic and permanent injuries. We regularly help those who have suffered the following:
- Broken bones
- Spinal Trauma
- Disk Herniation
- Burn Injuries
- Surgical Orthopedic Injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Open and closed head and body wounds
- Other severe back and neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Severe scarring from lacerations or puncture wounds
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Crush injuries or amputations
- PTSD
We also help clients who have sustained significant emotional and psychological trauma as a result of the accident and their injuries. Additionally, we work to recover compensation for our client’s physical and non-physical injuries.
Car accident statistics in Los Angeles and the US: FACTS and STATS
If you regularly drive your car in Los Angeles – while commuting to and from work or traveling – be warned that the risk of becoming a victim of a motor vehicle accident is extremely high.
If you don’t take our word for it, check out these rather disturbing and shocking car accident statistics in Los Angeles and the US overall.
- Fact #1: between 35,000 and 40,000 Americans die in road accidents every year.
- Fact #2: an additional over 2.3 million US citizens are injured or disabled in motor vehicle accidents annually (injuries that require expensive medical treatment and can negatively affect an individual’s earning potential).
- Fact #3: car accident deaths per year among children under 15 total over 1,600, while nearly 8,000 teenagers and young adults ages 16-20 get killed in road collisions every year.
- Fact #4: About 10 million motor vehicle accidents occur annually in the US, including minor collisions and fender benders.
- Fact #5: road accident statistics show that three of every 1,000 car crashes involve fatalities.
- Fact#6: Auto insurance companies estimate that an average American will file a car accident claim about once every 18 years in a lifetime.
- Fact #7: motor vehicle accidents cost the US over $230 billion annually or an average of over $800 per every US citizen.
- Fact #8: Every year, more than 1.1 million motorists are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), and more than 10,000 Americans die in DUI road collisions involving an alcohol- or drug-impaired driver.
- Fact #9: Texting and driving (and using a cell phone while operating a vehicle) lead to over 1.6 million car accidents annually—distracted driving results in more than 390,000 Americans suffering injuries and damages.
- Fact #10: aggressive and reckless driving may be responsible for the vast majority of all car accident deaths in the US.
- Fact #11:head-on collisions are the deadliest type of motor vehicle accidents in the US, accounting for over 4,000 auto accident fatalities per year, or over 10% of all fatal traffic collisions in our country.
- Fact #12: motor vehicle fatalities in Los Angeles have been steadily rising in recent years, with the number of traffic deaths in 2017 exceeding 2016 car accident deaths by over 20%.
- Fact #13: over 50,000 Los Angeles residents sustain injuries in car crashes every year.
- Fact #14: hit-and-run road accidents account for nearly 10% of all fatal traffic collisions in California. The state has more hit-and-run car accidents than any other nation.
Typical car accident myths: DEBUNKED
Sure, looking at the car mentioned above, accident statistics in Los Angeles and the US can make your hair stand on end, but believing in these common car accident myths can be just as scary (and even deadly).
Our best car accident attorney in Los Angeles –Howard C. Kornberg at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg – will debunk some of the most common and dangerous myths about motor vehicle accidents in the US.
Myth #1: The police will determine who is at fault
No, they won’t. Contrary to popular belief, the police arrive at the scene of a car accident not to determine who is at fault. They are there to write a police report, which will later be used by either a judge or insurance companies to determine liability and evaluate damages.
In car crashes where the police believe one of the parties was driving under the influence or committed a crime, the suspect may be taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving or other felonies, misdemeanors, or crimes for further investigation.
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyer Howard C. Kornberg, who has helped victims of car accidents recover more than $70 million in verdicts and settlements over the past three decades, says that while police reports are great, writing down your notes, taking photos, and even recording videos at the scene of the traffic collision is critical to improving your chances at collecting maximum compensation for your injuries and damages.
Myth #2: You and the other party can work it out without a third party
Settling a car accident without the help of an auto accident attorney is a grave mistake. Many people wonder, “Should I get an attorney after a car accident?” but choose not to risk getting their personal injury claim denied or reduced significantly.
Only an experienced personal injury lawyer, in cooperation with a savvy team of independent investigators and medical professionals, can determine liability in a car crash, evaluate the total cost of your injuries and damages, and craft a personalized strategy to help you win the compensation you deserve.
Never should you ever communicate with the other driver for reasons other than taking down his contact and insurance information. Many victims of road collisions tend to admit fault willingly or unintentionally right after a car accident due to shock, which, in turn, can nullify their chances of obtaining compensation. That’s why it’s highly advised to consult an attorney before saying anything to the other driver or your insurance company.
Myth #3: Your insurance company is your friend and can help you
Any insurance company is anything but your friend. And it’s not here to HELP (if insurers truly cared about their policyholders and pursued their interests, they wouldn’t profit and, therefore, wouldn’t be able to exist).
