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What to Do After a Car Accident that Isn’t Your Fault

It is unfortunate, but car accidents happen all the time. In fact, there are well over 150,000 car accidents each year in the state of California alone. It is always a good idea to know in advance what to do in a car accident that isn’t your fault. If you have recently been in an accident and feel lost, this information will help you.

Gather Evidence

While still at the scene of the accident, you should gather as much evidence as you can to substantiate your case. Pictures of property damage, injuries, and the environment around the scene of the accident are all important for determining fault and how an accident occurred. You should also gather names and contact information for other drivers and any witnesses, as well as tow truck drivers, officers, and first responders on the scene. You will also need the other driver’s information such as license number, plate number, and insurance information. [Read more…] about What to Do After a Car Accident that Isn’t Your Fault

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Why You Need to Act Quickly After a Personal Injury Accident

When you are in an auto accident, slip and fall accident, work accident, or other personal injury incident, you need to act quickly to make sure that you protect your right to compensation. Putting off talking to an attorney is one of the worst things that you can do. Here is why you need to act quickly after a personal injury accident and what actions you should take first.

Statute of Limitations

You need to make sure that you file and complete your personal injury case within two years from the date of injury. California state law requires personal injury cases to reach completion by this date. Personal injury cases can sometimes drag out for months, and the clock starts as soon as you are injured. This is why it is important to contact an attorney immediately after your accident. [Read more…] about Why You Need to Act Quickly After a Personal Injury Accident

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Three Things the Insurance Company Will Try and When to Contact an Attorney

If you have been in a personal injury accident of any kind, chances are you are dealing with an insurance company. Most types of accidents such as auto accidents, slip and fall accidents, and workplace accidents involve some type of insurance company that mediates between the parties and determines the compensation that you will receive for your injuries. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to get out of paying claims, or paying less than you deserve. Here are three things the insurance company might try.

Claiming Negligence

The insurance company may try to claim that you were also negligent, and that your negligence led to the accident. If they try to claim this, it will become your duty to provide evidence to the contrary. Sometimes the fault for an accident rests with both parties. But far more often, one party’s negligence is the key factor. An attorney will be able to fight with the insurance companies on your behalf and help you prove your case. [Read more…] about Three Things the Insurance Company Will Try and When to Contact an Attorney

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How Contingency Payments Work in Personal Injury Cases

You may have heard from friends, family, or even the internet that you don’t have to pay anything to a lawyer up front for a personal injury case. In some instances, this is true. Many attorneys that take personal injury cases do so on contingency. But what exactly does contingency mean, and how does it work?

What It Means for an Attorney to Work on Contingency

When an attorney works on contingency, it means that they do not get paid unless you do. This gives the attorney great incentive to work hard on your case to win a good settlement or win at a jury trial. Before the attorney takes your case, they will evaluate it to determine the likelihood of winning a good settlement or trial outcome. If they deem your case worthy, they will set a percentage that you must pay out of your settlement or trial award. [Read more…] about How Contingency Payments Work in Personal Injury Cases

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Three Reasons Your Personal Injury Case Might Go to Trial

When you have a personal injury accident of any kind, what you want most is to settle things quickly. The stress of coping with a personal injury case can sometimes slow down your healing and ability to recover from the accident. Typically, about 90 to 95 percent of all personal injury cases are settled out of court. Yet in some cases, these cases are not quickly resolved. There are several reasons that your personal injury case could go all the way to court without an agreed settlement.

Unable to Reach a Settlement

Most of the time when you have a personal injury case, there is an insurance company involved that is working on settling the case out of court. It is expensive for insurance companies to go to trial, so they will often try their best to award you a settlement that you can accept. However, insurance companies have limits, and so do the policies in which they abide by. If your damages are more than the policy limits in question, or more than the insurance company is willing to pay, you might have to go to trial. [Read more…] about Three Reasons Your Personal Injury Case Might Go to Trial