Beverly Hills Car Accident Lawyer
The sun, the glitz, and the glam of Beverly Hills offer no protection from the tragedy, pain, and horror that can accompany a car crash. While some crashes do little more than damage the finish of your car, other car wrecks can cause much greater devastation: thousands of dollars in medical bills, permanent disability and/or disfigurement, considerable lost wages, a loss in your ability to earn an income, and mental and physical pain, anguish, and suffering. Aside from the agony of your injuries, the aftermath of a Beverly Hills car crash can cause painful uncertainty for you and your family as you wonder how you will be able to move forward and address your expenses and losses.
Although you may feel alone during this time, you do have a powerful and compassionate advocate available to you: the experienced and dedicated car wreck law firm of Fisher & Talwar. Our team of talented car wreck injury lawyers is prepared to assist you in holding the individual who struck you and caused your injuries accountable for his or her actions. Contact Fisher & Talwar right away and let us assist you in your recovery.
Beverly Hills Car Wreck Statistics
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) maintains records for the entire state regarding car crashes and wrecks that occur in Beverly Hills. In 2014 (the most recent year for which statistics are available from OTS), there were:
- 525 individuals were either injured or killed in crashes in Beverly Hills – over 40 individuals per month, or more than one person per day;
- Alcohol played a role in 25 of these incidents;
- Speed played a role in 80 collisions, while nighttime driving conditions was a factor in 33 collisions.
These statistics may not seem significant considering the statistics and numbers associated with larger cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but when one considers that the population of Beverly Hills in 2014 was only approximately 35,000, these statistics mean that one out of every one hundred residents in Beverly Hills was either injured or killed in a car wreck during 2014.
What To Do After a Beverly Hills Car Crash
You must be prepared to take immediate action in the aftermath of a Beverly Hills car crash in order to protect your own health as well as your legal rights. If you do not consider these steps before a crash happens, you may fail to take appropriate action in the chaotic and frenzied atmosphere that often is present after a crash. Consider the following course of action:
- First, you should always protect your health and safety. If possible, move yourself and/or your car out of the way of other traffic and summon emergency help if needed. You may need an ambulance and/or emergency medical care if you hit your head during the crash, if you lost consciousness, if you are having pain in your neck or back, and/or if you do not have feeling in your arms and/or legs. Additionally, ambulatory care or emergency room care is recommended if you are not certain as to the extent of your injuries. Even if you “feel fine,” you should still make an appointment with your doctor or visit an urgent care center as soon as possible to ensure you did not in fact suffer a serious injury that has not yet manifested symptoms or signs.
- Next, you should be prepared to follow your treatment team’s directions, including taking prescription medication as directed and returning for any follow-up visits that may be requested. Be honest in these follow-up visits and describe any and all symptoms you are still experiencing to your doctor. This is not the time to “be tough.”
- Third, if you are able to safely do so without causing yourself or someone else injury, take photographs of the scene of the crash, including wide-angle shots and close-ups of the damage to the vehicles as well as your own injuries. You should also consider writing down a recollection of the events that led to the crash (as best as you remember them. This can help you if you are asked to recall these events months or years after the date of your crash.
Common Car Accident Injuries
One of the factors that makes Southern California car accident claims especially complex is that crashes can result in a wide range of different injuries. In some cases, a seemingly minor Beverly Hills motor vehicle collision can cause tremendous physical damage to the occupants. You cannot always tell how bad a car accident is just by viewing photographs of the resulting vehicle damage. At Fisher & Talwar, our Beverly Hills car accident lawyers have seen handling cases involving many different types of accidents. Injuries we have seen include:
- Severe cuts and lacerations;
- Broken bones;
- Joint damage;
- Ligament damage;
- Muscle tears;
- Soft tissue damage;
- Whiplash;
- Back injuries;
- Neck injuries;
- Organ damage;
- Internal bleeding;
- Concussions;
- Spinal cord damage;
- Permanent scarring; and
- Highway fatalities.
Car Accident Victims Must Act Quickly
Under California law, most personal injury lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. Put another way, you typically have 24 months to file your car accident lawsuit. If you fail to bring your Beverly Hills car accident claim within that two year period, then the California court may not hear your claim at all. Do not lose out on money simply because you failed to exercise your rights.
