Hemet Car Accident Lawyer

Hemet Car Accident Attorney

Getting into a car accident is a common fear and, unfortunately, a reality for many. No matter the scope of the incident, car accidents can leave lasting trauma on those involved. Working with a Hemet car accident lawyer can help ensure your legal rights are protected in the aftermath of a crash.

Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Hemet, CA

En Corrales Law Group, our team knows the barriers involved when trying to hire legal help. Sibling and founding abogados de lesiones personales Peter and Janice have dedicated their professional lives to helping vulnerable populations seek the legal services they may otherwise not be able to access.

Since 2012, we’ve offered new clients free consultations and in-home consultations for those living with a disability. At the consultation, new clients can describe the details of their situation in detail and outline their needs and desires for the outcome of their case.

We’ll be able to offer transparent legal guidance, so clients can take back control and make informed decisions about their futures.

Common Injuries in Car Accidents

En Hemet, there were a total of 523 victims of car accidents in 2022, both those injured and those who passed away. Seventy-nine of these victims were from an accident involving speeding, and 59 DUI arrests were made.

These tend to be the leading causes of major car accidents and can easily be avoided. Unfortunately, you can’t control what others on the road do. Common injuries incurred during a car accident can include:

• Traumatic brain injuries, such as a concussion or a more serious head injury
• Lesiones medulares
• Quemaduras
• Lesiones internas
• Fractures and broken bones
• Face wounds and facial scarring
• Amputación
• Latigazo cervical
• Road rash. Road rash happens when a person’s skin is dragged on pavement or concrete.
• Crush injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

When calculating your legal claim, your lawyer will be able to factor in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to ensure fair compensation. California allows survivors of accidents to seek payment for non-economic damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Hemet

A part of Riverside County, Hemet’s major highways include Highway 74 and Highway 79. These roads see thousands of daily commuters. 74% of residents drove alone to work every day in 2023, and the average work commute time was 36.2 minutes. With the amount of time spent in the car, the risk of a crash is high for most residents.

It’s important to know the steps to take after a car accident to help protect your physical health and legal rights.

First, you’ll need to call 911 right away to seek medical attention and get an officer to report the incident. Whether you not you feel fine physically, you may have internal injuries or a concussion without knowing it. A doctor will be able to examine you to ensure your safety.

Be sure to get copies of the incident report and your medical records to use during your case.

You’ll also need to exchange the contact and insurance information from the other driver involved in the crash. Do not admit any fault or apologize during this time, as it can be used against you later and bar you from compensation.

Get the contact information and names of anyone who witnessed the accident. A lawyer will be able to later take down their testimony to help your case. Then, take extensive photos and videos of:

• The crash site
• Any damage to the vehicles and personal property
• Any visible wounds or injuries you have

Then, hire a car accident lawyer to represent your case. They will be able to guide you through the next steps.

What to Do When Contacting Insurance

After a crash, you will have to contact the other driver’s insurance company and your own. When speaking with insurance companies, writing down beforehand what you want to relay to them can be helpful. Whether you have good intentions, insurance companies are looking for anything misspoken during meetings to avoid paying.

Only give insurance adjusters basic facts about the accident and avoid speculating about the cause or admitting any fault.

When you’ve hired a lawyer, you can then have them there to help you make an official recorded statement to the insurance company. Lawyers with experience in car accidents understand what should or should not be said during an insurance meeting.

Understanding California’s Fault and Comparative Negligence Laws

In California, survivors of car accidents have the legal right to pursue compensation after a crash happens. Your lawyer will be able to help calculate a fair monetary value to request during your case, based on the economic and non-economic damages involved.

Daños económicos include things with a clear price tag, such as your medical bills, damage to your vehicle and other personal belongings, as well as any lost wages from work due to recovering from your injury.

To decide fault in a car accident, California uses a sistema de negligencia comparativa. This system assigns a percentage of fault to everyone involved in the accident, and the final settlement amount recoverable will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

Luckily, unlike other states, you can pursue compensation in California even if you are found partially at fault for the incident.

To give an example, if during the accident it’s discovered that you were driving over the speed limit when the other driver hit you, you may be found to be 30% at fault for the accident. If your final compensation award was $100,000, you would only receive $70,000.

While this final amount still seems substantial, it may be less than what your damages really are. Your lawyer will be sure to factor in your estimated percentage of fault when calculating your compensation request to the court.

FAQs About Hemet, CA Car Accident Laws

What Happens if the Other Driver in the Accident Doesn’t Have Insurance?

If the at-fault driver doesn’t have valid insurance, you have a few options you can pursue. If you have cobertura de motorista sin seguro through your own insurance policy, you may be able to recover compensation from that. This type of coverage helps pay for injuries when an accident involves an at-fault uninsured driver. You can also open a personal injury case against the other driver. Doing this requires a competent lawyer to represent you to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

What Do I Do if My Car Accident Claim Is Denied by Insurance?

If your claim is denied by an insurance company, there are steps you can take to fight it. Having a lawyer by your side can be especially helpful, as they’ll know the common tactics used by insurance companies. There may be claims from the company that the fault in the accident isn’t clear, or your policy excludes the type of incident you were involved in. Be sure to review your insurance policy and file a formal appeal.

What Evidence Helps My Car Accident Case the Most?

There are various types of evidence that can help bolster your legal claim after a car accident. When deciding fault, courts use evidence to help them make their determinations. Evidence can include copies of the incident and medical reports, photos, and videos of the crash site, visible injuries, and damage to your car. Surveillance, dashcam, and traffic footage can help add to your claim. Eyewitness statements and expert testimony can be taken down by your lawyer.

What Happens if the At-Fault Driver Lies About the Crash?

If you suspect the at-fault driver is lying about the incident, collecting as much evidence as you can is key. Be sure to take detailed notes of what happened during the accident. Reporting the incident and seeking medical care immediately can help add to your side of the story. If the at-fault driver is found to be lying, you may have to escalate the case to trial, and their insurance company may raise their premium or even cancel their policy.

How Long Do I Have to File My Legal Claim in California?

You have dos años to file a legal claim after being in a car accident in California. This may seem like a long time, but the longer you wait to file, the harder it will be to collect viable evidence for your case. If the accident involved a government vehicle, you only have six months to file a legal claim. If you fail to file within the correct timeframe, California courts will most likely dismiss your case entirely, and you won’t be able to recover any compensation.

Contact a Hemet Car Accident Lawyer

Reach out to the team at Corrales Law Group today so you can learn how we can help. Our attorneys offer free consultations to those injured in Hemet and surrounding California cities. When a car accident leaves a lasting impact, you have the right to seek compensation to help you move forward towards a brighter future. We serve our clients in both Spanish and English.

Póngase en contacto con nosotros and get the help that you deserve.