Car accidents happen with such regularity in California that meeting someone who hasn’t been involved in one is surprising. A recent U.S. Census report shows that there were 10.9 million car accidents annually in the United States. As a result of these automobile accidents, between 32,000 and 34,000 people die each year. When someone dies in a Woodland Hills auto accident, the survivor’s family has to file a police report and insurance companies become involved. But what about the other 10,868,000 accidents? Of those, over 2.2 million individuals suffer injuries.
Unfortunately, many accident victims are more hesitant than ever to file claims with their auto insurance companies, even when they are not at fault in an accident, for fear that their insurance premiums might go up or that they might receive negative “points” on their driver’s license. However, the reality is that the short- and long-term costs of auto accidents handled out-of-pocket are often far too costly for a person to bear alone. These out of pocket costs can include long-term damage to the vehicle that is unknown at the time of the accident and most importantly, the immediate and unforeseen health costs and complications caused by the impact of the accident.
These unforeseen costs of car accidents, plus the fact that a large number of car accidents are caused by either drunk or distracted drivers, should be the incentive victims need to take action to protect themselves, and properly report and seek compensation from the offending drivers. Often this protection means going above and beyond filing a claim with your insurance company and seeking the assistance of an experienced San Fernando Valley car accident lawyer.
There a few steps you should take immediately after being involved in a car accident in order to best protect your legal rights. One of the first steps is to contact the police and report the accident. While in many Los Angeles counties, the police won’t come to the scene unless there are serious injuries or traffic is being held up, having this record can be helpful for later proving fault. Be sure to take pictures and obtain contact information from the other driver[s] and witnesses.
According to AAA, fatal motor vehicle crash can cost $6 million! Even an injurious collision that doesn’t claim someone’s life can cost upwards of $126,000 in expenses. Regardless of the extent of an accident victim’s injuries, the never-ending medical bills associated with a crash of any size often sends costs skyrocketing. Factoring in in the cost of EMT transportation and response, emergency medical care en route to the hospital, the hospital visit, and any additional procedures and/or care that must be carried out in the future, a car accident could easily cost an innocent vicitm hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the assistance of a proven auto accident lawyer, you may be able to recover the financial losses associated with your injuries.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, reach out to the compassionate auto accident lawyer Barry P. Goldberg today for more information about your legal rights, including your potential for financial recovery.`
