The simple answer is yes. At Counsel Hound, our experienced car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means our fees are a percentage of the settlement or judgment award obtained on your behalf. You will never have to pay for our services out of pocket. If your case is unsuccessful, you will not owe us any attorney’s fees.

With contingency fees eliminating the upfront cost of hiring a car accident lawyer, the real question becomes: Can you afford not to hire one? Without legal representation, you risk the insurance company taking advantage of you. Insurance companies have substantial resources to contest liability for motor vehicle collisions, which could result in you receiving much less than you deserve.

A lawyer possesses significant resources, negotiation skills, and the determination to demand maximum financial compensation for you as a client. Car accident victims who enlist the help of lawyers typically recover more substantial monetary compensation for their losses than unrepresented plaintiffs, even after attorney’s fees are deducted from the award.

Common Car Accident Injuries Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers emphasize car accident law significantly due to the frequency and severity of these incidents. In 2021, the most recent year with available data, the County of Los Angeles reported 40,669 fatal and injury accidents. Car accidents frequently cause serious, catastrophic, and life-altering injuries for victims in LA. We understand how these injuries impact individuals and how to help them pursue appropriate compensation.

These injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Permanent disabilities
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Bone fractures
• Major lacerations
• Soft-tissue injuries
• Burns
• Fatal injuries
• Wrongful death

We also assist clients in seeking compensation for non-physical injuries. California law allows plaintiffs to claim compensation for emotional, mental, and psychological suffering, physical pain, and economic losses. Our firm can help you pursue a fair amount for your pain and suffering, emotional distress, anguish, grief, distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder following a severe auto accident.

California Car Accident Laws California has complex car accident laws that are crucial to understand as a victim. Failing to comprehend these laws could lead to mistakes that result in reduced compensation for your damages or even no payment. After a severe crash in Los Angeles, you must contact an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer for guidance regarding your specific accident as soon as possible. We can help you navigate the laws relevant to your case.

One of the fundamental laws to be aware of is the statute of limitations. In California, all accident victims have two years from their car accidents to file injury claims and three years for property damage-only claims. The courts generally do not make exceptions to this rule. The clock may start ticking from the date of discovery if it occurs after the collision.

California follows fault-based car insurance laws. All drivers must carry adequate vehicle insurance, including bodily injury coverage ($15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident) and property damage liability ($5,000). After an accident, injured parties will file claims with the at-fault party’s insurance provider to recover damages. Depending on the circumstances, injured victims may also have the right to file lawsuits instead of insurance claims.

California does not bar victims from financial recovery even if they were partially responsible for causing an auto accident. The state follows pure comparative negligence rules, which reduce the victim’s recovery award by their percentage of fault. Even if the victim was 99% responsible for causing the crash, they could still recover 1% of the compensation award. An attorney from our firm can help you defend against comparative negligence arguments.

Clients choose Counsel Hound for our in-depth knowledge of California’s car accident laws. We stay updated on the latest legal developments and work towards positive changes through our litigation. We are often at the forefront of shaping the rules in California; for instance, we were the state’s first firm to file an asbestos lawsuit against product manufacturers. Our mission is to help victims recover and positively influence car accident laws through our legal representation.

Proving Negligence in a Los Angeles Car Accident In personal injury law, “negligence” refers to a legal doctrine applied to most car accident claims and other personal injury lawsuits. When someone is negligent, they have failed to meet the accepted duty of care, an obligation to use the same level of care as a reasonable person in similar circumstances. In the context of a car accident injury claim, duty of care typically refers to a driver’s responsibility to follow traffic laws, drive responsibly, and prevent car accidents.

Proving Negligence in a car accident case requires clear and convincing evidence that the driver or another defendant breached their duty of care. A breach of duty means they could have exercised the necessary level of respect for the situation. Subsequently, the victim or their attorney must establish that the defendant’s breach of duty was the primary cause of the car accident, meaning the collision would not have occurred without the defendant’s Negligence.

Establishing the elements of a car accident claim in California necessitates presenting evidence proving Negligence. Evidence may include a police accident report, photographs and video footage, signed eyewitness statements, expert testimony from car accident experts, crash reconstruction, medical records, cell phone records, employment records for commercial drivers, and more. An attorney can assist you in collecting all the necessary evidence to prove the defendant’s Negligence in your car accident case.

HOW DOES COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE IMPACT CAR ACCIDENT CLAIM?

Comparative Negligence can be used as a defense to reduce the value of a settlement or judgment award. It argues that the victim contributed to the accident, at least in part, and the defendant should be liable for a smaller percentage of the damages.

If comparative Negligence is asserted against you in a car accident case, it could reduce the compensation you receive from the other driver. For example, if you are found to be 10% at fault, your recovery award will be reduced by a corresponding percentage.

California follows pure comparative Negligence, meaning that a victim can be found up to 99% responsible for a car accident and still recover the remaining percentage in financial compensation. Collaborating with an attorney who can effectively argue against the comparative negligence defence is crucial to maximizing your monetary recovery.

Can You Recover After a Hit-and-Run? A hit-and-run accident occurs when the at-fault party does not fulfil their legal obligations, including taking financial responsibility for the crash. In such cases, you may not know how to proceed with a damage claim because you do not know the identity of the at-fault driver. California’s fault car insurance laws do not apply when the identity of the at-fault party is unknown. Fortunately, your auto insurer may offer a solution.

After a hit-and-run accident, one initial step is contacting the police. They can investigate the accident site and potentially locate the at-fault driver. In this scenario, you can proceed with your claim as you would for any other car accident by filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. However, if the police cannot identify the driver, you must seek compensation through your auto insurer. Contact your insurance agent immediately to report the accident. Your agent will determine whether you have uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance to cover your damages.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance is not mandatory in California, but you must explicitly decline this coverage when purchasing your policy to reject it. If you have this insurance, your insurer will cover your property damage repairs and medical expenses. Comprehensive and collision insurance may also cover damages from a hit-and-run accident. Our Los Angeles auto accident attorney can help you negotiate with your insurance provider to obtain a fair and reasonable compensation award after a severe hit-and-run car accident.

Another avenue for obtaining financial recovery after a hit-and-run auto accident is holding someone other than the driver accountable for your damages. An attorney can determine whether another party may have contributed to your crash, such as a company for its employed driver, the City of Los Angeles for a hazardous roadway, or a vehicle manufacturer for a defective auto part. One of our attorneys can assess your hit-and-run crash and inform you of all available options for financial compensation.