There is no question that the aftermath of an auto accident can be disorienting. Whether the accident itself was a relatively benign fender bender or a catastrophic collision that resulted in both injuries and property damage, it is normal for accident victims to feel as if they cannot quite wrap their minds around what has happened. If you are feeling disoriented and unsure after being involved in an accident, please know that you are not alone. Please also know that you do not have to navigate any aspect of the legal side of your accident alone. Once you connect with Woodland Hills car accident lawyer Barry P. Goldberg, you will have a strong advocate on your side. Once our firm understands the details of your situation, we will be able to take on the legal “heavy lifting” so you can focus on recovering and begin feeling “more like yourself” again.
Common Legal Concerns Following a Car Accident
One of the most pressing concerns accident victims struggle with involves liability. Who (and/or what) was at fault for the accident? The answer to this question is often complex and depends on a variety of factors. Was anyone involved in the accident distracted, drunk, drowsy or behaving aggressively? Were all the parts of the vehicles involved in the accident properly functioning and maintained? What were the road conditions at the time of the accident? These are just a few of the questions that an experienced Woodland Hills car accident lawyer will ask during your accident-related initial consultation. Only after the answers to these (and many other) questions become relatively clear can a strong legal claim be constructed and advocated for.
Other pressing legal concerns following an accident may involve insurance claims, the timing of legal claims and the amount of damages an injured party could potentially recover if a claim is ultimately successful. Each concern will be carefully considered once you begin working with an experienced Woodland Hills car accident lawyer. No two motor vehicle accidents are exactly alike, so it does not tend to be helpful to speak in generalizations. However, working with an experienced Woodland Hills car accident lawyer will help to ensure that you receive specific feedback to every single one of your concerns at each step in the legal claims process and the insurance claims process. The value of having experienced legal guidance in the wake of an auto accident is almost always significant, partially because personalized attention and feedback help to ensure the strongest possible outcome for your case.
Legal Guidance Is Available
If you have recently been involved in a car accident and have questions and/or concerns about your legal options, please consider scheduling a consultation with a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer today. Speaking with an attorney does not obligate you to take any legal action. All scheduling a confidential consultation will ensure is that whatever decision you make for you and your family is an informed one.
Should You Seek Legal Guidance for Your Car Accident Case?
Whether you’re convinced that you have no way to obtain compensation for your harm or you’re wondering whether speaking with an attorney is worth your time, it remains a good idea to connect with an experienced Woodland Hills car accident lawyer at The Law Offices of Barry P. Goldberg before taking “next steps” in the wake of a car accident. You may be entitled to far more compensation than you’ve initially allowed yourself to believe. Only by investing a little time in a risk-free consultation setting can you be sure of your rights and options under the law.
Should You Contact Insurance Representatives on Your Own?
Ideally, you should not connect with insurance claims representatives on your own. These individuals are employed by companies that must turn a profit to keep their doors open. As a result, insurance claims adjusters will look for virtually any excuse to devalue or dismiss and injury victim’s claims. Our firm understands how to negotiate with these parties successfully and would be honored to do so on your behalf.
Should You Stay Off of Social Media Right Now?
The Woodland Hills car accident lawyer team at The Law Offices of Barry P. Goldberg regularly advises clients to stay off of social media until their cases have been fully resolved. Even seemingly innocuous posts, pictures, and social media activity can give the “other side” and insurance claims adjusters reason to question the validity of your claims. Don’t take chances, even if your privacy settings are strict. Don’t talk about your accident or say or post anything that could give anyone an opportunity to question your case on the merits.
Should You Forego Medical Treatment?
If you have been injured or there is a possibility that you have sustained soft tissue injuries as a result of your car accident that haven’t manifested yet, you need to get checked out by a medical provider. Even if you don’t feel like your body has been through too much trauma, ensuring that your health is safeguarded is of paramount importance. Also, you won’t be entitled to pursue personal injury damages from those who caused you harm unless you have sustained injuries for which you have been treated. If there is any chance that you are hurt, do not forego medical treatment.
