Maison Law represents injury victims in Bakersfield car accidents. There’s many different types of these accidents that happen every day, each carrying their own unique outcomes. One of the most common–and troubling–are fractures and broken bones. These traumatic injuries can have long-lasting effects on you and your family, but our team can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Do You Need a Lawyer?
Whether or not you need a lawyer depends on your particular situation. If your accident is minor, or you just have minor injuries from it, you probably don’t need to worry about going through the legal process.
That said, particularly if you have broken bones or fractures, you’ll probably need more extensive medical treatment and other forms of help to get better. One of the best ways to do this is to file a formal injury claim, and with that, our team can be a big help. Here’s how we approach these types of situations:
- Gathering evidence and documentation of your losses – We’ll gather all your medical records and other documentation to understand how the accident affected you.
- Investigating the accident – We’ll investigate the accident thoroughly to figure out exactly what happened.
- Figuring out legal responsibility – We’ll find out who caused the accident and take action to recover damages.
- Next steps – We’ll guide you through the legal process, explaining your options and what might happen next.
Healing from a broken bone can be tough, requiring both physical and emotional recovery. It can disrupt your work and everyday life. In California, you’re not required to hire a lawyer for an injury claim, but having our team can simplify the process and make things easier for you and your loved ones.
Types of Broken Bones in Car Accidents
It’s not difficult to see how a car accident can lead to a fracture or a broken bone. The impact of the collision, coupled with where and how fast the cars are moving all add up to these injuries. At the same time, the specific type of broken bone or fracture that you experience can vary. Here’s some of the most common types that we’ve seen:
- Arm fractures – People frequently break their arms by extending them during a collision.
- Broken collarbones – Collarbones can break if your chest or shoulder are hit in a car accident.
- Leg fractures – Car accidents can break your thigh, lower leg bones, or both, especially if the legs are hit directly or trapped.
- Pelvic fractures – High-impact collisions can cause serious pelvic fractures, sometimes needing surgery.
- Rib fractures – Ribs can break if the chest takes a hard hit in a car accident, causing pain and possibly affecting your breathing.
- Spinal fractures – Severe accidents can fracture your spine, leading to long-term issues and potential spinal cord damage.
- Facial and skull fractures – Head injuries in car accidents can fracture facial bones or the skull, raising concerns about brain injuries.
- Hip fractures – Incorrect positioning in the seat during an accident can lead to hip fractures.
What Should You Do?
Obviously, experiencing a broken bone is going to be traumatic and extremely painful. But it’s also important to take certain steps after the accident to protect your health and potential claim:
- First, check for injuries and call 911 so an ambulance can respond.
- If you can, move your car to a safe place along the side of the road.
- Exchange contact and insurance info with others involved.
- If your phone still works, use it to document the scene and any damage.
- Report the accident to the police, and tell them that there’s injuries.
- Follow up with doctors and specialists to see what further treatment you need.
- Start a claim with your own insurance company
- Keep everything–records, evidence, pictures–related to the accident.
As much as possible, you have to stay calm and take these steps. Despite the trauma of your injuries, an insurance company is going to do whatever they can to devalue your claim. So, taking these steps can protect you from that happening.
What Can You Recover in a Claim?
When you experience a broken bone or any other injury in a Bakersfield car accident, there’s a specific process in place that allows you to recover financial support. In legal terms, this is called the claims process, and starts by filing an injury claim–either through an insurance claim with the responsible person’s policy or through a personal injury lawsuit.
As such, it’s important to figure out who is legally responsible for covering your losses, or “damages.” This is officially known as liability, and in a typical car accident, the liable party is going to be whoever:
- Was negligent and caused the accident.
Practically speaking, this can be a variety of different people, like:
- Other drivers
- Pedestrians
- Mechanics or car repair places
- Car or part manufacturers
- Local or state government
Damages
In terms of your damages, it’s going to depend on several factors, most importantly the extent of your injuries and how much liability you share–a legal concept known as comparative negligence. Still, there’s a variety of damages that are generally available in an injury claim, like:
- Medical bills and expenses – This includes costs for hospital visits, treatment, surgeries, doctor appointments, medications, and rehabilitation services.
- Lost wages – Financial support for wages lost due to missed work and future earning potential affected by the accident and your injuries.
- Repair or replacement costs of your property – Covers the cost of fixing or getting a new car, or any other things damaged in the accident.
- Pain and suffering – Covers the physical pain, emotional distress, and impact on daily life activities that result from the accident and your broken bones.
Dealing with the claims process–particularly insurance companies–can sometimes be challenging. That’s why it’s important to have our team on your side. We’ll work to make sure you get the result you deserve.
Statute of Limitations
One of the biggest factors of your claim–aside from the injuries and their impact on you–is whether or not you file your claim on time. The fact is, no matter how strong your claim is, you have to file within California’s statute of limitations for injury claims. Currently, you have:
- Two years from the accident date to file.
A statute of limitations is a set time limit for filing a lawsuit if you’ve been injured. If you miss this deadline, you can’t sue the other driver for damages. Instead, you’ll have to settle with their insurance company, which can be tough. It’s crucial to contact our firm right after your accident so we can start working on your claim and help you get the support you need to recover fully.
Contact Maison Law After a Bakersfield Car Accident
When you experience a broken bone or any other injury in a Bakersfield car accident, you should only have to worry about your health and physical recovery. At Maison Law, we take pride in our approach and how we help our clients. Our experienced Bakersfield car accident lawyers can help guide you through your recovery. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more.
