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Experienced Car Accident Lawyers in Los Angeles
Being in a car accident is usually a very confusing and devastating experience. Moreover, it could leave long-lasting consequences and negatively affect your earning potential and the quality of your life if you don’t get compensation for your injuries and damages in a timely manner.
In fact, driving a car in Los Angeles comes at a serious risk for your health and well-being, as the city accounts for the highest number of car accident injuries and deaths in California.
Fact: every year, over 220,000 people all across California sustain injuries in motor vehicle accidents. Fact #2: car accidents in the state account for nearly 10% of all injuries and deaths that occur in the U.S.
Only a car accident attorney in Los Angeles can help you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries, damages and losses sustained in an auto accident. By not being legally represented by a skilled team of attorneys from a trustworthy and affordable law firm, you risk turning your post-car crash life into a complete chaos.
Collecting evidence of the other driver’s negligence, obtaining the police report and countless medical reports, learning hundreds of legal terms that make zero sense, negotiating with your insurance company and the insurer of the other parties involved in the motor vehicle accident, reporting the car crash to the DMV, talking to witnesses and documenting their accounts, identifying possible pitfalls in your car accident claim,preparing a formal complaint, filing a lawsuit… and the list goes on and on.
It does seem like a lot to handle all by yourself, especially when you’re a victim of a road accident, injured and traumatized, angry at the at-fault motorist, and exhausted from having to jump through so many bureaucratic hurdles to get the compensation that you truly deserve.
Here at Kristensen Law Group, our best auto accident attorneys in Los Angeles will handle everything on your behalf and in your best interest while you focus on your recovery, return to work as soon as possible and continue to live your life to the fullest again.
Should I get an attorney for a car accident?
Totally. More often than not, victims of road accidents choose not to hire a car accident attorney if they have been in a minor car crash involving little to no injuries.
But not being represented by a motor vehicle attorney may result in an unfair insurance claim settlement, as insurers in Los Angeles tend to minimize the cost of property damage in car accidents. Not to mention that insurance companies have their own teams of experienced lawyers, who will take advantage of the fact that you don’t have an auto accident attorney by your side, and will attempt to squash your case.
Whether you were or weren’t injured, the importance of getting an attorney for a car accident is crucial, as you will need someone who knows the legal system as the back of their hand, and you need them acting on your behalf to:
- Collect sufficient evidence and determine liability;
- Establish all sources for recovery;
- Assess the full value of your injuries and damages to prevent your insurance company from trying to feed you with an inadequate settlement amount;
- Negotiate with your insurer to get every dollar available in your case;
- Conduct all communication with all the parties involved in a car crash;
- Maximize your settlement claim by taking all factors in consideration;
- Prepare a formal complaint and, if necessary, file a lawsuit;
- Represent you outside and in court and present evidence in a way that resonates with juries and judges.
Keep in mind that insurance companies take advantage of the fact that the vast majority of road accident victims are ignorant when it comes to the law. Handling a car accident is more than just filing forms and expecting compensation to fall into your lap.
It’s imperative to have a viable plan in mind when handling a car accident claim. And this is exactly what our car accident attorneys in Los Angeles here at Kristensen Law Group have to offer. Our lawyers give a free consultation to all those who have suffered injuries in motor vehicle accidents in LA and all across California, and those whose vehicle and property have been damaged as a result of someone else’s negligence.
We don’t charge any upfront fees and are focused on obtaining the maximum compensation on your behalf. We only get paid if you win a settlement or verdict. That’s how we roll.
For victims of car crashes who have been severely injured, our car accident lawyers offer a special treatment. We will come to your house or hospital to discuss the most optimal legal options available in your case and start working on your case as soon as possible.
What are the most common types of motor vehicle accidents?
No matter in what type of car accident you’ve been injured, we will represent you and fight for you in court like we would for a family member regardless of what car you drive, how much you earn and who the other driver is. We don’t care if it’s a politician, actor, millionaire, zillionaire, or Mickey Mouse. We offer dependable representation in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Car accidents;
- DUI accidents;
- Hit-and-run;
- Truck accidents;
- Motorcycle and bicycle accidents;
- Pedestrian accidents;
- Single-vehicle accidents;
- Multiple-vehicle collisions; and
- Many other accidents.
There are many different types of vehicle collisions in California, and our best Los Angeles car accident lawyers have unparalleled experience in handling all types of road accidents out there, including but not limited to:
- High-speed collisions;
- Low-speed accidents;
- Head-on collisions;
- Rear-end crashes;
- T-bone or cross-traffic collisions;
- Parking lot accidents; and
- Other types of car accidents
What are the most common causes of car accidents in Los Angeles?
