Fresno Personal Injury Attorney and Car Accident Lawyers

Over 40 Years of Aggregate Experience on Your Side

Have you recently suffered from a personal injury? No matter whether this stemmed from a car accident while commuting around the Fresno area or if you were victimized by a negligent doctor and are looking to file a medical malpractice claim, you do not have a moment to lose. The time following an accident can be one of the most stressful times imaginable, but it does not need to be something that you face alone. There are steps that you can take to ensure that your legal rights are protected and we at Accident Lawyers are here to help fight for you.

With over four decades of combined attorney experience, our firm has shown time and time again that we can be trusted with complex personal injury claims and lawsuits. No matter whether we are able to reach an agreeable settlement with the insurance company or whether it requires the case to be taken to court, you can trust that our firm will have the experience and resources necessary to seeing that justice is demanded on your behalf. In fact, we are proud members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum – something that less than 1% of all U.S. attorneys are a member of.

This prestigious membership truly sets us apart and is testimony to our hard work and unrelenting commitment to our clients. Over the years, we have established ourselves as true advocates for the rights of our clients. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, we were proud to recover of $5 million per year in verdicts and / or settlements. This was done by tailoring our approach to the individual circumstances of each case and doing everything that we can to ensure that our clients are given the legal assistance that they truly deserve.

Accident Lawyers: Our Areas of Practice

If you have sustained catastrophic injuries due to the negligence or reckless behavior of a third party, we encourage you to get the involvement of a Fresno personal injury lawyer from our firm as soon as possible. No matter whether you have sustained an amputation, had a child suffer from a birth injury or a loved one who suffered brain damage during an accident, you can trust that we will go the distance in our efforts to protect your legal rights and fight for maximum compensation.

Other injury cases that we can help with involve the following:

Burn injury; Broken bones; Disfiguring injuries; Loss of sight or hearing; Paralysis; and Spinal cord injury

These could have been sustained during a motorcycle accident caused by a tire blowout or could have occurred to a worker on a construction jobsite or in another form of an industrial accident. Regardless, our firm will do everything that we can to ensure that our clients have the support and guidance that they deserve to fight for your rights. From defective drugs to defective products, and even cases involving dog bites & attacks, you can trust in our firm’s ability to protect you.

Have you been injured in a car accident in Fresno?

According to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the state of California suffered from a fatality rate of 0.84 per 100 million vehicle miles travelled in 2010. This resulted in over 2,700 total traffic fatalities that year; while this was a significant drop from the 4,000 fatalities which occurred in 2006, it still a sobering statistic. Numbers such as this prove the danger drivers face every single time they get on the road. While many drivers take safety seriously, there are many who behave recklessly behind the wheel – their negligent actions often endangering not only themselves, but every other person who shares the road with them at any given time.

There are countless causes of car accidents, however, most can be attributed to some sort of human error. Take for example drunk driving. Despite the nationwide push to bring attention to this hazard on the road, there are far too many people every single year who are victimized in horrendous crashes that could have been avoided. The NHTSA reported that over 700 traffic fatalities in 2010 involved a driver who was considered to be legally impaired by alcohol with blood alcohol content (BAC) over 0.08 percent. While a decrease from the previous years, it is still not anything to take lightly.

Another common cause of human error leading to crashes involves what is known as distracted driving. While a fairly modern phenomenon, this has drawn national attention over the years for the human lives it has endangered. In fact, it is estimated that distracted drivers have been involved in crashes which resulted in over 3,000 people losing their lives nationwide in 2010 with a total of 18 percent of all injury crashes being reported to have involved some form of distracted driving. This could be anything from texting to working with a GPS system to even simply talking to other people in the car while driving.

It is for this reason that regardless of the causes that you immediately get a knowledgeable lawyer on your side to help fight for just compensation. These can be caused by human error or can even be attributed to a defective part on the vehicle itself, as it the case in automotive product liability cases. One main focus of our firm is in representing clients who have been injured in an auto accident. Clients can trust that we will go above and beyond in our efforts to protect their legal right to just compensation.

In need of a Fresno car accident lawyer? We can help!

Following an accident, many people will ask themselves, “Why hire a lawyer?” Many people will talk themselves into believing that the expense is unnecessary and that insurance companies will be cooperative – that they don’t need legal representation when they can achieve the same results on their own. Don’t let yourself get trapped into this line of thinking. Insurance companies are just that – companies. They are only worried about the bottom dollar and will do everything that they can to increase profit, including denying claims and settling for far below the value of the case. We will fight for you. No matter whether you were personally injured or if you lost a loved one to a wrongful death, you can be confident in the ability of our firm to provide you with high-quality and reliable legal assistance. To learn more about our firm can help, do not hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-358-9617 or use our online case evaluation form to message us directly.

