If you have been seriously injured in a California motor vehicle accident, you deserve an attorney with experience, knowledge, resources and proven results. With extensive experience and millions of dollars recovered in verdicts and settlements, The Law Offices of Sevag Nigoghosian has a unique understanding of motor vehicle law as it applies to injury and wrongful death accidents, along with an in-depth knowledge of the automobile insurance industry.
Experience That Counts
At The Law Offices of Sevag Nigoghosian, we have experience representing California car accident victims with virtually every type of serious or catastrophic injury, including amputation injuries, brain injuries, burn injuries, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple bone fractures, and other injuries. We can help you recover full monetary damages for your:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Other accident related expenses
Car accidents have many causes, including drunk driving, aggressive driving, excess speeding, driver drowsiness, poor road conditions, vehicle failure, and negligence. Negligent driving can be a driver not paying attention due to countless different distractions including driver texting, cell phone misuse, eating, changing the radio station, reading, or even putting on cosmetics. Many times accidents are caused by a combination of these. If we represent you in your case, we will fully investigate every potential avenue of liability and hold the responsible parties fully accountable to the maximum extent.
If a member of your family has died in a fatal car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident or bicycle or pedestrian accidents, we understand that your family may be facing difficult challenges along with financial strain from the loss of a loved one. We can provide personal support and effective representation, and help you obtain justice for a loved one’s wrongful death. Compensation for a wrongful death claim can include recovery for final medical expenses, funeral expenses, future lost wages and loss of a loved one’s companionship. See our wrongful death page or contact us for more information. Drunk driving is a serious problem in California, and contributes to many fatal and injury accidents every day in California. In 2004, 39 percent of fatal crashes in the United States were alcohol related. The legal limit for blood alcohol concentration in the United States for drivers 21 years of age or older is .08 g/dL (grams per deciliter) or higher. Additionally, research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests that the risk of being killed in a solo-vehicle crash for drivers with a BAC between .05 and .09 is 11 times higher than drivers without any alcohol in their system. If you have been injured as a result of a drunk driver getting behind the wheel, we can help you obtain justice and compensation for your injuries.
To schedule your free consultation with a California car accident attorney with a proven track record, contact us today. We are available to take your call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Our experienced California auto accident lawyers will evaluate all the issues related to your case and potential claim, including compliance with California traffic laws, CA motor vehicle regulations, your medical treatment, and liability assessment. Because there are statutory deadlines for filing personal injury claims, meeting with a California auto accident attorney to evaluate your case as soon as possible is highly recommended. We have offices throughout the state, and our attorneys are also available to make home and hospital visits.
For Free California Auto Accident Case Review – Call (818) 956-1111
No Fee Unless We Win! At The Law Offices of Sevag Nigoghosian, all of our legal services for auto accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. Fees are not charged for the initial consultation or subsequent work unless we recover money for your injuries or loss. In the event we are unable to recover damages for your costs, you will not be charged for our time or costs associated with your case. For more information on how we can help you with your California auto accident matter, contact us today.
AUTO ACCIDENT FAQ
What Should I Do After an Auto Accident?
If an auto accident causes severe injuries to you or to a loved one, you should contact a well-established and reputable law firm immediately. Time is of the essence in these cases for the reasons explained below – particularly for individuals unable to care for themselves. Even if the injuries are not severe, you should consult a capable auto accident lawyer immediately:
- Call the police and file an auto accident report. Filing a police report will document the facts of the accident and help determine who was at fault.
- Obtain prompt medical attention for any injured parties, including yourself. If the injuries require emergency care, call an ambulance for transport to a hospital. If not, visit an urgent care center or arrange to be seen by your regular doctor as soon as you leave the accident scene. Some auto accident injuries – often serious ones – may not be apparent to you right away, especially when your body has been traumatized, so be sure you are examined by a medical care provider without delay.
- Gather information at the accident scene. Anyone involved in a car accident is required by law to exchange contact and insurance information. If you are able, you should take photos of the damage to the vehicles (perhaps with a cell phone camera) and obtain the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses.
- Do not give statements to the insurance companies’ representatives about the car accident, without contacting a lawyer. The information you give the insurance companies can be detrimental to your case.
Do I Need an Attorney?
