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What Do I Do If I Was in a Car Accident in California?

Today’s cars are safer than ever. But even with added safety features, car accidents continue to happen on a daily basis.

If you have been in a California car accident, you need to know applicable laws, where to file accident reports, how to collect evidence, when to call insurance companies, and more.

What you do after a car accident in California can determine whether you get your medical bills and car repairs paid. It can also keep you from breaking California laws as well as having your driver’s license from being suspended.

Also, if you were at fault for a California vehicular accident, the actions you take after that can significantly impact your rights.

Our Upland personal injury lawyers advise the following actions to take if you are in a vehicular accident in California:

1. Stay at the scene if somebody else was wounded.

If a person} was wounded} or killed, stay at the scene of the accident until authorities arrive unless you require prompt medical attention.

Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury is an offense under the California hit and run laws. Charges include penalties of up to $10,000 and a minimum of one year jail time, depending if somebody was severely injured or if the accident resulted in death.

If the only damage seems to be property damage, you lawfully leave the scene of the accident after identifying yourself to the concerned parties. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor under the California hit and run law and constitutes charges up to approximately $1,000 and/or at least six months jail time.

2. Look for medical assistance,  if necessary.

If you were wounded and also require prompt medical assistance, do not wait for the authorities. Call 911 or ask somebody else to call for you. If another person is taking you to the Emergency Room, see to it that you leave your contact details with the other drivers if you are able.

3. Relocate to a secure location.

If it is safe to do so, move your vehicle to the shoulder or somewhere safe.  Vehicles obstructing traffic can cause further injuries to you or other individuals. However, if it poses more danger to move the vehicles, leave them where they are.

Furthermore, unless the vehicles pose a considerable threat, you ought to leave the vehicles as they are if someone was killed or gravely injured.

4.Record details about the other vehicles involved.

Once you have moved the cars (if appropriate) and/or sought medical attention for those injured, document in  writing or through photos the following information:

  • The license plate number of every other vehicle involved in the accident,
  • The year, make, model and color of the other vehicle(s), and
  • If possible, the other vehicle(s)’ Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

You will need the above information in order to report the accident as legally required to the California DMV.

The VIN is usually listed on a driver’s insurance card and registration. But it is a good idea to confirm it physically, especially if the driver is uninsured. If the driver is cooperative, you will be able to check the VIN on the vehicle’s driver’s side dashboard (where it meets the windshield) or inside the driver’s side door. If the vehicle is a motorcycle, the VIN can usually be found on the left side of the steering head.

5. Exchange contact details with the other driver/s and witnesses.

Ask to see the other driver’s license, insurance card, and registration. Write down the numbers. It will be better if you can take a photo of these documents, as well. You should also, if possible, get contact information from everyone else who was involved in, or who witnessed the accident.

If a law enforcement officer arrived at the scene, get the officer’s name and write it down as well.

Make sure you also give your information to the other driver, regardless of who was at fault.

6. Do not admit the accident is your fault.

It is very important not to admit to any wrongdoing even if you think the accident was your fault.

You may be wrong. Or the other driver may be partially to blame under California’s “shared fault / comparative negligence” law. Even apologizing can be misunderstood and keep you from getting the compensatory damages you need from your or the other driver’s insurance company.

However, it is not wrong to ask about the other driver’s condition, if he needs medical assistance.

If the other driver insists that you take the blame, politely ask him or her to call your insurance company.

7. Do not claim you are not injured.

Even if you think you were not hurt, do not tell that to the other driver. Some injuries like whiplash or soft tissue injuries may not be obvious right after a car accident.  If you say, you are not hurt, the driver’s insurance company can compensate you for lesser than the amount due to you, if not totally deny your claim. This does not mean you should lie because lying can undermine your credibility. You can merely state that you are not aware of any injuries but will be getting yourself checked, to be sure.

