After suffering damages in a serious car accident, the resulting financial costs can be significant. Covering these expenses on your own is a real challenge. Fortunately, an experienced Long Beach car accident lawyer can help you hold the liable party accountable and recover full compensation for your losses.
At Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys, we have a long history of securing favorable compensation for our clients. Our team of experienced Long Beach personal injury lawyers will exhaust every option to help make sure you get justice.
Reach out to us by phone or through our website to set up your free case evaluation and let our family take care of your family.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Long Beach’s scenic roads and heavy traffic make it a hotspot for vehicle collisions. Knowing the most frequent causes of these accidents can help drivers stay alert and recognize when another party is at fault:
- Distracted driving: This includes texting, eating, adjusting the radio, or using a GPS, and it remains one of the top reasons accidents occur.
- Speeding: Driving over the limit or too fast for road conditions reduces reaction time and increases the severity of crashes.
- Driving under the influence: Alcohol or drug use impairs decision-making and coordination, often leading to serious or fatal accidents.
- Reckless driving: Actions like tailgating, cutting off other drivers, or ignoring traffic signals create highly dangerous situations.
- Poor weather conditions: Even light rain or coastal fog can reduce visibility and traction, leading to unexpected accidents, especially for drivers unfamiliar with wet roads.
We have a track record of success when it comes to handling claims, so don’t wait to call us for help.
Legal Elements Needed in Proving a Car Accident Claim
To win compensation after a car accident in Southern California, you need to meet specific legal standards. These elements form the foundation of any successful claim:
- Duty of care: The other party must have had a legal obligation to drive responsibly and follow traffic laws.
- Breach of duty: You must prove that the other driver failed to uphold their duty by acting negligently or recklessly.
- Causation: There must be a clear link between the driver’s breach of duty and the injuries or damages you suffered.
- Damages: You need to show that you experienced actual losses, such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage.
Have you been involved
in an auto accident?
Our car accident lawyers in Los Angeles
and Beverly Hills are here to help.
(310) 526-8383
Understanding the Full Impact of a Car Accident Claim
In motor vehicle accident cases, it’s not just about fixing a car or covering a hospital visit. Victims often face long-term consequences that affect every part of their lives.
When a negligent driver causes a collision, the resulting physical injuries can lead to weeks, months, or even years of recovery. These common injuries often come with serious financial losses, including medical bills, lost income, and the costs of ongoing treatment or rehabilitation.
You Have the Right to Pursue Financial Compensation
Victims have the right to pursue a compensation claim that covers both economic and non-economic damages with a law firm. Economic damages include measurable costs like medical expenses and missed wages. Non-economic damages account for pain, suffering, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.
Together, these form the basis of the monetary damages that a skilled attorney will fight to recover on your behalf. At Omega Law Group, we can get the results you want.
Building a Strong Case With a Law Firm
To build a strong case, it’s essential to gather thorough documentation, especially detailed medical records that show the extent of your accident injuries and treatment. This evidence is critical during legal battles with insurance companies or in court.
Since these cases can quickly become complicated, seeking early legal consultation can help clarify your rights, set realistic expectations, and ensure that your claim is properly valued.
If you’ve been injured by a negligent driver, don’t wait. Understanding the full scope of your damages and working with an experienced car accident attorney gives you the best chance of recovering what you’re truly owed.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Long Beach
The decisions you make immediately after a crash can strongly impact your legal rights. Taking the following steps will help protect your health and strengthen your claim:
- Ensure safety: Move to a safe area if possible and check everyone involved for injuries.
- Call 911: Reporting the crash ensures that emergency services are dispatched and a police report is created.
- Document the scene: Take clear photos of vehicle damage, license plates, road conditions, and any visible injuries.
- Exchange information: Get contact, license, and insurance details from the other driver(s) involved in the accident.
- Seek medical care: Even if injuries are not obvious, getting examined by a doctor is crucial for your health and your case.
- Contact a lawyer: Reaching out to a Long Beach car accident attorney as soon as possible helps you protect your rights from the start.
Injured in a car crash?
Our car accident lawyers in Los Angeles and
Beverly Hills are here to help.
(310) 526-8383
Dealing With the Insurance Company Can Be a Big Challenge
There are many challenges when you’re trying to recover the costs and losses from an injury accident. It can be an overwhelming and stressful experience, and working through the legal process without help from a Long Beach car accident attorney can present several challenges.
