Car accidents can result in devastating injuries, from torn ligaments and tendons to fractured bones to spinal cord and brain injuries. Whether you were in a low-speed crash or a catastrophic collision at high speeds, a car accident can leave you with life-changing injuries that require extensive and ongoing medical treatment. A Beverly Hills personal injury lawyer can help you demand fair compensation for these losses.
Call Dordick Law Corporation at (310) 736-2866 or contact us online for a free consultation with an experienced Beverly Hills car accident lawyer. Our firm has over 35 years of experience in civil litigation and a team of 60 legal professionals to assist with your case. Let us show you why we have a reputation as one of the area’s premier personal injury law firms.
Car Accident Cases We Handle in Beverly Hills
Our team handles a wide variety of car accident cases in Beverly Hills, from simple rear-end collisions at intersections to hit-and-run accidents and multi-vehicle pileups. How our team approaches your case may differ depending on the type of accident that caused your injuries. Different types of accidents require different types of evidence to prove liability.
Some of the most common car accident cases we handle include:
- Head-On Collisions: These collisions often happen at intersections or when a vehicle crosses the center line between lanes due to distraction, intoxication, or drowsiness. Severe and life-threatening injuries are common in head-on collisions.
- Rear-End Collisions: These collisions typically happen at intersections or in heavy traffic, where cars are constantly slowing and stopping. Even a low-speed rear-end accident can cause significant back and neck injuries.
- Side-Impact Collisions: Sideswipe accidents are a common type of side-impact collision in which two cars slide along each other, causing property damage. While most sideswipe accidents don’t lead to major injuries, T-bone collisions are a more severe type of side-impact collision that do.
- Hit-and-Run Accidents: When a driver flees the scene of an accident, it can be challenging to identify them so victims can file liability coverage insurance claims. Our lawyers work to track down hit-and-run perpetrators and assist clients with filing uninsured motorist claims.
- Drunk Driving Accidents: Intoxicated drivers frequently run stop signs and red lights, swerve between lanes, and generally pose a threat to other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.
- Multi-Vehicle Pileups: The more vehicles involved in an accident, the more complex the case typically is. Our lawyers can help identify all at-fault parties and help victims seek the compensation they need.
- Failure to Yield Accidents: Yielding the right-of-way to oncoming traffic is crucial for avoiding preventable collisions. Drivers who fail to yield can cause various types of accidents.
Car Accident Statistics
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), there were over 4,400 fatalities caused by traffic accidents in a recent year. Alcohol impairment was also one of the leading causes of fatal crashes, with nearly 1,500 of these accidents resulting from driver or motorcycle rider intoxication. And pedestrians made up more than 1,100 of the reported fatalities.
Unfortunately, even the most cautious drivers can get into accidents caused by other parties. Intoxicated, drowsy, distracted, and aggressive drivers put everyone else at risk. And mechanical failures caused by manufacturing defects or poor vehicle maintenance can contribute to severe accidents. In some cases, poor road conditions may also play a role, opening government entities up to liability.
Examples of Car Accident Cases Our Firm Has Handled
In one recent car accident case, our lawyers secured $13.5 million for a client who suffered severe injuries in a low-speed collision with a commercial vehicle. The defense attempted to minimize the severity of the accident, but we were able to convince the jury of the significant impact our client’s injuries had on their life.
Another recent case involved our client being the victim of a high-speed rear-end collision as they were stopped in a funeral procession. The force of the impact caused their vehicle to roll over, leading to head, brain, and orthopedic injuries that required surgery and ongoing symptom management. Through settlement negotiations, we secured $1.97 million for our injured client, recovering the full compensation available under the insurance policy limits.
A larger case our firm handled involved a $125 million verdict against a drunk driver who left our client with paralyzing injuries. Initially, the insurance company refused to pay the $75,000 policy limit and claimed our client was to blame for the accident. However, after a four-week trial, we secured the largest personal injury verdict in the state that year, providing our client with the compensation he needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve included answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Beverly Hills car accident cases. If you have additional questions about your particular case, our car accident lawyers are more than happy to answer them for you during your free initial consultation.
What if the driver who caused the collision fled the scene?
If the driver who caused the collision that injured you fled the scene, your first option for seeking the compensation you need is to file an uninsured motorist claim with your auto insurance provider. While drivers aren’t required to have uninsured motorist coverage in California, insurance providers must provide it unless the driver purchasing the policy opts out. This means you likely have uninsured motorist coverage as part of your policy.
Once the police or your lawyers identify the at-fault driver, you can file a claim against their liability coverage policy to seek additional compensation beyond what your uninsured motorist claim provided. However, you may have to reimburse your insurer for the compensation it paid you before the at-fault driver was identified.
What if I am partly at fault for my Beverly Hills car accident?
California’s pure comparative negligence rule may apply to your case if you are partly at fault for the car accident that caused your injuries. Under this rule, the compensation a plaintiff can receive through a trial award can be reduced by their degree of fault. If a jury finds you to be 25 percent at fault for the accident, you would only be able to recover 75 percent of your awarded compensation.
While this rule explicitly applies to lawsuits, insurance providers use it when negotiating claim settlements. For this reason, it’s crucial that you work with a car accident lawyer who can maximize your compensation by gathering evidence that minimizes your degree of fault for the accident.
Are there limits on the compensation I can recover after a Beverly Hills car accident?
In California, all drivers must have the following minimum amounts of liability coverage:
- $30,000 per person for injury
- $60,000 per accident for injury
- $15,000 per accident for property damage
If your damages exceed these limits or multiple victims must split the compensation provided by the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, it could cap your compensation. To lessen the impact of these insurance policy limits on your recovery, your lawyer can determine whether there are additional at-fault parties to hold liable. The more parties you can spread your damages across, the less their individual insurance policy limits will impact you.
What are the most common car accident injuries?
Various types of serious injuries commonly result from car accidents, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that leave victims with permanent disabilities
- Spinal cord injuries that leave victims completely or partially paralyzed
- Soft tissue injuries, including whiplash
- Fractured bones, particularly in the arms and chest
- Burns and lacerations requiring skin grafts or stitches
- Internal organ damage that can worsen over time without immediate medical treatment
What steps should I take following a Beverly Hills car accident?
After a Beverly Hills car accident, it’s important to take several key steps to protect your rights and strengthen your case. Some of the things you should do following an accident are:
- Contact the police and have an officer come out to the scene and document it in a report. You should request a copy of this report, as it may be necessary for filing your insurance claim.
- Follow up with all medical treatment and keep detailed notes about your daily pain levels and how your injuries impact your ability to perform routine tasks.
- Keep track of all medical and service bills related to the accident so your lawyer can use them to determine your damages.
- Avoid providing a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Instead, direct the insurance company to communicate with your lawyer.
Contact Our Beverly Hills Car Accident Lawyers
If you were in a car accident in Beverly Hills, CA, contact Dordick Law Corporation at (310) 736-2866 for a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable and compassionate attorneys. During your initial consultation, we’ll review the collision that caused your injuries, identify the likely at-fault parties, and walk you through the steps involved in holding them financially liable for your damages.
Since 1987, our firm has been representing car accident victims and their families in Beverly Hills and throughout Southern California. Over the decades, we’ve recovered millions in compensation for our clients through negotiated settlements and trial verdicts. Let us show you what our experience can do for you.
