Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer

Featured in Newsweek’s Top 10 Trial Lawyers, The Reeves Law Group is a Los Angeles personal injury law firm that specializes in car accidents that result in catastrophic injury and serious injuries. They have successfully represented thousands of injured accident survivors throughout Southern California for over 30 years. We have recovered over $250,000,000 in verdicts and settlements for our injured clients.

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Call (213) 271-9318

If you are an auto accident victim and have suffered life-altering injuries and are in need of an expert legal team during this dreadful and distressing time, call our firm today at (213) 271-9318 . We’d highly urge you to speak with a professional personal injury lawyer that has decades of car accident experience and get a free consultation. We operate on a contingency fee basis and will not charge a fee or seek reimbursement unless we win your case!

If you have been injured in a devastating auto accident where you live or work (or were just visiting) and are feeling overwhelmed by the aftermath, seeking urgent legal representation can be a crucial step in your recovery process.

Understanding the emotional and physical toll such incidents can take, we are here to support and guide you. Contact us today for a empathetic and helpful free consultation with an experienced and compassionate car accident lawyer who is dedicated to ensuring that your rights are protected and that you receive the justice you deserve during this disheartening time.

Award-Winning Car Accident LAW FIRM

Featured in Newsweek’s Top 10 Trial Lawyers in the Country, The Reeves Law Group is a personal injury law firm that is well known and respected through a long record of success helping plaintiffs fight large insurance companies, well-financed corporate and individual defendants, and have recovered over $250 Million dollars for our clients. These abilities are due to our legal expertise, and financial resources.

Our firm is proud of its reputation as one of the leading law firms in the state of California that advocates for injured victims of preventable automobile accidents. Call us for a free consultation.

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What Do our past clients Have to Say About Our Law Firm?

“A car hit me when I was crossing the street on my bike in Oxnard. I went to the ER and then got physical therapy at St. John’s Regional Medical Center. When the driver’s insurance company said it wasn’t their fault, I knew I needed to hire a personal injury attorney. I hired The Reeves Law Group because they specialize in Oxnard bicycle accident cases. Attorney Blaise Patzkowski persuaded the insurance company to accept full responsibility for the bike crash. Mr. Patzkowski truly cared about how I was feeling and how my foot was recovering. He would personally call me to check up on me and helped settle my case. I really appreciate his hard work and with the money I got I plan on buying a car so this will never happen again!”

Tammy Pham wrote this review on via Avvo

5 out of 5 stars
Review Rating: 5 / 5
Date Published: 03-02-2022

For an Immediate Consultation
Call (213) 271-9318

Legal Representation For a Serious Car Accident Claim

In Southern California, drivers depend on their cars to shuttle them through busy days. Each day, the area’s major freeways are swamped with vehicle traffic. Freeway I-5 recorded 21.4 billion miles driven in 2013. I-10 and I-110 are the 2nd and 3rd busiest freeways in the nation. I-405 has 379,000 automobiles traveling on it each day. With this many vehicles on our roads at all hours of the day, car accidents happen frequently.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there were a total of 39,708 injured and killed in motor vehicle accidents in Los Angeles County in 2015. Car accidents are unexpected. One minute you are doing your regular daily activities. Then, suddenly, your world is turned upside down by an unforeseen car wreck. The consequences of an auto accident collision can be severe, possibly altering your life, the lives of your family members, and loved ones, including unforeseen death. Auto accident attorneys can help you pick up the pieces of your life and get you back on track.

When an at-fault driver causes a crash, our legal system allows those who have been hurt to be compensated for their personal injuries and property damage. Car accident claims become more complicated when motor vehicle fatalities are involved. This holds the at-fault party accountable and discourages similar car accidents in the future. But earning fair compensation from the right party is not always easy. That’s when a lawyer can really help.

Regardless of how serious the crash was, you should speak with a qualified auto accident lawyer. And you should do this as soon as possible after a motor vehicle accident, including truck accidents, and rideshare (Uber/Lyft) accidents.

Often, your personal injury claim will depend on you taking quick action. If you have been injured and seek legal representation, contact us today for a free consultation!

Why Hire A Lawyer For A Car Accident

Many auto collisions are only minor fender benders that people think they can handle on their own. But even a common car accident may require legal expertise to ensure that the accident victim is properly compensated. Insurance companies can be difficult to work with and may offer an amount that is much lower than what the injured party needs to fully recover.

