Were You the Victim of a Motor Vehicle Collision? Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer
The automobile is an ever-present part of our culture in the present day. In fact, according to 2014 statistics, there were almost 25 million licensed drivers in the state of California. In a state with just over 38 million people, that means over half the population may be driving on a regular basis. With so many cars and drivers on the road, auto accidents are an inescapable fact of life. This is where a skilled San Francisco Car accident lawyer can guide you.
In addition to the damage caused in an auto accident, injuries often result. These can range from relatively minor, such as bruised tissue, to major, including broken bones, traumatic brain injury, and even death. An injury in an auto accident can cause anguish, emotional anxiety, grievous bodily injury, and loss of work due to any or all of these.
Most often, it is simple carelessness or unintentional negligence that leads to auto accidents, but there are many other circumstances that can lead to a collision. These include inclement weather, defective car parts, and improperly maintained roads.
Most people who have been in an auto accident understand that the information given out by insurance companies and perpetuated by the media is not totally accurate. There are after-effects, legally and financially speaking, that insurance adjusters don’t tell you about so that they can actually make money off of your traumatic experience and personal injuries.
Every accident should be treated with the same level of severity—it doesn’t matter what it felt like or looked like at the site of the collision. This is to say that even if an accident seemed, for whatever reason, to be minor, it should be treated as a major event. Legally and medically, there is no step that goes too far in the way of precautions and post-accident care.
Are You Overwhelmed By a Car Wreck? Here’s What to Do
Contact a San Francisco car accident attorney now so that you can learn about your rights and options. Our firm handles all types of personal injury cases, including auto accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death claims, and defective product cases. We are not angry with you if someone else caused the accident. We know that accidents happen, and we believe that it is essential to work with a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer who is committed to protecting your rights rather than punishing you for not being careful.
Car accident attorneys have an entire staff of San Francisco Car Accident Lawyers ready to guide you through the process. Our paralegals can provide you with information on all aspects of how a car accident may have happened and how we can help minimize your losses. Car wreck claims in San Francisco, CA, are serious, and we take them seriously, too. We do not try to represent you when all you want is a free consultation or when you cannot afford a lawyer.
If you were hurt in a motor vehicle collision, our law firm might be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses due to the accident. We can also help if your injuries prevent you from returning to work or functioning as usual. Car wreck claims in San Francisco, CA, are serious, and we take them as seriously as we would any other injury claim.
What to Do After a Car Accident in San Francisco, CA
After an accident takes place, do not immediately leave the scene. If you do this, you could be charged with a hit and run if you injure any individuals involved. Remain at the scene until you get confirmation from the police or California highway patrol that it is okay to leave.
It is important to check the safety of all drivers and passengers involved. If someone has been seriously injured, you should call 9-1-1 so that they may receive the necessary medical attention. Also, contact the police or California highway state patrol. Until they arrive at the scene, exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers. Take down all their information and description of their vehicles and the damages that occurred.
Be cooperative and honest in answering all questions asked by the police. However, do not admit fault or guilt to any of the drivers, authorities, or insurance companies. Oftentimes, people feel disoriented or confused after an accident. Do not let these emotions affect your decision-making as you do not want to be held liable for the accident.
Immediate Steps to Take if You have met with an Accident in San Francisco City
1. Seek Medical Attention
Your first step after a car accident is to ensure you are healthy. Suppose you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident and receive emergency medical treatment. In that case, the hospital may require that you sign a release or agree to no-fault insurance coverage before releasing your medical records to an insurance company.
Contact San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer immediately if the police report does not explain why you were issued a citation for failure to yield or for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Your lack of knowledge regarding what happened may prevent us from being able to help you recover compensation quickly and efficiently.
Many people make the mistake of going home after a car crash. However, one should always seek medical attention after a car crash, whether major or minor. Even if you do not appear to have any wounds on the surface, you may have undetected injuries. After a car crash, some victims may experience internal bleeding or shock.
