Automobile accidents
· Slip and fall · Dog bite
· Aviation disaster
· Product liability
· Wrongful death claims
· Medical malpractice
· Other serious personal injuries
We have an experienced, aggressive attorney team to fight for you. We have successfully obtained one million dollars compensations for our clients.
Of counsel: Peter Szabadi, experienced personal injury lawyer for 30 years.
Michael Waddington: Aggressive plaintiff attorney, many trials experience and licensed in 4 states in the United States.
What is Personal Injury (PI)?
Personal Injury (PI) is a term that encompasses claims by individual persons for damages to their physical health, emotional well being, and to their reputation. The most common type of PI case involves bodily injury resulting from an auto accident.
If I am involved in an accident, do I have to report it to the police?
State law requires that in any case in which there is an injury, it must be reported to the local office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), or to the local police department if the accident occurred inside a city limit within 24 hours of the time of the accident.It is preferable to have all of the vehicles remain at the scene of the accident and have the authorities arrive at the scene to investigate immediately after the accident.
What other reports are required besides the police report?
In addition to filing a police report, any driver involved in a motor vehicle accident in California must within 10 days of the accident file a combined accident report and verification of financial responsibility form known as an SR-1 with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This is required whenever there is injury in the accident or where there is $500 or more of property damage. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or higher to view this form which you can download here.
What information should I obtain from the other driver at the accident scene?
Be sure to get the other driver’s name, address, and license number and expiration date. Also get the driver’s telephone number and insurance company’s policy number and expiration date. Write down the other car’s make, model, and license plate number, and ask to see the registration for the other vehicle. Additionally, get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any passengers in the other car and any witnesses. Additionally, you can also print out the accident report records form we have provided for you to keep in your car for your convenience.
If the other driver is at fault, do I need to contact my own insurance company?
You always need to notify your own insurance company of an accident regardless of who’s at fault.
What should I carry in my car in case I am involved in an accident?
Every automobile owners in California must carry a copy of their vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Additionally, you can print out the form we have provided to keep in your car to record additional informations in the event that you involved in an auto accident.
In an auto accident, which insurance company will cover my immediate medical bills?
This can get complicated because you may have policies with two insurance companies-your regular health insurance, and the medical payments coverage on your automobile insurance. The other driver’s car insurance may be obligated to reimburse you also.
Which insurance company will pay for the damage to my car?
If the other driver is at fault, his/her insurance company may make arrangements directly with you to pay for the damages to your car. In the case that the other driver’s insurance company refuse to make these arrangements, you may have to deal with your own insurance company first and have your insurance company seek reimbursement, if you are entitled to reimbursement. Be careful when dealing with the other driver’s insurance company because they may try to rush you into a smaller settlement of your PI claims before you have an opportunity to evaluate the full extent of the accident. We always advise the injured party to seek help from an attorney when dealing with insurance companies.
What if the other driver has no insurance?
Unfortunately, around two-fifth of all drivers in California do not have auto liability insurance. If you are involved in an auto accident with an uninsured driver who is at fault, the uninsured motorist provisions of your own policy will apply provided that you have uninsured motorist coverage.
What is the deadline for filing a PI claim?
The deadline is 6 months to file a claim where a government agency is involved as a defendant. Where there is no government agency involved, the deadline is 1 year from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. We recommend that the injured party to contact a lawyer right away instead of waiting until the deadline approach.
What items are included in a PI claim?
Key items included wage loss, loss of earning capacity, medical expenses, damages for pain and suffering, anxiety and emotional distress. This is not a complete list of claims for damages however.
Who pays my medical bills after the case is over?
In PI cases, settlements or judgments typically involve a single payment or schedule of payments. These settlements do not generally involve open-ended responsibility of the defendant to continue paying the injured person’s medical bills. It is recommended that the injured person preserve a portion of the settlements received to pay for future medical expenses arising out of the accident.
How much do attorneys charge?
Typically PI cases are handled on a contingency basis, which means that the attorney fees are based on a percentage of what is recovered in the case. These fees are not set by law but are negotiated between the parties to the attorney-client fee contract. Under a percentage contingency fee, if there is no recovery, there is no fee.
Who should I contact if my insurance company does not live up to its contract?
You should first try to resolve the issue with your insurance company, agent or broker. If you do not receive a satisfactory response in a timely manner, then you should contact the California Department of Insurance using the Request for Assistance form that we provided here.