8. Leave your contact details if the other vehicle or property is unattended.

If you hit an unoccupied vehicle or other property, California law requires you to do either one of the following:

  • Find the owner and show your driver’s license and registration, or
  • Leave a written note with your name and address in a noticeable place on the vehicle or property and immediately inform either:
    • The police department of the city wherein the collision occurred or,
    • If the collision occurred in unincorporated territory, the local headquarters of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

By law, a note must include the details of what happened, especially where the collision took place.

9. Take pictures of the scene of the accident

Pictures of the accident scene and the vehicles involved can help your lawyer or adjuster establish what took place. The photos can also prevent false claims against you, that you are responsible for the damages to the vehicle or property.

10. Document your version of the accident right away.

As soon as you can, write down everything you can think of about the accident, no matter how trivial it may seem. It is important that you record the details sooner because there may be instances that, due to a shock of the accident, you will find it difficult to recall important information.

Such information may include, but not limited to the following:

  • The date and time of the accident,
  • The cross streets and direction of travel of each vehicle,
  • Your best estimate of each driver’s speed,
  • The color of any traffic lights that were visible, and
  • Any adverse road conditions (such as potholes or bad weather).

11. Document your injuries

Take, or have somebody else take pictures of any visible injuries with your phone or camera. If you seek medical attention, ask a nurse or other health professional to take photos of your injuries as well.

As soon as you can, also jot down or record your own impressions of what hurts or is damaged. The more proof of your injuries that is recorded, the better the opportunity of getting the recovery you are entitled to.

12. Report the accident to the California DMV

California law requires you to notify the California Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days of an accident if:

  • Anyone was killed,
  • Anyone was injured (even if the injury was minor), or
  • The accident resulted in more than $1,000 of damage.

If you are not sure, report the accident, especially if you will be putting the claim through your California auto insurance.

Failure to report an accident to the DMV can lead to suspension of your driver’s license for up to one year.

13. Inform your insurance provider

Lots of people do not file a car accident claim in California for fear their rates will increase. California is one of only two states that lawfully forbid auto insurers from increasing rates if an accident is not the policy holder’s fault.

Furthermore, most auto insurance policies require drivers to report an accident immediately. Early reporting gives your insurer a better chance to defend your claim.  It is advisable to report the accident even if you are not at fault. The other party may report it, putting you at risk of a suspended driver’s license and cancelled car insurance.

14. Assess if your situation does not require you to report the accident.

It is logical not to report an accident if there is no other driver involved and your car sustained only minor damage which you can disregard or you yourself can pay to repair.

15. Look into acquiring the services of an Upland personal injury attorney.

Our seasoned Upland personal injury lawyer may help safeguard your rights and establish whether you have a right to compensation. Our lawyer may be able to assist you in finding a doctor who will accept a medical lien if you cannot afford to pay for treatment. Our skilled lawyers may possibly also craft an insurance demand letter that may very likely get you a settlement offer.

Our experienced Upland personal injury lawyer may deal with your own and the other party’s insurance adjusters so that you may get the best possible settlement.

If you or someone you know was in a vehicular accident, do not hesitate to get in touch with our personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.

Why You Need A Personal Injury Attorney

I need a personal injury attorney? Anyone who has ever had to deal with an insurance company will tell you that it is nearly impossible to get a fair settlement. That is why you need the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney. A minor collision involving only vehicle damage may not require a personal injury attorney. It is a different story in cases involving serious injury or even death. It is easy to get compensated for a scratched fender from an insurance company. It usually takes getting a few estimates and submitting them to the adjuster. It is far more complicated when serious injury or death is concerned. The insurance company will offer you a settlement that is good for them but it will most definitely short change you. That is unless you have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side.

A Personal Injury Attorney Can Get You The Settlement You Deserve!

Determining what is fair compensation for a spinal cord injury, head injury, broken bones or the death of a loved one is a daunting task. Insurance companies use many techniques to reduce or deny your claim. They may try to assign blame to you. They may not agree to pay all of you medical bills or future medical bills. In short, they will do everything possible to get the best deal for them.

