Van Nuys Car Accident Lawyers

Car Accident Causes

• Speeding is the primary cause of vehicle accidents. Traveling at unsafe speeds decreases a driver’s ability to control the vehicle along curves and while turning; speeding makes it difficult to slow down or stop when necessary. While states differ on their maximum speed for certain areas, all states expect drivers to maintain safe speeds based on the locale, the traffic, the weather and the road conditions regardless of the posted limit.
• Drunk driving, or alcohol-related driving behavior, has two classifications according to law: Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Drunk driving holds the highest rate of fatalities in car accidents in the U.S. at nearly one-third of the total deaths.
• Cell phone use is quickly rising as one of the top causes of vehicular crashes. Approximately 26 percent of all crashes involve cell phone use, whether it is from talking on the phone or texting. California law prohibits drivers from using cell phones while driving.

Common Injuries Caused by Auto Accidents

Car accidents can range from severe to minor. Even a minor accident with no discernible damage to either vehicle can cause an injury. Soft tissue damage is easily dismissed as “soreness” while other injuries may not appear for days or weeks after the accident. Seeking immediate medical attention after any accident is important, regardless of whether you think you are injured or not. Accurate and thorough medical records are essential to proving injuries were sustained from the accident.

• A concussion or other brain trauma can occur whether you hit your head or not. Any time your brain is jostled within your skull, bruising or other damage can occur. These types of conditions are not easily detected at the scene of the accident and can take hours or days to present.
• Whiplash or back injuries are common in both minor and severe car accidents. The sudden impact can be jarring to the soft tissue around the neck and can unseat the vertebrae in the back. The muscles around the injured site can swell, causing the injury to go undetected initially. This can cause chronic pain to the victim.
• Broken bones, especially ribs, can have a damaging effect on the lungs and other organs if not treated correctly. Let the emergency room or your physician know that you were involved in a car accident so they can prescribe x-rays to be taken.
• Psychological trauma is perhaps the most difficult damage to heal after an accident. The affects of the accident can happen immediately or they can be delayed, making them difficult to relate to the accident. It can disrupt normal life activities and relationships. Even if you feel you or a loved one are “okay” after the accident, it is ideal to note any differences in behavior after an accident.

Seat Belt Myth
It is undisputed that seat belts can save lives. However, insurance companies and defense lawyers often try to reduce their client’s responsibility by citing failure to wear a seatbelt as a cause or contributing factor for injuries. There are many injuries that occur during car crashes that would have occurred or been worse if the injured were wearing their seatbelt. It is important to have knowledgeable experts helping you to prove the seat belt was not a factor in the injuries sustained in the accident.

Negligence
If the accident included negligence on someone else’s part, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The accident could have been caused by a defective car part, improper property maintenance at a railroad crossing, or even from a negligent driver in whose car you were traveling in. Negligent parties in a car accident are responsible for all damages, and in some cases, the negligent party also may be responsible for paying punitive damages. While money will not take away the pain and suffering after an accident, it will help reduce the financial stress associated with long-term recovery or the loss of a loved one.

Passenger Liability
In California, passengers in a vehicle accident are generally not held liable for their injuries. The exceptions are if they contributed to the accident by distracting the driver or if they knowingly “assumed the risk” by riding with an intoxicated driver. It is important for passengers to obtain the information about the accident on their own instead of relying on the driver of the vehicle to provide the information to you. That independent information can help you receive compensation for your injuries.

Compensation

Often people only consider the immediate medical bills from the car accident. However, medical bills can accumulate over time with long-lasting injuries. If you are injured by a speeding vehicle, a drunk driver, a distracted driver or for any other negligent reason, you may receive compensation for your injuries.

You may also be awarded compensation called “damages”. This legal term includes:

• Lost income
• Lost earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Decreased quality of life
• Loss of consortium

Valley Accident Lawyers – Aggressive Car Accident Lawyers in Van Nuys

Most car accidents are avoidable. Receiving a fair and reasonable settlement from insurance companies is rare. The experienced attorneys at Valley Accident Lawyers have been working with victims of automobile accidents for more than thirty years to get them the compensation they need and deserve.

Each case receives a thorough examination to determine the best course of action for our client. We use expert witnesses to reconstruct the accident scenes and to identify all parties responsible for the accident, including any manufacturers of defective parts or negligent property owners that may have contributed to the accident. We also request reports from economists and accountants to calculate lost earnings and subpoena cell phone records in cases where cell phone use was a potential cause. Our lawyers do everything they can to help victims, and their families recover from the traumatic event.

If you or someone you love was injured or killed in a car accident, call the attorneys at Valley Accident Lawyers for a free consultation. We will review your potential case and advise you of your legal rights.

Van Nuys Car Accident Attorneys Also Specialize in Cell Phone Accidents

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