No one gets up in the morning planning to get into a automobile accident. Auto accidents are always unexpected. Being prepared and knowing what to do after a car collision happens is very important, as well as what not to do.

Here are some things that you should do if you are involved in car accident:

• Car accidents can are can be scary. And because they can be terrifying the first important thing to do – stay calm. Do no get out of the car into the middle of the road to scream at the other driver, even if that other driver is the one that caused the car crash.
• Second, if you have passengers in your car, make sure that they are ok and not in the need for immediate medical attention. After you do that, make sure it is safe to get out of your car and you can approach the other vehicle to make sure that no one in that car need an ambulance. Be polite and courteous to the other driver and his or her passengers. This accident is just as unexpected and just as upsetting for them as it is for you.
• Third, if your vehicle is safe to drive and it is safe to do so, pull the car to the side of the road. That way the vehicles behind you can proceed forward without the accident blocking their path and creating traffic. Make sure you tell the other driver what you are doing and he or she does not thing you trying to flee the scene of the accident. Also, a lot of people believe that you must wait until the police arrive, but most of the time the first thing the officer will tell you when he arrives to the scene of the collision is to move your vehicles to the shoulder. If you have flares in the trunk of your car or a warning sign (usually a yellow or an orange triangle), use it.

After the vehicles are safely moved to the side of the road, call the 911 and report the accident to the police and wait for them to arrive. Often the 911 dispatcher will ask if there are any major injuries or if ambulance is needed. If there are no major injuries, and the ambulance is not needed the dispatcher will tell you to just exchange insurance information and be on your way. (more…)

Side-impact car crashes, also known as “T-bone” or “broadside” collisions, occurs when a vehicle is hit on its side by another vehicle. Side-impact crashes are extremely dangerous.

They have caused 29% of all passenger-vehicle deaths in the U.S. in 2009 and produce a high rate of severe injuries so it’s important you contact an experienced auto accident attorney who can help you with your case and get you the compensation you deserve.

The reason for more severe injuries in such collisions is because the sides of vehicles have a small amount of space to absorb the energy of the other vehicle. Additionally, the force of side-impact crash often pushes the struck vehicle into the path of other vehicles, causing further collisions, damage and injuries.

In most cases, broadside collisions are preventable and are typically caused by negligent and reckless driving such as running a red light or stop sign, failing to yield the right of way during a turn, engaging in distracted driving behavior, racing through a yellow light or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Even though many vehicles are now designed with side airbags and reinforced side doors, the odds remain high that you will suffer a serious injury that could potentially result in multiple surgeries, rehabilitative therapy, long term medical treatment and extremely high medical bills. Because of that, proving fault is extremely important. (more…)

Stockton Car Accident Attorney Helps With Lyft & Uber Car Accidents

As technology continues to infiltrate our lives in more and more ways, we often forget to question the dangers and legal repercussions of such innovative and disruptive technologies like Uber, Airbnb and other sharing economies. Such dangers like driver DUI’s, harassment and assault, felon drivers and the sort are around us everywhere but what about fault in Uber or Lyft car accidents.

If you’re a passenger in an Uber or Lyft car and you get injured, be rest assured that both companies usually take exceptionally great care to guarantee everything goes by protocol and you, as a customer, are taken care of. It serves them best if they keep up to par with exceptional customer service to guarantee their share in the marketplace. (more…)

Without an experienced Stockton injury lawyer it is difficult to navigate the legal aspects of a personal injury claim and determine the exact course of action. Most people are not aware of all possible remedies available to them. However, the law of remedies provides a multiple avenues for the recovery of an injured passenger.

First, if you were injured as passenger in a car accident remember, you cannot be put at fault for the collision. California is a pure comparative fault state. This means that anyone who was injured in a car accident can recover against the at fault party comparative to the fault assigned to that party. To rephrase, if a person who was injured in a car accident has been determined to be 40% at fault for the collision, that individual will still be able to recover for his or her damages, however the recovery will be reduced by 40%, the percentage of fault assigned to that injured individual.

When it comes to passengers who are injured remember, they are not driving, so they cannot be put at fault for the collision. Therefore, it will likely be a clear liability case against one of the drivers. (more…)