The causes of car accidents in Los Angeles differ from one case to another, but our award-winning car accident attorney in Los Angeles, John Kristensen, outlines the following as the most common causes of road crashes in the city and all across California:
- Drunk driving (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs);
- Distracted driving (in most cases involving a cell phone);
- Speeding;
- Reckless or aggressive driving (road rage);
- Disregard traffic rules or signage;
- Running red lights;
- Poor road conditions;
- Weather conditions (rain, ice, snow, fog);
- Unsafe lane changes;
- Improper turns;
- Tailgating;
- Wrong-way driving;
- Fatigued driving (especially involving sleep-deprived truck drivers).
What to do after a car accident: Your step-by-step guide by lawyers
Only a handful of Americans know what to do after a car accident – and those few most likely learned it the hard way after becoming victim of a motor vehicle accident in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California.
Our Los Angeles car crash attorney here at Kristensen Law Group has provided you with this step-by-step guide on what to do after a motor vehicle accident to maximize compensation for your injuries and damages:
- Call paramedics and make sure all the injured receive proper medical care. Those with severe injuries may need to be hospitalized.
- Step away from the car accident wreckage, as the risk of motor vehicles catching fire or exploding should never be eliminated, especially if there’s are fuel leaks, flames and combustibles at the scene of the car crash.
- Call the cops and ask them to write a detailed police report, which you will later use in your car accident claim and property damage claim to get compensation for your injuries and damages. We’ve seen this numerous times, which is why our car accident attorney in Los Angeles warns you against making any statements that may sound like you’re admitting fault.
- Be your own investigator. Don’t rely solely on the police report, as cops may not include every tiny detail about the car crash. And every bit of evidence of the other party’s negligence is critical for the success of your car accident claim. Take notes, take photographs, record videos focusing on the car wreckage, skid marks, and everything relevant to the accident.
- Get the names, addresses, phone numbers, license information and other info of all the parties involved in the motor vehicle accident.
- Write down the other drivers’ insurance company information and their insurance policy.
- Hire a Los Angeles auto accident attorney to get a free consultation. Our best lawyers in California will help you find a qualified doctor who will treat your injuries, assess the full value of your injuries and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological, economic and non-economic as well as short-term and long-term damages – and properly document everything. Our qualified physicians will not charge any fees until you’ve recovered injury compensation through a verdict or settlement.
- Secure contact information of all witnesses, if there are any. Obtaining witness accounts is one of the most important elements of proving the other party’s negligence and winning maximum compensation for your injuries and damages.
- Don’t call your insurance company right away. It’s critical that you speak to a Los Angeles motor vehicle lawyer prior to filing a car accident claim or even reporting the car crash to your insurer. The last thing you’d want is your insurance company dispatching adjusters and investigators to review your claim and attempt to minimize the cost of your claim based on a biased investigation.
Our car accident lawyers in Los Angeles here at Kristensen Law Group, will conduct an independent and fair investigation of your claim to override the insurer’s unfair evaluation and, subsequently, maximize compensation for your injuries and damages.
What types of unfair insurance claim practices are there?
If you’re wondering, “When should I report the car accident to my insurance company?” be warned that it’s never advised to speak to your insurer before you get a free consultation from a road accident lawyer.
More often than not, insurance companies in Los Angeles attempt to significantly reduce the value of your personal injury and property damage claim through a combination of various unfair insurance claim practices. It’s not unheard of when insurance companies leave their policyholders no option but to accept low-pay initial settlement offers.
But don’t be fooled. Insurance companies never prioritize your best interest, all they care about is making a profit from your insurance policy. Speaking from our own experience, our best Los Angeles car accident attorneys have seen the most common types of unfair insurance claim practices employed by insurers:
- Conducting a biased investigation to make it look as if you deserve less than you initially expected;
- Misrepresenting facts or policy provisions;
- Offering an unreasonably small settlement amount;
- Not answering your calls or car accident claim requests to stall for time;
- Delaying the investigation or payment that you were promised.
- Requiring you to fill out an absurd amount of papers.
Here at Kristensen Law Group, we have taken on both small and big name insurance companies in Los Angeles and all across California. We’ve helped our clients recover tens of millions of dollars over the years.
Insurance companies aren’t your friends. If you don’t believe us, hire an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney to assess the full value of your claim, and then compare it to the settlement offer brought by your insurer. The difference will be astronomical, as it is in over 97% of cases.
How to determine negligence in a motor vehicle accident?
In California, negligence is determined under the legal doctrine of “comparative negligence.” What it means is that the actions of each and every party involved in a car accident will have to be investigated in order to determine liability and assign a certain amount of fault for the accident to all negligent parties.
