Every driver in and around San Diego owes everybody else on or about the roadway a duty of care to operate their vehicle in a safe and careful manner. If a driver deviates from that standard of care and causes injuries and damages to somebody else, that driver could be determined to be negligent. Accident victims then have the right to bring a claim or lawsuit against the negligent driver for their damages and losses.
We Can Help You Rebuild Your Life
If you’ve been seriously injured, or a loved one was killed as a result of the carelessness and negligence of another driver in or around San Diego, the San Diego car accident lawyers at Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC have the experience, skill and resources to help you and your family rebuild your lives. We’re skilled and effective litigators and negotiators who have dedicated our careers to helping accident victims just like you.
The Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
Our law firm represents victims in every type of car accident imaginable. Those include but aren’t limited to the following:
- Head-on collisions.
- Rear-end collisions.
- Broadside or T-bone accidents.
- Rollover crashes.
- Truck crashes.
- Taxi, Uber and Lyft crashes.
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents.
- Hit-and-runs.
The Most Serious Injuries in San Diego Car Accidents
Many people walk away from car accidents unscathed or with minor injuries. Then, there are those who aren’t as lucky and suffer serious injuries or even death. We’ve spent our many years litigating and fighting for accident victims who have suffered injuries that they will never be able to recover from. We’ve also litigated and fought for the family members of those who lost their lives in crashes. For those who survive crashes, here are some examples of serious car accident injuries:
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
- Internal injuries to vital organs.
- Traumatic or surgical amputations.
- Multiple fractures.
- Damage to the structural spine.
- Joint dislocations and injuries.
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement.
- Severe whiplash.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in and Around San Diego
Most car accidents in and around San Diego are caused as a result of a driver’s negligence. Some ae even caused by recklessness. Here are just a few examples of those causes:
- Distracted Driving: This can include texting while driving, talking on a cell phone, inputting information into an infotainment center, consuming food or a beverage or even attending to children in the back seat while driving.
- Speeding: Not only does this include driving at a speed in excess of the limit, but it can also include driving too fast for traffic or weather conditions.
- Disobeying Traffic Signals: Stop signs and red lights require drivers to come to a complete stop. Coasting through stop signs is against the law, and accelerating through red lights is not only prohibited, but it’s downright dangerous.
- Following Too Closely: The failure of a motorist to maintain a proper interval between his or her vehicle and the vehicle is probably the most common cause of traffic accidents in California.
- Illegal Passing: Nearly all areas where passing is prohibited are clearly marked. The risk of severe injuries and fatalities increases drastically in head-on crashes.
- Driving Under the Influence: We’re all well aware of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two. People do it every day though, and they place everybody around them at a dramatically greater risk.
How Do I Preserve and Protect My Rights After Being Injured in a Car Accident?
If you’re physically able to do so, call 911 immediately and ask for both police and paramedics to be dispatched to the scene. Never get talked out of this. The police officer can investigate the accident and compile a written report. Paramedics can treat you at the scene and monitor your condition until they can get you to an emergency room. The police report, paramedics’ records and emergency room records are all critical in establishing the foundation of your personal injury claim or lawsuit. After treating and caring for you, emergency room personnel are likely to refer you to your own doctor. Then, your doctor is likely to order physical therapy or refer you to a specialist. Be sure to attend each and every appointment that you have. You don’t want to give the opposing insurer the opportunity to allege that you weren’t hurt to the extent that you claim and use missed appointments to attack your credibility and damages.
Should I Give a Statement to the Other Insurer?
The simple answer to this question is no. Never give any type of a statement to an opposing insurer no matter how its representative might try to intimidate you. It’s highly likely that your words will only be used against you to attack your credibility in attempts to devalue or even deny your claim. California law doesn’t require you to give that insurer any kind of a statement. It has an accident report already, so it knows what happened. If its representative threatens to close your claim for want of a statement, contact us. We’ll arrange for a free and confidential consultation with our San Diego car accident lawyer right away. He knows exactly what to do under such circumstances.
What are My Damages?
Whether there is a settlement or a verdict in your case, a variety of damages can be sought and awarded. California law contemplates but isn’t restricted to the following types of damages in car accident cases:
- Past and future medical bills.
- Past or future lost earnings or diminished earning capacity.
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering.
- Any permanent disfigurement or disability.
- Diminished enjoyment of life.
- Other valuable damages in the event of a wrongful death.
What if I was Partially at Fault for the Accident?
Under California law, the fact that you were partially at fault for an accident doesn’t bar you from bringing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. California is what’s known as a pure comparative negligence state. If you were determined to be 10% at fault for your accident, a sum equal to that percentage will be deducted from any verdict in your favor. Under the law of pure comparative negligence, even a person who was determined to be more than 50% at fault for an accident can still obtain a recovery.
After being seriously injured or losing a loved one in any auto accident in or around San Diego, contact us here at Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC for a free and confidential consultation as soon as possible with our San Diego car accident lawyer. It won’t cost you a penny up front to hire us. Once you do that, our objective will be to obtain the highest settlement or verdict that you deserve.
Contact a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Today.
After being injured in a car accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else anywhere in California, don’t talk with that opposing insurance company. You’re likely to harm your case.
Contact the San Diego accident lawyers at Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC for a confidential free consultation and case analysis. We want to learn more about your accident and how it has impacted your life. We also will provide you with an opportunity to address your initial questions. After that, we’ll advise you on all of your legal options. If you retain us to represent you in your car accident case, our goal will be to obtain the maximum available compensation that you’re entitled to.