Should You Admit Blame?
You may have been raised in a household that prized taking responsibility for your actions, whenever doing so was possible. Assuming responsibility when you’re in the wrong is a noble pursuit. However, it is important that you don’t admit blame to anyone – not insurance claims adjusters, not others involved in the accident, and not the world as a whole – until you’ve spoken with The Law Offices of Barry P. Goldberg. Until our Woodland Hills car accident lawyer team has assessed your situation, you cannot be sure that you were to blame for your injurious circumstances. Admitting blame before you’re sure that you were in the wrong can compromise your ability to obtain rightful compensation from others who are partially or totally responsible for your harm.
Car Accident – What You Should Know
Victims at a loss due to a car accident often turn to a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer from Barry P. Goldberg, APLC to receive legal guidance and representation in court. We have been assisting people just like you for more than 35 years handling personal injury claims. We take pride in our ability to offer legal counsel and support during a time of frustration and emotional turbulence.
Each Woodland Hills car accident lawyer from our firm understands how complex a car accident case can be. No matter your level of severity, an accident can cause immense distress, physical pain, and great financial loss.
By choosing a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer from Barry P. Goldberg, APLC, we can work alongside you for every legal process. Whether you need help filing the initial car accident claim, are having trouble communicating with your insurance company or need someone to speak on your behalf in court. We can fight for you.
Common Car Accidents and Damages
1) Rear Impact
This can result in an injury that is not noticeable initially; such as joint damage, slight disc displacement, and vertebrae/neck ligament harm. This is due to a rapid jerking of your neck forward or backward in response to the impact.
2) T-Bone Collision
This is when a collision happens on the side, and one car crashes or broadsides the other. Car and body damage to those occupying vehicles may be much more severe depending on whether the airbags or other features of safety worked properly.
3) Single Car
When a car crashes into something other than a vehicle possibly due to driver mistake or a mechanical failure. Can include collision, rollover, or stalled vehicle are some examples.
4) Sideswipe
When cars that are aligned parallel on the road bump against the other. Damages can vary from minor car scratches to dents or the need for body work (particularly when one or two cars have spun out of control or impacted with another object in the process).
5) Head-On
The most dangerous and deadliest type of accident. Impact of both cars hitting front to front can happen when they are driving in opposite directions with no road median or on an undivided highway.
How Will A Woodland Hills Car Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Technically, you don’t need a car accident lawyer; however, having one on your side can be particularly useful. There are a number of ways in which a lawyer may be able to help you after a collision. Lawyer Barry P. Goldberg can assist you with:
- Finding out what happened
- Understanding why the accident took place
- Whether there were any witnesses
- Contacting the witnesses for testimony
- Reviewing police reports
- Submitting FOIA requests
- Submitting request for medical records
If you leave these things up to the insurance company, you could be blamed for some or all of the accident, or face other challenges that ultimately harm your case. Please do not avoid getting medical care out of fear of the monetary expenses. It is very important to know the full extent of your injuries, as well as the expected prognosis.
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of having a lawyer is the very fact that he will maintain communication with the insurance company. Should the adjuster know you’re trying to handle your case on your own, you might expect them to take advantage of you. Even if you think they have your best interests in mind, they do not. It is their goal to settle for the least amount of money possible. This ensures they turn a profit. Hiring a car accident lawyer in Woodland Hills can eliminate the possibility of an unjust, underpaid settlement.
Contacting Your Insurance Company
Most likely your policy states that you must notify the insurance company about any accident. Barry P. Goldberg would recommend consulting with a lawyer beforehand; however, you should report to your insurance company within 24 hours. Any vehicle or property damage should also be reported so that an adjuster can perform an assessment. Our firm will happily help you in contacting your insurance company, working with the insurance adjuster, and ensuring your bills are covered.