Therefore, as a victim of a motor vehicle accident, you will be able to sue the other motorist(s) involved in the collision based on the percentage of damages assigned to them.
In many cases, your compensation may be reduced by a certain percentage (%) of negligence if you were at least partly responsible for causing the accident or your actions or inaction in any way contributed to the cause. For example, if your vehicle’s speed exceeded the allowed maximum at the time of the collision – and the other driver was overly intoxicated and slammed into your car – your compensation may be reduced by 10% or 20%, depending on the amount you are deemed at fault for the accident.
Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers explain that while the doctrine of “comparative negligence” in California makes determining liability fairer to all and allows to punish all negligent parties for contributing to a car crash, many take advantage of the doctrine to evade responsibility and shift the blame on other motorists.
Don’t let this happen to you. Motorists who are represented by lawyers will do whatever it takes to reduce the amount they were negligent in a car accident. That’s why hiring an attorney is your best strategy to NOT ONLY prevent dishonest LA drivers, their lawyers and insurance companies from trying to put the blame on you, but also maximize compensation for your injuries and damages by finding sufficient evidence that actually DECREASE the amount you were negligent in a road accident.
How can attorneys help me get compensation for my injuries and damages?
Under California laws, you’re entitled to compensation for not only your physical injuries, but also psychological and emotional injuries.
Psychological, mental and emotional trauma can have long-lasting effects and result in anxiety, depression, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental issues, all of which may require expensive treatment, psychological counseling and rehabilitation. Not to mention that they may negatively affect the quality of your life and impair your earning capacity.
A car accident has such a tremendous impact on a person’s life because it is a traumatizing and devastating experience that can leave life-long effects or make you disabled for the rest of your life. That’s why it’s imperative that you properly document all of your injuries stemming from a motor vehicle accident, and only a Los Angeles car accident attorney is interested in evaluating your injuries fairly and creating proof of your injuries and trauma.
More often than not, insurance companies will attempt to delay your treatment (reducing your chance of speedy recovery) and make you go through countless medical check-ups to prove that your injuries are the result of this particular accident, and weren’t present prior to the car crash (minimizing the cost of your personal injury claim).
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, here’s the list of damages your attorney will help you seek compensation for:
- Medical expenses;
- Pain and suffering;
- Property damage;
- Lost wages;
- Loss of earning potential;
- Pain and suffering;
- Funeral and burial expenses (if your loved one has been killed in a wrongful death car accident);
- Other damages applicable to your case.
Our lawyers at Kristensen Law Group will assign a qualified physician to oversee your recovery and provide you with top-notch treatment. We fully understand that you may not have the required amount of money to pay for the treatment, which is why our doctors will not charge any fees until after you’ve recovered injury compensation through a verdict or settlement.
The biggest mistakes car accident victims make
By not being legally represented after a car accident, you risk making some of the most common mistakes that many motor vehicle accident victims make that will most certainly minimize your settlement.
Speaking to your insurance company or the insurer of the other car driver involved in the crash without having assessed the full value of your claim properly is the No. 1 mistake. You need to know exactly how much your injuries and damages are worth in order to negotiate a fair settlement.
Not to mention that many victims of car accidents attempt to give incorrect or false information to the insurance companies in order to attempt to maximize their compensation. What they do, however, is actually the opposite: incorrect or false statements may be used against you to reduce the value of your claim or invalidate it altogether.
That’s why the best car accident attorneys in Los Angeles know that you can pursue a larger settlement only if you have sufficient evidence to validate your claim. The last thing you want is to be accused of fraud, face tremendous fines and penalties, and have your car accident claim invalidated.
Not doing enough at the scene of the car accident is also a common mistake car accident victims make in Los Angeles and other cities of California. Whether you fail to secure contact information of witnesses or write down the other motorist’s insurance policy information; fail to call the cops or document your injuries by calling paramedics, these factors can have an adverse effect on the success of your car accident claim.
Overlooking the importance of seeking medical treatment at the scene of the motor vehicle accident is also a common mistake among victims. After all, you need to obtain a documented proof that your injuries were caused by THAT particular road accident and aren’t stemming from any past accidents or events.
Without receiving medical treatment, your chances of obtaining compensation for your injuries slim to none. Speaking of injuries, another common mistake made by victims is waiting until injuries get worse and ONLY THEN hoping to get compensated for their expensive medical treatment, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, lost capacity, and other damages associated with car accident injuries.
By not seeking medical treatment as quickly as possible, you risk receiving a negative response from your insurance company saying that you delayed treatment and therefore the injuries may be stemming from something that happened after the accident in question.
Our motor vehicle accident attorneys in Los Angeles also warn that waiting too long to seek medical treatment and file a claim can invalidate your injuries and your case as a whole. In California, statute of limitations sets a two-year deadline to file a personal injury claim for car accidents and other accidents.
