San Diego Car Accident Lawyers

Thousands of people are killed in motor vehicle collisions each year in California. Hundreds of thousands are injured. In 2015, that number equated to nearly 30 car accident injuries every hour across the state.

No one is ever expecting a catastrophic vehicle crash to happen to them. But in the aftermath, victims and their families are left with the burden of devastating injuries and mounting bills. There’s also the expense of repairing or replacing their vehicles and dealing with the pressure of the insurance company. It’s hard for anyone to endure.

If a careless driver caused the crash that injured you, CaseyGerry can hold that person responsible for your losses. If applicable, the firm’s skilled lawyers can investigate defective car parts or roadway defects that led to an accident. With two full-time investigators on staff, CaseyGerry’s car collision legal team can get started on your case as soon as you call. The San Diego personal injury attorneys at CaseyGerry are the best when it comes to all personal injury claims.

San Diego Car Accident Page Navigation

• What laws apply in San Diego car accident cases?
• What does it take to win your San Diego car accident claim?
• How is comparative negligence law applied in San Diego car accident claims?
• Common types of auto accident claims in San Diego
• Who is liable in a San Diego car accident claim?
• Will an attorney handle insurance company negotiations?
• How long will it take to resolve a San Diego car accident case?
• How much compensation is available in San Diego car accident cases?

San Diego Car Collision Lawyers with Knowledge, Compassion, and Commitment

CaseyGerry has the experience to help injured victims. As the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego, our team has a decades-long groundwork of knowledge to go the distance against negligent parties. We put our clients’ interests at the forefront and help them obtain the compensation they deserve.

It has been our job for more than 70 years of practice to protect victims and advocate for them during tough times. We know the California automobile accident law and the complex rules of the road that govern drivers, and even the technicalities behind advanced driver assistance systems.

If you were injured or a family member was killed in a car crash in California, please contact the San Diego auto accident attorneys at CaseyGerry. Call (619) 238-1811 or fill out the form below to get started. We can discuss what happened to you, the next steps, and what you can expect.

San Diego, California Car Accident Law

Like many states, California is an at-fault car accident state, which means that injury victims turn to the person who caused the accident for compensation. In no-fault states, injured parties file claims with their own insurance company, regardless of who was at fault.

At-fault laws hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence, but they can also make cases more contentious. When accident fault is disputed, injured parties have to prove that the defendant caused the accident in order to recover compensation for their injuries and damages.

Proving Your Car Accident Claim in San Diego

In general, to prove fault in a car accident claim, the plaintiff must show that the defendant’s negligent conduct caused the car accident. To prove negligence, the following four elements must be satisfied:

• Duty – The defendant had a duty of care. Establishing that the plaintiff has a duty of care is usually not difficult in car accident cases because all drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely and to comply with California driving laws.
• Breach – The defendant breached his or her duty of care. Plaintiffs offer evidence showing that the defendant breached that duty of care. Evidence may include the plaintiff’s testimony, witness statements, photographs, video, police reports, and anything else that demonstrates the defendant’s breach of duty.
• Injury – The plaintiff was injured. Plaintiffs provide evidence to prove that they suffered injuries and damages in the accident. Injury evidence typically includes medical bills, photographs, medical reports, and other documentation.
• Causation – The defendant’s breach of duty caused the plaintiff’s injuries. It is not enough to show that the defendant was negligent and the plaintiff was injured. To prove your case against the defendant, you have to prove that the defendant’s negligence caused your injuries. In other words, but for the defendant’s negligent conduct, you would not have been injured.

California Comparative Negligence Law

Fortunately for those injured in California car accidents, state laws are favorable for injury victims, even for those who were partially at fault for their accidents. In many other comparative fault states, a plaintiff’s right to collect compensation is limited to a maximum percentage of fault.

For example, some states permit plaintiffs to collect compensation so long as they are less than 50% at fault. If they are found to be 51% at fault for the accident, they lose the right to collect any compensation from the defendant.

In California, however, the comparative fault law is very liberal. Injured plaintiffs are permitted to recover compensation if they show that the defendant was even marginally at fault for the accident. The percentage of fault is allocated to each party at trial by the judge or jury.

After fault is determined and the plaintiff’s injuries and damages have been calculated, the plaintiff’s compensation is reduced by his or her portion of fault. Suppose a jury decides that you were 50% at fault for the accident, the defendant was 50% at fault, and your total injuries and damages were $100,000. You would be awarded $50,000 (50%).

Types of California Car Collision Cases

DUI Accidents

Intoxicated drivers are responsible for a large portion of serious and fatal car accidents in California. DUI convictions serve to punish those who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but injury victims must pursue personal injury claims against the driver to recover compensation for their losses. Evidence of driving under the influence can be used to support the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant.

Rideshare Accident

While rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft tout their million-dollar insurance policies, the rideshare company denies responsibility in most accident cases. If you do not know California’s rideshare accident laws, determining liability can be complicated, and there may be multiple defendants and insurance companies involved in your claim.

Truck, Bus, and Large Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Collisions with large trucks and buses are different than regular automobile accidents. Truck and bus accident defendants are often government entities or large trucking companies with many legal and financial resources. Injury victims should be represented by attorneys with experience in mass transit and commercial vehicle accident litigation.

Pedestrian Or Bicyclist Accident

When pedestrians and bicyclists are involved in automobile collisions, the injuries are often catastrophic. Costs associated with injuries and damages can be significant due to excessive medical bills, missed work, disability, and pain and suffering. When injuries are fatal, surviving family members often experience substantial losses as a result of losing their loved ones.

