Aliso Viejo Car Accident Lawyer

Aliso Viejo Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents happen every day in the Aliso Viejo area. However, even the most careful drivers can still suffer injuries in accidents as it is impossible to anticipate the actions of any given driver around them. Therefore, when a car accident occurs due to the negligence or misconduct of a specific party, the victim and their attorney must prove how the accident happened and identify the party responsible. For the most optimal chance of recovering their damages as fully as possible, it’s important to work with an experienced Aliso Viejo car accident lawyer.

Experienced Legal Representation for Aliso Viejo Car Accident Cases

Zwick Law is a team of attorneys with more than 60 combined years of experience handling car accident cases in the Aliso Viejo area. We know how difficult it can be to assess the total damage from a serious accident, and we understand the stress and uncertainty that can follow any serious personal injury in Aliso Viejo. If you need legal counsel after another driver has injured you, we can help. The sooner you contact our firm, the more likely you are to maximize your recovery.

Benefits of Hiring an Aliso Viejo Car Accident Attorney

It is technically possible for you to manage your recovery from your car accident by yourself without legal counsel, but you face several risks in attempting this. First, you could overlook certain forms of compensation you did not realize were recoverable. The average person can usually assess their hospital bills, vehicle repair costs, and lost income during their recovery, but accurately calculating the full long-term economic impact of a serious car accident is more difficult.

When you have trustworthy legal counsel, you can maximize your total compensation and do so in an efficient and timely manner. Your legal team will be able to handle all the preliminary procedural steps of your case, helping you to file your claim correctly, so no administrative red tape interferes with your recovery. They will also know every channel of compensation available in your claim, including both immediate and long-term damages.

Zwick Law approaches every car accident case we accept with the goal of helping our client secure the maximum amount of compensation possible under California law. We have confronted all the major auto insurance carriers in the state on behalf of our clients, so we are familiar with the tactics they use to avoid liability for injured drivers’ claims. We’ll help you maximize your insurance claim settlement, and if this is not enough to fully cover your damages, we’ll prepare your personal injury claim to seek compensation for the remainder.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Aliso Viejo

Before securing compensation for the damages you suffered in your recent car accident, you must be ready to prove the exact cause of the accident and identify the party responsible for causing it. A few commonly reported causes of car accidents that can generate complex legal disputes include:

• Speeding, which not only greatly increases the chance of an accident happening in the first place but also the severity of the resulting injuries. Speeding is a major contributing factor to fatal accidents across the country.
• Moving violations or any maneuvers that disrupt the flow of traffic. Illegal turns, improper lane changes, running red lights or stop signs, and failing to yield the right of way are just a few examples of how moving violations can cause serious accidents.
• Distracted driving, which is responsible for most of the car accidents reported in the United States each year. Any form of distraction behind the wheel, especially cell phone use, is extremely dangerous and likely to result in a devastating collision.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol. This is a serious criminal offense, and the penalties for conviction of DUI include heavy fines, jail time, driver’s license suspension, and additional penalties issued at the judge’s discretion. In addition, penalties increase when the defendant has injured or killed someone, and the illegal nature of their actions can also influence the victim’s recovery in their civil claim.
• Reckless driving. Similar to DUI, this can also result in criminal charges against the defendant. In addition, reckless driving can apply to excessive speeding, intentional moving violations, or any other display of disregard for the safety of others while driving.

Ultimately, you must prove the exact cause of your recent car accident before obtaining any sort of compensation for your damages. Your Aliso Viejo car accident attorney can assist you by gathering evidence like traffic camera recordings, vehicle computer data, and the other driver’s cell phone records to help you establish fault. Once you prove who is responsible for your accident and how they caused it, you can proceed with your recovery efforts.

What to Expect in the Auto Insurance Claim Filing Process

Every driver in the state must have auto insurance that meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements. At a bare minimum, a policy must provide at least $15,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person injured in a single accident, and this coverage must extend to at least $30,000 in total accident liability coverage. The policy must also cover at least $5,000 in property damage. In addition, while not strictly required, it is strongly advised for drivers to purchase optional uninsured motorist coverage, which would allow them to claim against their own insurance if an uninsured driver causes an accident.

No matter how you must file your auto insurance claim after your accident, having legal counsel will make the process much easier and more successful. Your Aliso Viejo car accident attorney can file your demand letter to the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, and if any disputes arise with your claim, they will resolve them on your behalf. In addition, an insurance company representative will be far less likely to attempt any bad faith handling of a legitimate claim if they notice that the claimant is represented by counsel.

