Car Accident Attorney in Ventura
Helping Injured Auto Accident Victims Pursue Fair Compensation
Being in a car accident can be a traumatic experience, especially if you or your passengers are severely injured as a result of the crash. As a car accident victim, you’ll likely accrue medical bills, car repair costs, and lost wages from taking time off work to heal. If these or other damages have cost you an exorbitant amount of money, you deserve compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and Skinner Law Corp will help you get it.
As you deal with the aftermath of your Ventura car accident, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn. Our Southern California law firm is here to guide you through your personal injury case from start to finish, holding the liable parties responsible for your injuries and property damage so you don’t have to deal with them alone after a devastating car accident.
When you hire our law firm for your case, we’ll work hard to help you prove liability and show the financial and emotional damages you suffered as a result of a car wreck caused by someone else. As a victim of a motor vehicle accident, you need an experienced car accident attorney on your side, so call us at 310-356-0074 to learn more about how we can get you the outcome you deserve for your case.
What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries Among Victims?
Car accidents can lead to minor, severe, or even fatal injuries, depending on the circumstances of the crash. Even if you don’t feel injured at the accident scene, it is always recommended that you seek medical attention for yourself and other car accident victims. After all, you could have an underlying injury that is not immediately obvious, and it could lead to serious damage if left untreated for too long.
The most common car accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Vision or hearing loss
- Internal bleeding
- Permanent disabilities or loss of limbs
Catastrophic injuries typically involve life-long symptoms that can impact you for years to come, possibly leaving you disabled and unable to work or enjoy the hobbies you participated in before the car accident. Even seemingly minor injuries can disrupt your life for months after the accident, which is why experienced Ventura car accident attorneys encourage accident victims to reach out to them to determine if they have a case to pursue.
No matter what kind of injuries you suffered in an auto accident, you deserve compensation for your current and future medical expenses. Hospital visits, physical therapy, surgeries, and other treatment options can leave you paying thousands of dollars for years to come. You shouldn’t be held responsible for these costs if you didn’t cause the crash, and skilled lawyers will ensure you’re not. Contact our law office today to talk to a compassionate Ventura car accident attorney about your legal options as a car accident victim.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
California drivers are expected to pay close attention to the road, obey traffic signals, and avoid taking any substances that could negatively affect their driving. Of course, many drivers ignore these expectations and display behaviors that end up causing serious car accidents, severely harming themselves and others. The following are some of the most common causes of auto accidents across the country:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Driving in extreme weather
- Reckless driving
- Impaired driving
- Fatigued driving
- Unsafe roads
- Insufficient vehicle maintenance
While negligent drivers often display one or more of these errors behind the wheel, these aren’t the only causes of devastating car accidents across Ventura County. If you believe your accident was caused by a different issue or are unsure of what led to it, you should contact a lawyer to learn more. Skilled attorneys at trusted personal injury law firms have the legal resources and experience necessary to determine who and what caused their clients’ car accidents.
When you hire Skinner Law Corp to represent you, you’ll have a lawyer on your side to investigate your accident, uncover who caused it, and negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. We can also take your personal injury lawsuit to the courtroom if your claim can’t be settled outside of court. If you’re ready to find out the cause of your crash and seek compensation for it, call our Ventura law firm today for legal advice.
What Are Some Different Types of Car Accidents?
Some types of car accidents are particularly common and more likely to cause severe damage than others, affecting the auto accident claims associated with them. After all, claims that involve more property damage and costlier medical bills than average may be considered more complex and require more time to resolve. This is why it’s helpful to consider the type of car accident you were involved in and how it might affect your injury case.
Rear-end collisions are among the most common types of auto accidents. This type of crash occurs when the front of one vehicle collides with the back of another. In many cases, this is due to one driver’s negligence, such as following the car ahead too closely, especially when the road is wet due to rain and makes it difficult to stop quickly. Another common cause of rear-end collisions is distracted driving, such as texting or looking down to read a map and failing to notice the car ahead is braking.