Our expert personal injury attorney have more than 100 years of practice experience. Our experts will accurately determine the value of your case (“damages”). Damages in a personal injury case include: Medical bills, future medical treatment, lost wages, loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, property damage and many others. An experienced personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Marc Grossman can get you the settlement you deserve.

Our personal injury attorneys use modern science and forensic investigation along with medical specialists, economists and other experts to maximize your claim. We unleash these resources on the insurance company if they won’t agree to settle for what you deserve. The insurance company will usually make a more reasonable settlement offer when faced with the mountain of evidence uncovered by our experts.

What if they are unwilling to settle? We will use the courts to force them to pay what you deserve. Our personal injury attorneys have more trial experience that most law firms in the area. We are not afraid the take on the toughest insurance company lawyers. We know that if we are taking your case to trial, we have done everything possible to prove your case. that is how we have won hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients.

Anyone can hire the best personal injury attorney. We never charge any upfront fees for our personal injury clients. Our fees are factored into the settlement. This means you pay nothing out of your pocket to hire one of the best personal injury attorneys. So, no matter what your financial circumstances are, we can help.

“Our promise to you is that you will not pay us a dime unless we get you the settlement or verdict that you are entitled to.”

Call us today for a free, no obligation consultation 1-855-LOMG-911 or use the contact form on this page to request a call or email from one of our personal injury experts.

Preparing for Your Personal Injury Deposition

Ten Steps to Prepare for Your Personal Injury Deposition

First things first…

What is a deposition?

A deposition is a question and answer session with the other side’s attorney under oath. The defense attorney will ask you questions and you will answer.  A court reporter will take down everything that is said and occasionally they will be video taped.

Why do I have to do a deposition?

A deposition is part of the discovery process in personal injury litigation. Both the defendant and plaintiff have the right to discover what facts and evidence the other party may use in their case. You, as the plaintiff, have a duty to tell the defendant what you know and what evidence you have to support your case and vise versa.

What kinds of questions will they ask?

The defense attorney in a personal injury case will typically ask the Plaintiff many questions regarding the following areas:

  • General background information such as name, address, date of birth, who is in your family, education, work history, etc.
  • Information about your physical condition before the injury occurred. For example, in a slip and fall case where you broke your left arm, the defense lawyer is going to want to know if you are left handed or right handed, and he or she will want to know if you had any problems using that arm before the accident.
  • Information about the accident – how did it happen? Who were the witnesses? Did you talk to anyone after the accident? What did they say?
  • Information about your medical treatment and physical condition after the injury occurred. For example, What injuries did you sustain in the accident? Who treated you? Did you go to the hospital? Did you see your family doctor? What did the orthopedic doctor do? How long did you have to stay home from work after your surgery?
  • Information about the impact of the injuries on your life. What are you no longer able to do? What are you able to do but only with difficulty?

OK, now on to the 10 things…

1.  The questioning at your deposition will be similar to the questioning in court.

Legal questioning is not something that most people are accustomed to and it can make you feel under attack or cause you to be confused. The important thing is that you try to maintain control. You can control the pace of the questioning by pausing to think about your response before you respond.

2.  Make your responses concise.

You paused and considered your answer but before you open your mouth, reduce your response down to the most direct and concise answer possible. Your answer should be only a sentence or two and not a 10 minute dissertation.

3.  Dress to impress.

The defense is going to be sizing you up to determine what kind of witness you will make. A confident plaintiff who is dressed appropriately will appear to be a better, more credible witness than one is shorts and flip-flops.

4.  Give honest and accurate answers.

It is important that your answers be honest and accurate. Do not give the defense attorney the answer you think they are looking for or exaggerate your response. Doing so will work against you and may result in you being discredited as witness.

5.  Eat, drink and use the restroom.

A deposition can cause all sorts of anxiety and nervousness. One way to combat these feelings is by making sure that you are comfortable and not fatigued or doing the “pee-pee” dance. If you need water, food or restroom ask for it or ask to take a break. If you you deposition goes on for several hours and you are feeling fatigued, ask if it can be continued to the follow day or another mutually agreeable day. The important thing to remember is that if you are fatigued or uncomfortable, you are more likely to provide inaccurate answers or get tripped up by the defense attorney.

