There are many benefits to living in Chula Vista. The city boasts some of the best weather, schools, and sightseeing destinations in the country. Unfortunately, it also sees its fair share of car accidents. According to the Office of Traffic Safety, Chula Vista had over 1000 crashes ending in severe injury or a fatality in 2018.

Were you or someone you love in a car accident in Chula Vista? Was this accident caused by another’s negligence, and did it leave you saddled with medical bills or other expenses? If so, you should contact the Chula Vista personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw as soon as possible to schedule a consultation. We may be able to get you compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Call us today and let us review your case to determine your eligibility. Don’t let a car accident wreck your life. Call OnderLaw today.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer for My Car Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused solely by another party’s negligent actions, you are due compensation for any losses you’ve suffered. Hiring an attorney to assist with filing a claim or lawsuit is necessary for several reasons.

A lawyer will do the work to build and support your claim, so you don’t have to. A car accident ending in serious injury can be a life-altering experience, not just for the victim but for the victim’s family and loved ones. Trying to navigate the complex legal procedures involved in putting together a complete and valid claim for compensation while you’re recovering from injuries or helping your family member to recover is a daunting challenge. Your attorney will do the work of gathering evidence and documentation, speaking to witnesses, and even of re-creating the accident, so you have the time you need to fully heal, physically and mentally.

Your attorney can help you understand how the claims process works and explain the concept of damages and how they apply in your case. You can receive compensation for a variety of losses attributed to the accident. Some of these losses are not easily definable and require experience with claims and knowledge of relevant case law to assess. Without an attorney to assist, you may not get all the compensation you’re due.

A car accident ending in severe injury is an emotional experience. Your attorney from OnderLaw can offer you an objective point of view, free of bias or influence because we’ve dealt with these kinds of accidents before. We can provide the support you need during this stressful time and help you move on after an accident.

In most accident claims, the responsible party’s insurance company will be the one to give the final say on how much compensation you get, but if you don’t like the amount they offer, hiring an attorney gives you the option of taking your case to court. We can file a lawsuit against the responsible party. Just the threat of a lawsuit can often be enough to make an insurance company re-evaluate a settlement amount and may give you an advantage you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Why Hire OnderLaw to Represent Me?

We have been helping residents of Chula Vista and elsewhere get compensation for their injuries since 2002. We’ve seen more car accident claims than we can count, as well as workers’ compensation claims, pharmaceutical litigation claims, and defective product claims against some of the nation’s largest corporations, such as Johnson and Johnson. We have the experience to make the law work for our clients and get the positive outcomes they deserve.

We’re also passionate about providing a level of personal service that you won’t find anywhere else. We treat our clients with compassion, respect, and dignity, regardless of how big their claim is. You’re not just a statistic in a report. We understand that behind every accident is a person or a family that needs help, and we’re here to provide it.

We know that money can be a barrier to quality legal help for some of our clients. This is why we work on a contingency basis. This means there are no upfront costs for our services. We will review your case, sign on to represent you, build a comprehensive claim backed up by evidence and handle all communication and logistics relating to your case without ever billing you. If we’re successful in getting you compensation, we will take an agreed-upon percentage of the award as payment. If we aren’t successful in getting you compensation, we don’t get paid. It’s that simple.

Our attention to detail and vigorous pursuit of justice for wronged accident victims has yielded fantastic results. We’ve successfully obtained over $3.5 billion in awards and settlements for our clients since our founding in 2002. We can’t guarantee a good result for every claim we take on, but we will work relentlessly to get you the help you need.

