Santa Ana Car Accident Lawyer

Santa Ana Car Accident Attorney

Suffering a car accident in Santa Ana dramatically affects the course of your life. These accidents result in serious injuries and large bills for necessary medical treatment. Maybe you’re heading home from a family visit to the Heritage Museum of Orange County and are struck by a drunk driver, or you’re driving along North Harbor Boulevard and are hit by someone not paying attention to the road. Whatever the circumstances, a Santa Ana car accident lawyer can help.

If you or a loved one has suffered injury in a car accident in Santa Ana, the team at Corrales Law Group, Inc., is here for you. Time is of the essence in these situations, as you only have a handful of years in California to file an official personal injury claim. If you miss the deadline imposed by the state, your case will likely be dismissed, and you can lose out on all the potential compensation you might have otherwise deserved. That’s why you need to hire a Santa Ana personal injury lawyer today.

You Can Trust Corrales Law Group, Inc.

At Corrales Law Group, Inc., we have been serving the good people of Orange County since our firm’s formation in 2012. With attorneys fluent in Spanish, we are here to help individuals and victims from all backgrounds. We have a keen understanding of car accident laws and have taken on countless complex cases involving all sorts of motor vehicles.

Our main goal is to provide clients with the effective legal assistance they deserve, especially when our clients are part of the underserved and underrepresented segment of society. Whatever your case entails, we are here to help make your car accident case a success.

Common Kinds of Car Accidents in Santa Ana

In Santa Ana, in 2023 alone, 1,972 individuals were either killed or injured in a car crash. Sometimes, these accidents simply happen due to unavoidable scenarios. However, a majority of car accidents take place because of driver error. One of the first steps in uncovering who is liable for the accident and who can be held accountable to pay damages is to determine the kind of car accident you have suffered.

In Santa Ana, over 300 traffic signals are maintained and operated on a daily basis. Accidents are common at intersections and areas with heavy traffic. Examples include:

• 17th St & Bristol St. This intersection features non-standard geometry that creates blind spots for drivers making left turns and heavy traffic patterns, making it uniquely dangerous.
• Main St & Edinger Ave. This intersection features an abnormally high volume of drivers making left-hand turns, some of whom don’t follow the rules of the road. It also sees extremely high traffic volume.

Common Types of Car Accidents in Santa Ana

The most common kinds of accidents in Santa Ana include the following:

• Head-on collisions
• Rear-end collisions
• Sideswipe accidents
• Single-car accidents
• Left-turn accidents
• Pile-ups or multi-car accidents
• Merging accidents
• Rollover accidents
• T-bone accidents

Recovering after any of these accidents is a challenge in many different physical, emotional, and financial ways. You and your loved ones are likely suffering from extreme monetary stress. At Corrales Law Group, Inc., we are here for the underserved and underrepresented individuals in Orange County. Whatever kind of car accident has resulted in your injuries, we are here to help you receive the compensation and justice you deserve.

Local Hospitals

There are several local hospitals you can go to in order to seek treatment for your injuries. They include:

• Orange County Global Medical Center
• South Coast Global Medical Center
• Kindred Hospital Santa Ana

There are also numerous walk-in clinics and primary care offices where you can go to be examined if you have not suffered serious injuries but still want to make sure you are OK following a car accident.

Damages Available for a California Car Accident

After a car accident in California, you have two years to file your personal injury claim and recover compensation. While there are a few exceptions to this rule, you should hire a car accident attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney from Corrales Law Group, Inc., is here to review your case and help determine what financial compensation you might be entitled to, including:

• Economic damages. In California, you are likely entitled to receive some form of economic damages. These damages are those that can easily be assigned a monetary value and are tangible losses. These can include:
  • Medical bills. These can include all past, current, and future medical bills relating to your accident injuries, such as all necessary treatments, surgeries, medical devices, medications, diagnostic testing, ambulance rides, and hospital stays.
  • Lost wages. If you are unable to work your job and earn a wage while you are recovering from your injuries or you have lost your job because of your injuries, you may be able to recover compensation for these difficulties.
  • Property damage. If your car suffered damage or anything inside your vehicle, such as a cell phone or laptop, suffered damage during the accident, you may be able to recover damages for the value of these forms of property.
• Non-economic damages. These are damages that are not as easily calculated as they are not tangible damages. However, they are still very real losses for the victim and can include:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of consortium or loss of sexual relations
  • Loss of the enjoyment of life
  • Emotional distress or mental anguish
• Punitive damages. In certain and very rare cases, you may be awarded punitive damages. These damages are awarded in order to punish the liable party for any behavior deemed grossly negligent or particularly egregious and to deter them from taking similar actions to cause an accident in the future. While these damages are not often awarded, when they are, they can add a large value to your claim.

