Our Richmond Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You
Dangerous Intersections in Richmond 
Richmond had a population of about 116, 448 people in the 2020 census, making it the second largest city in Contra Costa County by population and the 54th in California.
According to the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) by SafeTREC, one person in every 10,000 residents of Richmond died in a traffic collision in 2019.
In total, ten people were killed, and about 786 others were injured in the 588 car collisions that were recorded that year. Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists were involved in most of the crashes.
The report also shows that for all car accidents recorded in that year, broadside and rear-end collisions were the most prevalent. The report says there were 188 broadside crashes and 165 rear-end collisions. These types of accidents usually happen at intersections and may be triggered by failure to observe traffic light signals and stop signs at the intersections or drivers failing to notice slowing traffic ahead of them.
Commuters in Richmond are advised to watch out for possible dangers at the following intersections where traffic collisions are most likely to happen;
South 49th Street and Cutting Boulevard
80 Freeway and Cutting Boulevard
Hilltop Drive and I-80 Off-ramp
Should I File a Lawsuit?
Car accidents take a significant emotional and physical toll on the victim. A car crash can leave you with fatal injuries and financial hardships. Therefore, if you are involved in an accident, you should not hesitate to file a claim to pursue the compensation you deserve with the help of a Richmond car accident lawyer.
According to the law, crash victims should not suffer losses and damages due to an accident caused by another negligent driver. You should avoid delays in filing a lawsuit, even if negotiations with the insurer are ongoing. You will risk losing the right to file a case if you wait too long.
Car accidents claim are complex, and thus consider hiring a Richmond car accident attorney. A Richmond car accident lawyer will use the right strategies to get fair compensation and help you understand what to expect. A skilled lawyer will help you gather evidence and prepare you to refute any allegations that you violated any rule.
What Types of Compensation Are Available for Car Accident Claims?
If you can prove you are not liable for the crash, you are entitled to compensation for emotional distress, pain, property damage, lost wages, and medical bills. You are also compensated for reduced quality of life, disability, and disfigurement.
Why Should I Hire Pacific Attorney Group – Accident Lawyers?
Obtaining adequate compensation to cover all the losses and damages is not easy if you try to do it yourself. A Richmond car accident lawyer discourages car accident victims from negotiating with insurance companies without an attorney because insurers use bullying tactics.
Pacific Attorney Group offers a high-quality, individualized legal representation. With seven decades of legal experience, the Pacific Attorney Group has the skills and resources to handle complex claims and demand justice on your behalf. A Richmond car accident lawyer understands the strategy used by the insurance company. The law firm has competent and licensed accident lawyers who can help you get fair compensation.
With extensive experience and knowledge of the relevant laws, the accident lawyers at Pacific Attorney Group provide a strong defense in different cases through multiple approaches to meet the needs of different clients.
Pacific Attorney Group works on a contingency basis, meaning you will only charge after winning the case. Charging after winning a case ensures that the accident lawyer goes the extra mile to achieve the best outcome.
Besides, the Pacific Attorney Group offers free and confidential consultation and allows clients to ask questions about the firm’s services and unclear areas of their case.
What should you do After a Car Accident?
A car accident is an overwhelming experience particularly when victims sustain injuries. Seek medical care after a car accident for a thorough assessment. Some injuries are not obvious immediately after an accident, so do not assume you are ok. Some symptoms, including concussion and whiplash, are not obvious immediately; hence you should seek a doctor’s appointment. Besides, seeking medical attention is key to building an accident claim by providing documentation of your injuries.
Hire an experienced lawyer to help you both mentally and financially. At Pacific Attorney Group, competent a richmond car accident attorney can help you secure financial compensation when a negligent driver crashes your car.
You should contact a richmond car accident attorney after an accident to ensure that the liable driver’s insurance company gives you the compensation you deserve. The negligent driver’s insurance company responsible for the accident will likely contact you. They will try to admit fault to trick you into giving some information that they may use to reduce your claims.
Additionally, you should exchange crucial information with the other driver involved after an accident, including names, licenses, and insurance details. These details will be helpful when you report the incident to your insurer and contact an accident lawyer.
How Do I Prove the Other Driver was Liable?
There are various investigation methods that your Richmond car accident attorney will use to collect appropriate evidence and prove that the offending driver was liable for the accident and your injuries. Proving that the other driver did something reckless that caused the clash is often difficult but is most important. Reckless acts may include speeding, following too closely, not observing traffic lights, mobile phone usage, and driving while intoxicated. Your Richmond car accident attorney will use the following methods to prove liability to the offending driver;
• Police officer’s report. If police responded to your accident and wrote a report with details of what happened, you’re a Richmond car accident lawyer will get a copy of the report which will be pivotal to proving the other driver’s liability
• Videos and photos will significantly help your Richmond car accident lawyer if your case goes to trial.
• Interview eye-witnesses to gain more information on what happened. Your richmond car accident lawyer can also call the eye-witnesses to in court.
• Working with accident experts who can unravel the accident scene by seeing physical evidence like property damage and tire marks.
Finally, to prove damages, your Richmond car accident attorney will use medical records, treatment bills, expert testimonies, and earning statements.
Auto Accident Stats in Richmond, CA
Car wrecks occur daily in Richmond, mostly due to the negligence of some drivers. Richmond reported a total of 2,949 crashes from 2015 to 2020. A total of 4,042 people were injured, and 52 lost their lives. Rear-end accidents accounted for 28.18 of these accidents, followed by Broadside (24.47%) and sideswipe crashes (12.41%).
