Stockton Car Accident Lawyer

Stockton Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents happen every day in Stockton and surrounding communities in California, sometimes with devastating results. These incidents are a leading cause of personal injuries throughout the United States each year and cause billions in damages, including medical expenses and property losses for those involved. If you recently suffered injuries and economic losses in a car accident that someone else caused in Stockton, you need legal counsel you can trust to navigate the potentially complex proceedings ahead of you as you seek compensation for your losses.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Car Accident Cases in Stockton, CA

The attorneys at the Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, have experience handling all types of motor vehicle accident cases on behalf of Stockton area clients, and we can put this experience to work in your case. We know the various challenges you might encounter when it comes to proving liability for your accident, proving the full extent of the damages you suffered, navigating the insurance claim filing process, and building a personal injury suit against the at-fault driver who caused your accident. The sooner you reach out to our firm, the sooner we can begin working on your case, and the more likely you are to maximize your recovery.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Stockton

California uses the fault rule for car accident cases. This means that whichever driver caused an accident is liable for the resulting damages. State law requires every driver to have individual auto insurance that meets basic coverage requirements for bodily injury and property damage. Before you can claim compensation for the losses you suffered in your recent accident, you must prove fault for the accident. A few of the most commonly cited causes of car accidents in the Stockton area include:

• Distracted driving. Every driver has a duty of care to operate their vehicle attentively. If you were harmed in an accident caused by a distracted driver, your Stockton car accident attorney could help obtain cell phone records, traffic camera footage, and witness testimony to help prove the at-fault driver was not paying attention when they caused the crash.
• Exceeding the speed limit increases the chances of an accident as well as the severity of the resulting damages. Speeding is not only a major contributing factor to the total number of accidents reported throughout the state each year but also the number of fatal accidents. Fatal accidents are more likely to happen at higher speeds.
• Moving violations. Drivers are expected to follow the rules of the road at all times, meaning they must stop for stop signs and red lights, yield the right-of-way when appropriate, and refrain from illegal turns, lane changes, or passing. Moving violations can startle nearby drivers and easily cause accidents, and it is possible for multi-vehicle collisions to occur because of moving violations in heavy traffic.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol. DUI is one of the most commonly prosecuted criminal offenses in the state and a leading cause of vehicle accidents throughout the country. If you were injured in a DUI accident, the at-fault driver faces criminal charges from the state as well as liability for your civil damages. Penalties for DUI conviction often include driver’s license suspension, fines, mandatory drug and alcohol counseling, and jail time, and these penalties will automatically increase when a defendant has injured or killed someone.
• Vehicle defects. If your recent accident happened because of a defect in your vehicle or a faulty part, the manufacturer responsible for the defect could be liable for your damages under California’s product liability laws.

Your Stockton car accident attorney can help gather whatever evidence is necessary to firmly establish liability for your accident. Once fault has been proven, you can proceed with claiming recompense for your damages through an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver.

Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim After an Accident in Stockton

Every driver in the state must have personal auto insurance that includes at least $15,000 to cover bodily injuries to a single person, at least $30,000 to cover bodily injuries to multiple victims of a single accident, and at least $5,000 to cover property damage. These coverage amounts may be sufficient to cover a minor accident, but if you suffered severe injuries, your insurance claim may only yield a fraction of the total damages you are entitled to claim from the at-fault driver.

Dealing with insurance companies can be difficult as they have no incentive to help you. In fact, most insurance company representatives are trained to look for reasons to deny claims or offer the smallest settlements possible. They often hope that an injured driver’s desperation will compel them to accept a lowball settlement offer just to get something when faced with quickly multiplying economic damages.

When you have a Stockton car accident attorney representing you, they can help file your insurance claim and verify that the insurance company handles your claim in good faith. Once you receive your settlement, your attorney can ensure it is reasonable under the terms of the at-fault driver’s policy, and if you have outstanding damages that insurance can’t cover, your attorney can help build your personal injury case against the defendant.

