Hire The Best Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer

What to do After a Car Accident or Traffic Collision

Avoid immediate legal pitfalls and secure your right to win a compensation settlement. Contact our experienced Los Angeles auto accident lawyers for a free consultation, and we’ll take everything from there, while you rest and recover.

Get Immediate Medical Help

If you’ve been injured, seek medical attention immediately! This won’t only preserve your health, but it’ll give you significant leverage and proof in a personal injury claim.

Call the Police and Remember Details

An official police report is crucial for your case. Also, try to remember, or write down key details such as license plates, names, time, and any other information about the offending motorist that could help you in your personal injury case.

Contact an Accident Injury Lawyer

An experienced auto accident attorney who is well-versed in Personal Injury Law will walk you through this difficult time and thwart attempts by insurance companies to minimize your claim.

Contact us right now for your initial consultation!

Recover Personally and Financially

We’ve got this, and we’ll keep fighting on your behalf until we take everything you’re owed by insurance companies or the defendant personally. With years of experience, our super lawyers will see to it that you are taken care of and the medical costs of all injury victims are covered by the insurance company of the defendant themselves.

What NOT to do After a Car Accident

Don’t talk to insurance agents or the defendant’s lawyers, and do NOT sign anything before you hire a personal injury lawyer.

Insurance companies will try to downplay your claim, offer you a low-ball compensation offer, or trick you into admitting liability. Avoid these pitfalls by getting the help of an experienced Los Angeles and Glendale car accident lawyer with the resources, expertise, and grit to stand up to insurance adjusters and their attorneys all over California.

Don’t admit liability, to the police or to the negligent driver that caused the car crash. While you should call California state police after a car accident, you should never admit liability that can (and will) be used against you.

Don’t give or sign recorded statements of any kind, and don’t give anyone except your trusted injury lawyer or law firm access to your data and medical history. Ideally, give us a call even before the police come: we’ll help you give the most convenient witness statement with accident law in mind, and walk you through the whole ordeal from thereon.

Don’t speak to the insurance company. They’ll press for a meeting or manipulate you over the phone to admit liability or downplay the seriousness of your injuries. Get an experienced car accident attorney! We’ll come to all meetings with you and protect your claim from day one through legal counsel.

If they “kindly” offer medical advice, never accept! Insurance companies and lawyers protecting at-fault drivers can have ‘gray zone’ private deals with doctors, aimed at shorting the crash victims injury assessment after vehicle collisions. Always talk to your doctor, to qualified ER personnel, or to experts your injury attorney recommends.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Legal Courses of Action for California Car Accidents

Following your automobile accident injury and free consultation, we do some digging and research on your case to determine the best course of action. Car accident injury cases in California can have the following three modes of resolution. We’ll explain each option to you and recommend the one that has your best interests at heart:

Out of Court Settlement

This is the most resolution mechanism. The defendant and his/her insurance company will agree to pay out the agreed compensation. This route is fast and the least painless option.

Court Settlement

In some cases, it may be necessary to go to court to secure your maximum compensation. When the case calls for it, our attorneys will discuss with you the options, pros and cons of taking your car accident injury case to trial in the California court system.

Appeal

When injury cases go to court, it’s possible for either party to appeal. In this case, your previous judgment could be upheld (you win). reversed (you lose), or go to a new trial. This process could take years, which is why we always consider our clients’ need for recovery before suggesting going to court.

Types of Car Accident Injuries

Besides Physical harm, injuries lead to a whole host of sneaky, hard to quantify detriments to a victim’s quality of life. An experienced accident and injury attorney like our legal team will find ways for you to get compensation, justice, and closure for all your suffering and lost opportunities.

Physical Injuries

Severe cuts and bruises, disfigurement, impaired mobility, spinal damage, or brain injuries can permanently worsen a victim’s quality of life.

Professional legal representation in California can at least recover medical expenses and damages in compensation – and provide closure.

Economic Losses

Lost wages, reduced productivity, and long-term career impairment are all too common consequences of injury

A properly filed claim with the State of California can make the perpetrator answer for these damages, as well as immediate medical conditions and expenses.

Emotional Distress

Less obvious than physical harm, but no less serious, emotional damages like trauma or anxiety can be an incredible detriment to life quality.

It’s important to conduct thorough investigations and collect expert reports to assess the extent of distress. We have the resources to hire the best experts in California and prove your emotional distress in court, or private settlements.

Loss of Life’s Pleasures

Injuries can result in the deterioration of personal relationships, loss of consortium with a significant one, or the loss of enjoyment out of life.

An experienced injury and accident lawyer can navigate the laws of California and get compensation for these insidious types of damages, with expert reports, detailed collection of evidence, and targeted interviews.

Car Accident Statistics

Do you know that more than six million car accidents happen each year in the United States? Most car accidents involve property damage to the vehicle rather than the occupants. However, one in every three accidents involves personal injury to the passengers or driver. Two in every ten accidents result in fatal injuries. One never knows for sure when they will get into an accident. Although you may be a good responsible driver with a driver’s license and car insurance, you may encounter an irresponsible driver on the road, resulting in a car wreck.

According to a study carried out in 2020 across various states in the United States, California and Texas were established as the most dangerous cities to drive in. Car accidents may have fatal results as one may end up losing a loved one during the car accident. If you are in Los Angeles, ensure that you hire a Los Angeles car accident attorney. The attorney will provide you with guidance on how to deal with insurance companies. In case you have any legal questions related to the accident, the attorney can help you out. Here are some situations when it would be advisable to hire a personal injury attorney:

•    Your car suffered significant damage or you sustained some injuries

•    If the actions of another person contributed to the occurrence of the accident

•    The insurance company of the other drive has offered you a low-ball settlement

•    If you suffer serious or permanent injuries because of the accident

•    The negligence of an agency belonging to the government is the main cause of the accident

•    A loved one is injured fatally by the accident

Here at JT Legal Group, we are committed to representing and defending accident victims by ensuring they get the justice and compensation that they deserve. Our compassionate and professional legal team will only charge you if we win your case. Accidents bring mental, physical, financial, and emotional problems that can set you back financially for many years. Our duty is to fight for your rights and ensure that the responsible party in an accident is held accountable for their actions and that you receive fair compensation for any injuries you suffer.