The best way to protect your legal rights and financial interests is simple: consult with an experienced car accident attorney in Beverly Hills as soon as possible after your wreck. Your attorney will be able to get started immediately, investigating the specific facts of your crash and building a compelling legal case on your behalf.
What You Need to Know About Car Accident Liability in California
As with most personal injury claims, auto accident claims are brought under state law. California is a ‘fault’ auto insurance state. This means that in order to hold another party legally responsible for your motor vehicle collision, you must be able to demonstrate that they were at fault for the accident. In the overwhelming majority of car accident cases, the at-fault party will be a driver. Though, there are certainly also cases in which vehicle manufacturers, trucking companies, employers, and other parties could potentially bear liability for your crash. Still, most claims are brought against a driver’s insurance company. You can hold a Beverly Hills driver at fault for your car accident if you can prove that their negligence contributed to the wreck. Some examples of motorist negligence include:
- Speeding;
- Driving too fast for the weather;
- Running a red light;
- Failure to yield;
- Unsafe lane change;
- Losing control of a vehicle;
- Failure to perform necessary vehicle maintenance;
- Distracted driving;
- Talking on a cell phone;
- Texting while driving;
- Drunk driving; and
- Drugged driving
Notably, California is a comparative negligence jurisdiction. This means that multiple different drivers (or other parties) can split the liability for one accident. In shared fault auto accident cases, liability will be divided in a proportionate manner. For example, if a Beverly Hills driver was at fault for 70 percent of your accident, that driver will be financially responsible for 70 percent of the resulting damages. You do not want to be held unjustly at fault for part (or all) of your own collision. If an insurance company is trying to blame you for a crash, you should consult with a Southern California car accident lawyer immediately. If you are unjustly blamed for the wreck, it could cost you thousands of dollars.
Victims Deserve Full Financial Compensation
Once you can prove liability for your Beverly Hills car accident, your personal injury claim will advance forward to the issue of damages. In California, damages are meant to be compensatory in nature. In other words, you have a legal right to financial compensation that is equal in value to the value of your economic and noneconomic losses.
In practice, measuring damages can be difficult. Sadly, the large insurance providers work aggressively to try to limit the value of settlement offers. Insurers will attempt to settle your claim for the lowest amount that they can get away with. You should not take one penny less than you are owed. At Fisher & Talwar, our top-rated Beverly Hills car accident attorneys have the skills and legal experience needed to help victims maximum their recovery. You may be able to get money for:
- Vehicle repairs;
- Vehicle replacement;
- Emergency medical bills;
- Ongoing medical care;
- Rehabilitative care;
- Long-term disability;
- Lost wages;
- Loss of earning potential;
- Pain and suffering;
- Mental anguish;
- Permanent physical damage;
- Disfigurement; and
- The wrongful death of a family member.
The Final Step – Seek Legal Counsel
Finally, you should contact your Beverly Hills car crash legal team at Fisher & Talwar right away. Because you only have two years from the date of your crash to file your claim for compensation, time is not on your side.
We can help you protect your legal interests so you can focus on your recovery. For a free, no obligation legal consultation, please do not hesitate to Call Fisher & Talwar today at (213) 891-0777 or reach out to our firm online.
CAR ACCIDENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
If you were involved in an auto accident you probably have many questions. To answer some of the most common questions we’ve heard over the years, we have compiled a list of common auto accident questions and answers. If you have additional questions, please call us for a free consultation.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Car accident claims and their value depend partly on your decisions immediately following a crash. What you do in those first few moments can drastically change the outcome of your claim and the amount of money you can recover.
AUTO ACCIDENT STATISTICS
Every year thousands of people are hurt in a car accident. The number of car accident injuries exceeds 3 million annually. Statistics are based on car accident reports, retrieved via NHTSA’s website.
DISTRACTED DRIVING STATISTICS
Before cell phones became common the definition of distracted driving was adjusting the radio in your Honda Accord. Now, parents set example for dangerous behavior by texting and driving while admitting it’s wrong of them to do so. Distracted driving kills, here are the numbers to prove it.