According to California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), 584 crashes occurred in Richmond in 2019. Ten people lost their lives, and 779 sustained some injuries. Overall, in 8% of the accidents, people were severely injured, and visible injuries were reported in 22% of the crashes. Broadside accidents were the most common type of collision, followed by rear-end and sideswipe collisions. Unsafe speed, improper turning, and failure to give the right of way were the main causes of the accidents.
What to do immediately after an accident in Richmond?
Take the following steps while at the scene immediately after the accident:
1. Examine yourself for any injuries. Immediately you come to a stop, check if you, your passengers, and the other vehicles are injured. In case you see bone or blood, call 911 immediately. If the vehicle is damaged in a manner that you cannot get out, remain in that position until emergency services arrive.
2. Move your vehicle to a safe location. Moving your vehicle out of danger will help prevent any further collisions. Even if you did not cause the accident, do not drive away to avoid incurring ‘hit and run’ charges.
3. Call Richmond police officials. Police will review video surveillance, take pictures and gather facts to assign liability. A police accident report is a very important document that verifies that an accident occurred, the location it occurred, and the people involved and may also include a damage assessment. Be cooperative and provide the Richmond officers with any information that they request.
4. Gather evidence. Whether a police officer is present or not, gather information from the other driver including the driver’s name, license number, vehicle plate number, email and phone number, insurance carrier, and insurance policy number. You can also capture eyewitness details and any other details in the scene.
5. Call a tow truck. A tow truck service will be essential if you suspect it is unsafe to drive your vehicle.
How much will it cost?
Hiring a richmond car accident lawyer will not cost you anything upfront. The law firm’s legal fee is the amount of money it charges you after winning the case. You will not pay anything if the accident lawyer loses the case and fail to recover money for you. Besides, you will not pay anything until the case is over and the firm collects money from the defendant or the insurance company. The contingency fee for a car accident is one-third of the damages recovered if your lawyer manages to help you get compensation through direct negotiation with the insurance company or defendant. You will pay 40% if the law firm takes the case through trial and judgment. Your lawyer incurs expenses while filing a lawsuit, including taking depositions, court fees, gathering medical records, and meeting witnesses. You will only pay for these expenses when the firm wins the case, and you receive your money.
Handling your car-related issues after an accident
Handling car-related issues after an accident are frustrating. Your car may need some repairs. Assess the damage to your car without ignoring the few dents or scratches because the crush may have caused some issues to the internal parts. Report to your insurance company. Your insurer may ask you to submit an estimate of the necessary repairs depending on the damage severity. The insurer pays damages based on the value of your car and policy limits. In a devastating crash, repairing the car may be uneconomical; hence insurance firm declares the vehicle totaled, recalls your car, and pays you the actual cash value. However, insurance companies are crafty and may avoid compensating you wherever possible. Consider seeking help from a richmond car accident attorney to protect your rights.
Who will pay for your rental car after an accident in Richmond?
An accident can leave you without a car making your daily tasks difficult. On top of other costs associated with the accident, you may not have sufficient money to pay for a rental car out of pocket. Luckily, you have a chance of getting a rental car at no cost. In Richmond, you can opt for rental car coverage in your insurance policy. Not all insurance companies include rental reimbursement coverage, and thus you should check with your insurer to include it. With rental reimbursement coverage, the insurer will meet the cost of renting a vehicle after a crash regardless of who was liable. If the other driver were liable for the accident, your insurer would be compensated financially for paying for your rental car by the at-fault insurance company. Rental coverage is limited, and thus you should check the daily limit. You will be required to clear the balance with out-of-pocket money if you choose an expensive rental car. If your policy does not cover rental coverage but you have comprehensive coverage, the insurance company will pay for your rental car in the event of an unexpected crash.
If your insurance does not provide rental reimbursement coverage, the other option you can use is the negligent motorist’s insurer to cover. After filing a claim, the insurance company will provide you with a rental car. However, this option may take long before the at-fault insurance firm gives you a rental car, especially if you do not have adequate legal representation. A richmond car accident attorney can help you get a rental car from an insurance company faster.
How may social media posts harm a car accident claim?
Posting on social media often ruins a car accident victim their legal personal injury claim. Your social media platforms are one of the places that insurance companies look for proof to underrate your car accident claim. Defense attorneys and insurance companies try finding a way to twist your social media post to their advantage. They may interpret lighthearted statements as an admission of guilt.
A simple social media post could also immediately destroy confidentiality thus jeopardizing the success of your claim and reducing the monetary compensation you will receive. A social media post may also be an opportunity for the insurance company to question your injuries and argue that you were not hurt or that the extent of your injuries is not as severe as you claim.
Posting contradictory information to the official statements you already shared is also highly destructive. You should refrain from posting anything until your car accident claim is successful.
Which criteria are used to determine the individuals to be held responsible in a multi-vehicle car accident?
Crashes that involve three or more cars are not only chaotic but hard to prosecute because they involve a chain of events. Multi-vehicle accidents are unique with a complicated process in assigning liability. It is not easy, like in a two-vehicle crash, to determine the driver to blame because the behavior and actions of drivers in between may be due to negligence by another motorist.
The first thing in determining fault in a multi-car pileup is identifying the driver who initially caused the crash. The driver who was first to violate the rules is likely to be held liable. The negligent driver’s actions caused other cars around them to be involved in the accident. Although one driver could be liable for a multi-wreck crash, the actions of other motorists involved in the accident could have contributed by driving while distracted, failing to adjust speed, or following too close. Therefore, an investigator will conduct a thorough assessment of the scenario and review each factor to make a fair decision for all parties involved. Other drivers and bystanders may claim that the driver who started the domino effect is liable, but this is not always accurate. Hiring a committed, skilled, and experienced richmond car accident attorney can minimize your fault in a multi-vehicle accident.