We all endure enough stress and tension in our lives without the additional burdens that are imposed on us when we become a victim of a rear-end accident. The effects that these accidents can have on you or a loved one are immense, and you should consider hiring a California rear end car accident lawyer to help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Free Consultations For California Rear End Car Accidents
The skilled California rear end car accident lawyers at Maison Law have the necessary experience, fortitude, and knowledge when it comes to helping you recover compensation for your injuries.
Attorney Martin Gasparian founded our firm in 2014, and during that time, we have developed winning strategies to make sure our clients receive the compensation they are rightly owed so that they can begin the recovery process, both physically and emotionally. To learn more about our top-rated legal services, contact us for a free consultation.
What Is a Rear-End Accident and Who Is at Fault?
Rear-end accidents get their name from how they occur, which involves one driver crashing into another driver from behind. While every accident is unique, the vast majority of rear-end accidents have similar causes, including:
- Tailgating
- Distracted driving
- Hazardous road conditions
- Equipment failure
- Negligent driving
The higher the speed of the following vehicle is at the time of impact, the higher the likelihood is that injuries in the lead vehicle will be serious. Most of the time, the lead vehicle is stopped and the following driver is distracted. At other times, the lead vehicle is moving, but the following driver isn’t maintaining a proper interval.
While they all occur the same way, the circumstances surrounding the causes of the rear-end accident goes a long way in determining who is liable for the damages caused.
Liability and Rear-End Accidents
Determining liability in a rear-end accident rests on who was at-fault. Obviously, if the driver of the rear car was driving in an unsafe manner (i.e., tailgating or driving while otherwise distracted), then the rear driver would be at fault for any damages. However, if the driver of the front car’s brakes malfunction and force the car to stop suddenly, the rear driver may not be considered at fault. The rear driver would also not be at-fault if the front driver shifts lanes illegally or drifts over the center line.
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Rear-End Accident Statistics in California
According to the Insurance Information Institute, rear-end accidents accounted for nearly 7% of all fatal car accidents in 2021 nationwide.
In California, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) found that rear-end accidents accounted for nearly 42,000 injuries and deaths in 2019 alone.
Obviously, rear-end accidents are not only common, but they often lead to significant injuries. In the immediate aftermath of a rear-end accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. A doctor can order a variety of tests that will determine the extent of your injuries.
Common California Rear-End Accident Injuries
Every car accident has its own unique challenges, and a rear-end accident is no different. The fact is, car accidents cause injuries. Still, there are certain types of accidents, like rear-end accidents, where neck and back pain are more likely to occur. Pain and discomfort from these accidents can last days to even several years. While any body part can be injured in a rear-end accident, here are some of the most common injuries from rear-end accidents:
- Whiplash – Probably the most common injury in a rear-end accident is the diagnosis of whiplash. Whiplash occurs any time the neck moves back and forth in rapid succession while the body remains still, such as during a rear-end collision. This injury causes extensive damage to the nerves and muscles in the neck and back, which leads to pain in those areas.
- Lumbar Strains – Lumbar, or lower back, strains frequently result from rear-end accidents. The force of impact can cause the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower back that overstretch or tear, leading to serious low back pain, tightness and muscle spasms.
- Spinal Stenosis – Rear-end accidents are also notorious for resulting in spinal injuries, which can lead to immediate spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis occurs when the space between the vertebrae are compressed and narrowed. This puts pressure on the nerves that traverse your spine and usually leads to pain, numbness, or even paralysis in some cases.
- Herniated Discs – Herniated discs are another extremely common injury in a rear-end accident. Herniated discs occur when the soft cushion between the vertebrae breaks through the tough outer shell of bone. These injuries can be extremely painful and often require months of recovery and rehabilitation.
- Joint Injuries – Common joint injuries after a rear-end accident usually include strained, sprained, fractured, and dislocated joints. When this happens, you can expect swelling, difficulty moving, or visible displacement in your joints after a rear-end accident.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – The nature of rear-end accidents are such that they often lead to spinal cord injuries. Among the most serious types of injury a person can suffer, spinal cord injuries can lead to paralysis and even death.
Damages in California Rear-End Accident Cases
In nearly all rear-end accident cases, victims aren’t going to have difficulty proving liability. That doesn’t mean that they won’t encounter strong resistance to the nature and extent of the damages that they claim. Being a personal injury law firm, Maison Law encounters complicated damages issues on a daily basis.
You can’t just walk into a courtroom with a stack of papers and tell the judge and jury that those are your damages. Evidentiary foundations must be laid. At Maison Law, we know how to lay the foundations necessary to put various damages into evidence. In California, those damages might consist of the following:
- Past and future medical bills incurred as a result of the accident.
- Past and future lost earnings as a result of the accident.
- Any permanent disfigurement or disability that was caused by the accident.
- Pain and suffering.
- Any permanency of injuries.
- Other damages in the vent of wrongful death.
Work With Skilled and Experienced California Rear-End Accident Lawyers
An experienced insurance defense lawyer will try to whittle your damages down piece by piece. That’s exactly what will happen if you try to assert your own insurance claim or lawsuit. A perfectly compensable personal injury case will be reduced to little or nothing. That’s why you should contact us at Maison Law after being injured in any rear-end accident anywhere in California.
We’ll be happy to consult with you at no cost about what happened to you and how you have been injured. We promise to answer your questions truthfully too. After that, we can advise you on how we think that your accident and injuries should be approached. Contact us right away for a free consultation after being injured in any rear-end accident anywhere in California. Our objective is to maximize the compensation for your injuries that you deserve.
