Pasadena Car Accident Lawyer – The Accident Helpers
Pasadena is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Western cities and a top tourist destination. Although it is not as popular as some other Los Angeles cities, areas like old Pasadena can get very busy, especially on the weekends and holidays.
With busy roads, car accidents are almost inevitable. In truth, they are unavoidable even when the roads aren’t that busy. Pasadena thankfully records fewer car accidents than other cities like it, but the city website still reports that there have been over 25,000 traffic collision incidents since 2008.
Car accidents are, therefore, not uncommon in Pasadena. Whether you live here or are simply visiting, one of the most important things to remember if you are ever in a car accident is that getting a car accident lawyer will be very helpful in securing your compensation.
What To Do If You’ve Been Involved in A Car Accident in Pasadena
California follows the at-fault (or tort) auto insurance principles. This means the vehicle owner (or their driver) who has caused an accident must compensate everyone who suffered damages directly or through their insurer.
Vehicle owners must also have auto insurance, so seeking compensation mainly entails claiming it from the responsible driver’s insurance company. Over time, the post-accident to claims process has become standardized with a combination of legal obligations and general best practices that drivers must comply with to ensure compensation.
If you’re ever in an accident in Pasadena, complying with this process is crucial, and these are the steps it involves:
Stop your vehicle
No matter how slight an accident seems, the first thing you must do after it is to stop your vehicle. California law requires this.
Ideally, you should always stop immediately after an accident. Then, you should examine the aftermath; if anyone has been injured (no matter how slight) or died because of the accident, remain on the spot.
However, suppose the accident only caused property damage, and you can still move the cars safely. In that case, you should move them and park them in the nearest, safest place where they won’t obstruct traffic.
Call 911 if there’s an injury
911, according to Cal. Veh. Code § 20003(a). You must also wait at the scene until emergency medical personnel and law enforcement agents arrive.
However, if it becomes apparent that the injured person requires immediate transportation to a hospital and there is reasonable reason to believe that you can get the wounded person to the hospital faster than emergency medical personnel can reach the accident scene, you are obligated to transport the injured.
Information Exchange
To ensure both parties can appropriately report the accident and file claims, Cal Vehicle Code § 20003 requires drivers involved in an accident to exchange relevant information.
Under the law, this pertinent information includes the driver’s name and residential address, the owner’s name and residential address (if they are different from the driver), and the vehicle registration number.
If the other party requests your driver’s license, you must show it to them. Finally, it is essential to remember that any investigating law enforcement officer may also ask for any information you must exchange with the other party, and you are equally obligated to show it to them.
Document the scene
Documenting the scene is the best practice to ensure you have enough relevant evidence to support your claim. It involves taking pictures and videos of the accident that focus on the damage done to property and any injuries that may have been sustained due to the accident.
Getting witness statements that corroborate your version of events is also essential. So, if there were any eyewitnesses to the accident, ensure you get a signed or recorded version of their statements and contact information.
Inform your insurance company
Most insurers require that you inform them of any accident you’ve been involved in within a reasonable period. Therefore, you must notify your insurer as soon as you can so that they can begin investigating the accident.
Get a car accident lawyer
As we mentioned earlier, car accident lawyers are crucial to ensuring you get compensation. With their unique skills, they can get the compensation you deserve.
How Can a Car Accident Lawyer in Pasadena Help?
Naturally, your next question might be how exactly car accident lawyers in Pasadena can help. Here are some of the ways:
Gathering and presenting evidence
Many times, on-scene evidence alone is not sufficient to win a claim. You need other documents, and sometimes testimonies, to prove that your damages indeed amount to what you claim, and a car accident lawyer will ensure you have the required evidence.
But they do not stop there. They also ensure your evidence is presented correctly to speed up the claims process.
Insurance companies are well known for denying claims due to missing evidence or a version of events that appears incoherent because it has not been appropriately structured. Your Pasadena car accident lawyer will prevent that from happening.
Negotiating medical bills
Suppose your medical bills are significant and you lack the means to cover them immediately. In that case, your lawyer can negotiate liens or other arrangements with health providers that ensure you do not have to pay out of pocket. These arrangements also often end up being cheaper for you.
Negotiating insurance payout
Lawyers are skilled negotiators who leverage that skill to bargain with insurers on your behalf. Insurance companies are always hesitant to pay the entire worth of your claim, but a lawyer can negotiate to ensure you get your claim’s worth or even more.
How Much Is My Pasadena Car Accident Claim Worth
The average California car accident settlement sits between $15,000 and $30,000. But you could get less or more depending on the accident and factors like
- Liability: In LI v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804, 119 Cal. Rptr. 858, 532 P.2d 1226 (Cal. 1975), California’s Supreme Court embraced pure comparative negligence. The implication is that each party can only seek compensation for the proportion of the accident that they did not cause.
- Medical bills: The full extent of your medical bills will be summed up and added to your claim, so you should be compensated. However, it is essential to note that insurance companies often will not grant compensation for a medical bill if they believe the expense was unnecessary.
- Property Damage: Extensive property damage will also result in a higher claim.
- Pain and Suffering: If you suffered significant pain and suffering due to the accident, it will contribute to our non-economic damages and increase the worth of your claims.
To better understand your claim’s worth, consulting a Pasadena car accident lawyer who can provide you with an estimate, given their knowledge and experience, would be helpful.
How To Get Your Pasadena Car Accident Report
First of all, it’s imperative to clarify that there are two types when you hear about car accident reports in Pasadena. The first is the SR-1 report, which you must file with the DMV within ten days if the accident caused death, injury, or property damage of over $1,000.
The second report is the official police report on your accident. To report any accident in Pasadena, you should call 911, but you can also report a hit and run on the city website.
Once you report, the police will investigate your accident and produce an official report. The report contains the investigating officer’s determination on who is to blame for the accident and other details, such as whether any driver was driving under the influence or without a seatbelt.
The details in this report could significantly back up your claims. Therefore, it is a crucial piece of evidence that you must have. Your lawyer will assist with securing this, but if you’d prefer to get it yourself, simply visit this site and ensure you have your report number.
If the California Highway Patrol investigated your accident, visit their online crash portal to get your report.
Contact the Accident Helpers Today
At The Accident Helpers, we help put you in touch with Pasadena car accident lawyers you can trust.
Our nationwide network of lawyers includes some of the best and most experienced legal minds in Pasadena, whom we will be happy to connect you with for free.
All you have to do is contact us and speak with one of our consultants to give them the details of your accident, and you can take the most crucial step to secure your compensation.
Remember, it’s free. So contact us today!