Building Your Personal Injury Case for a Car Accident in Aliso Viejo

Once the right attorney is handling your case, it’s likely that they could maximize your total compensation. After exhausting your recovery options through insurance, the next step in recovering from an accident in Aliso Viejo is filing a personal injury claim against the driver who caused your accident. Any motor vehicle accident has the potential to cause life-changing injuries like severe bone fractures, traumatic brain damage, and spinal cord injuries. While some accident victims recover completely with rest and appropriate medical care, others are left permanently disabled by their accidents.

Under the state’s personal injury laws, the plaintiff in a personal injury case has the right to claim compensation for:

• Any medical treatment they require to reach maximum medical improvement from their car accident injuries. If another driver injured you, you could hold them responsible for immediate medical expenses like your hospital bills, ambulance fees, and prescription costs. However, they are also liable for any ongoing rehabilitative care you require in the future.
• Lost income. When your accident has injured you severely enough that you cannot work for any length of time, the defendant who caused the accident is responsible for the income you are unable to earn. Additionally, if they caused permanent damage that results in a diminished future earning capacity and you cannot go back to work, a guilty defendant is responsible for future income you are no longer able to earn.
• Damage to property, which can be partially recovered through insurance, but any remainder qualifies as economic damages in your personal injury claim. You can claim compensation for the actual cash value of your vehicle if it was damaged beyond repair as well as replacement costs for any personal property damaged or destroyed in the accident.
• Pain and suffering. You have the right to seek compensation for your non-economic damages, including the physical pain and psychological suffering you endured because of the defendant’s actions. California law does not limit or cap pain and suffering damages in motor vehicle accident claims, so your attorney should help you seek the maximum amount possible to reflect the severity of your injuries.

When you hire Zwick Law as legal counsel in a car accident case, our goal is to help you secure as much compensation as possible as efficiently as possible. We’ll assist you with the insurance claim filing process, and if there are outstanding damages after receiving your settlement check, you can rely on our team to build a compelling personal injury case on your behalf. Of course, many factors influence the total amount of compensation you could potentially secure from a successful personal injury claim, and your legal team will provide the ongoing guidance and support you need to face your proceedings with confidence.

FAQs About Aliso Viejo, CA Car Accident Laws

How Long Does It Take to Receive an Insurance Claim Settlement for a Car Accident?

The insurance claim process may be tedious, but you can streamline the process by hiring legal counsel to help you with your claim. So, if the right Aliso Viejo car accident attorney represents you, they can help you draft your demand letter to the insurance company and verify that they handle your claim in good faith. Ideally, it should only take a few weeks to receive your settlement check.

What Happens if I Partially Caused My Car Accident in Aliso Viejo?

California is a pure comparative negligence state, meaning a plaintiff may still receive compensation for their damages even if they bear partial liability for causing those damages. However, they lose a percentage of their final award equal to their percentage of fault for those damages. So, if you are 20% at fault, you lose 20% of the compensation recovered from the defendant. Your Aliso Viejo car accident attorney can determine how to minimize any fault percentage you hold for your recent accident.

Is It Necessary to Hire an Aliso Viejo Car Accident Attorney After a Minor Crash?

If your recent accident only resulted in property damage and you did not suffer any serious physical injuries, you may not need to hire an attorney to help you recover your damages. However, if you have sustained severe injuries, it’s wise to hire legal counsel to guide you through your recovery efforts. Not only can they assist you in securing more compensation than you could potentially obtain by yourself, but they can also handle your legal affairs on your behalf so you can rest and recover with peace of mind.

How Much Compensation Can I Receive for a Personal Injury in Aliso Viejo?

If you recover as much as you can through an auto insurance claim but still have outstanding damages, your Aliso Viejo car accident attorney can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver to recover your outstanding damages. The total value of your personal injury claim hinges on the severity of the damages you suffered and their long-term impact on your life. Your attorney will assist you in calculating the full potential value of your personal injury damages.

How Much Does an Aliso Viejo Car Accident Attorney Charge Their Client?

Many people believe that legal representation is prohibitively expensive, but when you pick Zwick Law to manage your car accident claim, we only take a percentage of your final award. Our contingency fee billing policy ensures that you only pay legal fees if we win your case. You are not required to pay any upfront or ongoing legal fees for representation, so you face no financial risk to you by hiring our firm.

Contact Us Today

Whatever your car accident case entails, you can rest assured that the team at Zwick Law will provide comprehensive, compassionate, and responsive legal support through every phase of your case. We know that your accident has likely left you with many challenging questions, and the average person is unlikely to navigate the aftermath of a serious car accident successfully on their own. Contact Zwick Law today and schedule a case evaluation with our team to set up a consultation with an Aliso Viejo car accident attorney to learn about our legal services.