What are my rights in a car accident?
The following can help maximize your compensation in a car accident before you get the chance to call a motor vehicle accident lawyer:
- Never accept those low-pay initial settlement offers without consulting an attorney first. It’s critical that your lawyer evaluates the full value of your claim prior to reporting the road accident to your insurer;
- Never accept your insurance company’s offer to provide you with medical treatment or assign you their own physician. In many cases, those guys don’t get the diagnosis right or may attempt to convince you that the car accident only aggravated your existing pre-accident injuries, thus reducing the real value of your claim;
- Never give a recorded statement to either your insurance company or the insurance company of the other parties involved. Instead, let a skilled motor vehicle attorney handle communication with all the parties on your behalf and in your best interest;
- Never give your insurance company access to your private medical records, as that kind of information may significantly reduce the cost of your settlement.
What you need to do before speaking to a car accident attorney Los Angeles
To speed up the process of obtaining compensation for your injuries and damages and help the attorney make the investigation of your claim easier and more efficient, you have to prepare your answers to the following questions.
Although each car accident is different and requires a unique legal approach, there are some basic questions that a Los Angeles car accident attorney will most likely ask you during your initial free consultation:
- What’s the location where the road accident occurred? Was it Friday or Saturday night when DUI accidents are prevalent? What time was it when the collision happened? Was there something specific about the location that may have contributed to the collision? (improperly placed signage, poor road conditions, etc.)
- How did the other party involved in the motor vehicle accident behave? Was he drunk or marijuana-impaired? Do you have contact information of all the parties involved, including their insurance info?
- What lane were you both in when the collision occurred? What direction where both of you headed?
- What was the speed at which you were driving? What was the other party’s approximate speed?
- How did the collision occur? Do your best to establish the chain of events leading up to the crash – and try your best at determining fault in the accident? Can you say that the other motorist was negligent in any way? Was he driving under the influence? Was he distracted? Was it road rage?
- Did you call the police, and do you have a police report?
- Did you get contact information of any witnesses?
- Did you take any photos or videos at the scene of the motor vehicle accident? Photographs of skid marks, car wreckage, road conditions, etc. These can be used in court to strengthen the validity of your case, if it ever goes to court.
- Did your insurer or the auto insurance company of the other motorist(s) tried to get in touch with you? Did they offer a settlement offer?
- What kind of injuries did you suffer in the car accident? Did you go through a medical check-up and were your injuries properly documented?
Prepare your detailed answers to the above-mentioned 10 questions, which you will be asked by a lawyer during a free consultation.
After receiving all relevant documents and paperwork available in connection with your case, our attorneys here at Kristensen Law Group will take it from here. We will launch an independent investigation to find sufficient proof of the other party’s negligence, estimate the full value of your car accident claim, and fight for every dollar available in your case – both outside and in court.
Why hire our lawyers?
You’re probably wondering if you need to get an attorney after a car accident, and why would you go straight to Kristensen Law Group to get legal advice.
In the last few years, our best Los Angeles car accident attorneys have helped victims of motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents and defective products obtain compensation for their injuries, damages and losses. We’ve helped our clients get millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.
The most high-profile case of Mr. Kristensen, the founder of our Los Angeles-based law firm, includes the California state class action against Toyota Motor Corporation, in which the proposed settlement reached a staggering $1.4 billion.
There are numerous benefits of hiring a car accident attorney, but the most prominent ones are:
- You’re hiring a team of legal experts who are motivated to work day and night on your case and represent you in your best interest. After all, we only get paid AFTER we help you obtain a reasonable compensation for your injuries and damages.
- A car accident attorney is basically your friend who has a deep understanding of the legal system and how things work and what buttons need to be pushed in order to get more money for your claim.
- A motor vehicle accident lawyer will help you identify all responsible parties (in some cases, there are more than just one!) to help you sue them all and INCREASE the value of your car accident claim.
- You can focus on your recovery while we handle everything on your behalf and in your best interest. Our attorneys are here for you 24/7 to answer your questions and discuss all legal options available in your particular case.
- We advance all costs and fees associated with pursing legal action on your behalf. We never charge our clients by the hour during a free consultation, negotiating with insurance companies and other parties involved, preparing a complaint, filing a lawsuit and representing you in court.
The benefits of hiring a car accident attorney are enormous. After all, litigating motor vehicle accidents and personal injury cases is our bread and butter and our cup of tea.
Results is first and foremost what we have to offer. Results, comfort and superb advocacy. Consult our auto accident attorneys at Kristensen Law Group to get a free initial consultation about your particular case.
Call our offices at 805-837-2000 or complete this contact form to get started.