SANTA CLARITA CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER
Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney Serving Clients in Santa Clarita, CA
Car accidents can happen without warning in Santa Clarita, whether you are commuting at high speeds on the I-5, or are traveling at low speeds in a residential area or even in a parking lot. Many motor vehicle collisions happen because another driver is negligent, and negligence can take many forms. Sometimes another driver is too busy looking at his phone to pay attention to traffic on the road. In other situations, a driver might be too intoxicated or tired to focus on the task of driving. In yet other situations still, a driver might be speeding beyond the maximum posted speed limits or might run a traffic light. When an accident happens because of another driver’s negligence, it is important to learn more about filing a claim for financial compensation.
The dedicated team at Fisher & Talwar has years of experience assisting clients with personal injury cases in Southern California, and an advocate at our firm can speak with you about your options today. Do not hesitate to reach out to an aggressive Santa Clarita car accident lawyer at our firm for more information.
Statute of Limitations in a Santa Clarita Personal Injury Claim
If you decide to file a car accident lawsuit in Santa Clarita, you must do so within the time limit specified by the statute of limitations. For most personal injury claims, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the injury, which is also the date of the crash for most accident victims. The statute of limitations does not have any flexibility. The failure to file your claim within this two-year period means that you lose your right to file a claim and to seek compensation for your losses.
The statute of limitations is slightly longer for a case involving only property damage. If your vehicle was seriously damaged and you need to file a lawsuit in order to seek compensation, the statute of limitations is three years from the date the damaged occurred.
When car accidents involve a government agency, the statute of limitations can be much shorter. For instance, if the negligent driver worked for a government agency and the driving she was doing when the crash happened was connected to her work, then you may need to learn more about filing a claim against a government agency. Depending upon the specific facts of the case, these claims must be filed within six months, or sometimes within one year, of the date of accident.
Common Injuries in Santa Clarita Car Accidents
When you are involved in a serious car accident in Santa Clarita, you can sustain serious injuries that require medical attention. In numerous cases, injuries are so severe that they require patients to spend weeks or even months in the hospital, and many injury patients suffer from life-long disabilities as a result of their injuries. According to Physicians Now, the following are some of the most common types of injuries that occur in motor vehicle collisions:
- Neck injuries: there are many different types of neck injuries, and some are more serious than others. When you are involved in a rear-end accident and are hit from behind, you may suffer from whiplash. This is one of the most common injuries in any type of car accident. While it might not immediately seem serious, you should know that a whiplash injury often involves serious pressure on the ligaments in your neck, and you should seek medical attention. Other types of neck injuries include disc herniation and spinal cord injury (SCI). More serious injuries can require surgery and/or physical therapy.
- Head injuries: as with neck injuries, there are many different kinds of head injuries that can occur in a car crash, and they range in severity. Many auto accident victims suffer from concussions, which is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, severe TBIs can also result from traffic collisions, as can mild and severe contusions. Some head injuries can require surgery to alleviate bleeding or pressure.
- Back injuries: like neck and head injuries, back injuries vary greatly in terms of severity. Sometimes a car accident victim will strain a muscle in her back or suffer a disc location. In these cases, physicians may only recommend supportive care and treatment for pain. More serious back injuries can include SCIs and muscle injuries that result in chronic pain. In some instances, back injuries result in permanent disabilities such as paralysis.
- Broken bones: no matter how minor a broken bone injury might seem, it always requires medical attention. In some cases, a cast may be able to help your broken bone heal, but other broken bones and fractures can require immediate surgery followed by hospitalization. In particular, compound fractures from car accidents can be especially dangerous and can lead to infections if not treated properly.
We regularly assist clients who have sustained a wide variety of injuries in car accidents, and a Santa Clarita auto accident lawyer at our firm can discuss your options with you for compensation.
Comparative Fault in California Car Accident Cases
Sometimes the defendant tries to argue that the plaintiff is also responsible for the crash, and that the defendant’s liability should be reduced. This can happen under a theory of comparative fault in California. For Santa Clarita residents, it is important to understand that comparative fault does not prevent you from recovering damages. If a court decides that the plaintiff does bear some responsibility for the car accident, then the law says that her damages award will be reduced by the percentage of her own fault. There is no cut-off point. To be clear, even if the plaintiff is 99 percent liable, she can still recover 1 percent of the damages award.
For example, if a plaintiff was speeding by five miles over the posted speed limit when another car struck her after running a red light, the court might say the plaintiff was 20 percent responsible. Her damages award would be reduced by 20 percent.
No Attorney’s Fee Unless We Get You Money
You pay nothing upfront when we take on your case. Since we work on contingency basis, you only pay if you get money. This allows you to focus on treatment and recovery from your accident, while we focus on what we do best.
If you are worried that the attorney fee might not be worth it, then consider the following:
In most situations, the settlement amount negotiated by your attorney is two to three times higher than any money received by an injured person who is not represented by an attorney.
If you are not sure whether or not your claim is worth hiring an attorney for, please give us a call and we will give you free consultation and assist you in evaluating your case.
Free ConsultationContact a Car Accident Lawyer in Santa Clarita
Do you have questions about filing an auto crash claim? A car accident lawyer in Santa Clarita can assist you with your case. Contact Fisher & Talwar to learn more about the services we provide to clients in Southern California.