Head-on collisions are also common, which is unfortunate because they often cause serious injuries or death as the front of one car collides with the front of another. This usually happens when one driver crosses into oncoming traffic, often because they’re impaired by drugs or alcohol, asleep at the wheel, or driving recklessly enough to lose control of the car.
Side-impact crashes are common, as well. They occur when one car strikes the side of another car, often severely injuring the driver or passengers sitting at the point of impact. Also called a T-bone crash, this kind of collision is most likely to occur at an intersection where one driver runs a stop sign or red light. However, they can also happen when a driver pulls out of a parking lot to turn onto the road without noticing or yielding to cars traveling toward them.
A sideswipe collision is another type of car accident that can cause injuries and vehicle damage. This happens when a driver merges into the next lane without checking their blind spot, colliding with another car that was already in the lane. This type of crash can also occur when a driver speeds up to cut off another driver and hits the side of the car in the process. Though some sideswipe crashes only cause minor damage to vehicles, they can cause cars to roll over or enter other lanes of traffic if high rates of speed are involved, leading to serious or fatal injuries.
No matter what type of car accident you were involved in, you’re likely entitled to compensation from the driver whose negligence caused it. Your lawyer can review the police report and other evidence to let you know what category your accident is in and what led to it. If you have questions about your case or are ready to pursue compensation from the at-fault party, contact our Ventura law firm today to learn about your legal options as an accident victim.
What Kinds of Damages Can You Pursue After a Car Accident in Ventura?
There are many kinds of damages you can seek after being injured in a car accident. Generally, if you have suffered any economic losses as a result of your injuries, you can recover compensation for them, ensuring you don’t have to pay out of pocket for the consequences of a crash you didn’t cause.
Damages are typically split up into a few different categories, including economic, non-economic, and punitive. Experienced Ventura car accident lawyers will consider the circumstances of your auto accident case to determine which damages you’re entitled to before bringing a claim against the insurance company of the responsible party. You should make sure you understand each type of damage you may be pursuing as your case gets started.
Economic Damages
Economic damages, also called financial damages, have a set amount of money attached to them. They usually include the following:
- Medical expenses, both current and future
- Lost wages from taking time off work
- Reduced earning capacity in the future
- Property damage
Your car accident attorney will carefully examine your bills associated with the crash and let you know which economic damages you will likely recover through your car accident claim. For most personal injury cases, getting compensated for medical bills is critical since these are the most expensive consequences of a car accident. Whether you needed immediate medical care to save your life or will have ongoing medical needs in the future as a result of the crash, you deserve to get all your medical bills covered by your car accident claim.
Another economic damage that’s commonly seen in auto accident claims is lost wages. Whether you suffered minor wounds or severe injuries, you likely had to take anywhere from weeks to months off work to fully heal, affecting your income in the long run. No one should have to worry about how to pay for housing, food, and other necessities because they’re unable to work after a car accident. This is why car accident attorneys usually pursue compensation for lost wages and reduced earning capacity for victims. They also work hard to ensure the at-fault party or their insurance provider pays for the victim’s car repairs and any other expenses caused by the crash.
Non-Economic Damages
Your auto accident lawyer will consider whether you’re entitled to non-economic damages through your insurance claim. Also called general damages, these are more subjective and require extensive calculations by car accident lawyers with experience adding up these damages. After all, these are intangible ways in which a car accident has impacted your life, and there typically aren’t any bills or receipts to guide the calculations.
Non-economic damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases often include:
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
Your California car accident lawyer will decide which non-economic damages apply to your case and how much compensation to pursue once they have a complete understanding of your situation. During your free consultation with an auto accident attorney in Ventura County, you should describe how the accident has changed your life so they can begin calculating the damages you’re entitled to from the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
Punitive Damages
The court may award punitive damages if the defendant is found to have acted in a highly negligent or dangerous way, causing severe injuries or death to someone else. Damages like these are meant to discourage the defendant from acting negligently again in the future.
