If you have been in a car accident in Arden-Arcade, California – and it wasn’t your fault – you may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills, vehicle damage, pain and suffering, and more. Car accidents are often traumatic events that result in serious injuries and lasting mental distress. A seasoned car accident attorney can help you pursue compensation that can help you pay your bills and get back on your feet.
The Arden-Arcade car accident lawyers at Demas Law Group are ready to help you with your claim. We bring more than 25 years of experience to the table. We stand prepared to use our collective knowledge and resources to uphold your rights and hold the at-fault party accountable for their negligence.
Call us today for your 100% free, confidential consultation. Tell us about your accident, ask any questions you have, and let us get to work on your case.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Arden-Arcade
There are many causes of car accidents. Sometimes, multiple factors can lead to a car accident. The following are among the most common causes of car accidents in Arden-Arcade:
- Distracted driving – Distractions such as cell phones, eating, changing radio stations, looking at directions, and interacting with passengers can all lead to increased risk of a car accident. Cell phone use, particularly looking at a phone screen to text or use social media, is an extremely dangerous distraction. If a driver is traveling at 55 miles per hour and looks at their phone for five seconds, they would travel the distance of a football field blindfolded – a frightening statistic.
- Driving while under the influence – Driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol is a leading cause of car accidents in Arden-Arcade. It often results in accidents causing severe injury or death. Intoxication leads to reduced reaction time, blurred vision, poor decision-making, and even passing out at the wheel. Drivers who are intoxicated, especially may not take appropriate actions that can reduce the severity of an accident, like braking to slow down or swerving out of the way.
- Fatigued driving – Fatigue may not seem like a serious risk to take while driving. However, serious sleep deprivation can mimic the symptoms of drunk driving. Drowsiness can lead to reduced reaction time, and in serious cases, drivers can fall asleep at the wheel. All drivers need to ensure they are adequately rested before starting to drive, especially on longer drives at night. If a driver begins to experience symptoms of drowsiness, they need to pull over and rest.
- Speeding – Driving over the speed limit is a contributing factor to many accidents. Speeding reduces reaction time and makes it more difficult to slow down or otherwise avoid an accident. Speeding is often a factor in rear-end accidents because speeding can make it difficult to leave an appropriate stopping distance. Excess speed can make accidents more severe since speed increases the force of the impact in a collision.
There are many causes that can contribute to an accident. Regardless of the circumstances of your accident, you should contact an experienced Arden-Arcade car accident attorney today to get started on your claim.
Common Types of Car Accidents in Arden-Arcade
The common car accident causes listed above can result in many types of car accidents. The following include some of the most common types of car accidents in Arden-Arcade:
- Rear-end accidents – All drivers have a duty to leave adequate stopping distance between their vehicle and the car in front of them. When one vehicle follows another too closely, the risk of a rear-end accident is elevated. Speeding and distracted driving are also major factors in rear-end accidents. Speeding can make it difficult to stop in time to avoid colliding with slowing traffic. Similarly, a distracted driver may not notice that traffic in front has slowed until it’s too late. The driver in the rear is almost always found to be at fault
- Head-on crashes – Head-on crashes often occur when a driver was in the wrong lane, going the wrong way on a one-way street, intoxicated, distracted, or fell asleep at the wheel. Head-on crashes can result in severe injury to people in both vehicles involved.
- T-bone accidents – T-bone accidents, also called side-impact accidents, occur when one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle. This can result in severe injury to the passengers sitting on the side of the vehicle where the collision happened. These accidents can be more severe than other accidents since the sides of cars have less protection than the front and rear. T-bone accidents frequently happen in intersections.
Oftentimes, the at-fault driver is the one who collides with the side of the other vehicle. This may occur when a driver runs a stop sign or red light and hits a car that is in the middle of an intersection. Sometimes, though, a driver driving legally through an intersection can T-bone a car that runs a red light or stop sign. In this situation, the driver legally in the intersection would likely not be considered at fault.
- Rollover accidents – Rollover accidents can result in severe injury. Injury often occurs when the roof of the vehicle collides with the ground. Rollover accidents can happen when a vehicle is struck by another vehicle at a certain angle, or when a vehicle hits something in the road, like a guardrail or curb.
Top-heavy vehicles like trucks, vans, and some SUVs are more likely to roll. Although drivers must accept some increased risk of rolling when driving a top-heavy vehicle, all vehicles are subject to strict safety scrutiny during the manufacture and design process. Sometimes, in spite of safety regulations, dangerous defects occur in the design and manufacturing process that lead to an unacceptably high risk of rollover. In this situation, you may be able to hold the car designer or manufacturer responsible for paying your damages.
Various factors can lead to car accidents. The ones discussed above only represent a few of the most common types. An experienced car accident attorney can help you understand your legal options, regardless of the cause of the accident.
Types of Injuries from Arden-Arcade Car Accidents
Car accidents are among the leading causes of injury in Arden-Arcade. The following are some of the most common injuries that result from car accidents:
- Whiplash
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Cuts and lacerations
- Bruising
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Neck injury
- Nerve damage
- Partial or full paralysis
- Death
In addition to physical injuries, serious car accidents often lead to lasting mental trauma. Car accident survivors often develop anxiety, depression, and experience symptoms of PTSD. They may find it difficult to go back to work, complete daily tasks, and enjoy life the way they did before their accident.
No matter what type of injury you sustained, or how minor it seems at first, you should seek medical attention immediately following the accident. Not only is it in the best interest of your health, but failing to receive medical attention can also damage your legal claim.
The insurance company of the at-fault driver will look for any way possible to reduce or deny your claim. If you delay medical care, they may argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim, or that you worsened them by delaying care. They may even argue that it can’t be proved that your injuries resulted from a car accident.
Types of Compensation for a Car Accident in Arden-Arcade
In general, car accident victims who file injury claims with the insurance company of the at-fault driver are eligible to ask for compensation for two kinds of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Vehicle damage
- Lost wages if your injuries have prevented you from working
These are the damages for which money is an exact substitute. In order to help establish your economic damages, try to keep good records of every bill, invoice, and receipt you get related to your medical care or vehicle damage. If you don’t have this documentation or have lost it, your lawyer can work with you to get all records prepared and organized.
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain
- Suffering
- Emotional trauma
Since these damages are subjective, it can be more complicated to establish how much compensation you are eligible for – but these losses are just as real and just as compensable.
In order to help us show the extent of the mental impact of your accident, we recommend keeping a diary in which you document the ways your accident prevents you from living your life the way you did before the accident. Write down whenever you experience pain, are unable to complete daily tasks, or feel symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD, for example.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Arden-Arcade
Many car accident victims feel stressed and overwhelmed in the aftermath of a crash. Trying to cope with resting and recovering while dealing with the financial burden of medical bills results in serious stress and anxiety for many. At the Demas Law Group, we are passionate about helping take some of the burdens off of accident victims during this difficult time. We have an excellent track record of obtaining favorable results for our car accident clients.
The experienced Arden-Arcade car accident lawyers at Demas Law Group are ready to help you with your claim. Call us today for your free, confidential consultation.