Claiming Compensation for a Car Accident With a Personal Injury Claim

Whether the at-fault driver does not have car insurance or their insurance is not enough to fully compensate you for your damages, a personal injury claim could be necessary for obtaining full compensation for the losses you suffered. Under California’s personal injury laws, the plaintiff has the right to seek repayment of all economic losses the defendant inflicted in the accident, which may include:

• Property damage, such as the cost of vehicle repairs that insurance can’t cover. If your vehicle was totaled in the accident, the defendant is responsible for the actual cash value of the vehicle. Your attorney can help ensure you receive full compensation for any vehicle repair costs and other property losses you cannot recover through insurance.
• Medical expenses. When a defendant has physically harmed you, they become liable for the cost of all medical care you need to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries. This includes both immediate and future medical expenses resulting from the accident.
• Lost wages. If a car accident victim in Stockton is unable to work while they recover, the defendant who caused their accident is liable for the income the plaintiff is unable to earn. Your attorney can help prove the full extent of the lost wages you suffered from the accident.
• Lost earning capacity. Unfortunately, some car accidents result in catastrophic injuries that leave victims permanently disabled. If you are unable to return to work after your accident due to the severity of the injuries you suffered, your Stockton car accident attorney can potentially help recover compensation for the future income you are no longer able to earn.

While you might be able to calculate immediately recognizable damages like your vehicle repair costs and hospital bills, accurately assessing long-term damages like future medical treatment costs and lost earning capacity will be more challenging. An experienced Stockton car accident attorney can provide invaluable guidance for this aspect of your case, helping you to identify the full extent of immediate and future economic losses you can claim from the at-fault driver. You may be surprised to discover that your claimable economic damages amount to much more than you initially anticipated, but your recovery does not end there.

Claiming Pain and Suffering Compensation in a Personal Injury Case

If you are pursuing a personal injury claim against another party in Stockton, your economic damages are only part of your total recovery. State law allows you to seek financial compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced, and there is no limit to how much you can claim for a car accident. Your Stockton car accident attorney can help determine a suitable amount to reflect the physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological trauma you suffered due to the defendant’s actions.

Some personal injury plaintiffs seek pain and suffering compensation to reflect the time it takes them to fully recover from their injuries. Others who have suffered permanent harm seek large lump sums, calculated by multiplying the total of their economic losses by a factor that reflects the severity of their condition.

When you choose the Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, to represent your case, you will have a dedicated legal advocate ready to provide the comprehensive support and guidance you need to approach your case with confidence and peace of mind. We always aim to settle our clients’ cases for as much as possible as quickly as possible, but we are not afraid to take a case to court if necessary. The sooner you reach out to our firm, the sooner we can start building your case and guiding you to an optimal recovery.

FAQs About Stockton, CA Car Accident Laws

Should I Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident That Wasn’t My Fault?

It is always worth investing in legal counsel you can trust to help you recover from an accident. Fault for the accident may initially seem perfectly clear to you, but the reality is that any car accident case can escalate into a complex legal battle between the parties involved. Your Stockton car accident lawyer can make every phase of the case easier to handle, from gathering the evidence needed to prove fault to filing your insurance claim and then building a personal injury case to maximize your recovery.

How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Suit for an Auto Accident?

There is a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most personal injury cases, so you will have two years from the date your accident occurred in which to file your personal injury suit. You have a much shorter window in which to file an auto insurance claim after your accident, typically only a few days. It is crucial to consult a Stockton car accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident to have the greatest chances of success with all the recovery efforts you pursue.

Can a Driver in Stockton Go to Jail for Causing a Car Accident?

Yes, jail time and other criminal penalties are possible for any driver who causes an accident through illegal misconduct behind the wheel. The most commonly reported example of illegal activity that can cause a serious car accident is DUI. If the defendant in your case caused your accident through illegal misconduct, your attorney can help you understand how this might affect your recovery efforts. The defendant will face liability for your civil damages along with criminal prosecution from the state, and penalties for breaking laws always increase when a defendant has injured or killed someone when breaking the law.

Can I Claim Compensation if I Partially Caused My Car Accident in Stockton?

Proving liability is an essential step in the recovery process after a car accident due to the state’s fault rule. The driver at fault for an accident absorbs liability for the resulting damages. However, California enforces a pure comparative fault statute that applies whenever more than one party bears liability for an accident. If you are partially to blame for a recent car crash, you can still claim compensation for your losses, but you will lose a percentage of the final case award equal to your percentage of fault for causing the accident.

How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Stockton Car Accident Attorney?

It’s understandable to have concerns about the potential cost of legal counsel after a car accident in Stockton. However, when you choose the Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, there are no upfront attorney’s fees, and you only pay a fee at all if we win your case. Under the contingency fee agreement, we take a percentage of the total compensation we secure for our clients at the end of their case, but only if we win their case. If our firm is unable to secure compensation for your car accident, you pay nothing in legal fees.

The Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, can provide compassionate and responsive support throughout all stages of your recovery efforts following a car accident in Stockton. Our team is committed to helping every client recover as fully as possible in the shortest time possible, and we develop individualized legal strategies for every client we represent. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with a Stockton car accident attorney and learn how our firm can empower your recovery efforts.