Do Insurance Companies Limit Car Accident Payouts in Fresno?

Sometimes car accident victims suffer disastrous injuries, in which case they should be compensated from the at-fault driver. However, in many cases, given that the responsible party’s insurance company is the one to reward the compensation, like many insurance companies, the insurance company may be driven by their goal to save money rather than what the victim is due, which often results in the victim being reimbursed less than what their actual injuries call for.If a loved one or yourself suffers from car accident injuries, you may wish to file a claim against the responsible party. However, prior to doing so, it is best that you understand the limitations on car accident payouts regarding California state laws.

Car Insurance Rules and Regulations for California Drivers

Auto insurance is taken into consideration following an accident. The maximum payout you receive depends on the policy coverage, whether your claim is filed under the other driver’s policy or your own.

The least amounts issued for liability in a car insurance policy are as follows:

• $ 5,000 for damage to property
• $15,000 for a single individual’s injury or death
• $30,000 for multiple individuals injury or death
• In the state of California, drivers are not required to carry uninsured or under-insured insurance coverage; therefore, many drivers may be at risk of assuming their own financial responsibility after an accident.

Limitations on Car Accident Payouts in Fresno

Fresno’s statute of limitation determines whether you are eligible to file a claim or not. Under the statute of limitations, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim. In addition, you must file your initial complaint with the proper branch of the civil court system.

California law also places limits on car accident payouts. For instance, under state law, most uninsured drivers are not eligible to recover non economic pain and suffering damages, even if the other driver was responsible for the accident. However, an uninsured driver is eligible to recover non economic damages if the other driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, and provided they were issued a DUI in relation to the accident.

Non economic damages include pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement, and the inconvenience of being in an accident has caused.

Understanding Insurance Company Car Accident Payouts

In addition to the limitations set by the statute of limitation and California law, it is important to note that insurance companies also limit their car accident payouts.

Remember, insurance companies are in business to make profits; therefore, each time a payout is made, it limits their profits. When a policy holder pays their car insurance premium, about 3% of it goes towards profits, which means profits are made when insurance companies save on claim settlements.

Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in California

As a car accident victim, you already have three strikes against you when attempting to recoup damages; therefore, you need a personal injury attorney who understands these limitations and will work hard on your behalf to get you the compensation you deserve.

A good personal injury lawyer can foresee many obstacles that you may not be aware of on your own. For example, even if it is clear that the other driver is at-fault, their insurance company may accept responsibility for your medical expenses and damage to your car, but will haggle you on paying for the inconvenience of the accident.

Furthermore, even if you are in a car accident and the losses are minimal, such as minor injuries, slight damage to your car, or you only missed a few days of work, you are still eligible to file a claim.

In the event you have sustained significant injuries, the at-fault’s insurance company may argue that you share some, if not all, fault in the accident. They may even try to use past medical conditions against you to try to discredit your claim and avoid making a payout.

If you or a loved one has been in a car accident and would like to file a claim, contact a personal injury lawyer who is well-trained in California law and the many tactics insurers will go through to avoid reimbursing you what you are due.

Accidents Involving Out-of-State Drivers

What to do if you were injured in a car accident in which an out-of-state driver was at fault

If you were involved in an accident, no matter who’s at fault, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Sometimes, what seems like minor injuries at the time of the accident can progress into major injuries if not addressed immediately.

Within the next few days following your accident, you should contact your insurance company, then adhere to their instructions as to what information they need to process your claim. During this time, it is strongly recommended that you do not sign any papers related to your injuries, no matter how insignificant they appear, without consulting your personal injury attorney.

Even if your injuries in the accident were minor, do you really need a personal injury attorney?

Though your injuries were minor, you will still be dealing with an insurer that insured a resident an auto insurance policy in a different state, which carries its own issues.

Auto insurance policies are issued in compliance with the motor vehicle laws and insurance of the state in which the policy holder resides. These laws may differ from California laws, even though the civil laws of California will dictate how your case will progress through the courts. Therefore, unless you are well-trained in the insured’s state laws in addition to California laws, it may be in your best interest to hire an attorney who is to avoid excessive paperwork and confusion generated by your claim.

What to expect as your case progresses through the system

Upon hiring a personal injury lawyer, he or she will contact all other parties involved with the case so that all details involving your case will be directed to him or her.

Your lawyer will also ensure that your insurance company fulfills the details of your policy, such as representing you at any required court appearances, repairing or replacing your car, or covering your medical bills.

In addition, your insurance company will want to be reimbursed for its costs related to your claim at which time they will go after the at-fault driver’s insurance company; however, you may be asked to provide additional information regarding the accident. You may also be required to file a claim against the other driver. Your attorney will handle these pleas for you as well as offer guidance concerning your obligations in these circumstances.