Some common hurdles individuals often face include:
Proving Fault
Determining who was at fault in a motor vehicle accident can be complicated, especially when multiple parties are involved. Even in seemingly straightforward cases, establishing liability can be difficult due to conflicting accounts, lack of witnesses, or ambiguous evidence.
Insurance companies will thoroughly investigate and may try to shift blame to avoid paying a fair settlement by arguing that their policyholder was not primarily responsible.
Dealing with Insurance Companies
Insurance providers are profit-driven businesses whose primary goal is to protect their financial interests. They may employ various tactics to minimize payouts or deny valid claims altogether.
Their adjusters are trained negotiators who may pressure you into accepting a lowball settlement offer that fails to cover the full extent of your damages and losses.
They may also use delay tactics, request excessive documentation, or try to trick you into making statements that could be used against your claim.
Calculating the Damages
Assessing the full extent of damages you’re entitled to can be incredibly challenging for the average person. This includes current and future medical expenses, lost wages, property damage costs, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Accurately calculating these damages, especially long-term costs and non-economic losses, requires unique knowledge and experience. An experienced car accident lawyer in Long Beach will understand how to pursue the maximum compensation possible.
Meeting Deadlines
Each state has strict time limits, known as statutes of limitations, for filing personal injury claims and lawsuits related to car accidents. These deadlines vary depending on the type of claim and can be as short as a few months.
Missing these crucial deadlines could result in losing your legal right to pursue financial compensation, even if you have a valid case.
Legal Procedures
The legal process for car accident claims can be exceedingly complicated. It involves numerous procedural requirements, paperwork, and potential court appearances.
Unfamiliarity with these legal intricacies can lead to costly mistakes, such as filing incorrect documentation, missing important deadlines, or failing to comply with court rules and regulations.
For someone without legal training, facing this process can be overwhelming and increase the risk of jeopardizing their claim.
Putting Our Clients First.
always.
Hurt In a Car Accident?
Get a Free Initial Consultation from Omega Law Group
How Can a Long Beach Car Accident Attorney Help Me with My Claim?
An experienced personal injury attorney can be invaluable in handling the legal process and making sure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Here are some specific ways a skilled local attorney can help:
In-Depth Knowledge of California Laws
An attorney who practices in Long Beach will have an in-depth and nuanced understanding of California’s car accident laws, statutes of limitations, and legal precedents that apply to your specific case.
This knowledge goes beyond a general understanding of state laws and can be crucial in building a strong, tailored claim that accounts for the unique circumstances and challenges you may face.
Familiarity with Local Courts
Long Beach car accident lawyers are intimately familiar with the procedures, rules, and practices of local courts in the Long Beach judicial district.
This first-hand knowledge can give you a significant advantage when it comes to filing paperwork correctly, scheduling hearings efficiently, and presenting your case effectively before judges and juries who may have their own established preferences and expectations.
Investigating the Accident
Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate the accident scene, meticulously review police reports, interview all available witnesses, and gather every piece of evidence to establish liability and fault.
Our extensive resources, investigative experience, and familiarity with local roads and intersections can uncover crucial details you may have missed or overlooked, strengthening your claim.
Calculating Damages Accurately
An experienced attorney will ensure that all damages you’ve suffered are accounted for, including current and future medical expenses, lost wages, property damage costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and any other economic and non-economic losses.
We have the resources to accurately calculate these damages, including long-term costs and non-economic losses that can be challenging for the average person to quantify.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters are trained negotiators whose primary goal is to protect the company’s financial interests, not yours. Our firm has extensive experience dealing with insurance companies.
We can negotiate with these adjusters, countering their tactics and making sure you receive a fair settlement that covers the true extent of your damages, rather than being pressured into accepting a lowball offer.
Representing You in Court
If the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement amount, we can take your case to court. At a trial, your attorney will make a strong argument on your behalf. We will vigorously fight to get you the full compensation you are owed.
Network of Professionals to Build Your Claim
Our auto accident lawyers in Long Beach have established relationships with local medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, private investigators, and other professionals whose input and knowledge can significantly strengthen your case.
These valuable connections can provide crucial evidence, expert testimony, and support that may be difficult for an individual to obtain on their own.