Note that judges usually only award punitive damages to victims in certain types of cases, such as drunk driving accidents. Because the other driver was behaving negligently by driving under the influence, a judge may order them to pay additional damages on top of economic and non-economic damages. If you’re unsure if your case could lead to punitive damages for you and any other injured victims, you should reach out to skilled car accident attorneys for a free consultation to discuss the compensation you may be entitled to. Contact our Ventura law firm today to speak to a caring auto accident attorney about your case.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
A car accident is one of the most overwhelming things that can happen to you on the road. If you’ve been injured in a crash, you likely have adrenaline flowing through your body immediately afterward, making it hard to concentrate or stay calm. Knowing what to do directly after a car accident can help you seek damages and recover compensation quickly.
If you have been in a car accident, you should take the following steps as soon as possible:
- Move your vehicle to a safe location. It is very likely that your car is in the middle of the road after an accident. If it is safe to do so, move your car to the shoulder, putting on your emergency flashers in the process
- Call the police. Unless your accident was very minor and resulted in no injuries, you will want to get the police involved. They can ensure that any injured victims receive medical attention, and they will also create an accident report that you can use as evidence if you proceed with a car accident claim
- Exchange information with the other driver. It’s important to get the other driver’s name, phone number, and insurance provider information
- Collect evidence before you leave the scene of the crash. You should use your phone to take photos of any injuries that you or your passengers suffered, as well as the damage to the vehicles involved in the crash
- Seek medical attention. If you are injured, it is essential to get medical attention right away. Keep a record of any payments you make out of pocket so you can claim those as damages that you should be compensated for in your case
- Contact experienced auto accident attorneys. The sooner you talk to a car accident attorney, the faster you can begin building your case against the at-fault driver and their insurance company. Reach out to our law firm right away so we can help you recover compensation for the losses you suffered in the crash
It’s essential that you complete these steps as soon as you can after an auto accident. After all, personal injury claims fall under a statute of limitations. Once this statute expires, injured victims can no longer seek compensation from the at-fault party in court.
In California, the statute of limitations for car accident claims is two years from the date of the accident. There are certain exceptions to this rule, although they are rare and may not apply to your case. For instance, claims regarding car accidents involving government vehicles or government entities only have six months from the date of the crash.
So, if you believe you have a car accident case and want to know the next step to take to get compensation, you should contact Ventura car accident lawyers immediately. Call our office today to speak with a caring California attorney eager to assist with your legal needs.
How Can a Ventura Car Accident Lawyer Help You?
Being injured in a car accident can affect your life in many ways. If you had to pay for medical treatment, property damage repairs, and other expenses, you deserve compensation. Our law firm will handle your entire case, fighting for your rights until you get the outcome you deserve. We understand that legal issues can be complex and not easy to deal with when you’re still in pain from a serious car crash. That’s why we want you to know we’re here for you from start to finish.
We’ll begin your case by determining liability, which is an essential part of any personal injury lawsuit. By assigning liability, you are determining who is at fault and therefore required to pay for your damages. Since not all car accident cases are straightforward, determining liability typically requires assistance from skilled personal injury lawyers who can collect evidence that shows the other driver caused the crash.
Most car accident claims assign liability to the other driver. This is especially true if they were texting or driving dangerously according to the evidence from the scene. However, if the accident was caused by faulty car parts or a manufacturing error rather than by distracted driving, the car retailer or auto parts manufacturer could be held liable. Similarly, poor road conditions can also cause auto accidents, in which case the government entity responsible for maintaining the roads could be held responsible for your injuries.
You deserve help from Ventura car accident attorneys who will complete all the necessary legal tasks for you during your car accident case. When you hire a compassionate personal injury lawyer from our law office, you can rest at home and recover from your serious injuries while we collect your medical records, police reports, witness statements, and other evidence that will lead to fair compensation for you.
Whether you’re pursuing an injury claim or a wrongful death claim after a car accident, you shouldn’t feel like you must navigate this legal matter on your own. You can benefit from the guidance of a skilled personal injury attorney who will gather evidence, communicate with the insurance company, file a lawsuit if necessary, and work on a contingency fee basis so you don’t owe any legal fees upfront. If you’re ready to get experienced legal representation from a compassionate Ventura car accident attorney, call Skinner Law Corp at 310-356-0074 to discuss your case.