The Support You Need. The Settlement You Deserve.
Maison Law represents the victims of Fresno car accidents.
Our personal injury lawyers aggressively seek compensation for our clients from insurance companies who must take responsibility for reckless drivers.
Please contact us after an accident caused by another driver’s carelessness. We provide a free, no-obligation consultation for all local injury victims.
It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your injury may be worth and how to hold insurance companies fully responsible for recovery costs.
Fresno Car Accident Claims Process
STEP 1
Call Us For A Free Consulation
Call us 24/7 with No Obligations
STEP 2
Describe Your Accident Details
We will then discuss your legal options and decide whether to move your case forward.
STEP 3
Retain Maison Law w/ No Upfront Fees
We work on contingency. No attorney fees unless you win your case.
STEP 4
Receive Your Compensation
We will fight for you to earn the highest possible payout for your damages.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Fresno Traffic Accident?
If your injuries end up being serious after a collision, it’s a good idea to talk to a lawyer about your options.
If you suffer an injury like a broken bone or head trauma, you may need strong protection to keep insurance companies from limiting the support you receive and leaving bills in your lap.
When medical costs are high, car insurance adjusters fight hard to avoid having to pay out full compensation. They’ll try to shift blame in an accident or use their own doctors to say that your injuries aren’t as bad as your medical charts say.
Your lawyer is your shield against these ridiculous tactics. Your Fresno car accident lawyer gathers powerful evidence to force insurance companies to provide the maximum in compensation for you and your family.
Car Accident Statistics for Fresno
The toll of traffic impacts in Fresno are often serious injuries and the heartbreaking loss of life.
California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) data shows that Fresno has seen an average of 61 traffic fatalities over the past four years (2021-2024).
That tragic number combined with hundreds of serious injuries suffered by drivers and passengers.
The preliminary numbers for Fresno in 2024 show a decrease in injuries documented in local accidents (1,931 patients) and yet a spike in fatalities (76), the highest rate seen over the past few years.
Highway 99 is a heavily used highway that contributes major wrecks to the area’s car accident numbers each year. In 2024, TIMS recorded 270 injuries in collisions along Highway 99 through Fresno County. Those crashes led to at least 4 deaths.
In 2023, the injury rate was lower but the fatality rate wound up higher along the same stretch.
There were 242 people injured along Highway 99 in 2023 and at least 8 people killed through Fresno County.
For a closer look at local traffic collision data, you can visit our Fresno car accident study.
California Traffic Laws
California has pages and pages of traffic codes meant to help people stay out of accidents and remain safer on the scene when they do suffer unfortunate collisions.
- Section 20001- Hit and Run Penalties and Driver’s Responsibility After Accidents
- Section 20002 – Hit and Run Accidents
- Section 20003 — Exchanging Information After Accidents
- Section 23153(a) – Driving Under the Influence
- California Penal Code Section 245(a)(1) — Car as a Deadly Weapon
- California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 2800.1 — Evading Police Law
- CVC 23123 — California Distracted Driving Law and Cell Phones
- CVC 23123.5. – California No Texting and No Holding a Cell Phone While Driving
- CVC 16025 – Failure to Exchange Information After an Accident
- CVC 20008 – When Do I Need to Report My Accident to Fresno Police or the CHP
- CVC 22454 – When You Can Pass a Stopped School Bus
You can find additional information on our page explaining other California traffic ordinances.
Fresno Traffic Ordinances
The City of Fresno follows California traffic laws and adds some clarifications and separate ordinances.
One thing Fresno motorists should be aware of is that there’s a basic speed limit throughout the city, even if there’s no speed limit sign.
The Fresno Traffic Operations and Planning FAQ page details the speed requirements:
“Residential streets defined by the California Vehicle Code have a Prima Facie Speed limit of 25 miles per hour which are enforceable by the Fresno Police Department. The City of Fresno does not install speed limit signs in residential neighborhoods.”
These are a few of the other traffic statutes that Fresno Police will enforce:
- Fresno Code of Ordinances – Vehicles and Traffic 14-302. – PERSONS OTHER THAN OFFICIALS SHALL NOT DIRECT TRAFFIC
- Fresno Code of Ordinances – Vehicles and Traffic SEC. 14-803. – MOTOR VEHICLES ON CANAL BANKS
- Fresno Code of Ordinances – Vehicles and Traffic 14-810. – NO ENTRANCE INTO INTERSECTION THAT WOULD OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC
Fresno Traffic Vision for the Future
Some drivers can’t be counted on to change their bad habits that put lives at risk. Sometimes changes must be made to the infrastructure to slow motorists down and to add safer spaces for cyclists and walkers. Even children on buses will hopefully be more secure.
