Century City Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Attorney in Century City, CA

Car accidents are a leading cause of accidental injuries and deaths throughout the Century City, CA, area each year. While some of these accidents happen because of individual drivers’ negligence and they harm no one but themselves, whenever a driver causes a collision with another driver’s vehicle, they are liable for all resulting damage. While the fault rule may seem simple enough, the actual process of establishing fault and recovering compensation for car accident damages is likely to be far more challenging than the average person expects at the outset of their case.

Helping Century City Car Accident Victims Recover

The attorneys at Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, have years of experience handling all types of personal injury claims, including many successful car accident claims for clients in the Century City area. We know the obstacles that you could face in your recovery efforts after a car accident and the common problems victims have with proving liability for the accidents they experience. If you need legal counsel you trust for a car accident claim in Century City, we can leverage our skills and experience on your behalf through every phase of your recovery efforts.

Benefits of Using a Century City Car Accident Attorney

While there is no legal requirement that you hire legal representation for a car accident claim, doing so will significantly improve your chances of reaching a positive outcome for your claim and securing maximum compensation for you. When you choose Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, to act as your legal counsel after a car accident, you will immediately have access to the full range of our professional resources and a dedicated legal advocate who can answer your questions and address your concerns as they arise throughout your case.

Our firm will assist you in proving fault for your recent accident, an essential first step you must complete before you can obtain any kind of compensation. The fault rule applies to both auto insurance claims and personal injury claims. When you have reliable legal representation, both of these recovery efforts will be more likely to generate positive results. Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, will carefully review the details of how your accident happened and help you establish liability. Once fault is proven, you can rely on our team to manage your case proceedings while you rest and recover with peace of mind.

Most Common Causes of Car Accidents

If another driver caused your recent accident, you must prove they were negligent in some way that resulted in the collision to secure compensation. Alternatively, you must prove they willfully broke a California law, acted with a malicious desire to do harm, or engaged in some other form of illegal misconduct that directly resulted in your losses. A few of the most common causes of car accidents that lead to complex civil suits include:

• Distracted driving, the most commonly reported cause of car accidents throughout the US. Even momentary distraction can result in a devastating accident, and your attorney can secure traffic camera footage and other evidence to help you prove the driver who hit you wasn’t paying attention to the road.
• Speeding, which not only increases the likelihood of an accident happening by a substantial margin but also generates much more severe injuries. Speeding is a leading cause of fatal vehicle accidents throughout the country.
• Moving violations. Any time a driver disrupts the flow of traffic or fails to heed posted traffic signals they put themselves and others at risk, especially in busy intersections or on highways and freeways.
• Driving under the influence (DUI), which is dangerous as well as illegal. Penalties for DUI can include fines, incarceration, driver’s license suspension, and more, and these penalties increase significantly if a DUI driver hurts or kills someone while driving impaired.

There are other ways car accidents happen, and ultimately you likely have grounds for legal recourse if you can prove another driver is directly responsible for your recent accident in any way. Once you have proven fault, the first step in your recovery efforts is likely to be an auto insurance claim, followed by a personal injury claim if their insurance can’t fully compensate your damages.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim in Century City

All drivers must have auto insurance that provides “15/30/5” coverage, meaning they must have at least $15,000 in single-person liability coverage for bodily injury, at least $30,000 in total accident liability coverage for bodily injury, and at least $5,000 in liability coverage for property damage. These coverage limits may be enough to resolve a minor accident, but if a victim suffered any severe injuries their losses can easily eclipse the at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits.

Due to California’s fault rule, you must identify the driver who caused your accident before filing an auto insurance claim against their policy. Having a Century City car accident attorney help you with this will dramatically reduce the time it takes you to receive a settlement offer. Additionally, once the insurance carrier notices a claimant has legal counsel they will be more likely to handle their case with efficiency in good faith. The attorneys at Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, have years of professional experience facing large insurance companies on behalf of our clients. We know the tactics they often employ to try to avoid liability for legitimate accident claims, and we know how to ensure suitable compensation for our client.

Building a Personal Injury Claim for a Car Accident in Century City

After you secure as much compensation as you can through an insurance claim, you can recover any outstanding losses resulting from your accident by filing a claim for personal injury against the party who injured you. Most of the personal injury claims filed in response to car accidents that happen in the Century City area focus on negligence or failure to exercise reasonable care. It’s also possible for a personal injury claim to arise in response to intentional misconduct. In this case, the defendant faces not only the plaintiff’s civil claim but also criminal prosecution, depending on the scope and severity of their actions.

