San Diego Car Accident Lawyer

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If you’ve been injured in a car accident in San Diego, CA, contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, P.C at (619) 777-5555. You may be entitled to compensation, and our experienced San Diego car accident lawyers can help you maximize your financial recovery.

Money won’t guarantee that life gets back to normal, but it can make a world of difference while you try to get back on your feet.

Call our law offices to discuss your legal options. Your first consultation with our team is absolutely free, so contact our San Diego office today. We’re always available to take your call – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Why Should You Hire Our San Diego Car Collision Lawyers?

Why You Should Call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, P.C. After a Crash in San Diego, CA

If you want to recover compensation – and maximize your settlement or award – it’s smart to have an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer fighting for you. Getting the money you deserve after a car accident isn’t as easy as it should be. Other parties will try to blame you for the crash. Insurance companies will be diligent in searching for a reason to deny or devalue your claim.

Our law firm has a 99% success rate for the cases we handle. Since 2010, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for accident victims just like you. We’re a family-run law firm with 43 years of combined experience.

We know how much is at stake, and we’re ready to fight for you by:

Carefully investigating the circumstances that led to and surrounded your traffic accident
Consulting with leading accident and injury specialists in Southern California as we strategize, build, and value your case
Step in to protect you if insurance companies try to pressure you into accepting a lowball settlement offer
Limiting the effectiveness of any arguments that you share responsibility for the accident
Negotiating with adjusters so that you receive offers that reflect the full value of your accident and injuries, and
Having our accomplished trial attorneys represent you in court if settlement negotiations don’t pan out.

Give our law office in San Diego County a call to learn more. Our attorneys are ready to help you fight to make things right after your unexpected crash.

How Common Are Car Accidents in San Diego?

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, San Diego has more reported motor vehicle accidents than most other cities in the Golden State.

In 2018, there were a total of 5,607 accidents in the city of San Diego resulting in injury or death.

That’s 15 car accidents a day, on average.

Notable San Diego crash statistics from that year:

11% of all accidents involved alcohol
381 car wrecks involved motorcyclists
One out of every 10 auto accidents involved a pedestrian
Bicyclists were involved in roughly 7% of the city’s traffic accidents
15% of all car collisions were speed-related

The City of San Diego typically accounts for more than a quarter of all vehicle collisions in San Diego County. In 2018, 27.6% of County-wide crashes happened within the city limits.

Car Accidents involving Injuries in San Diego County 2018

As you can see, most of San Diego County’s car accidents in 2018 involved injuries. This is accident and injury data from the 5 most populated cities in the county.

Fatal Car Accidents in San Diego

From 2016 to 2019 people in San Diego witnessed over 340 fatal car accidents accidents.

What Are the Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in San Diego County?

Based on crash data from the state, these are the intersections with the highest number of collisions in 2018:

Clairemont Mesa Blvd & Convoy St (6)
Convoy St & Engineer Rd (5)
10th Ave & E St (4)
11th St & A St (3)
15th St & F St (3)
15 St & Market St (3)
16th St & Commercial St (3)
16th St & Logan Ave (3)
30th St & University Ave (3)
36th St & El Cajon Blvd (3)

Other notoriously dangerous stretches of road in San Diego include University Ave and 1st Ave, Market St and 6th Ave, Interstate 5, and Interstate 8.

What’s My San Diego Car Accident Case Worth?

It really depends on how serious your injuries are. According to the National Safety Council, the average comprehensive cost of a car accident in 2019 ranged anywhere between $155,000 (possible injury) to $11,148,000 (fatal injury).

The more serious your injuries, the higher the value a related injury case will probably be.

Of course, there are a lot of factors that can influence what your case is worth, including:

Whether your injury interferes with your ability to work – temporarily or permanently
How the accident and resulting injury affect you emotionally, and
The extent to which your property is damaged in the collision.

You can increase the odds that you get a full financial recovery by having an experienced car accident attorney in San Diego represent you.

What Compensation Is Available If I’m Hurt in a Car Accident in California?

In California, car accident victims are typically entitled to seek compensatory damages.

Compensatory damages fall into one of two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages. In limited instances, punitive damages might be available, too.

Economic Damages: Making You Whole

Economic damages are paid to make you financially whole again after an unexpected car accident. In other words, the money you’re awarded is intended to compensate for the verifiable financial costs, losses, and expenses that result from a crash.

Examples include:

Present medical bills
Future medical expenses
Rehabilitation and therapy
Lost wages and income
Disability
Nursing care
Funeral, burial, and/or cremation expenses if an accident is fatal

These damages are objective – meaning that there’s a way to establish what they’re worth. However, since damages can account for future losses, it is still important to have an attorney help you navigate the valuation process. You don’t want to discount what your accident or injury might cost you down the line.

Non-Economic Damages: Your Pain and Suffering

Not every consequence of an accident will have a set financial value. There tend to be very personal, subjective outcomes, too. Non-economic damages are intended to compensate for these hard-to-value injuries.

Examples include:

Emotional distress
Mental anguish
PTSD
Depression
Disfigurement and scarring
Chronic pain
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium

Non-economic damages are almost always subject to disagreement. Insurance companies will try to play down the pain and suffering you’ve experienced. Don’t let them have the last say. You should have a group of experts in your corner including medical professionals, vocational specialists, and other experts supporting your claims that you’ve suffered. Taking the time to really document and verify your injuries will help you maximize your recovery.

Punitive Damages: Punishment For Bad Behavior

Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant – the person responsible for your injuries – for what they’ve done.

However, these awards are limited for situations where punishment is really warranted. California requires clear and convincing evidence of malice. In the context of car accident cases, punitive damages most often apply when a driver was drunk or knowingly left the scene of an accident after causing serious injury or death.