The most common undetected injury after being involved in a car crash is a brain injury. If you experience headaches, dizziness, or even memory loss you should visit a licensed physician immediately. In case you realize your injuries much later, you may not be able to attribute your injuries to the car crash. If this happens, you may have to carry the financial burden of the medical treatment required for your injuries.
2. Get to Safety
Once medical treatment has been received, if the accident resulted from a hit and ran, get as far away from the scene of the accident as possible. If your car is not drivable, seek shelter in a safe place where you are protected from the elements, or seek someone else to drive you home.
3. Call 911 to Report the Accident
The police report of a motor vehicle accident you eventually get may be incomplete or inaccurate. If the at-fault driver is not already gone, they may provide false information. An incorrect report can be a real problem if you are ever involved in another accident or if you ever need an accurate record of how many accidents you have been in for insurance purposes, so make sure that you give the correct information to the authorities as soon as possible.
4. Gather Evidence at the Scene
The more evidence you have when you talk to the police and an insurance adjuster, the stronger your case will be. If there are witnesses to the accident, ensure that you get their names, addresses, and phone numbers before they leave so that we can contact them. The more evidence you have, the better.
5. Avoid Immediate Settlement Offers
Some insurance companies may tell you that they will not pay your total medical bills and lost wages unless you agree to settle the case for a set amount immediately. If you agree without consulting a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer, you may sell yourself short of what the case is worth.
6. Never Leave the Scene
Never leave the scene of the accident in which you were involved. This could have legal consequences involving fines, a criminal charge, and even jail time (depending on the severity of the automobile accident). Instead, remain at the site where the accident happened and call the local police station. Only leave after exchanging information with the police, as well as the other driver(s) that shared in the accident with you.
When you leave the scene of the automobile accident (presuming you were not seriously injured and can drive away), go directly to the hospital nearest you. It is your first and foremost responsibility to take care of your health—even if it doesn’t appear that you sustained any injuries from the collision, you may have suffered internal problems and only a doctor can confirm you’re in good health.
7. Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer
San Francisco car accident lawyer is here to help you with your automobile accident case. Your attorney can also explain what you must do to preserve the evidence and keep it from being lost or destroyed by any insurance company. A San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer offers a free initial consultation, so contact us today.
By contacting a San Francisco car accident attorney immediately after an accident, you may be able to preserve a stronger case for receiving compensation for addictions, medical bills, and lost wages. The earlier you contact a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer, the more likely that our staff will be able to recover compensation for your injuries and other losses. A San Francisco car accident lawyer can help you protect your rights at every stage of the process.
What are the legal Rights or Responsibilities of a Driver? A San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer can Guide You
If you drive a car, truck, or any other vehicle on public roads and highways, there are specific legal responsibilities that you must follow. Failure to follow the law as a driver can result in severe consequences like traffic citations, which can cause your insurance rates to increase or give you traffic points on your driver’s license.
By understanding the laws of driving, you may be able to avoid problems with the law and make handling traffic violations less stressful. Here are some things that you should know about the laws and regulations of driving:
1. Seat Belt Laws
Almost every state requires drivers and passengers over 18 to wear seat belts for their safety. Many states have different ages for children, but there is no age that you can’t wear your seat belt in a vehicle.
If you ride as a passenger in a car and the driver does not have their seat belt securely fastened, you must also buckle up. If you receive a ticket for not wearing your seat belt, you may use it as evidence that the driver was not correctly following the law.
States differ on what kind of punishment drivers face for violating seat belt laws. You may receive tickets for one offense or several, depending on how long it has been since your last ticket or how many times you’ve been cited within the last five years.
2. Speed Limits and Traffic Cams
Each state has regulations regarding the maximum speed limit on any road or highway where the speed limit is above 55 miles per hour (mph). The limit also applies to highways with no posted speed limits, but the speed of traffic is lower.
It would be best if you drove at a safe speed for road and traffic conditions. If the police find you driving excessively fast, you may receive a ticket for speeding. The fines you can face for speeding can be expensive, with higher fines for exceeding the speed limit by 15-20 mph or more.
