Chico Car Accident Lawyer
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Speeding and DUI are the leading factors contributing to fatal crashes. Every year auto-related accidents are the direct cause of thousands of deaths on the roads and highways of the United States. A Chico car accident lawyer can come in clutch when all seems to go sideways following your or a loved one’s car accident.
Even without any fatality, accidents often leave deep physical and emotional wounds on the victims and their families. Like any other wound, if left untreated for too long, it festers and leaves a scar. Many fall prey to intrusive thoughts like, ‘what could they have done differently at that moment?’, ‘how they’ll cope with the financial burdens’ etc. As attorneys, we have seen our fair share of people reliving the same memory to imagine a different- a better outcome. Others, previously radiant and happy people, are reduced to anxious individuals calculating every cost, every bill and every unwanted possibility.
If this is you or someone you know, we can help. Having a car accident attorney to back you up at such crucial times can make all the difference in how you’re going to move on from the incident. Whether it’s your insurance company that is holding out on you or the perpetrator who refuses to settle, your personal injury lawyer will handle it all.
Why Car Accidents Occur
It’s not just bad luck that makes accidents happen. There are a number of ‘perfectly avoidable’ variables that unfortunately aren’t avoided and end up contributing to on-road crashes.
Speeding
There’s a speed limit on every road yet it doesn’t stop a fair amount of people from going beyond the prescribed limit. Speeding is the leading cause of fatal crashes in the United States. A speeding vehicle is harder to control and can easily turn even safe situations into disasters.
For victims of speedy driving by another driver, the claim amount is almost always ensured because the accident took place despite the defendant having a sufficient chance to avoid it.
Driving Under the Influence
DUI is another leading killer on the roads. Accidents due to driving in an inebriated state due to alcohol or drug abuse mostly occur at night. A driver under the influence of such substances is likely to drive with abandon, being a threat to others and their life on the road.
Despite all states having stringent laws prohibiting DUI, intoxication is single-handedly responsible for causing thousands of deaths every year.
Road Rage
Some people drive aggressively and without any regard for the inconvenience they might cause other drivers. This includes – swerving the vehicle whenever they want or deliberately obstructing others’ paths etc. Road rage accidents are very common in large cities.
Negligence
Some deliberately ignore traffic rules, while others are negligent in following them. The negligent kind of driver may not necessarily pick fights or speed, but they drive carelessly. For example – missing the road signs, ignoring traffic lights, texting or just being distracted in general.
Fatigue
A tired driver is an unsafe driver. More than 300,000 crashes every year occur because of drivers who were drowsy or completely asleep behind the wheel. Exhaustion while driving greatly reduces the reaction time of the driver. This makes it unsafe for not just the driver himself but also for other vehicles on the road at that time.
Types of Injuries Resulting From Car Accidents
It’s important to consider the nature of the injury one receives as a result of an accident. This helps in determining the overall size of the claimed amount which includes – medical expenses, long-term disability support, loss of income etc.
Brain Trauma
Brain injury is one of the most severe injuries that can occur as the result of a direct impact on the skull. Brain hemorrhages can very easily turn fatal and therefore require proactive medical support. This form of trauma is long-term and may take years to completely heal. Understandably, the costs arising out of this are hospital fees for surgery and even rehab.
Paralysis or Disability- Temporary or Permanent
It is common for victims of serious auto crashes to become temporarily disabled or paralyzed. In unfortunate circumstances, the paralysis or disability may become long-term or even permanent. Such claims should include the long-term support that may be required by the patient – be it in the form of caregiver personnel costs or medical expenses.
Fractures and Dislocation
A broken bone or two, or a dislocated joint are some of the most common injuries caused due to car accidents. Medical costs related to the same can definitely be added to the entire claim.
Amputation
Accidents that result in the amputation of any part of the body are considered to be severe. Amputation of a limb can gravely affect the ability of a person to work and earn a regular income. Additionally, it may also become a source of emotional distress causing the person to lose their self-esteem and become conscious of their appearance.
Loss of Senses
Though not common as other physical injuries, loss of sense greatly affects every victim. Loss of senses usually constitutes partial or temporary blindness and deafness.
Internal Bleeding
Another common car accident injury is internal bleeding which happens when an impact ruptures our blood vessels or hurts organs without breaking the skin.
Mental Injury
There are long-term effects of even minor accidents. Some accidents may leave a person scared to drive or even averse to the idea of riding in a car. These types of handicaps cannot be treated using medicines and are sometimes grouped in with some of the more serious injuries.
Every injury deserves to be compensated and no insurance provider or defendant should be allowed to short-change the victim. Regrettably, insurance companies try to get away with providing the minimum possible insurance support they can. At the Law Office of Steve Gimblin, we keep a strict eye on whether your insurance provider compensates you fairly. The same stands for the defendant.