Contingency Fee Arrangements
Our car accident attorneys in Long Beach work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay any upfront costs or fees unless we successfully secure compensation for you.
This arrangement ensures that you have access to top-quality legal representation without the financial burden of hefty legal fees, especially during a time when you may be facing mounting medical bills and lost income.
The Importance of Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer as Soon as Possible
Timing is critical after a car accident. Hiring a car accident attorney in Long Beach early gives you the best chance of securing fair compensation and avoiding costly mistakes. Here are some key reasons why acting quickly is important:
- Preserving evidence: Evidence from the accident scene, such as skid marks, debris, and damage to vehicles, can disappear or become compromised over time. A lawyer can quickly dispatch investigators to document and preserve crucial evidence before it’s lost.
- Witness accounts: Witness memories tend to fade or become less reliable as time passes. By contacting a lawyer soon after the accident, they can promptly interview witnesses while their recollections are still fresh.
- Statute of limitations: Every state has a statute of limitations that restricts the time frame in which you can file a personal injury lawsuit. In California, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim. Missing this deadline could bar you from recovering compensation.
- Avoiding mistakes: Insurance companies often try to get accident victims to provide recorded statements or sign documents that could potentially damage their claim. A lawyer can prevent you from making costly mistakes early on that could jeopardize your case.
- Prompt medical treatment: Your lawyer can help to ensure you receive appropriate medical care and document your injuries properly, which is crucial for substantiating your claim and calculating future costs.
- Handling insurance companies: From the moment of the accident, insurance companies may try to limit your payout. A personal injury attorney ensures you’re not taken advantage of.
While contacting a Long Beach car accident lawyer immediately after a crash isn’t mandatory, doing so can significantly strengthen your position and increase your chances of obtaining fair compensation.
We offer free initial consultations, so there’s no risk in exploring your legal options as soon as possible.
Shouldn’t I Just Work With the Insurance Company?
Shortly after your accident, you will likely receive an initial settlement offer. It’s critical that you understand that the amount being offered likely only accounts for a small fraction of your compensatory damages.
If you accept the settlement deal, you will be barred from pursuing further compensation once you know the full extent of the damages you incurred.
It is always going to be in your best interest to run any settlement offer you receive by an experienced car accident lawyer before taking a deal. Your attorney can compare your losses against the money being offered to determine if the deal is fair.
What Damages am I Eligible to Recover in a Car Accident Claim in California?
In California, if you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by another party’s negligence, you may be eligible to recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages may include:
- Medical bills and expenses: This includes costs for emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, doctor visits, medication, diagnostic tests, physical therapy, and any other past and future medical care related to your injuries.
- Lost wages: You can claim compensation for the income you’ve lost due to being unable to work during your recovery period, as well as potential future lost earnings if your injuries have caused long-term or permanent disability.
- Property damage: This covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and any other personal property that was damaged in the accident.
Non-economic damages may include:
- Pain and suffering: You may be compensated for the physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and overall reduction in quality of life caused by your injuries.
- Loss of consortium: In some cases, your spouse may be able to claim loss of affection and intimacy due to your injuries.
- Disfigurement: If your injuries have resulted in permanent scarring or disfigurement, you can seek compensation for the associated emotional trauma.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: When your injuries prevent you from participating in hobbies, activities, or other aspects of life you previously enjoyed.
- Punitive damages: In rare cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was particularly egregious or reckless, punitive damages may be awarded to punish them and deter similar behavior.
It’s crucial to work with an experienced Long Beach car accident lawyer who can thoroughly evaluate your case, gather evidence of all your damages, and fight to help you receive the maximum compensation possible under personal injury law.
How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Compensation
Following a car accident, California employs a pure comparative negligence model for determining the ability of accident victims to recover compensation. With pure comparative negligence, any party that suffers damages can pursue money as long as they were not solely responsible for causing the accident.
While you may still qualify for compensation if you share the blame for the accident, the amount of money you can collect will be reduced in direct proportion to your level of fault. For instance, if you are ruled to have been 20% liable, you will only be eligible to pursue 80% of the value of your personal injury claim.
That means that if your losses are equal to $100,000, the maximum compensation available would be $80,000. Omega Law Group can help you determine your potential liability in a free consultation.