Pursuing an insurance claim requires the energy, time, and knowledge that only the best car accident lawyers in Los Angeles can provide.

There are certain steps you can take when filing a claim that will help it to be processed quickly and correctly.

• Immediately speak with a car accident lawyer and make sure to show them your insurance policy documents.
• Let your insurance representative know that you have been in a traffic collision and ask for a list of documents that they will need. Many times, they will want to see the documentation of all the losses you have suffered, like lost wages, costs of medical treatment, mechanic’s bills, and police reports.
• Ask your insurance agent for a timeline of when you need to submit any necessary paperwork.
• Always make sure to document every conversation you have with the insurance claims adjuster. Write down the name of the agent, their position, phone number, and office. Also, note what was discussed during the conversation.

How A Lawyer Would Recommend you chose a Car Accident Lawyer

When choosing a lawyer, as lawyers, we’d consider these qualifications:

• Car accident attorneys know the law and how it affects your case, so it is vital to find one with the knowledge and experience to handle your car accident claim. Additionally, the right lawyer will understand your medical needs and the impact of the collision on your personal and work life.
• Your lawyer should have experience with cases similar to yours. This helps to ensure that the lawyer knows the right strategy for your car accident lawsuit, especially when a death is involved.
• An experienced auto accident attorney should be dedicated to their clients’ causes and will not rest until their clients receive all the compensation they are owed.
• A well-qualified lawyer will have experience with settlement discussions as well as taking cases to trial. Your lawyer should have the resources to investigate and prepare your case for a jury, should cover all costs of your trial, and should not ask you to pay a dime until winning money for you.

When auto accidents occur, many car accident victims look to their insurance carriers with a “friendly” office in LA right around the corner to help them put their lives back together. The problem is that they don’t always want to pay the full amount needed for the car crash victim to totally recover! When a personal injury attorney represents crash victims, they will know how to deal with insurers so that they fulfill their obligations.

Has your car accident caused your catastrophic injuries and emotional distress? Speak with an accident lawyer at The Reeves Law Group who can evaluate your car accident case during the initial consultation and map out a plan that details the medical bills, vehicle repairs, lost wages, and other monetary damages you are owed.

All too often, people learn about their mistakes only after they’ve been made, sometimes with devastating consequences. So, let us share with you some of the most common mistakes, so you’ll know to avoid them. First, regarding injuries and medical care. Not going to the doctor or the hospital right away and not following your doctor’s instructions. Also, trying to do too much, too soon after an injury, or even downplaying your injury.

Mistakes made on the legal side of your case include: hiring a lawyer who’s not a true specialist in personal injury. Once you’ve hired a lawyer, failing to keep them informed of important changes in your health or in your life and not telling your lawyer about past injuries or lawsuits you’ve had. Also, talking about the case with people other than your lawyer or posting details of your case or injuries on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media.

And the number one most commonly made mistake, talking to the wrongdoer’s insurance company. Avoiding these mistakes will maximize your chances for recovery, both from your injuries as well as from the wrongdoer.

What To Do After A Car Accident as a victim

Since car accidents are completely unexpected, the impact can take us by surprise. In a moment, our lives can be turned upside down and can take a huge toll financially, physically, and emotionally.

In the aftermath of the crash, there are specific actions that you can take that will help protect your legal rights while simultaneously positioning you to recover compensation.

The following tips will get crash victims on track to a speedy recovery:

Get Medical Help

You should always assess the physical state of yourself and any passenger involved in the crash and call emergency help if necessary. Make sure that you give emergency responders detailed information on the crash and any symptoms that you are experiencing. Be aware that many car accident victims underestimate the severity of their injuries because they have an adrenaline rush caused by the incident. Always request a complete examination and follow all doctors’ orders for medical treatment. This will help you heal quickly and prevent other parties from claiming that you are partially responsible for your ailments because you did not listen to your doctor’s advice.

Call The Police

Immediately call the police to the scene and ask them to write up a report detailing the car crash. They should be called even for a hit-and-run car accident. Ask an officer for a copy of the report and keep this write-up for your records. Your car accident lawyer will use this report in preparing your claim.

Collect Evidence

The best time to figure out how the crash happened is right after it occurred. Make sure that you write down thorough contact information for everyone involved. This includes names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information.

