Car Accident Lawyers

It’s always a good idea to call the police immediately after a car accident so that there’s a professional on the scene to facilitate the exchange of information and make an official report of the incident with both parties on the record, if possible. Even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, and even if it looks as if there’s no damage to your car, you never know what after effects will surface later on.

In California, drivers involved in car accidents resulting in any injury or death – to a driver or pedestrian – are required by law to contact the police or highway patrol and make a written report within 24 hours of the incident.

In cases of accidents that happen in California involving injury, death or property damage exceeding $1,000, drivers must also report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days.

If an accident results in injury or death, you have 24 hours to file a written report with authorities and 10 days to report it to the DMV.

Your time frame for reporting the accident to your insurance company depends on your specific contract, but it’s a good idea to report an accident as quickly as possible so a proper claim can be prepared.

California has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims and a three-year statute of limitations for property damage following car accidents.

Report your accident to the local police department in the city your accident occurred or the California Highway Patrol. The DMV has an online report form (called SR 1) you can download from their website. You can also call your insurance company directly and speak to an agent on the phone to report an accident.

You can report a car accident in person, over the phone or, in some cases, online. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has a Traffic Accident Report (SR 1) form available for download from its website.

In some cases, yes. If you are involved in a car accident, no matter who was at fault, and the accident results in injury or death, you are required by California law to report the accident within 24 hours. The Department of Motor Vehicles requires that a report be filed within 10 days, if the accident involved injury, death or more than $1,000 in property damage.

The best-case scenario is, you won’t be able to recoup any damages for dents and scratches to your car or injuries you discover after the fact. The worst-case scenario is, you could lose your driving privileges, be forced to pay a fine, or even land in jail. That’s why it’s always a good idea to file a formal report as soon as possible after a car accident.

Medical costs are expensive, and if you are not at fault for a car crash, you could be entitled to significant compensation from the responsible party’s auto insurance. If you caused the accident, your insurance company will pay the other driver for damage to their vehicle and any injuries covered under your policy’s limits.

Your insurance company should be assigning an attorney to handle your case, and you may need to testify or clarify the events of the crash. In some cases, you may be sued for more money than your insurance policy will cover. In this case, you may need your own attorney.

When another driver is responsible for a car crash and injuries to you or your family, you could receive compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, car damage and other expenses, such as lost wages or household help after the crash. The Barnes Firm can immediately build a case and make a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. Some insurance companies may not be willing to pay you fair compensation – and that’s why having your own legal advocate is so important. Our car accident lawyers will try to negotiate a fair settlement offer, and if the insurance company is being unreasonable, our attorneys are prepared to take your case to trial. There are time limits for filing some types of claims, so it is important to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

Although these are rare cases, you do have some options if you are injured and the other driver is uninsured or underinsured. In most cases, your own policy will pay for your injuries. If the other driver’s insurance is not enough to pay for your medical costs, your own insurance could pay the difference. If you have collision insurance, it will pay for damage to your car, no matter who is at fault.

The Barnes Firm takes car accident cases on what’s called a ‘contingent fee basis.’ This means our clients will won’t pay a fee unless we win your case. A written contract should explain what percentage your lawyer will get if you win. It should also state who will pay for any costs associated with filing your claim, such as court fees. In most cases, The Barnes Firm will advance these costs, but state law may require the client to pay for some litigation expenses.

In simple terms, whiplash is a sprain to the neck. It results from the sudden movement of being thrown forward and backward – one of our best car accident lawyers says this often happens when your car gets rear-ended.  The abrupt shift overextends the soft tissues of your neck beyond their standard range of motion, leading to a sprain.

Whiplash is an injury that’s generally associated with car crashes. The jerking motion of the car jolting forward and back after a sudden impact results in this type of stiff neck injury. Many times, victims of a car crash don’t realize they’re injured because of the adrenaline rush that comes on after a sudden car crash, but this is not an injury that should be left untreated. This injury can also result from hard contact sports, such as football and hockey, but in most cases, the cause is from an auto accident.