Proving negligence in a car accident case requires proof that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, breached that duty of care, and directly harmed the plaintiff as a result. The plaintiff must also show that their damage was not caused by something else. For example, if a distracted driver caused your car accident, their duty of care was to drive attentively. Your Century City car accident attorney will be invaluable for gathering the evidence needed to firmly prove liability for your damages, and they will also be essential for proving the full scope of those damages.

Claimable Damages in a California Personal Injury Case

A plaintiff in a car accident claim or any other form of personal injury claim in California is legally allowed to seek full compensation for any and all economic losses the defendant caused. When it comes to car accidents, the most commonly reported economic damages in these claims are vehicle repair costs, medical expenses for treating the plaintiff’s injuries, and lost income the plaintiff can’t earn because of the inability to work.

Economic damages in a personal injury claim can also include projected future losses. For example, if you are left permanently disabled from your accident and cannot return to your job, you can seek payment for all the future income you could have earned until retirement if you hadn’t been injured. Your Century City car accident attorney can also help you recover the cost of all the medical treatment you are likely to require in the future to manage your symptoms and reach full recovery.

Aside from these economic damages, plaintiffs may also claim compensation for their pain and suffering. There is no limit to the amount of pain and suffering compensation you can seek from a defendant in a car accident claim, and your attorney will help you determine a suitable amount based on the harm you suffered and whether you face long-lasting or permanent damage.

The attorneys at Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, have guided many past clients through complex and multifaceted car accident claims. Whether you were so injured that you do not remember how your accident happened or if you are worried about bearing partial responsibility for the accident, we can assist you. Our firm excels at effective legal representation in difficult civil cases, and we have the experience and resources you need to reach the best possible outcome for your recovery efforts. The sooner you secure reliable legal counsel, the sooner you can start working toward recovering your losses.

FAQs About Century City, CA Auto Accident Law

How Long Do Most Car Accident Settlements Take in Century City?

The time required to complete a car accident case in Century City largely depends on whether the defendant accepts liability for the accident. If they acknowledge their fault, it suits their best interests to resolve the case as quickly as possible. Your Century City car accident attorney can give you an estimate of how long it may take to resolve your case based on the unique details of the accident and the scope of your claimable losses.

What Difference Can an Attorney Make in My Case?

Investing in legal counsel you trust to help you with a car accident claim in Century City can pay off tremendously in several ways. First, it will be much easier for you to reach a positive outcome for your case with their representation. The average person will struggle to manage legal proceedings alone while also recovering from their injuries. Second, your attorney can reveal channels of compensation you didn’t know were available to you, enhancing the final case award you obtain.

How Soon Should I Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident?

It is always best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after a car accident. You have a limited time in which to file a civil suit in response to a personal injury and an even shorter time limit for filing an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver. The sooner you secure legal counsel you trust, the more likely you are to reach a positive outcome. Ideally, you should hire a Century City car accident attorney before filing your auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver, and your legal team can advise you as to whether further legal action is likely to be necessary to ensure the fullest possible recovery.

How Much Might My Car Accident Claim Be Worth?

When one party is responsible for injuring another party, the at-fault party is liable for all damages they cause to the victim. You can seek full repayment of all the economic losses you suffered from the accident, and any such losses that insurance can’t cover are eligible to be counted as economic damages in a personal injury claim. If you suffered any severe injuries, the pain and suffering compensation you obtain from the defendant would further enhance your recovery. For the best chance of securing as much compensation as state law allows, you must have an experienced attorney representing your recovery efforts.

How Much Does a Century City Car Accident Attorney Cost to Hire?

It is natural to worry about how much it will cost you to hire legal counsel after a car accident, especially if you are already struggling with extensive financial losses. Most California personal injury attorneys provide contingency fee billing, meaning you pay nothing unless they win your case, and your fee is just a percentage of your final compensation. The client does not pay any ongoing or upfront legal fees throughout their case, so there is no financial risk to the client.

The attorneys at Heimanson& Wolf, LLP, have the experience and resources necessary to resolve the toughest car accident claims in Century City. We have successfully represented many past clients in all types of car accident claims, from those resulting from negligence to accidents caused by intentional misconduct behind the wheel. Whatever the cause of your recent accident may have been, we can assist you with your recovery as fully as state law allows. Contact us today and schedule your case evaluation with a Century City car accident attorney you trust with your case.