San Diego Car Accident Attorneys

San Diego can be a hotbed for traffic accidents. Each year, over 5,000 drivers are either killed or seriously injured from accidents involving another vehicle. This does not include the nearly 12,000 non-fatal collisions that occur each year in the city, in which people still have to go to the hospital to get checked out by doctors, racking up medical bills.

If you were one of the unlucky individuals that go into one of these accidents, you should probably consult with a car accident injury lawyer.

Why Should I Consult with a Car Accident Lawyer in San Diego?

Auto accident lawyers are there to help you when your insurance and other ways of paying your bills related to accidents fail. There are many costs involved with getting into an accident that many people do not know about. Of course, many medical bills will pile up if you go to a hospital.

You will be expected to pay for the doctor’s and nurses’ time, your hospital room, the medicine you are administered, and any surgeries or operations you have to go through. You are probably also going to be expected to pay for repairs for any damage the accident caused to the city property, such as light poles, signs, and road repairs. These bills can add up.

Now consider the additional costs once you leave the hospital. You might have to go back for up to a year for rehabilitation or physical therapy if your injury is persistent enough. You are probably going to be stuck in your home, unable to work, for a certain amount of time as well.

What You Can Do After Sustaining an Injury in an Auto Wreck

If you are injured badly enough, you could be permanently disabled and unable to go back to work at all. This means that you are losing an entire income stream for yourself and your family. This just adds to the already high bills that you encountered at the hospital.

Not only do you have these bills, but you may have lost your only way of paying for them. All of these things come together to cause stress that you and your family do not need. You probably had issues before the accident that were already causing stress, such as the high cost of living in the city and the bills you already had to pay.

Now think of a situation in which your insurance company tells you that they are not going to pay for your hospital bills because you were considered at fault for the accident. This pain and suffering can be difficult to remedy, but personal injury lawyers try their best to do it. These lawyers will get up and build a case for you to fight the insurance companies and other parties to get you the compensation that you deserve for your bills, pain, and suffering.

They will put all of the facts of the case together and present them, making it hard for the insurance companies or other parties to deny your right to restitution any longer. El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers is a law firm that has been doing that in the San Diego area for many years.

Mistakes to Avoid Following a Car Crash in San Diego

It is no exaggeration to say car accident cases can be won or lost in the hours following your wreck. There are certain things motorists should do—and things they should avoid. Let’s look at a few missteps you absolutely should stop yourself from committing:

• Don’t fail to call the police after an accident. A police report is proof that the accident happened. With no police report, the other driver could claim they weren’t even involved in a crash. And if there are no other witnesses to the accident, they might succeed with that claim.
• Don’t admit fault or say you are sorry. California recognizes comparative fault. Any admission on your part can dramatically reduce the compensation you receive. Yes, you can express concern for the other driver and ask if they are okay or need an ambulance. But avoid saying anything that sounds like you are taking responsibility for the crash.
• Never give a recorded statement to an insurer. They are fishing for details to use against you. Odds are very high that you feel terrible in the weeks following a wreck. With little sleep and constant pain, you have no idea what might come out of your mouth. Instead of giving a recorded statement, contact a San Diego car accident lawyer.
• Avoid fixing your car before you hire an attorney. Your car contains key pieces of evidence. Your attorney should decide whether to inspect it following a collision.

We can’t guarantee if you take these steps that you will get a fair settlement. But you will significantly improve your odds.

What Can Reduce Your Compensation after a Car Accident

Our auto accident lawyers ideally obtain full compensation for our clients following a wreck. This means getting compensation for all out-of-pocket expenses, as well as lost income. You should also receive a fair sum for your pain, inconvenience, emotional distress, and suffering.

What might keep you from being fully compensated? There are a few things we have seen over the years:

• Comparative fault. If you were negligent, you are probably partially responsible for the crash and your injuries. Under California law, your compensation is reduced by your proportion of fault. So if you are 65% to blame, you only get 35% of your damages.
• Lack of insurance. If the driver was uninsured, it will be harder to receive full compensation. The same is true if the driver had only the minimum insurance required by the state. Currently, the minimum bodily injury liability coverage is only $15,000 per person. If you have $250,000 in losses, you might not get full compensation.
• Failure to obtain medical care. If you didn’t go to the hospital, the defendant could argue you didn’t mitigate your damages. You will probably receive less than full compensation.
• Poor negotiation skills. Insurers like to drag out negotiations to put pressure on victims to settle. Fortunately, if you hire a San Diego car accident attorney, we can effectively counter these tactics.

Contact Our San Diego Auto Accident Attorneys Now For Help With Your Claim

El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers has a team of dedicated personal injury lawyers that have experience in all kinds of personal injury cases. They are well-seasoned in cases involving car accidents, and they have a track record of winning their cases and getting their clients the compensation they deserve to cover their:

• Hospital bills
• Medical bills
• Doctor’s bills
• Future medical bills
• Rehab
• Physical therapy sessions
• Emotional stress

They have won millions for their clients, and several of the cases they have won brought in compensation of over $1 million for the victims of these accidents. They also have a work ethic that is unparalleled in the field. They know that you do not put your life on hold just because you get into an accident.

This is why they use their knowledge of San Diego law, their contacts within the city, and accident reports and witness testimony to build you a case as quickly as possible and get it resolved. Protect yourself and your future with the car wreck lawyers at El Dabe Trial Lawyers. Call for a free consultation today at (213) 985-1120.