You must understand this once and for all: your insurance company will do whatever it takes to minimize the cost of your car accident claim. Stay away from your insurer for evaluation of your injuries and damages. Chances are your insurance company will conduct an unfair and biased investigation to reduce the payment of your claim.
Instead, get a free consultation from a Los Angeles car accident lawyer who would work day and night to assess your damages and injuries fairly and thoroughly and handle the claim on your behalf with your best interest in mind.
Myth #4: You can’t sue the other driver for injuries later
Some car crash injuries don’t manifest until days or weeks after a road accident. That doesn’t mean, however, that you won’t be able to sue the other driver for your injuries and damages later because you didn’t file a car accident claim immediately after the collision.
As long as your claim meets the criteria under California’s statute of limitations and as long as your injuries have been well-documented by a doctor, you can start legal action against the other party and seek compensation for your injuries and damages days, weeks, or even months after the auto accident in Los Angeles.
Myth #5: Hiring a motor vehicle accident attorney is useless and a waste of money
On the contrary, by NOT hiring a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles, you risk getting into legal and financial trouble if the other driver or his/her insurance company has proof that you were at fault for the collision (and you have no viable evidence to dispute their verdict and settlement).
Sure, you don’t necessarily need a motor vehicle accident attorney to handle paperwork relating to a minor car crash. But in serious car accidents, especially those involving injuries or fatalities, being legally represented by a reputable and results-driven law firm such as the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg is the key to success.
Q: How much do car accident attorneys charge?
A: If you’re concerned about Los Angeles car accident attorney fees, don’t be. We only get paid if we win your case. Attorneys collect a pre-determined contingency fee for the settlement or verdict.
Our lawyers advance all costs and fees associated with pursuing legal action on your behalf, ensuring your recovery and spending as many hours as needed to handle your case and help you collect economic and non-economic damages.
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyer will NEVER ask you to finance your case or charge you by the hour when investigating your case, consulting you, negotiating with other parties on your behalf, filing a lawsuit, or litigating your case in court.
Thanks to this fair and client-friendly strategy, the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg has the reputation of one of California’s most reputable law firms, with some of the best car accident attorneys in Los Angeles.
Howard C. Kornberg, an award-winning lawyer with the AV Preeminent rating as a trial lawyer, has won over $100 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients in his over 35 years of experience.
Claim your compensation for a car accident today by calling our Los Angeles offices at 310-997-0904 or filling out this contact form for a free case evaluation.
Helpful Articles From Our Car Accident Lawyers
Steering Through The Legal Complexities After A Car Accident
Don’t Make These Mistakes After A Car Accident – Here’s Why
Role Of A Car Accident Attorney In Los Angeles
The Importance Of Gathering Evidence After A Car Accident
Items To Have In Your Car In Case An Accident Ever Occurs
Do Gps Apps Cause Car Accidents?
3 Street Design Ideas To Prevent Speeding Accidents In Los Angeles
How To Make The At-Fault Driver Pay After A Car Accident In Los Angeles?
Car Crashes Have Been Reduced, But For How Long?
The Legal Aspects Of Car Accidents: What Every Driver Should Know
More Resources
FTC – Guide to hiring an accident lawyer
CA Department of Insurance – So you’ve had an accident, what’s next?
FAQs
It would help if you got a lawyer for a car accident, especially for complex cases or serious injuries. A lawyer can handle the complexities, protect you, and go after fair compensation.
You may be liable for damages if you’re at fault in a California car accident. That means medical bills, car repairs, and other losses to the other party.
Negligence in a car accident claim is determined if a driver fails to meet their duty of care, such as speeding, ignoring traffic laws, driving distracted, or under the influence. Evidence like witness statements and police reports will be used to prove negligence.
After a car accident, ensure you’re safe by checking for injuries and calling 911. If you can, move your vehicles to the side. Get information from the other driver(s), gather evidence, and report it to the police and your insurance company as soon as possible.
In California, the at-fault driver’s insurance pays for the car accident. If the driver is uninsured or underinsured, the injured party may use their insurance or take legal action.
It would help if you got a lawyer for a minor car accident. You might believe a straightforward claim will be simple to handle, but insurance companies often push back and attempt to deny it. If they approve your claim, they will offer you less than your case is worth.
Pain and suffering from a car accident in California varies greatly. Contact a lawyer for more.
Yes, you can settle a car accident privately in California. Parties can negotiate and agree to a settlement outside of court, often with the help of a lawyer, to resolve the matter quickly and easily.
The value of a case depends on many factors: damages, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and liability. Get a lawyer; they can evaluate your case to give you a more accurate estimate.
Car accident lawyers in California are contingency fee. They only get paid if you win. Their fees are 25% to 40% of the settlement.