Single-Vehicle Accident

Single-vehicle accidents are not always the automobile driver’s fault. Common causes of single-vehicle accidents include road obstructions, poor road maintenance, lack of signage and warnings of potential dangers, and automobile defects. Those injured in a single-vehicle accident may seek compensation when someone else was responsible for the accident.

Distracted Driving Accidents

Drivers should never try to multitask when they are operating a vehicle. It only takes seconds for a distracted driver to cause an accident. When drivers text, eat, talk on the phone, send emails, or do anything that takes their attention away from driving, it puts everyone else on the road at risk.

Teenage Driver Accidents

Teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than other driver demographics, especially teens who are in the first six months of driving. Teenagers are inexperienced, frequently distracted, and tend to make mistakes that more mature drivers would not normally make. Many teens also fail to appreciate the impact that accidents can have on injury victims and their families.

Who is Liable in a San Diego Car Accident?

One or more parties may be responsible for your accident, and part of collecting compensation for your injuries is making sure that the right parties are held accountable. Your attorney will investigate your accident to help determine liability. Potentially responsible parties include the following:

• A driver involved in the accident – The most common car accident scenario involves one driver being responsible for the accident. If another driver caused your accident, you will make a claim with the driver’s insurance company.
• Third-party – Sometimes, a third-party who is not directly involved in the accident is responsible. For example, if a driver ran a red light and another driver swerved, hitting your vehicle instead, the driver who ran the red light may be liable. Other third parties frequently include entities responsible for road maintenance and manufacturers of defective vehicles.
• Government entities – A government entity may be responsible when you are involved in an accident with a city bus, police car, or any other government-owned and operated vehicle. Claims against the government are different than other personal injury claims because of strict notice and filing deadlines.
• Your insurance company – In some cases, you may have a claim against your own insurance company. If you were injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, or if the driver’s insurance limits don’t cover the extent of your injuries and damages, you might file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim with your insurance company.

Insurance Company Negotiations

Most car accident cases involve negotiating with one or more insurance companies, and those negotiations can be challenging. Even if you pursue an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company, insurance adjusters can make collecting compensation for the full value of your claim difficult.

If you have legal representation, your attorney will take care of all communication with insurance companies. They will examine all of your injuries and damages to calculate the value of your case. This will help to ensure that you only accept an offer that fairly compensates you for your losses.

Length Of Time To Resolve Your Car Accident Case in San Diego

Injury clients often ask how long it will take to resolve their case. Many factors influence car accident claim timelines, such as whether or not liability is contested, how reasonable the insurance company is during settlement negotiations, and whether your case settles or goes to trial.

Our attorneys limit the number of personal injury cases that they take on because they want to be able to give personalized attention to every case. They fight for maximum compensation for every client, which means that they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to help you secure the compensation that you deserve.

The majority of personal injury cases settle before going to trial, but to secure a fair settlement, negotiations may not always be quick. Sometimes one or both parties will walk away from negotiations to prepare for trial, only to reach an agreement right before the trial starts. Other times cases will settle within a few weeks or even days.

How Much is My San Diego Auto Injury Case Worth?

Every lawsuit is different. How much a case is worth depends on a variety of factors, such as:

• The nature, pain, and severity of your injuries,
• How active you were before your injuries,
• The costs of medical treatment needed for your injuries and whether you require ongoing treatment,
• Whether your injuries caused you to lose income,
• Whether your injuries caused any long-term or permanent impairments, disfigurement, or disabilities,
• Physical and/or emotional suffering you experienced because of your injuries, and
• Your past and future medical bills, lost earnings, opportunities, etc.

These and other factors will help determine the value of your case. An experienced auto accident attorney can review the circumstances of your individual case to determine what your claim may be worth. CaseyGerry can be reached by calling 619-238-1811.

Beyond Our Experience, Our Firm has the Resources and Legal Team to Win Cases

Each case also gets the power of two full-time investigators, who uncover the details needed to show how the crash happened and who is at fault. When necessary, we enlist the help of accident reconstruction experts to provide a full picture of the situation.

It has been our job for more than 70 years of practice to protect victims and advocate for them during tough times. We know California automobile accident law and the complex rules of the road that govern drivers.

California law limits the time you have to file a car collision lawsuit. Evidence disappears with time. The sooner you take action, the better you can protect your legal rights.

A driver involved in the accident – The most common car accident scenario involves one driver being responsible for the accident. If another driver caused your accident, you will make a claim with the driver’s insurance company. Third-party – Sometimes, a third-party who is not directly involved in the accident is responsible. For example, if a driver ran a red light and another driver swerved, hitting your vehicle instead, the driver who ran the red light may be liable. Other third parties frequently include entities responsible for road maintenance and manufacturers of defective vehicles. Government entities – A government entity may be responsible when you are involved in an accident with a city bus, police car, or any other government-owned and operated vehicle. Claims against the government are different than other personal injury claims because of strict notice and filing deadlines. Your insurance company – In some cases, you may have a claim against your own insurance company. If you were injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, or if the driver’s insurance limits don’t cover the extent of your injuries and damages, you might file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim with your insurance company.” } },{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How Much is My San Diego Auto Injury Case Worth?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Every lawsuit is different. How much a case is worth depends on a variety of factors, such as:

The nature, pain, and severity of your injuries, How active you were before your injuries, The costs of medical treatment needed for your injuries and whether you require ongoing treatment, Whether your injuries caused you to lose income, Whether your injuries caused any long-term or permanent impairments, disfigurement, or disabilities, Physical and/or emotional suffering you experienced because of your injuries, and Your past and future medical bills, lost earnings, opportunities, etc.

These and other factors will help determine the value of your case. An experienced auto accident attorney can review the circumstances of your individual case to determine what your claim may be worth. CaseyGerry can be reached by calling 619-238-1811.” } }] }