Santa Ana Car Accident Lawyer
We focus 100% of our time representing injured Santa Ana residents.
Legal Representation for Car Accident Victims
Driving in Southern California has its ups and downs. On the one hand, both Pacific Coast Highway to the west of Santa Ana and California 241 to the east offer incredible views that often inspire motorists to remember what they love about living in Orange County in the first place. On the other hand, sitting in gridlock on Interstate 5 or Interstate 405 can inspire firm resolutions to move anywhere else on Earth. At its best, driving in Southern California can be moving, exciting, and freeing.
At its worst, driving in Southern California can be devastating. Far too many of the tens of thousands of fatal car crashes and far too many of the millions of non-fatally injurious auto accidents that occur annually in the U.S. happen in and around Santa Ana.
If you have recently been injured in a car accident, chances are good that you are entitled to compensation of one kind or another. California is a comparative negligence state, which means that even if you were partially at fault for the accident that caused your harm, you may be able to hold others liable for their contributions to the cause of your accident. Additionally, you may be entitled to insurance payouts from one or more insurance companies.
Finally, if you were driving for work-related reasons when you crashed, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. It isn’t always easy to know what your legal options are or how to exercise them effectively until you speak with an attorney. Our firm chooses to offer free consultations to all accident victims because we believe that everyone who has been injured due – at least in part – to another’s negligence, recklessness, or intentionally dangerous choices, deserves to understand their rights under the law.
Client-Focused Representation on Behalf of Auto Accident Victims
Our firm has developed a reputation for excellence throughout Orange County and Southern California because we pride ourselves on offering quality, comprehensive, and client-focused legal services. Our concern is not serving as many clients as we can in a day. Our concern is serving every client on our roster to the absolute best of our ability.
When you arrive for your free consultation, we will ask you questions about your accident and invite you to ask any questions you may have about your legal situation and our firm’s approach to representation. You will not be pressured to make any kind of decision, as our consultation appointments are offered with no strings attached.
Our experienced and knowledgeable legal team believes in providing victims with access to the information they need to make informed decisions. Should you choose to become a client, we will do our utmost to secure you the maximum amount of compensation to which you are owed, no matter which legal options you ultimately choose to exercise.
Determining Who Is at Fault When an Auto Accident Occurs
Only those parties whose negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous choices directly cause the injuries of accident victims can be held legally liable for harm caused by a collision. This determination of fault can only be made successfully after the cause(s) of a crash have been investigated and objectively determined. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your crash, one or multiple causes may be attributed to the collision in question. Some collisions occur due to fault-based decision-making (like speeding and impaired driving) while others are not legally actionable (such as weather conditions and the presence of a wild animal in the roadway). Many of the most common causes of car accidents in California include:
- Impaired driving – alcohol, prescription drugs, and illicit drugs
- Drowsiness
- Speeding – either exceeding posted limits or driving too fast for conditions
- Auto defects – tire issues are particularly common factors in the causation of car accidents
- Improper lane change maneuvers
- Weather – slick conditions and fog are the most common challenges faced by Orange County residents in this respect
- Road maintenance issues – governmental agencies responsible for safe road upkeep may be held responsible when the road itself causes accidents
- Tailgating
- Right of Way issues
- Aggressive driving behavior
- Distraction – may or may not include cellphone use
- Failure to use turn signals
- The presence of animals – wild animal accidents may not be legally actionable but some domestic animal accidents may be
When Injured Motorists Are Partially to Blame
If you are hesitant to explore your legal options because you believe that you may be partially at fault for your accident, you should know that California is a comparative negligence state. Unlike accident victims who reside in contributory negligence states, Californians and visitors who are injured while traveling in California, benefit from the legal theory that anyone who has been injured partially as a direct result of another’s negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous choices should remain entitled to receive compensation from those who have caused them harm.