If cameras are placed on public roads to monitor speeding and traffic violations, one must mark them with signage stating that they are active cameras. It is the only way you can know if you are being videotaped. If you receive a ticket for speeding and do not have the original citation, you can ask for a transcript of the police report to verify the offense.
3. Right of Way Laws and Intersection Signs
Every intersection has two signs with different lines to mark the two different lanes of traffic. The state where you live also requires drivers to yield when approaching an intersection at a crosswalk or stop sign, turning on a red light or stop sign, going around a rotary, merging from one highway onto another, or merging from one road onto another.
4. How to Handle a Traffic Stop
If the police stop you for a traffic violation, you should always follow their instructions. If you leave your car before they ask you to, inform them that you would like to remain in your vehicle or ask if it is okay for you to move forward.
Ensure that the officer sees both of your hands on the steering wheel at all times until they tell you that they have finished with the stop. You should also keep your license and registration in plain sight so that they can see them when asked to reach for them. If it is dark outside and the police officer needs more light, roll down all of your windows instead of turning on your interior light.
What Should I Expect From my Car Accident Settlement? A San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer Can Assist in your settlement process
1. Potential Damages in a Car Accident Settlement
There are many different damages that you can receive from your settlement. Medical expenses lost wages, and pain and suffering compensation may be included in your settlement, allowing you to obtain compensation for your losses.
2. Available Damages
Unless you have suffered a catastrophic injury or death, most of the day-to-day losses you can expect in a car accident settlement are not covered by your medical insurance. The cost of your surgeries and lost wages from time off from work will have to be paid out of your settlement.
3. Injuries & Car Accident Settlements
In California, you can be compensated for pain and suffering, including emotional distress, lost wages, and future medical costs caused by a car accident. Suppose your doctor considers your injuries minor or you received only outpatient care at the hospital. In that case, you may be unable to obtain compensation for damages like pain and suffering.
4. The Severity of the Accident Impacts the Settlement
If you were injured in a car accident and the injuries are considered severe, you may be entitled to receive more compensation from the other party. If there were any witnesses to the accident or if your injuries were considered critical, you can expect to receive compensation for your damages.
Types of Car Wrecks Affecting People in San Francisco
1. Rear-End Collisions
When you are involved in a car accident with a vehicle following close behind you, the damage to your vehicle and the other driver’s vehicle can be severe. If you rear-end another vehicle or get hit from behind by an oncoming vehicle, your car may break apart. Rear-end collisions are typically the most expensive for both parties involved. The top cause of this is speeding.
The common perception of rear-end accidents is oversimplified and inaccurate. If you have never been rear-ended, then you might think this way: someone hit me; we dealt with the injuries after exchanging information, filed a run-of-the-mill police report, and now rely on California’s no-fault policy to bring us in the money we are entitled to from our respective insurance companies. Sound familiar? If this describes the way you think about rear-end crashes and the way to deal with them, then you need to continue reading. Getting into a rear-end collision is not so cut and dry.
Insurance companies, despite what you may think and what they have led you to believe, are not interested in your welfare. They are providing a service you are legally mandated to have when you own a car: vehicle insurance. They are not interested in getting you back the money that you forfeited in expenditures relating to a rear-end collision. In fact, insurance agencies usually look to profit from your accident and find you at fault so that they can up your rates.
Some Things to Remember
Getting rear-ended in a vehicle is a traumatic experience that will undoubtedly leave you mentally discomfited and scatterbrained because of how stressful the situation is and/or how injured you become as a consequence (physically, psychologically, or both).
After you are rear-ended, don’t admit any guilt to either the other driver or the police that show up at the scene. Do not leave the scene of the accident until said police permit you to, and do not go anywhere but the hospital straight after the rear-end collision.
2. Side-Swipe Collisions
If you are driving at a high-speed rate and cannot stop, you can hit another car from the side or even on the rear quarter panel. One car typically hits the other in these types of car wrecks due to poor driving and carelessness. Many auto insurance companies will pay for damages in these accidents, but only if there are no injuries or fatalities. The cause of this collision is usually speeding and distracted driving.