What Types of Injuries Do We Commonly Claim in Car Accident Cases?
In car accident cases, we commonly claim compensation for a wide range of injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Traumatic brain injuries can range from concussions to more severe injuries like contusions, hemorrhages, and skull fractures, potentially causing long-term cognitive, behavioral, and physical impairments.
- Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation, and other debilitating conditions that require extensive medical care and ongoing treatment.
- Broken bones and fractures: Car accidents often cause broken bones, such as fractures to the arms, legs, ribs, or pelvis, which can be extremely painful and require surgery, physical therapy, and extended recovery periods.
- Whiplash and neck injuries: The sudden impact of a collision can cause the neck to violently whip back and forth, leading to sprains, strains, herniated discs, and other neck injuries that can cause chronic pain and limited mobility.
- Back injuries: Herniated discs, spinal cord compression, and other back injuries are common in car accidents, leading to severe pain, numbness, and potential long-term impairment.
- Soft tissue injuries: These include sprains, strains, and tears to muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which can be incredibly painful and take significant time to heal properly.
- Internal injuries: The blunt force of a collision can cause internal bleeding, organ damage, and other life-threatening injuries that require immediate medical attention and extensive treatment.
- Psychological trauma: Car accidents can also result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that can profoundly impact a person’s quality of life.
In addition to these physical and psychological injuries, we also claim compensation for lost wages, future earning potential, medical expenses, property damage, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
When Car Accidents Become Fatal
When a loved one is lost in a crash, the grief is immeasurable, and the legal implications can be overwhelming. In cases involving fatal accidents, surviving family members may be eligible to pursue wrongful death claims.
These claims are designed to provide financial support and a sense of justice when someone’s life is tragically cut short due to another person’s negligence.
A Broad Range of Losses Covered
Wrongful death claims can cover a broad range of damages beyond what is typically included in a personal injury case.
Eligible compensation may include funeral and burial expenses, medical costs incurred before death, loss of the deceased’s future earnings, and emotional losses such as loss of companionship, care, and guidance.
Facing the Claims Process
The claims process for wrongful death cases is often complicated and emotionally draining. It involves gathering critical evidence to establish fault, working with medical and accident reconstruction experts, and fully documenting the financial and emotional toll on the family.
Because of the sensitivity and seriousness of these cases, having a knowledgeable attorney is crucial to ensure your rights are protected throughout the process.
Legal Support After a Fatal Accident
If your family has suffered the devastating loss of a loved one in a fatal accident, pursuing a wrongful death claim may offer the financial support and accountability you need to begin healing.
An experienced Long Beach car accident lawyer can guide you through each step of the legal journey, providing both clarity and compassion during one of life’s most difficult times.
What Types of Auto Accidents Do We Handle?
We handle a wide range of auto accident cases. Our team includes:
- Rear–end collisions: These are among the most common types of accidents, often caused by distracted driving, tailgating, or sudden braking.
- Head–on collisions: Head-on crashes are typically the most severe and can result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities due to the combined force of both vehicles.
- Side–Impact crash: These occur when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, often at intersections or when one driver fails to yield the right of way.
- Rollover accident lawyers: Rollovers can happen when a vehicle trips, hits a curb or object, or suddenly swerves, leading to a loss of control and the vehicle rolling over.
- Hit–and–run accidents: We assist clients who have been injured by drivers who flee the scene, working to identify the at-fault party and pursue compensation.
- Drunk driving accidents: Impaired drivers pose a significant risk, and we hold them accountable for the harm they cause while driving under the influence.
- Commercial vehicle accidents: Due to their size and weight, truck accidents and other commercial vehicle collisions often result in catastrophic injuries.
No matter the type of auto accident you’ve been involved in, our experienced legal team will thoroughly investigate the circumstances, gather evidence, and build a strong case to pursue the compensation you deserve.
Contact a Long Beach Car Accident Law Firm Today
The best move you can make after suffering damages in a car accident is to secure the services of an experienced attorney. At Omega Law Group, our team of Long Beach car accident lawyers will take every step necessary to get you the money you deserve.
Contact us today by filling out the contact form on our website or giving us a call to schedule your free, no–obligation consultation with a member of our legal staff.
During your initial meeting, we will review the details of your case, answer all your questions, and inform you of your legal options.
