From the Bay Area to the bright lights of Los Angeles, from the mountains to the coast, California motorists can face almost anything when they get behind the wheel. A steep, curvy road, a busy freeway, or a packed city street can all be part of our daily route.
California drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians are forced into accidents every day. Victims can suffer serious injuries and need immediate care on the scene or in the emergency room. Unfortunately, if you’re seriously hurt, getting treated and finally going home won’t be the end of your ordeal.
The driver who caused your accident could be backed by any of thousands of insurance providers, like Mercury Insurance. You’ll have to deal with this insurance company to get the support you need in recovery, but they won’t make it easy.
Earning Support for California Accident Victims from Mercury Insurance
After an accident has left you or a loved one with a serious injury, you will eventually wonder if you’ll have to pay all of the resulting bills. Medical expenses and lost wages, while you’ve missed work, may eventually push you to the financial brink. All over an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Victims in this position are allowed to file a claim for damages against an at-fault driver’s Mercury Insurance coverage. Their adjusters won’t be eager to pay for all of your hardships caused by the accident, but that’s exactly what they should be doing.
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, works with accident victims every day to make sure insurance companies don’t get away with turning their backs on victims. Contact Mr. Gasparian for a free consultation on your case and find out how to safeguard yourself and your family from the “bad faith” practices insurance companies often use to avoid paying fair compensation.
What to Do On the Scene of a California Accident
A personal injury attorney goes to work assessing your case immediately and determining every factor that should earn you support as you heal. They investigate the scene of the accident, gathering evidence, documents, and testimony to make it difficult for representatives from Mercury Insurance to cast doubt on your case.
The one place your attorney can’t be is on the scene of your accident right after it occurs. There will be valuable evidence on the scene before it’s cleared. If you are physically able, or if someone with you is available, there are things you can do to start building a strong case in the moments after an accident.
- Allow Law Enforcement and paramedics to document everything. Tell officers everything you saw prior to the accident. If you saw the driver using a cellphone, breaking a traffic law, or driving recklessly, speak up. Officers will prepare an accident report that serves as powerful evidence of who was at fault. Also, allow paramedics to check over everything. Allow them to transport you to the emergency room if necessary.
- Take many pictures at the scene. Show the vehicles involved and spotlight visible damage and license plates. Capture any traffic lights and lane markings that are relevant to what happened. Take photos of any visible injuries you have and damage to clothing and personal items. Use the video camera on your phone as well.
- Exchange information with everyone involved. Take photos of driver’s licenses and insurance information. Don’t discuss what happened or your injuries. You likely won’t have a real sense of everything that’s happened until much later and anything you say at this point can be used against you later.
- Get contact information from witnesses. Find out what they saw. You’ll be relaying this information to your personal injury lawyer so that he or she can contact the witnesses later.
- Take a look around for any security cameras. Businesses or residences might have had security cameras or doorbell security systems rolling when your accident occurred. Get information from anyone who has a dashcam that might’ve captured what happened.
- Get checked out by your physician in the days that follow. Get everything looked over and documented. Note any injuries that appeared in the hours and days after the accident. Shock can sometimes mask pain. When it wears off, you might find you have injuries you hadn’t noticed.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Serving Victims in California
Fighting for what’s fair from an insurance company can leave you unable to focus on healing and your recovery. Allow a California car accident attorney with years of experience in the courtroom and at the negotiating table to take up your case. Martin Gasparian works tirelessly to protect victims in recovery and earn them fair support for what they’ve been through.
Contact Maison Law for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Mercury Insurance will have adjusters and corporate lawyers all looking for ways to rob you of compensation. You will have your own legal expert ready to fight back and secure everything you need to rebuild your life.