When you have been injured in a car wreck in California, it is imperative that you work with a law firm that understands how to correctly navigate a legal claim and how to place you in a position that allows you to secure the most favorable outcome possible. At Corrales Law Group, Inc., we have over a decade of experience handling these types of cases, and now we are ready to turn our time, attention, and dedication to you and your case.

What to Do Following a Car Wreck in CA

If you find yourself in the aftermath of a car accident in Santa Ana, there are several steps you can take that can help protect your own physical safety, but also the security of any future claim you may seek. These steps include the following:

• Seek safety. It is vital that, if you are able, you move yourself to a place of safety off the roadway. If any passengers can and should be moved, you can help them as well.
• Contact emergency services. Even if you do not feel injured, it is important that you get yourself and any passengers checked out. You could have a concussion or be suffering from internal bleeding or organ damage. You will also want to contact the police, who can create an official accident report. This report will be a major part of your legal claim.
• Gather evidence. You should then begin to gather evidence, such as images of the accident scene, as well as the contact information for any involved parties and any witnesses.
• Document injuries. You should also take photographs of any of your injuries and any injuries suffered by those in your car. You also want to save all of your medical records regarding injuries.
• Contact a lawyer. Finally, contact an attorney who can help you navigate the legal process when it comes to filing a personal injury claim in California.

Where to File Your Police Report

You should file your police report with the Santa Ana Police Department, located at 60 Civic Center Plaza, if the accident occurred on city streets. If it occurred on the freeway, you can report it to the California State Police or the local police department.

What to Expect at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana

If your case goes to trial, it is likely to be heard at the Central Justice Center located at 700 Civic Center Drive West. These are the steps you have to take to pursue your claim successfully:

1. File the case. You need to file the initial claim in court and pay a fee to start your case. You also have to serve the paperwork to the defendant.
2. Prepare your case. You can prepare your case by gathering evidence. Part of this process includes the discovery stage, during which your lawyer and the defendant’s lawyer exchange information. Your lawyer can use depositions and interrogatories to obtain information that would otherwise be unavailable to you.
3. Try to reach an agreement. Before you go to trial, your lawyer can attempt to negotiate a settlement agreement with the other side. This can help both sides by avoiding a lengthy, expensive courtroom trial.
4. Go to trial. If you can’t settle the case, you have to go to trial. During the trial, both sides make opening statements, present evidence, interview witnesses, and make closing statements. After that, the judge or jury decides on a verdict.
5. Collect your payment. Your payment goes to the lawyer, who disperses money to the hospital or doctor’s office for your medical bills first, then takes their cut. At that point, you get the remainder of the settlement.

While it’s technically true that you can pursue a claim in court without a lawyer, it is difficult to do so successfully. Having a lawyer on your side gives you access to someone who can explain the legal process, negotiate a settlement agreement, and represent you should your case go to court, taking much of the stress off of you and allowing you to focus on healing.

FAQs About Santa Ana, CA Car Accident Laws

Does a Car Accident Claim Always Go to Trial?

In California, a large portion of personal injury cases do not go to trial and instead settle outside of a courtroom. The victim of the accident and their attorney can work to negotiate a fair amount of compensation for the damages suffered in the accident. However, if a case cannot be settled through negotiation, then the case may go to a trial, and a lawyer’s presence becomes even more crucial.

What Injuries Happen in a Car Accident?

There is a wide range of injuries that can take place in a car accident in Santa Ana. These injuries include broken bones and fractures, internal injuries such as internal bleeding, internal organ damage, and nerve damage. You can also suffer traumatic brain injuries, concussions, paralysis, spinal cord damage, burns, amputations, or even death.

What Are the Most Common Causes of a California Car Accident?

There are several common causes of car accidents in California. The most common include speeding, racing, ignoring posted traffic signals or signs, or other forms of reckless driving, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, poor road or weather conditions, mechanical defects of the vehicle itself, and distracted driving. In 2023, 3,275 people were killed because of distracted driving in the United States.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in CA?

It can be difficult to cite an exact number as to how much it might cost to hire a car accident lawyer in California. This is because each lawyer is different, and so is the way they structure their fees. At Corrales Law Group, Inc., we work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you only have to pay lawyer fees if we are successful with your case.

Hire a Santa Ana Car Accident Lawyer Today

At Corrales Law Group, Inc., you are not simply just another client. Your case takes top priority when you hire our team. As a car accident victim, we understand that the success of your claim might be the only way you are able to pay for certain damages you sustained, like medical costs and lost wages. That is why we are here to serve you. No matter what your case involves, or how difficult the liability case may be, we’re here for you.

Contact our offices today to hire a car accident lawyer and schedule your free consultation. Let us offer the sympathetic and compassionate legal service you deserve.