If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Encinitas, CA, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. An experienced Encinitas car accident lawyer at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can help you seek fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call us today at (619) 344-0360.
Collectively, our lawyers have over 20 years of experience standing up for injured clients like you. Our dedicated approach has helped us recover more than $40 million for accident victims in Southern California over the years.
Our law firm offers a free case review, and there’s no obligation whatsoever. If you were injured, contact our law office serving Encinitas, California to schedule your free consultation today.
How Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Encinitas
You may think that your car accident case is straightforward. Many accident victims think they know who was responsible and, because you have insurance, you might think it’ll be easy to recover compensation.
In reality, insurance companies usually fight hard to avoid paying the fair compensation accident victims deserve. They might blame you for the accident or use a technicality to scare you into taking a lowball settlement. An experienced Encinitas personal injury lawyer can spot these and other tactics from a mile away and help you fight back.
At Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve recovered millions of dollars for our clients. When you hire our team to protect you, we will:
- Provide sound legal advice and guidance
- Handle the investigation into your accident
- Gather all evidence to support your case
- Calculate the fair value of your personal injury case
- Retain experts and specialists to strengthen your claim
- Negotiate fiercely with the insurance companies on your behalf
- Fight to protect your rights at trial if the insurance company refuses a fair settlement
The experience of your Encinitas personal injury attorney can make a world of difference in the insurance claims process. To learn more about how we can help, call for a free consultation today.
How Common Are Car Accidents in Encinitas?
Car accidents are relatively common in the state of California. Unfortunately, many car crashes cause serious and even life-threatening injuries.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), 3,606 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the state of California in 2019. Another 16,406 people were seriously injured in auto accidents that year.
Car accidents are more common in San Diego County than in most of California. According to provisional data for 2021, 13,189 car accidents were reported. 9,599 crashes caused at least one injury in San Diego County.
What Is My Encinitas Car Accident Case Worth?
The value of your case depends on the facts. The severity of your injuries is usually the most important factor in assessing your case value. Still, many different factors are relevant to determining how much your personal injury case is worth.
The types of factors that may be relevant include:
- The cost of your medical care
- Whether you’ll need ongoing medical treatment or rehabilitation
- Whether the injury impacts your ability to work
- How the injury changes your lifestyle
- Whether you contributed to the accident
- The strength of your negligence case
Our lawyers at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers have recovered over $40 million in compensation for our injured clients. We’ve succeeded because we take a detailed approach when determining your case value. If you have questions about your case value or have a settlement offer on the table, we’re here to help. Just call our Encinitas law office for a free case review today.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Car Accident Victims?
Under California law, two types of compensatory damages are available. Victims can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are awarded to cover your financial costs after an accident. They’re designed to make you financially whole again after the accident.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Funeral costs in fatal accident cases
Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that don’t have a clear financial value, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Chronic pain
- Loss of consortium
Non-economic damages are often referred to as “pain and suffering damages.” These damages can be incredibly difficult to value. It’s important to have solid evidence to prove your case. Our lawyers will conduct our own investigation and work with leading experts who can strengthen your case.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Car Accident in California?
When an accident victim shares part of the blame for a crash, their compensation is reduced to account for their percentage of fault. Every state is different. California follows a pure comparative negligence law. You can recover a portion of your compensation even if you share some or most of the blame.
For example, if you were found to be 30% at fault, your settlement or verdict will be reduced by 30%.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Car Accident Injuries
Our Encinitas car accident attorneys can help if you have sustained:
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Your first priority after a crash should be seeking medical care. Once you’ve received the care you need, contact an experienced Encinitas motor vehicle accident lawyer to learn more about how we can protect your legal rights.
What Causes Most Car Accidents in Encinitas, California?
Nearly anything can cause an accident. However, some factors tend to cause more accidents than others.
In California, some of the most common causes of car accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting while driving
- Speeding
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe passing
- Illegal lane changes
- Illegal or unsafe turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Road hazards
Every accident case is different. The type of accident involved can have a huge impact on your case.
Our team at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers often handles car crash cases involving:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on crashes
- T-bone or sideswipe accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Single-vehicle crashes
- Multi-vehicle crashes
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Highway accidents
- Accidents involving an uninsured or underinsured driver
- Truck accidents
Some accidents have multiple causes. In those cases, multiple parties may be responsible for paying your damages. Our lawyers are here to identify all factors that played a role in the crash so that we can seek the maximum compensation that you deserve.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Car Accident in California?
Most car accidents are caused by negligence. Negligence is a failure to exercise the level of caution that a reasonable person would exercise under the circumstances.
The elements of a negligence claim are:
- The at-fault party owed you a legal duty of care
- They breached the duty of care
- The breach caused your accident
- You were injured or suffered damages
Still, all car accident claims are unique. While you’ll have to prove the same elements, different types of evidence may be used to establish negligence in each case.
Proof in your negligence case may include:
- Police and accident reports
- Video surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic lights, or dash cams
- Eyewitness testimony
- Evidence from your medical records
- Testimony from an accident reconstruction specialist
Conducting an investigation can be overwhelming if you’re recovering from a serious injury. Our lawyers are here to handle all the details so that you can focus on your recovery. When you’re ready to learn more about creating an attorney-client relationship, call our personal injury law firm for a free consultation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Car Accident in California?
You shouldn’t wait long to take legal action after an accident. A strict two-year statute of limitations limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit after an accident. If you fail to file a lawsuit within two years of the crash, you’ll lose your right to sue for damages.
Insurance companies also impose their own time limits. If you don’t file an insurance claim within a reasonable amount of time, your personal injury claim could be denied.
Our lawyers are here to make sure you meet the deadlines in your case. Just give our legal team a call, and we’ll evaluate your case for free.
Contact an Encinitas Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Car accidents happen every day. Still, a car crash can turn your life upside down. If someone else was responsible, you deserve to be compensated. An experienced Encinitas car accident lawyer at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can fight to make sure you’re getting the maximum compensation possible. Just give us a call for your free consultation to learn more.