3. Head-On Collisions
When two cars get into a head-on collision, both cars usually stop at the impact point but may continue moving forward or backward from the collision in different directions or spin around. In these accidents, one car typically runs into another while traveling in parallel lines at high rates of speed. The cause of this car wreck is typically speeding and out-of-control driving. These accidents tend to be more severe than other types of collisions because the two vehicles are going in opposite directions at high speeds, making collisions more likely and violent.
4. T-Bone Collisions
A T-Bone car wreck is a rear-end collision with a front end, which means you are driving in one direction. When you get into an accident like this, the vehicle on your right, the driver’s side, often cannot stop quickly enough and collides with your vehicle. If injuries or fatalities occur in this type of collision, the insurance company can typically provide you with compensation. The cause of this is usually texting and driving, speeding and distraction.
Although the law places the driver’s responsibility on the road, thousands of people every year are injured or killed due to car accidents. The best way to avoid being involved in a car accident is to obey traffic laws and not speed. Car Accidents Caused by Texting: Texting while driving is one of the biggest causes of car accidents that occur regularly.
San Francisco Car Crash
With numerous drivers frequenting the road and freeways, car crashes in San Francisco are bound to happen. While determining the cause of an accident may seem simple, oftentimes it is not. Especially in cases with multiple vehicles and a variety of eyewitness accounts, it can be tricky trying to figure out what caused the accident.
Injuries after an Accident
After an accident, you should visit a licensed physician to search for any underlying injuries. Even if your injuries seem minor, there can be other injuries under the surface. These injuries include brain trauma and internal bleeding. You should especially visit a doctor if you are experiencing headaches, memory loss, and dizziness. These symptoms can be extremely grave if not treated immediately.
The Eye Can Lie – Rear End Crashes Can Be Dangerous
Rear-end crashes perpetuate the stereotype that all injuries, especially from a car accident, are discernible with the naked eye. However, this is untrue. While many injuries, like cuts and lacerations and even broken or fractured limbs, are in fact visibly noticeable and prompt victims to seek medical treatment right away, not all are. In fact, whiplash—an internal injury—is the most common and deadly health complication resulting from rear-end accidents. Go to the hospital immediately after getting rear-ended, no matter what you feel or look like.
San Francisco is an exceptionally lively city with numerous drivers and pedestrians traveling the streets. Unfortunately, car accidents occur frequently in San Francisco so it is crucial to understand the effective steps after an accident occurs.
If you are involved in an accident, you should immediately check to see if everyone involved, including all passengers, are okay. You should contact emergency help if someone seems to be seriously injured. You should also contact the police or California highway patrol to come to the scene of the accident. While waiting for them, be sure to exchange contact and insurance information with all parties involved. You will need this information when filing a claim with your insurance company.
Pacific Attorney Group At Your Service
We have been handling the San Francisco car accident law firm since 1979. Our staff is experienced and knowledgeable in all areas of motor vehicle litigation, including auto accidents and personal injury cases. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer your questions or review your case at no charge.
Payam Shayani founded Pacific Attorney Group, a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer recognized locally and nationally for his work in personal injury cases involving severe or catastrophic injuries, workplace injuries, and wrongful death.
Pacific Attorney Group handles routine case matters and complex ones involving automobile accidents, defective products, health care litigation, and construction site accidents. Cases involving chronic diseases, terminal illnesses, or catastrophic injuries require specific attention because the compensation is often much more significant than other clients may receive. Personal injury cases can require our San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer to travel to many locations throughout Northern California and sometimes even Hawaii to obtain medical records or depose witnesses to ensure a successful outcome for our clients.
A San Francisco Car Accident Attorney has won significant judgments using expert witnesses; our staff is trained in all aspects of trial preparation. We also have a full-time paralegal who can assist in preparing any paperwork necessary for the case and will answer phone calls and emails at any hour of the day. Our Firm has been reviewed favorably by legal publications such as Consumers Union and Martindale-Hubbell, the leading law firms’ rating service, as well as legal periodicals such as California Lawyer, The Recorder, and San Francisco Lawyer.
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