Also, make sure that you snap photos of the accident scene. You can photograph the areas of the crash site that you think contributed to the wreck and the parts of your car that were damaged. Make sure that you take wide shots of the entire scene as well as close-up shots that show detailed information. It’s also a good idea to keep vehicle parts that broke off in the crash.

Your attorney will examine these parts and may gather critical information on how the crash happened.

Don’t Admit Liability

It is important to watch what you say to the other parties involved in the crash, to bystanders, and to insurance agents. Admissions that you make can limit your ability to bring a claim in the future. Instead, allow your attorney to handle these communications.

Call An Experienced and local auto collision Attorney

Our law firm has handled hundreds, if not thousands, of car accident cases throughout the greater Los Angeles area, and has the expertise to quickly assess your case while simultaneously sending our investigators to the crash site to collect and analyze information. Retaining an experienced Los Angeles auto collision attorney with a proven track record is the best move you can make to recover compensation from those liable.

Take Detailed Notes

As mentioned earlier, the steps we take after a traffic collision greatly affect our ability to successfully bring a personal injury claim for financial compensation from liable parties. The issue usually comes down to information.

Does your car accident lawyer have enough information to demonstrate in settlement discussions or to a jury that an at-fault party caused the crash and your losses?

Note-taking can be one of the best ways to gather critical bits of information that your attorney can use down the road. Answering the following questions can help you collect the right information at the time of the car accident and help jog your memory throughout the claim process.

• Where were you going when the accident happened? Who were you with and what were you talking about?
• What was the weather like? What were the road conditions like? For example, was the asphalt wet? Was there heavy traffic?
• What did you experience and feel when the accident happened and right afterward? Did anyone say anything about the crash that stood out to you?

In addition to these questions, it is important to keep a daily journal chronicling your car accident injuries. Each day, evaluate your physical wounds, the pain they cause, and your mental state. Are you in lots of pain, having trouble sleeping, feeling nervous or depressed about the future, and worried about your inability to fully recover?

It’s a good idea to carry a journal with you at all times and write down any recollections you have about the car accident. This can relate to the crash itself, your injuries, losses like medical costs and lost wages you suffered because of the car accident, and conversations you had with others about the crash. Sometimes, returning to the scene of the crash will bring back memories that you didn’t remember right after the car accident occurred.

What Can I Do About My Injuries as a victim?

Even low-impact and low-speed auto accidents can cause severe injuries to individuals. If you don’t require emergency transportation to the hospital after minor car accidents, you should still see your regular physician and be examined for possible injuries. Even with common car accident injuries, people can suffer serious brain and spinal cord injuries from car accidents.

Rear-end incidents can cause whiplash, which is the rapid movement of your neck backward and forward. Whiplash can cause headaches and chronic pain often requiring lengthy rehabilitation and long-term medication.

Side-impact crashes can cause traumatic brain injuries when those inside the vehicle hit their heads on the car’s frame or window. A traumatic brain injury can cause permanent brain damage and greatly impact an individual’s future. Side-impact crashes can also cause lesser injuries like ligament and muscle strains and soft tissue damage.

Common Car Accident Injuries

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Burn injuries
• Wrongful Death

Even with common injuries, it is important to always see a doctor soon after automobile accidents because the more time that goes by without you being treated, the more likely an insurance company will think that you didn’t suffer any injuries. Even if you go see a doctor a few days after the crash, they can argue that you had time to cause further injuries by doing something else. Going to a doctor immediately will create a paper trail of your injuries and your medical professional’s treatment of specific problems.

Who Is at Fault in a Car Accident, from a legal perspective?

When someone is in their first car accident, they may be unsure of how to recover compensation from the people who caused the crash. Most collisions happen because of a bad decision on the road or distracted driving.

Usually, the individual who was hurt must show that the at-fault driver caused the crash through negligence. This requires proving four elements – Duty, Breach, Causation, and Damages.

• Duty: First, the injured individual must show that the other driver owed a duty of care to them. We require drivers to operate their vehicles with a certain amount of care and consideration for those around them.
• Breach: Drivers must behave like reasonably prudent people. The test for reasonableness is what an average person would do if they knew what the driver knew under the circumstances. If the average person had known that someone could have been hurt by acting as the driver did, then the driver would be considered to have acted negligently.
• Causation: The accident must show that the injuries and property damage were a direct result of the negligent driver’s actions.
• Damages: Finally, the accident victim must demonstrate how financial compensation can cover the losses. For instance, what medical bills and losses of income were accrued because of the accident.