6.  It is OK to say “I don’t remember”.

Never guess, not even if it seems like you should know the answer. If you are not 100% sure and confident that you are providing accurate information, the best and only answer that you give is “I don’t remember.” You cannot be forced to answer a question that you do not know, so “I don’t remember” is a perfectly acceptable response. However, if you do know the answer but you feel as though your response may damage your case, do not say “I don’t know.” You are under oath and sworn under the penalty of perjury that you will tell the truth. Lying or withholding information under oath has legal consequences that you do not want to deal with and may ruin your case.

7.   Its OK to say “I don’t understand.”

No one likes to admit that they didn’t understand a question but if you don’t speak up and say “I don’t understand” you are making a big mistake. Lawyers get paid a lot of money to use big words and confusing rhetoric in an attempt to get a witness to provide contradictory statements or other responses that may be used later to make them appear unreliable as a witness or to discredit them altogether. If you don’t have a clear understanding of the question, let the defense attorney know. He or she will reword the question or give you an explanation.

8.  It is not always black and white or yes and no.

The defense attorney will try to pin you down and ask question in which they ask you to provide a yes or no answer when there is no yes or no answer. You cannot be forced to answer a question either yes or no if yes or no is not the way that you would answer. If you feel as though a question needs a more elaborative response than yes or no, you provide the best answer. You attorney will support you and make sure that you are not bullied into giving a response that pins you down to yes or no.

9.  Ask to see records and reports.

Defense lawyers will often refer to a report or record when asking questions but they won’t always go out of their way to show you that record or report. But, if the defense attorney refers to any document, you have the absolute right to see that document and to review it before responding. Do not assume that you know the contents of the documents in question even if you have seen them before. Ask for the document and then take your time to read through it and know the contents before you answer. Do not provide opinion, just facts to your own knowledge. If the document cannot be produced or they attorney will not give you the opportunity to review it, you simply say, “I cannot answer that question until I have had the opportunity to review the document.”

10.  Don’t let medical records be your undoing.

Be aware of what is in your medical records, particularly your medical records from before the accident. If you are making a claim for low back pain and a herniated lumbar disc from a car accident, you should know whether there are any documented complaints of low back pain in your medical records in the five or ten years before the accident. Your attorney should have most or all of your medical records. Ask to review the pre-accident records and talk to your attorney about any prior, similar complaints.

Common Car Accident Injuries

What are Some Common Auto Accident Injuries

Millions of people each year suffer car accident injuries. The vast majority of injuries are what is called “soft tissue” injuries meaning that the injury you sustained was to muscle or other tissue that will typically heal without without much medical treatment.

Often car accident injuries or soft tissue injuries will resolve themselves within a few of days without any medical treatment at all. More serious injuries might become permanent and result in some level of physical disability.

The type and severity of injuries suffered in a car accident depend on several factors that including:

  • Was the person wearing a seat belt?
  • Did the person’s car get hit from the rear, side or front?
  • Was the occupant facing straight ahead in the seat? Or was the person’s head or body turned in a certain direction?
  • Was it a low-speed collision or a high-speed crash?
  • Did the car have airbags?

The general categories of car accident injuries are: (1) impact injuries (such as when your head hits the dash board), and (2) penetrating injuries (such as being cut by flying glass).

Soft Tissue Injuries and Car Accidents

Soft tissue injuries cause damage to the body’s connective tissue, which means muscles, ligaments and tendons. Soft tissue injuries come in many forms.

“whiplash” is a soft tissue injury to the neck and upper back. Whiplash injuries occur when muscles and ligaments are stretched due to extreme movements of the head and neck in the car accident collision. Similar injuries occur to the mid-back and lower back or even other parts of the body.  The spinal injuries caused in an automobile accident can cause debilitating pain that lasts for months and even years. You may not feel the pain immediately after the accident. It is not uncommon to notice the pain the next day or even a few days later.

