Careless drivers put others’ lives at risk every day. Unfortunately, not all accidents are preventable but there are steps you can take after a car accident.
At the Law Offices of John. B Richards, we believe driving negligently deserves consequences. Let our team of skilled and experienced Goleta car accident lawyers take on your case so you can receive the compensation you deserve.
If you were the one who caused the car accident, there may still be help available. Fortunately, California abides by a pure comparative fault law. This means that even if you are partially at fault for the accident, you can still seek potential compensation. For instance, a jury will determine how much of your negligence contributed to the accident.
A car accident that leaves victims with injuries can get complicated. It means you may be liable to take care of the costs of their injuries. When we look at the most recent report from the California Office of Traffic Safety, we can see that there were 222,356 total vehicle occupants injured. Some common injuries may consist of:
Not all car accidents get taken to court. When a settlement is not reached outside of court with attorneys and insurance providers, then the injured party may file a lawsuit against you. This tends to happen when evidence of fault is unclear. There are also times when the party suing is seeking more than what your insurance covers.
Here are some reasons the case can be taken to court:
When the case is taken to court, the court will look for four elements to help determine liability. The four key elements of a negligence claim, include:
It can feel terrifying to think that you may not have solutions available to you when you may have been at fault to some degree. Luckily, there are still options left for you if you find yourself dealing with a car accident that you may or may not have caused. At the Law Offices of John B. Richards, our team of car accident attorneys can help prepare you for what to expect in your case.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident that you may be at fault for, please get in touch with us immediately to get this resolved by clicking here or calling us at 805-683-2736.