We would also like to educate and inform you on various issues related to car accidents. Keep reading until the end to find out how to react after a car accident and which party is liable to insurance claims.

Causes of Car Accidents

What are the leading causes of car accidents in the U.S? Below is a list of some of the main factors that contribute to car accidents.

•    Drunk driving – the driver drives under the influence of alcohol. Drunk drivers cause car accidents every day all over the world.

•    Reckless driving- the driver does not regard any of the road or traffic rules. Reckless driving has led to the senseless loss of many innocent lives.

•    Driving while distracted- this is the main cause of accidents in the United States. A distracted driver is one who is texting, talking over the phone, arguing over the phone, or confronting someone else in the car while driving.

•    Fatigue- most car accidents as a result of fatigue occur during the night. Drowsy drivers lose control of the car and cause an accident.

•    Drugs- alcohol is not the only dangerous drug for drivers while driving. Other legal or illegal drugs may impair the judgment of the driver, which then cause an accident.

•    Car defects- a lot of car accidents occur because the brakes fail or the engine stops working. A defective car can cause a fatal accident.

•    Ignoring the red light- although movies make this seem like an edgy and brave act, it may lead to fatal results in real life. Most motor vehicle accidents caused by ignoring the red light involve powerful side-impact crashes at a high speed.

What To Do During a Car Accident

If you get into a car accident, there are several things you need to do to protect yourself. Here is a list of things that we as JT Legal Group encourage our clients to do in a car wreck:

Stop

In case you hit someone or someone else’s car, please do not drive away. Driving away could potentially put someone else’s life at risk because most drivers in hit-and-run accidents never call for help, thereby denying the victims timely medical care for whiplash. The right thing to do is to call 911 and inform them that someone may need urgent medical treatment.

Do not worry about automobile insurance claims at that moment, because fleeing an accident will make matters worse. In California, the penalty for injury caused by a hit-and-run accident is 1 year in the state prison and a fine of $1000 for fleeing. If you hit and permanently injure or kill someone then flee from the accident, you will face a penalty for death, which is 5 years in the state prison. You will also be required to pay a fine of between $1000 to $10,000.

Set Up Signs in the Scene

Protecting the scene may help prevent more accidents. Set up flares or keep the flashing lights of your car on to alert approaching cars. If the accident happed at night and maybe the car battery runs out, we recommend that you use a flashlight or torch to keep yourself safe from other vehicles on the side of the road.

Take Pictures

Taking pictures will help provide evidence of visible damage of the car to the car insurers. Most cell phones have a camera feature so you should have no problem getting access to a camera. If you also have injuries on your body that are visible, make sure you take pictures of them too. Take pictures of the airbags and any rear-end collisions. We recommend that you do this before calling the police, because when they arrive they will seal off the scene and any action you take after that may interfere with their investigation.

Call the Police and File a Car Accident Claim

Calling the police after an accident is important because you cannot file an insurance claim without a police report. Even if no one in the accident sustained serious injuries, ensure that you call the police. If your car collided with another car, do not move the vehicles after an accident. They should remain where they are as you call the police unless the vehicles are interfering with traffic.

When talking to the police, ensure that you inform the investigating officer of the exact details of the accident. If you are not sure about something, tell the police that you do not know. Speculating or giving false information to the police may put you in trouble with the law or insurers. Ensure that the statements made by other people involved in the accident are also true and accurate.

Car Accident Scenarios and the Appropriate Legal Actions to Take

Motor vehicle accidents may be caused by different scenarios. Someone may hit your car after you have parked it and another person may hit your car when you are driving. You may even find yourself a victim after someone hits your car and runs away. What would you do in these scenarios? Here is what you need to do if any of the above things happen to you.

If Someone Hits Your Parked Car

In case you leave your car safely parked only to return to the horror of rear-end collisions, we recommend that you first call 911. Many people think that 911 should only be called if there are fatal injuries, which is not the case. The investigating officer will come and write a police that documents the accident. This particular report is both necessary and significant when filing for a claim from an insurance company on the damage.

Here at JT Legal Group, we encourage our clients to activate their inner detective mode in such a scenario and collect as much information as possible. Is the party responsible of hitting your car still around? If they are, ensure that you note down the following:

•    License plate number

•    Make and model of the car

•    Insurance information (name of insurance provider and the policy number)

Make certain that you take photos of the damage done to your car and the location too. If there is any eyewitness around, take their contact information because we will need it later. Send the photos to your insurance provider and explain to them everything so that you can begin the claims process. Inform your insurance company that you intend to file a claim with the insurance company of the other party. Reach out to the other insurance company and inform them that you are filing a claim against a policyholder of theirs. You can do this process online using your phone.

If Someone Else Hits Your Car While You Are Driving

In case you are driving and someone hits your car, you should pull over immediately and get to the side of the road. Call 911 immediately and report the incident. The police will come, check if you and everyone else involved have sustained any injuries, and write a report.

If you have any injuries, kindly reach out to us because a personal injury attorney will ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve. We will also follow up on your claim to the insurance company if you are not in a position to do so yourself.

If you know anyone who recently got involved in an accident here in Los Angeles, kindly reach out to us today so we can ensure that they get their fair compensation, especially if they were injured.