Understand that insurance companies and their claims adjusters deal in this line of work all day, every day, year after year. This may be your first or second time being involved in a situation such as yours. There are a tremendous number of issues that arise from an accident or injury. The issues may include having your vehicle repaired or totaled out, obtaining a rental car, minimizing the storage fees on your car, settling on a total loss amount for your car, paying your medical bills, receiving the medical care you need, dealing with all of the paperwork, letters, and phone calls from the various insurance companies, tape recorded statements, medical release forms, reimbursing your medical insurance companies, receiving reimbursement for your wage loss, getting a fair settlement for your injuries, etc. Consulting with an attorney will answer questions such as these and help you through this difficult process. The sooner you consult with an attorney, the better your chances of protecting your legal rights and resolving your claim at a fair price in a timely manner.
If I Hire The Law Offices of Sevag Nigoghosian, Who Will Pay for My Legal Fees?
Your initial consultation with this law firm is complementary. If you do hire this law firm to represent you, the attorney fees are based upon a percentage of the injury settlement only (not the property damage settlement), and it is not paid until your case is settled. All out of pocket costs in your case are advanced by this law firm. Our firm receives reimbursement for the advanced out of pocket costs at the conclusion of the case. Therefore, you do not pay any money until your case is resolved.
Can I Trust the Insurance Companies?
Insurance companies have a duty to their stockholders to resolve claims for the least amount of money possible. Each company has an enormous number of claims open at all times. The longer the insurance company can hold onto its money, the more interest it can earn on its money. This creates an incentive to delay paying out on claims. If you are dealing with the negligent party’s insurance company, that company does not have a duty to act in “good faith” with you. If you are dealing with your own insurance company, it is supposed to act in “good faith” with you (although many people believe otherwise). In either case, due to downsizing of insurance companies and other reasons, claims adjusters have a significant number of claims assigned to them each month. It is simply impractical, in most instances, for them to be motivated to process your claim in a timely manner.
How Do I Get My Vehicle Repaired?
If you have collision insurance, you can resolve the property damage with your own insurance company. However, you will have to pay your collision deductible up front, and you should receive your deductible back several months later if the responsible party had insurance. If you do not have collision insurance or if you cannot afford to pay your deductible, you will have to deal with the responsible party’s insurance company to repair or total out your vehicle.
Can I Get a Rental Car?
If you have rental car coverage on your insurance policy, your insurance company will pay for your rental vehicle up to the daily amount of coverage on your policy. If you do not have rental car coverage, you will have to receive approval from the responsible party’s insurance company to get a rental car, or pay for it yourself until the responsible party’s insurance company reimburses you.
How Do I Pay for My Medical Bills?
It is up to you to pay for your medical bills until you are ready to settle your injury claim. Therefore, you must look to either your health insurance company or your automobile medical payments coverage (if you have either or both) for payment of your medical bills until your case resolves. The insurance company will not pay or reimburse you any money for your medical bills until you are ready to settle your case, regardless what the claims adjuster may tell you up front. It is important that your medical bills do not go into collections while your case is pending so that the unfortunate incident does not affect your credit report. It is also important that the health care providers that you receive medical attention from know who to bill for their services, and that your bills are processed timely and appropriately because most health insurance companies require medical bills to be submitted within 60 days from the date of service or else they will deny payment.
Should I Sign a Medical Release or Give a Tape Recorded Statement to the Insurance Company?
No. Not until you consult with an attorney about your legal rights. Any information obtained through a tape recorded statement can and will be used against you at a later time. Any medical records of yours obtained through a medical release by an insurance company will certainly be used against you at the time you attempt to settle your case.
Should I Take Photographs of My Vehicle or My Injuries
Absolutely, and do so as soon as possible after the incident. A picture says 1000 words. Oftentimes, your vehicle will be taken by the insurance company shortly after an incident. Therefore, you must take the photographs before that happens because it is often not easy to gain access to your car after an accident. Do not rely on the body shop or the towing yard to give you pictures. It is also very important to take pictures of any visible injuries you may have so that several months later it is obvious that you in fact sustained the injuries you claim to have sustained in the incident.
Will I have to Go to Court?
Most personal injury cases settle without having to go to Court. Hiring an attorney soon after an accident decreases the chances of making mistakes as you maneuver through the process that may later put obstacles in your path of resolving your claim, for a fair price, in a timely manner.