Common Causes of Car Crashes

There are many ways that car crashes happen. Most collisions occur as a result of distracted driving. A bad choice combined with a vehicle’s size and speed can be a recipe for disaster. The legal definition of a poor choice is “negligence.” This means that someone did not act with reasonable care, which resulted in someone else getting hurt.

Drinking and driving, distracted driving like talking on the phone, texting while driving, and being too tired to concentrate are common factors in accidents. A car crash can also be caused by a vehicle breaking down while traveling due to a product defect, poor weather, or bad road conditions.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approximates that roughly 100,000 crashes reported by police every year are due to driver fatigue with car accident fatalities in the thousands and injuries in the tens of thousands.

Motorist accidents happen frequently to residents of the county, which means your best option is to seek qualified plaintiff’s attorneys to be on your side.

Types of Car Accidents in Southern California

There are many types of motor vehicle accidents. Rear-end collisions, T-bone wrecks, vehicle rollovers, pedestrian accidents, and single-vehicle car accidents occur regularly. Numerous factors can be responsible for each crash. The following are a few of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents.

Driver Negligence: In the majority of accidents, one driver is at fault. Usually, fault takes the form of one driver making a decision that is considered unreasonable or careless given the circumstances. Our legal system requires people to act reasonably in protecting others from harm. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, running red lights, and taking unnecessary risks are examples of how drivers’ actions would be considered careless.

Defective Parts: Sometimes, the parties who designed, built, or sold a car or truck are liable for an accident. Under product liabilities law, companies can be held responsible for putting a product into the market that doesn’t work the way that it should. Faulty brakes, an airbag that doesn’t deploy, SUVs that roll over, or tires that blow out are all examples of vehicle parts that could cause the manufacturers to be held liable for an accident.

Poor Road Conditions: Government entities can be held responsible for an accident when roadways are not engineered, built, or maintained properly. Claims against a government agency can be complicated and require the expertise of a skilled lawyer.

Car Accident Settlements in California from a legal perspective

Many times, people involved in car accidents try to settle their own cases by filing a car accident claim on their own. This can be difficult to do as accident victims do not have the knowledge and expertise to properly communicate with all of the different parties involved in car accident claims. Usually, it’s in your best interest to discuss the matter with an experienced car accident attorney who can properly manage your claim.

Here are a few issues that people regularly encounter when handling their cases without legal counsel.

• Siding with the insurance company: Many of us want to believe that insurance companies have our best interests in mind. But insurance agents often work to minimize the amount of money that they have to pay.
• Settling for too little: Many accident victims take the first offer that an insurance company makes. The prospect of getting any compensation seems appealing. But an experienced lawyer knows the importance of understanding the accident’s overall impact on your life. For example, do doctors know all of the ways that a victim’s injuries will impact his or her life? It is imperative to have all of the medical documentation and a doctor’s written opinion of the victim’s short- and long-term medical needs. An established attorney will have medical experts who can examine this information and determine the dollar amount of these medical needs.
• Assuming the claim won’t go to trial: Many victims believe insurance agents when they are told that the claim will be settled out of court. This can lead a victim to not collect important evidence before it is lost. A skilled lawyer will use a team of investigators and evidence experts to preserve and inspect all evidence in the event that the claim does go before a jury.

If You’ve Been Hurt In An Accident Its Time To Call A specialized Lawyer

Because most of us assume that a car crash will never happen to us, we are unsure of what to do after a crash. When misfortune strikes, you should contact a plaintiff’s law firm that specializes in car accidents–The Reeves Law Group.

For three decades, our leading personal injury law firm has protected injury victims throughout Los Angeles and Southern California by winning maximum compensation for their losses. The reputation that our firm possesses and our record of successfully representing injured clients has garnered notable accolades from Newsweek to our inclusion as Southern California Super Lawyers. We are recognized as leaders by organizations including the American Association of Justice and The National Board of Trial Advocacy.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car wreck, contact us today for a free consultation. A senior member of our legal team is available at all hours of the day and will act quickly to protect your rights.

For a free consultation, call (213) 271-9318 or contact us to speak with a car accident attorney.

[Written by Derek Pakiz. Article updated on December 05, 2023]