Dealing with the Insurance Company
We would strongly advise you to be very careful about speaking to the insurance company – especially the defendant’s. Adjusters are excellent in interrogation, as well as finding things that could significantly affect your claim. They might review your social media account, befriend you under a false name, have you under surveillance, or record phone calls without your knowledge. If they can use anything against you, they probably will. You’ll need to speak with your own insurance company to discuss your vehicle repairs and first party benefits (when applicable). Remain very careful with what you are saying and avoid discussing liability regarding the accident. If you are asked to sign anything, you should not do so until a lawyer has reviewed it. Insurance adjusters might ask you to sign medical authorization forms, settlement offers, and other documents that are likely not in your best interest. Please choose to speak with a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer first.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Woodland Hills CA Clients Trust
Having a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer on your side can alleviate many stresses. We can help get you compensation for the losses you have sustained because of your injury. By retaining a car accident lawyer in Woodland Hills CA from Barry P. Goldberg, we can advocate to get your compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and more.
Please do not wait to contact us to receive your first free consultation from an attorney at Barry P. Goldberg, APLC. You can dial 818-222-6994 to reach any of our skilled lawyers, who are ready and capable of assisting you. A Woodland Hills car accident lawyer can go over the details surrounding your case accident case, and get you starting on the right footing.
5 Friendly Driving Reminders for Safer Habits
By practicing defensive driving habits, you can lessen your risk for an accident. If you are ever in an accident, you may need to contact Woodland Hills Car Accident Lawyer, Barry P. Goldberg. Over 3/4ths of American adults depend on driving their vehicles as a primary method of transportation to work, for errands, and everything in between. That being said, there are inherent risks of driving that are ignored, minimized or otherwise desensitized because of how prevalent driving is among Americans, and around the world.
If you are in the unfortunate place of being in a car accident, the consequences can be serious, and the road to recovery can be a difficult one to recover from. Accidents are sometimes unavoidable, but there are measures we can take to prevent accidents from ever happening in the first place. Here are 5 friendly reminders that can help any driver operate their vehicles more safely. By building these into your daily travels, you can effectively help to defend against the possibility of a dangerous accident event.
Focus on driving
While this might seem blatantly obvious for most, distracted driving can slowly creep into your everyday driving habits until reading a text, or dipping a buffalo wing into a thing of ranch just becomes second nature. While behind the wheel, avoid distractions at all costs, focusing on the most important task, making it to your destination without causing an accident that could risk your life and other lives on the road.
Drive as if other drivers have no clue what the laws actually are.
Barry P. Goldberg, Woodland Hills Car Accident Lawyer can explain that when you get on the road, trust no one but yourself, and anticipate that other drivers may at any moment disregard the rules. For various reasons unbeknownst to anyone, that driver behind you on the highway could rapidly accelerate – and pass on your right, erratically some might say, at the very moment you decide to merge right – putting you in a collision course for their front left bumper.
Speed limits
Those white signs with black numbers are speed limits, not speed guidelines. As easy as it is to feel pressured by others on the road to speed, remember to not exceed the set limit for the roadway you are traveling on. Engineers select limits for speed on roadways in an effort to maximize safety.
Place a high value on safety features
If you have the choice in the car you drive, be mindful of the safety features. The more airbags your car has, the better in most accident scenarios. Be sure to research what the best child seats are for your specific vehicle, and install them in strict accordance with provided directions.
Wear your seatbelt!
Wearing a seatbelt is possibly the easiest way to boost your chances of walking away from an accident. Accidents may cause your vehicle to come to an abrupt stop, and anyone, and anything within the vehicle may continue to move in the direction of travel, leading to a possibility of ejectment from the vehicle or impact with solid surfaces within the car.
As always – obey signs and signals, yield to others, and be hyper-aware of your surroundings when driving. Being able to think ahead and scan the road for potential hazards will help you anticipate accident causing scenarios – helping to keep you, your passengers, and others on the road safe. If you were in an accident, contact Barry P. Goldberg, Woodland Hills Car Accident Lawyer to discuss your case.