In a contributory negligence state, accident victims are often barred from seeking compensation from others responsible for their accidents if they themselves contributed in any way whatsoever to the cause of their collisions. This means that if someone glanced at their GPS before being struck by a drunk driver, they could be barred from holding that drunk driver civilly liable because they were distracted for an instant before the collision occurred. In California, even if you were partially to blame for the cause of your accident, you should still be able to hold others accountable if they directly contributed to the cause of your injuries as a result of their negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous actions or inactions.
In the event that you are deemed partially responsible for the cause of your crash, the amount of compensation to which you would otherwise be entitled will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. Say that the value of your harm is calculated to be $100,000. If you are assigned 15 percent of the fault for your accident, you’ll still be able to seek up to $85,000 in compensation from others directly responsible for your harm.
Why Speaking with a Lawyer Before Speaking with an Insurance Agent Is Important
Insurance companies, like all other businesses, need to turn a profit in order to remain operational. As a result, their employees do what they can to protect their employers’ bottom line. Every single time that an insurance company pays an accident victim, there is a little less profit to be made from selling insurance policies. Therefore, insurance representatives do what they can to minimize the amount of compensation that accident victims receive.
If you choose to communicate with your own insurance company and/or with an insurance company that represents anyone else involved in your accident, you could unintentionally say something that could compromise the valuation of your claim. By contrast, our legal team has years of experience negotiating successfully on behalf of our clients in all insurance-related matters. We understand the tactics that insurance companies use to devalue and reject legitimate claims filed by
accident victims. Consider allowing us to negotiate effectively and efficiently on your behalf. In the meantime, refrain from communicating with insurance providers until you have received personalized legal guidance concerning your rights as an accident victim during your free consultation.
When Crashes Happen While Workers Are on the Job
If you drive a vehicle professionally or if you were engaged in work-related activities when your collision occurred, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits as a result of your injuries. Ordinary commutes aren’t usually classified as “work related” for the purposes of workers’ compensation. However, if you were running an errand for your employer or were traveling to a work-mandated function at the time of your crash, your injuries should serve as grounds for a successful workers’ compensation claim.
Chances are good that you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if you are classified as either a full-time or part-time employee of the company you work for. By contrast, if you provide work-related services for a company as an independent contractor, you are likely not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits unless your classification as an independent contractor is a mistake.
If you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, you may not directly sue your employer if your employer played any part in directly causing your injuries. This is the case because California’s workers’ compensation system limits employer liability for harm caused by work-related activities. However, if third parties other than your employer directly contributed to your harm, our firm can file a personal injury claim against those third parties simultaneously as we work to secure you a fairly valued workers’ compensation benefits award.
Preparing for Your Free Consultation
If you filed an accident report at the scene of your car accident, please bring a copy of that report to your free consultation. Additionally, if you have the names and contact information of witnesses or others involved in the accident, please bring this information along as well. Finally, if you have pictures or videos taken at the scene or discharge orders related to any medical care you received in the wake of your accident, please bring this documentation along too. The more information that we have access to at the start of your consultation, the more that we will be able to provide you with an objective, personalized assessment of your situation that you can trust. No two car accidents unfold under exactly the same circumstances. The more that we learn about your situation specifically, the better we can help you.
Note also that it can be very helpful if you and your loved ones take a little time to write down any questions that you may have in advance of your case evaluation session. Making this effort will help to ensure that you have all of the information you need to make informed decisions about insurance matters, personal injury action, and workers’ compensation claims. Too often, individuals spend a lot of their consultation time trying to remember the questions they wanted to ask. Writing down your questions proactively will help you avoid this common consultation-related challenge.
Contact Our Firm Today for a Free Case Evaluation
If you have been injured in a car accident and it is possible that another’s negligence, recklessness, or intentionally dangerous actions or inactions may have contributed to the cause of your harm, you deserve to understand the ways in which California State law protects your rights as an accident victim. Please schedule a free, risk-free, confidential consultation with our experienced legal team today to learn more.
Whether you ultimately choose to file legal action against those responsible, you are eligible to file for workers’ compensation benefits, or you simply need an effective advocate to negotiate with insurance representatives on your behalf, our firm is here to help. We look forward to speaking with you.