Scrapes and Cuts

In a auto accident, loose objects inside the car, broken glass and even objects outside of the vehicle turn into projectiles that can cause cuts and scrapes. Your airbag may cause injuries as well especially if you have something in your hands when it is triggered.  Most often the cuts and scrapes can be cleaned and bandaged with no further treatment required. Occasionally, an car accident victim may require stitches, skin grafts or other medical treatment.

Head Injuries and Car Accidents

Head injuries come in many forms, from relatively minor to life threatening. They occur most often when a passenger’s or driver’s come into forcible contact with the dashboard, window or steering wheel. A concussion may not immediately be apparent. It could be hours or days later before you notice. The same is true with certain types of brain injuries. This is why it is vital to get checked out by a doctor right away if you have suffered any type of head injury, even if it seems minor. More severe collision impacts can cause a closed head injury. In that situation, the fluid and tissue inside the skull are damaged because of the sudden movement or impact of the head. Less severe closed head injuries often result in concussions, while the most severe impacts can cause brain damage.

Chest Injuries

Broken or bruised ribs, bruised lungs and other injuries to your chest are common in a car accident. The driver of the vehicle are most often the person to suffer a chest injury in an automobile accident. This is because the driver is often forced into the steering wheel on impact but passengers may also have chest injuries by slamming into the dashboard or other objects in a car accident. The seat belt and airbags may also cause chest injuries.

Arm and Leg Injuries

The same accident forces that throw a person’s head about in automobile collisions can do the same to arms and legs. Side impact accidents especially can cause injury to your arms and legs. Passengers often have very little leg room which can mean that legs become trapped or pinned in the vehicle. Depending on the nature of the collision, injuries to your arms and legs might be mere bruises or scrapes, but sprains and even breaks can occur.

A Final Note

Some injuries are not readily apparent following a car accident. Depending on the injury, it may take days, weeks, or even months for symptoms to appear. So if you are in a car accident, it is best to seek medical treatment for even the slightest discomfort or early indication of injury. It is also important to contact a personal injury attorney to help you deal with the insurance company and to make sure that you get the best medical treatment. You should not be charged for an initial consultation and a qualified personal injury attorney can tell you if you have a case without any cost to you.

10 Things Insurance Company Doesn’t Want You To Know

10 Things Your Insurance Company Doesn’t Want You to Know.

Whether you will recover damages from an insurance company and how much you will recover often depends on your knowledge of your policy and how the insurance company administers your insurance claim.

Knowing these 10 principles will help you to take on your insurance company and maximize your claim.

1. An insurance company must act in utmost good faith in their dealings with a policy holder.

An insurance company cannot cause an unreasonable delay in settling your claim or put its financial interests ahead of yours. They cannot lowball your claim by paying less than its true value. Insurance companies cannot use deceptive tactics or trickery in sales or claims handling. In essence the insurance company must treat you fairly. If they don’t, they have breached their duty of good faith which the law imposes on insurance companies. It exposes the carrier to potentially significant damages.

2. If an insurance company breaches its duty or treats you unfairly they may be compelled to pay your attorney fees.

So your insurance company has unreasonably denied your claim or delayed settling it and you have had to hire an attorney to make them treat you fairly. Your attorney will go after them and force them to pay your attorney fees.

3. Your insurance agent misrepresented your policy coverages or other material fact or detail regarding your policy, the insurance company can be forced to honor what your agent had told you.

Insurance agents have been know to misrepresent exactly what a policy covers, the limits of coverage, the effective date of coverage and many other aspects of insurance policies. Sometimes this is intentional on the part of the agent. They exaggerate policy coverages or the benefits of the policy to make a sale. Other times, the misrepresentation is inadvertent. It can be caused by the agent being confused about which policy he/she is selling or that the agent is not familiar with the product or due to a change in policy that the agent was unaware of. In any event, in most cases, the insurance company is responsible for the representations that the agent makes. Your attorney may be able to compel the insurance company to honor the representations of agent.

4. If your insurance coverage is not sufficient to cover your injuries because your agent recommended a lesser amount of coverage, the insurance company may be forced to pay.