Types of Car Accidents
There are many types of car accidents, however, the most common in a fairly populous city like Chico are:
Single Car
In single-car accidents, there is no involvement of a second driver whose faulty driving caused a car accident. There is only one car that goes off-roads or crashes into trees or poles by the side of the streets. It also doesn’t result from the driver’s recklessness but may be caused due to faulty parts, defective brakes or poor servicing. Investigations generally conclude with the car company, part manufacturer or the car mechanic being at fault.
Rear-End
This form of collision is common in high-traffic lanes or low-visibility roads. Some common causes are:
- the rear driver underestimates the distance between their car and the vehicle at the front.
- foggy roads
- the vehicle at the front suddenly brakes after moving at a constant speed.
Phantom
Ghost or phantom crashes aren’t caused by ghosts. It is a phenomenon where the rash driving of another driver causes you to get into an accident, even when their car did not make any physical contact with yours. Phantom drivers sometimes aren’t even aware that their actions caused an accident.
Head-on
One of the more serious kinds of accidents is two cars colliding face first with each other. Head-on collisions are responsible for a big chunk of the total fatalities resulting from car crashes. Where the accident isn’t fatal, victims are lucky to get away with a fracture, internal wounds or a concussion. Severe negligence and disregard for traffic rules are what lead up to head-on collisions.
Side Impact
Another major collision that also puts other vehicles on the road at risk is the side impact or T-bone crash because the crashing vehicles make a T with each other. It happens most commonly at intersections where one car follows the light while the other tries to run it. On a busy road, the vehicle that took the side impact may also spin out of control or rollover, jeopardizing the safety of other drivers as well.
When You Should Call a Lawyer
If it’s a serious accident, chances are that sooner or later you’ll need an attorney. The best-recommended course of action is to contact a lawyer as soon as possible following the incident. This gives you the assurance that you have qualified support and the lawyer can direct you depending on the severity of the accident. If it’s nothing to worry about, the attorney will make sure you know that too. So the answer is that it can never hurt to consult a lawyer even if the issue doesn’t escalate further.
If matters do escalate, you should call the lawyer:
To Represent You
As the claimant, it may seem that the insurance company and the defendant are eager to pay you to settle the matter. Though they are, it’s for the reason that quick settlement is the easiest way to avoid paying hefty sums that arise later. You need the lawyer so you don’t get intimidated or sweet-talked into accepting their terms.
To Defend You
If worse comes to worst, and you’re on the receiving end of a car accident claim, you still need a lawyer. Your car accident attorney will first investigate whether it was the claimant who was at fault. They will also keep you from giving in to any outrageously high sums demanded by the opposite party. The pressure from such procedures can cause anyone to buckle and attorneys are there to keep that from happening to their clients.
How Having a Chico Car Accident Attorney Serves Your Best Interest
Lawyers are only as successful as their client’s cases are. With this in mind, you can trust your attorney to look out for your best interests as their top priority.
Investigate the Matter and Get Closure Interest
Accidents aren’t just financially draining, they drain your mental health too. Even when months have passed since their accidents, many people cling to those few seconds of misfortune. It’s not that they want to cling to painful memories, the simple reason is that we keep remembering what we want to forget the most.
One way to get out of this bitter cycle is to come to terms with the actual event. Knowing what happened and taking every precaution possible to avoid it in the future can give you the peace of mind you have been seeking. How lawyers help is by acquainting their clients with the real facts that they found after investigation.
Get Your Insurance Benefit in Full
As we discussed above, it is very difficult for laymen to squeeze every last drop of their rightful insurance claim out of the insurance company. In many cases, insurance providers urge their customers toward swift settlement. This may sound like a hassle-free straightforward option at first, but it is rarely meant to benefit the client. By doing this, insurance companies try to quickly fulfill their liability before any real investigation can work out the appropriate sum.
Your Chico car accident attorney will talk to the insurance company on your behalf and eliminate any possibility of receiving the short end.
Settle at a Fair Amount
Apart from your insurance provider, there is another party that will have to fulfill your claim – the defendant who was at fault for the accident. The defending party will have their own lawyers and negotiations for a settlement will take place. For such meetings, it is important to have a legal representative on your side as well. The Chico car accident attorney will negotiate on your behalf to help you receive the best compensation amount depending on the particular merits of the case and the injuries caused.
Were You Involved in a Car Crash?
If you are, it’s never too late to seek out some professional advice. Our best car accident attorneys will be available for you to consult at the earliest. Each client testimonial is proof of our dedication to fighting for the rights of every client that requests our help.
Get in touch with us and claim the support of a team that will work until you receive the recompense you’re due.