When given by a jury, they’re paid on top of and in addition to your compensatory award.

What Causes Most Car Accidents?

Negligence is the leading cause of car accidents in San Diego, CA. Negligence means that someone had a responsibility to act in a particular way, but failed to do so. And, as a result, someone else got hurt.

Examples of negligence that contributes to or causes car crashes include:

Speeding
Distracted driving
Drunk driving
Fatigued driving
Attempting to “beat” red or yellow lights at intersections
Tailgaiting
Failure to yield the right of way
Failure to drive with appropriate caution at night or during bad weather

In order to prove negligence, you must show that another person owed you a duty of care, breached it, and caused you to suffer damages.

Keep in mind that negligence isn’t the only cause of car collisions. Sometimes, defective or faulty products or intentionally aggressive behavior (“road rage”) cause accidents, too.

Who’s Liable in an Auto Accident?

Potentially liable parties could include:

Drivers of other passenger vehicles
Pedestrians or bicyclists
Motorcyclists
Electric scooter operators
Truck drivers
Trucking companies
Bus drivers
Mass transit companies
Government agencies
Employers of negligent parties
Manufacturers of defective products

When you hire an accident attorney, they will carefully investigate your auto accident to determine why it happened and, in turn, who’s to blame. You can trust that our car accident lawyers will work tirelessly to secure maximum compensation from all responsible parties.

Is California a No-Fault Insurance State?

No, California is not a “no-fault” state when it comes to car insurance. Instead, California has fault-based rules. This means that the insurance company that covers the at-fault driver is on the hook for resulting damages.

After a car accident that’s not your fault, you’ll be filing an insurance claim with another driver’s provider.

What Happens if the Other Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?

While California has strict requirements about what minimum car insurance coverage must be purchased to drive a vehicle in the state, not everyone follows the rules. In fact, it’s estimated that one out of every five drivers in the state of California is uninsured or underinsured.

If you get into an accident with an uninsured driver, it doesn’t mean you can’t recover compensation. It just means that things get a bit more complicated.

In these situations you might be able to:

File a claim with your own insurance provider, especially if you opted to buy uninsured motorist coverage (UMC/UIM)
File a lawsuit directly against the at-fault driver
File a lawsuit against other negligent parties, such as a government agency, property owner, or vehicle manufacturer.

If you were injured in a car accident on the job, you may even qualify to receive workers’ compensation benefits through your employer.

What Happens If I’m Blamed For a San Diego Car Accident?

What Happens If I’m Blamed For a Car Accident in San Diego, CA?

California has pure comparative fault rules, which means that liability is shared by everyone who plays a role in an accident. If you’re assigned some of the blame, it will not prevent you from recovering compensation. However, it will mean that your financial award will be reduced.

Damages are reduced to reflect your proportionate responsibility for an auto accident.

Let’s say you’re involved in a rear-end collision at a San Diego intersection. You were struck from behind, but partly because you were texting and didn’t notice that the light had turned green. SO, you’re assigned 15% of the blame for the accident. In turn, your damages will be reduced by 15%.

Insurance companies and those actually responsible for causing your accident will probably try to point fingers and blame you. If these tactics are successful, it means they’ll pay out less money than you really deserve. Our car accident attorneys know how to counter these strategies and protect you – as well as your ability to get the money you need.

Types of Car Collision Injuries

If you have suffered severe and catastrophic injuries after a car accident caused by a careless driver, you can seek compensation for:

Broken bones and fractures
Eye injury
Burns
Head injury, including concussion
Neck and back injury, including whiplash
Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord injury
Chest injury
Crushing injury
Knee injury
Amputation

When an accident is fatal, our wrongful death lawyers are here to help grieving family members, too.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Crash in San Diego?

California has a strict two-year statute of limitations that applies to most car accident lawsuits. So, there’s a good chance that you’ll have two years from the date of your crash to file a civil lawsuit against those responsible.

You may have more time to act if your injuries aren’t evident right away. You’ll have less time to act if you suspect a government agency is to blame.

One thing is certain: you will forfeit the opportunity to recover compensation if you miss the deadline that applies to your particular case.

That’s a great reason to get in touch with our San Diego car accident attorneys as soon as you can after you get hurt.

What Should I Do After a Car Crash?

Protect yourself and preserve your ability to recover compensation by taking these steps after a crash:

Stay at the scene – it can be considered a hit and run if you leave
Exchange insurance information, but don’t apologize – don’t admit fault, either
Call the police – you’ll want an officer to conduct a preliminary investigation and fill out an accident report
Get medical attention – seek medical care as soon as you can to ensure that your injuries are treated and documented
Don’t provide a recorded statement – insurance adjusters will try to get you to say something to hurt your case
Direct all conversations to your lawyer – hire a lawyer to represent you and protect your interests

If you have suffered car accident injuries due to someone else’s negligence, contact our law firm as you have the chance to after your accident. Our team is available 24/7/365.

How Much Will it Cost to Hire an Attorney After a Collision in San Diego?

Most car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.

This means:

There are upfront costs associated with our legal representation.
We assume all financial risks related to litigating your claim or lawsuit.
You only pay us if we win your case – meaning we negotiate a settlement or win a verdict at trial.

When your accident attorney wins your case, they will get a percentage of your net award. It’s that simple. There’s no risk in asking for legal help today.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our San Diego Car Accident Lawyers

Have you been injured in a car crash in San Diego? Call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, P.C. for immediate legal assistance. Our San Diego car accident lawyers are ready to help you fight for damages to cover the costs of your medical bills, make up for lost wages, and compensate for your pain and suffering.

Our law firm offers a free initial case evaluation to crash victims in San Diego County, so contact us today to discuss your legal rights. We are happy to answer your legal questions.

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