It is always a good idea to take notes when dealing with your insurance agent and to keep those notes in a file with your policy. You may also choose to communicate by email with him or her so that their is less deniability in what they recommended. Sometimes when you are shopping around for less expensive coverage, your current agent may recommend that you reduce your coverage amount to save on the premium. This is a tactic used to keep your business with a lower premium but it may not be in your best interest if the coverage is insufficient to cover your loss or medical expenses. If this occurs, your lawyer may force the insurance company to pay an amount that is sufficient to make you whole again.

5. Anything that is ambiguous in your policy must be resolved in your favor.

Anyone who has ever read an insurance policy knows it is pages and pages of legal terminology and rhetoric. It is often difficult for even attorneys to understand what it covers and what is excluded from coverage. Often times insurance companies will leave wiggle room in the policy that is not clear to anyone as to the coverage and limitations of a policy. These ambiguities will often be used by the insurance company to deny claims but, if you know the law, you can call the insurance company on this little trick of theirs and insist that the claim be resolved in your favor based on the ambiguous language of the policy. You will likely need to consult with an attorney to take on this issue with your insurance company.

6. The insurance company demonstrate why a claim is not covered.

Frequently this is misunderstood by policy holders. It is not a policy holder’s duty to prove that their claim is covered by their insurance policy but, rather, it is the insurance company’s duty to either pay the claim or demonstrate to you why the claim is not covered by the policy. The insurance company must use the facts and evidence of the claim and their investigation of the claim and then apply that to the specific coverages of the policy. Don’t let the insurance company bully you. Provide them whatever they may ask for but if they deny your claim without proper explanation for the denial, call your attorney. He or she may be able to force the insurance company to pay.

7. Your insurance company may have a duty to defend you against lawsuits.

Every business, homeowner, auto or similar insurance policy has a liability portion of the policy that protects you from lawsuits by others. This requires your insurance company to pay your legal defense costs and fees if you are sued. Often, an insurance company will refuse to honor their duty to defend you because you have been sued for something that is not specifically covered in the policy. But, it must defend you in any situation which potentially seeks covered damages in most situations. For example, if a complaint is filed against you do not see damages within the scope of your overage but is capable of being amended or modified to include such damages, your insurer must defend. Furthermore, if the insurance company learns of facts from any source which would trigger coverage (not just the complaint itself), it must also defend you. In addition, it must defend where the policyholder has a reasonable expectation that it will do so. You will likely need to seek out the assistance of a lawyer to demand that they insurance company pay for your representation.

8. Your insurance company may unlawfully try to cancel your coverage after you have made a claim based on a misrepresentation that you may have made.

Insurance policies can be extremely complicated and they are often drafted based on information that you have provided to your agent or in a questionnaire without having all of the information you needed to properly answer the questions. If you have provided the insurance company with incorrect information, whether you did so intentionally or inadvertently, an insurance company may try to deny you claim because of this misrepresentation. Insurance agents will also modify your information or lead you to answer a question in a certain way so that you won’t be denied coverage. But, whatever the reason, if you provide false information to the insurance company they may attempt to deny your claim. A qualified lawyer can however examine your case and use the prevailing law to force the insurance company to pay your claim.

9. Punitive damages are awardable against insurance companies for unreasonably refusing to cover a claim of a policy holder.

Knowing that the insurance company must do or not do the items above, you hold a powerful weapon in your arsenal. Using the threat of punitive damages for violating your coverage rights or breaching their duty of good-faith that they owe to you, an insurance company may think twice before denying your claim. In most cases however, you will need to contact an attorney to assist you before the insurance company will take you seriously.

10. Get free advice from an attorney before it is too late.

Most attorneys will give you free advice in cases where the insurance company has acted either in bad-faith or unreasonably denied your claim. Often they will take your case against the insurance company without any out of pocket cost to you. So, it is better to get a lawyer involved in your case sooner than later. In some cases you have a limited time to take action, so call today if you are experiencing this kind of problem.