After a car accident in California, the distress often continues long after the dust settles. Not only do car accident victims have to suffer through painful injuries and stressful medical procedures, but when the bills begin piling up at the same time that injuries prevent a return to work and injury victims also face auto repairs or car replacement, it can quickly become overwhelming.
The first questions after an accident are almost always urgent questions about the safety of other loved ones in the crash and details about the injury victim’s own medical condition; however, once it’s clear that everyone involved in the accident will recover, “How much is this going to cost me?” is often the next worry—and for good reason. A Southern California car accident quickly becomes expensive. The Orange County car accident lawyers at Bridgford, Gleason, & Artinian believe that no accident victim should take on the insurance companies alone when seeking compensation for the exorbitant costs associated with a California car accident.
What Costs Are Involved in California Car Accidents?
An average of 5,250,837 car accidents occurred in the United States in a single recent year. At least 1,593,390 of those accidents resulted in injuries and 3,621,681 included property damage. Worse, there were 35,766 car accidents with fatalities. California alone saw 216,366 car accidents in 2022. Car accidents cause significant economic impacts on accident victims including the following calculable costs:
- Motor-vehicle (property) damage
- Medical expenses
- Wage and productivity losses
- Administrative expenses
- Employer’s uninsured costs
- Increase in auto insurance premiums
It can take many months or even years for car accident victims and their families to recover, not only physically, but also economically. Even when someone else was at fault for the accident, insurance companies rarely write out checks easily. An accident victim may not recover their damages if they don’t aggressively pursue compensation from the insurance company of the party at fault.
Typical Damages in Southern California Car Accidents
Even a parking lot fender bender averages between $1500 and $3,000 in costs from property damage alone. Accidents with serious injuries can total up to $500,000 or more. A successful claim for damages requires a skilled Orange County personal injury attorney to investigate the accident and prove someone else was at fault. Fault in car accidents usually rests with a negligent driver, but lax road maintenance agencies or the manufacturer of a defective car part may also be to blame. A successful car accident claim in Southern California can help victims gain compensation for damages including the following:
- Medical expenses and future medical costs associated with the injury
- Lost wages and future income loss
- Lowered earning capacity due to disability
- Pain and suffering
- Intangible damages such as disfigurement or loss of limb compensation, PTSD, or emotional trauma
California’s comparative negligence insurance law allows car accident victims to pursue damages even if they were partly at fault in the accident. When an injury victim shares fault in the accident, they can still recover a portion of their damages minus their percentage of fault. For example, if their damages equal $100,000 but they were 25% at fault for the accident, they’ll recover $75,000.
You don’t have to allow financial devastation to occur to you and your family after a car accident in Southern California. A skilled attorney increases the likelihood of an ample settlement from the insurance company of the party at fault by crafting a compelling case for compensation for the costly damages in a car accident. Contact us today for help with your case.