Dynamic Legal Counsel From An Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Team
A truck or car accident can ruin more than just your day. You likely lose hours at work, accrue high medical expenses, and even experience long-term pain and suffering. If you were injured in a car accident in Los Angeles, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention and then write up a report to the Los Angeles Police Department. Calling an attorney soon after is the next pivotal step.
At Law Offices of Eric Hershler, APC, we offer free consultations and have closed over 17,500 personal injury cases throughout California. The combination of our legal system knowledge with our willingness to be accessible to our clients gives us an advantage over other firms and helps us to be more efficient in our services.
What To Know
To help you get a sense for what matters in your claim, here are a few tips if you or a loved one was in a car accident:
- Get insurance information from the driver of the other vehicle.
- Keep a record of contact information from the driver and whatever witnesses were around at the time of the accident.
- Compile hard copies of medical bills and other statements related to the injury.
- Log all missing work hours from the moment of the accident up until the present.
- Take pictures of all vehicles involved in the accident.
Taking the proper steps following a car accident can make all the difference in payment for damages. Your well-being matters. We have more than 35 years of experience giving clients legal counsel in injury and accident cases.
One of the most important things you can do after a car crash has more to do with what you shouldn’t do after a car accident: talk too much. Sharing what happened with you on social media, with friends and especially with an insurance company can complicate things. Obviously, you will have to speak to insurance, but keeping what you say to an absolute minimum will protect you.
Car Crashes Involve More Than Just Cars
One of the generalizations that people make is that a car crash is between two cars. That’s not always the case. Car accidents can involve:
- Commercial trucks
- Motorcycles
- Pedestrians
- Bicycles
- Trains
- Construction vehicles
Accidents on the road can involve vehicles of all types, shapes and sizes. These crashes are also extremely complex. Truck crashes, for example, are complex legal pursuits. Motorcycles involve some of the most painful and dangerous injuries.
Car Crashes Look Different In An App-Based World
The rise of rideshare apps and companies, especially in California, means that getting compensation for an accident is more complicated than ever before. Suddenly, there is a major corporation involved, with all the resources that entails. At Law Offices of Eric Hershler, APC, our team understands the nuances of Uber and Lyft accidents, and we bring our substantial reputation and experience to your case.
Crash Statistics For Los Angeles
According to data provided by the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), we can know a lot about accident frequency. For example, we can know that in 2019 the city of Los Angeles had:
- 34,606 casualties from car accidents
- 1878 casualties from motorcycle accidents
- 1811 casualties bicycle accidents
Casualties, in this instance, include the numbers of those injured and killed. Furthermore, you can see the vast majority of bicycle casualties occurred when safety equipment was not used.
Common Causes Of Car Crashes
Statistics are great for telling us what has happened in a very clean, numbers-oriented matter. However, what statistics may not as clearly illustrate is the circumstances leading up to an accident. For example, there are many circumstances that increase the chances of an accident, such as:
- Poor maintenance on commercial vehicles
- Poor driving conditions during storms
- Unstable roadways
- Distracted drivers not paying attention to the road
- Impaired drivers
As a driver, there is a limit to what you can control. But when you get in an accident, and you have injuries, you can get the help you deserve.
Reach Out For Information
Our team will work to put your counseling needs first. Protect your future and contact our office today. Call 424-432-5084 or send an email to arrange a free consultation to discuss your car accident claim. Absolutely no legal fees unless you recover compensation.
Answering Common Questions About California Car Accidents
Whether you have been in a car accident before or this is your first one, you might have questions about what you need to do with your claim. At the Law Offices of Eric Hershler, APC, we hear from many clients involved in crashes in West Los Angeles and throughout the city. We want to take a moment to answer some of these questions, and we invite you to call us at 424-432-5084 or send us an email to schedule your free consultation.
How do I know what my case is worth?
The best way for you to find out the value of your claim is to schedule a consultation with our team. We can sit down with you, discuss what happened and give you an idea of what you can expect going forward. But you should do that before you talk with insurance companies.
We have met with too many clients who have settled with an insurer for pennies on the dollar, never realizing the harm they have done to their case. They took the insurance adjuster’s word for it and made decisions that resulted in them suffering severe financial consequences when injuries and damages in the car accident have been more serious than anticipated.
My insurance company is pushing me to settle. What do I do?
Do nothing until you have talked to an attorney. While you might think that your insurance company is looking out for you, the sad truth is that this is not the case. They are focused on settling any and all claims for as little compensation as possible because, ultimately, that is what protects their bottom lines.
Do not talk to them at all about your case until you have had the chance to get a clear picture of your injuries and what sort of care you will need, which is needed to determine the real value of your case.
How long will my case take?
The answer to this question is going to depend on a lot of different factors. This can include the severity of the accident and your injuries, as well as the insurance companies that are involved in the case. There is no one-size-fits-all answer we can give here because each accident has its own facts and circumstances.
What we can do is give you an honest assessment and evaluation of your options when you come in to meet with us. We will look at your case, determine what we feel are the best approaches to take and help you decide what is right for your future.
We are not a law firm that is going to simply drag out your case forever, nor are we the firm that looks to settle immediately. We put together an efficient plan that is designed to get you maximum compensation. Along the way, we involve you in the process and present you with information when important decisions need to be made.
Will my case end up going to court?
We make every effort to settle cases before litigation becomes necessary. That being said, there are some claims that simply cannot be resolved prior to trial. If we feel that going to court is the right move to make in your case, we will present you with that option, and you can decide if that is what you want to do. Our attorney is an experienced and accomplished trial lawyer, and he is not afraid to try a case if that is the best way to recover maximum compensation for our clients.
Who is responsible for an Uber or Lyft accident?
Rideshare accidents are complicated because the individual driver and the company can both be at fault for an injury. In some cases, both share legal responsibility for injuries they cause. Courts determine responsibility based on the cause of the accident, whether your accident was still a part of the “ride” and a variety of other factors.
Can a rideshare company use my phone data in my case?
In some cases, a rideshare company may request phone data like GPS information or other data through the discovery process. Most of your information is protected, and the process is highly limited.
Should I accept a settlement offer from my rideshare provider?
You should never accept an offer until you talk to an attorney. Rideshare insurance companies often contact car accident victims quickly with a compensation package, long before the injured person truly understands the extent of their injury. Make sure you know for sure that a settlement is fair by speaking to a lawyer.
How much can I expect from a rideshare settlement?
Every case is different, and your settlement depends on the nature of your injury and the circumstances of your crash. For a full evaluation, reach out to Law Offices of Eric Hershler, APC.