If you’ve been in a car accident, you may want to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer at The Barnes Firm, as many of the expenses associated with whiplash can be recovered in the form of financial compensation.

Whiplash symptoms always include stiffness and a sore neck – which can lead to stiff and sore shoulders as well. Typically, you’ll find that you can’t move your neck as freely as you would be able to if you were injury-free. Other, more severe, symptoms include the following:

• Blurry vision
• Inability to concentrate
• Dizziness
• Memory Issues
• Depression

It may take some time for you to feel the full effect of this injury, so one of our experienced car accident attorneys says it’s always a good idea to seek medical attention after a car crash to be certain your injuries are not worse than you might initially have assumed.

Victims of a car crash should always seek medical attention. Many times, the after-effects of a car crash won’t be felt for hours, sometimes days, after a car crash. If your injuries are minimal or not visible following a car crash, an Oakland car accident lawyer suggests going to an urgent care office as soon as possible to receive a clear diagnosis. Most medical care providers, like urgent care or internal medicine provider, can treat whiplash. If symptoms steadily grow worse or if you experience a loss of consciousness, that’s when you should visit an emergency room.

To treat whiplash, doctors usually recommend that you take it easy for the first few days following your injury to let your body rest and recover from the shock. Alternating between heat and ice therapy is also a conventional treatment for easing stiffness and pain in your neck. For more extreme cases, a doctor might also prescribe muscle relaxants or painkillers to help with the most painful days of recovery following their injury.

Going through a car accident can result in serious injury. Many people who are seriously hurt can find themselves permanently disabled due to their wounds from a car crash and in need of a Barnes Firm injury attorney.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident anywhere in California or New York, a car accident lawyer from The Barnes Firm will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Call today or contact us online to get started on a free case consultation and evaluation.

Believe it or not, the deadliest day of the year for car accidents isn’t during the cold months. The warm and sunny skies of the summertime seem to encourage people to drive faster — and more recklessly. Whereas in the winter, drivers overall tend to operate with more caution.

August 2nd is typically the day when most car crashes occur in the United States. According to data we’ve assembled from a variety of sources, August 2nd is the deadliest day to drive. More than 500 fatalities have happened on this day for drivers on U. S. roads. The entire month of August typically has the most fatal car crashes each year, with almost 16,000 people losing their lives on the road.

The sunnier weather may make drivers on the road feel more daring, but there are three significant contributing factors for so many car accidents in August. Those include factors such as:

• Speeding up abruptly
• Hard braking or brake-checking
• Spending prolonged time in congested traffic – also known as idling

The break-down of these driving habits by the state show that:

• New York and Illinois drivers are most likely to accelerate their speed suddenly;
• Arizona, Georgia, and New York drivers are most likely to brake-check; and
• Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and New York drivers are most likely to be stuck in congested traffic (idling) that leads frustrated drivers to make hasty decisions.

Additionally, with the summer months come summer vacations. People are spending prolonged time in their vehicles driving to their summer getaways. Drivers become fatigued behind the wheel, which can cause delayed reactions and aggressive habits as they try to reach their destination faster. People also are more likely to stay out later at the bars with the extended daylight hours in August, leading to more drinks and poor decision-making.

Everyone knows that rush hour traffic is the worst, no matter what state you live in. But according to our data, Fridays are the worst day of the week from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon when it comes to aggressive driving. Aggressive driving habits, like hard braking and speeding up quickly, can lead to accidents from both road rage or simply not paying attention.

California and New York drivers experience congested traffic and aggressive attitudes on the road no matter what month of the year it is. Especially during the holidays, our roads are flooded with locals and tourists alike in a hurry to get where they need to be.

The experienced car accident attorneys at The Barnes Firm can help if you’ve been injured while driving. We’ve helped thousands of car accident victims with their personal injury claims throughout the United States.

Our No Fee Promise guarantees that you won’t pay a dollar unless we recover compensation that’s entitled to you. Speak with our best car accident lawyers for free by calling us today.