Don’t panic. In California, you can seek and recover compensation for your injuries even if you’re partially responsible for your car accident. Accidents are complicated. Many times, they happen for more than one reason. Under the state’s comparative negligence rules, fault is apportioned among everyone who contributes to a crash.

Sharing fault won’t bar your financial recovery. However, it will affect reduce the total amount you’ll be able to get. Your damages will be reduced by the percentage of fault that’s allocated to you. If you’re 30 percent at fault for your injuries, your damages will be reduced by 30 percent. So, the less fault allocated to you, the more compensation you’ll likely be able to secure.

There are a lot of reasons why you should consider calling a personal injury lawyer for help after you get into a car accident in California. Here are a few of the most important things to consider;

Insurance companies don’t want you to. They’d much rather deal with you, not a law firm with decades of experience handling personal injury claims. Insurers know that their tricks and tactics won’t work if you’re represented by a qualified attorney.

You’ll probably be blamed for your injuries. Insurers and at-fault parties will probably try to point fingers and blame you for your car accident. An attorney can help to protect you from these allegations. How? A thorough investigation into your crash, designed to secure evidence that shifts blame away from you and onto those who are truly responsible for your crash.

You’re more likely to walk away with more money. It’s hard to know what your car accident case is worth. The last thing you want is to let insurance companies decide. While it might be tempting to accept a settlement offer early on in the claims process, it’s important to understand that initial offers are typically very low and for much less than your case is ultimately worth. When you have an attorney on your side, insurers will be forced to extend a fair and reasonable settlement offer. That’s because their offers will be countered with solid evidence and persuasive arguments. Your attorney will go toe-to-toe with insurers and work tirelessly to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.

Interested in learning more about how the car accident lawyers at West Coast Accident Lawyers, P.C. can help you after a crash? Give us a call to set up a free consultation today.

It depends on how you decide to pursue compensation and who’s responsible for your injuries. Generally speaking, however, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is two years from the date of your car accident. There are circumstances that might cause you to have more or less time to file a claim.

You will, however, lose the right to demand compensation if you do not file your claim on time. Once the statute of limitations expires, your claim will be barred. That’s why it’s crucial to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as you can after you get hurt.

There are typically two types of damages available to car accident victims in California - economic and non-economic.

Economic damages help to compensate for the financial costs of your accident. This can include money for:
Medical bills
Property damage
Rehabilitation
Lost income
Disability, and more.
Non-economic damages help to compensate for injuries that don’t have a set value or cost. This can include money for:
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety
Loss of consortium
Loss of enjoyment of life
Disfigurement and scarring, and more.

If your car accident injuries are the result of another person’s intentional and willful misconduct, you may also have a legitimate claim for punitive damages. However, those are rarely awarded in California personal injury cases.