Types of Car Accidents

Car accidents come in many forms. Each crash is unique, with its own circumstances and results. Some of the more common types of car accidents we see in Chula Vista include:

  • Distracted driving accidents
  • Impaired driving accidents
  • Failure to yield accidents
  • Striking a pedestrian accidents
  • Striking a cyclist accidents
  • Left and right turn accidents
  • Hit and run accidents
  • Sideswipe accidents
  • Broadside accidents
  • Head-on collision accidents
  • Rear-end collision accidents
  • Rollover accidents
  • Multi-vehicle accidents

 

Causes of Car Accidents

Car accidents can be caused by something as simple as not checking your blind spot or failing to look both directions before entering an intersection. There are many root causes for car accidents, such as:

  • Driving under the influence
  • Not checking blind spots
  • Failing to yield
  • Speeding
  • Distracted driving
  • Running red lights
  • Following too closely
  • Driving aggressively
  • Inclement weather
  • Low visibility
  • Bad road conditions
  • Improper vehicle maintenance
  • Ignoring traffic laws

 

Common Injuries Suffered in Car Accidents

The severity of the injuries in a car accident increases dramatically as speed of travel increases, but even low-speed car crashes carry a risk of severe injury under the right conditions. Some injuries common to car accidents include the following:

  • Whiplash
  • Concussion
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Broken bones
  • Strains and sprains
  • Head and neck injuries
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Burns
  • Lacerations
  • Abrasions
  • Amputations
  • Organ damage
  • Internal injuries
  • Coma
  • Death

 

Who Is Responsible?

Determining who is responsible for a car accident can be a difficult proposition, but it’s a vital part of moving forward with obtaining compensation for your injuries. We must identify the responsible party and show that they acted in a negligent manner. Luckily, we have a team of investigators and legal professionals that are skilled in this process.

California law requires that everyone behave in a manner that does not endanger themselves or others. If we can show with evidence that the party responsible for your accident was supposed to act in a safe manner, didn’t do so, and caused an accident that resulted in your injuries, we should have a valid claim for compensation.

California has a comparative negligence doctrine. This means that even if you are found partially responsible for your accident, you can still receive compensation. For example, if you’re in a failure-to-yield car accident in Chula Vista caused by another party’s negligence, but it’s discovered during the accident investigation that you failed to come to a complete stop, you may be held partially responsible for the accident. This responsibility is expressed as a percentage. If a judge or jury finds you to be 20 percent responsible, any award you receive would be reduced by 20 percent.

Compensation for a Car Accident Claim

You can be compensated for any losses you sustain after the accident. These losses are called damages. There are different types of damages, and each describes a specific loss caused by the accident or injury.

Damages with a specific monetary value are called economic damages. Some examples include:

  • Lost wages
  • Medical bills
  • Transportation
  • Lost opportunity
  • Property damage

 

Noneconomic damages are losses without a specific monetary value that relate to the mental stress of dealing with your injury. These damages represent losses, such as:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Emotional distress
  • Mental anguish
  • Scarring and disfigurement

 

California law allows some accident victims to pursue additional compensation in the form of exemplary damages. Exemplary damages can only be awarded by a judge or jury and are only allowed in cases of extreme oppression, fraud, or intentional malice. They are intended to punish the party responsible for your injury, not to compensate you for any loss. Talk to your attorney to learn more.

Car Accident Statistics in San Diego County and California

Here are some helpful statistics and data regarding car accidents in San Diego County and elsewhere across California:

  • There were 311 traffic-related fatalities in San Diego County in 2019.
  • San Diego had 85 fatal car accidents in 2019.
  • Alcohol-impaired driving dropped five percent in California from 2018 to 2019.
  • Fifty percent of all drivers killed in traffic accidents in California in 2019 tested positive for legal or illegal drugs.
  • California had over 3,300 fatal car crashes in 2019, the highest number in the country.

 

Call OnderLaw Today

Don’t delay any longer. Call OnderLaw today for a free consultation and let us help you get the just compensation you deserve for your injuries. California has a strict statute of limitations on filing personal injury lawsuits, so time is a factor. Let the skilled attorneys at OnderLaw review your case to see whether you’re eligible for compensation. The consultation is absolutely free, and there is no obligation. Call today.