With this in mind, Fresno is finally taking part in a nationwide effort to change things from the pavement on up. Fresno set in motion its first partnership with the Vision Zero Campaign. It’s a major effort to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries over a certain period of time. The idea is to get the public, bicycle and pedestrian advocate groups, and city leaders to examine the problem and take action to improve conditions.
It’s Fresno’s first try at this effective guideline that’s improved safety in other California cities. In 2023, KSEE-TV reported that Fresno’s Public Works Department had received a $400,000 grant to improve road safety around the city bydeveloping a Vision Zero Action Plan.
The first Vision Zero Taskforce Meeting was held on September 23, 2024. Progress continues in 2025. You can see this year’s anticipated timeline on the Fresno Vision Zero page here. Public feedback meetings continue in the spring. Transportation experts are also examining traffic data to identify the most dangerous spots in the city. The taskforce hopes to present a final plan by the second half of 2025.
You can read our article on the latest developments on Fresno’s Vision Zero project for more information.
What To Do After a Fresno Car Accident
A chain-reaction accident along Highway 99 or a rear-end collision on Yosemite Freeway might leave you in shock and suffering from the pain of an injury.
However, if you are strong enough, you should consider securing as much evidence as possible in the moments after your Fresno crash.
This evidence will prove key to the claim you’ll file against an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider.
Even when you are totally free of blame, without strong evidence, an insurance adjuster can greatly reduce the support you see or even reject your claim completely.
To make sure you receive a car accident insurance settlement check that covers every need you have, try to secure this evidence on the scene:
- Call 911. Allow EMTs to examine every wound you have. Offer police officers or the California Highway Patrol any details you can remember about how the accident occurred.
- Take pictures of the scene, the vehicles involved, and any visible injuries.
- Get contact information from any witnesses on the scene.
- Examine the surrounding area for the possibility of surveillance systems. Get the addresses of homes and businesses with cameras.
- Get yourself and your loved ones checked out by your family doctor. Get full documentation of injuries. Save receipts.
What Sort of Compensation Can I Receive After an Accident?
Your evidence will be compiled into an effective case to be filed against an insurance provider. Your Fresno Personal Injury Lawyer will also be adding evidence, collision reports, documents, and testimony secured in the aftermath of your accident.
Also included in this claim will be a complete list of every hardship you and your family have suffered through. This list will factor in economic and non-economic damages endured:
Economic Damages
- Hospital bills now and for the care expected to be needed in the future.
- A fair appraisal of expected expenses over a lifetime if you must live with a permanent disability.
- Travel costs for making doctor’s appointments and consultations with specialists. Shuttle service fees while you are off your feet.
- All income and benefits you’ve lost while missing on-the-job hours.
- Property damage.
Non-Economic Damages
- The physical pain you suffer in recovery and perhaps much longer.
- The emotional trauma you experience in the accident and in a difficult recovery. You may experience depression over a loss in your enjoyment of life while dealing with serious injuries. PTSD symptoms and anxiety are also possible after a violent crash.
- Loss of consortium. The loss of intimacy and changes in relationships with family members, especially a spouse.
What Does it Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Fresno?
You won’t need any money upfront when you hire a skilled Fresno Personal Injury Lawyer to represent your accident case.
Most qualified Fresno personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means you don’t pay for attorney fees unless they win your case.
Your attorney will usually also front many of the investigative costs and legal fees for your case. This is helpful for clients because they don’t have to worry about these costs until they’ve received fair compensation from an insurance company. However, these beneficial practices for you add up to a risk for your attorney.
If a case is tossed out on a technicality or new information emerges that makes a lawsuit impossible to win, the attorney can end up doing a lot of work over many months for no pay.
For this reason, attorneys generally get around 33% of any award or judgment earned for a client. Again, they only receive payment if they secure a favorable outcome for the client.
Our Clients Say...
Having never been in an accident before I had no idea what happened next but thankfully Maison Law was there to help me through every step.
I always had any and all questions answered and I felt secure knowing I was in good hands.
Accidents are a terrible thing to happen but I am so grateful for Maison Law for the help in navigating the aftermath.
October 2021
Common Mistakes that Lead to Fresno Collisions
Drivers who go too fast and who take their attention from the road are the biggest threat to other motorists.
Here are just a few of the common causes of auto accidents in and around Fresno:
- Distracted driving.
- Drunk driving, drugged driving or a combination of the two.
- Following too closely
- Speeding.
- Driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions.
- Disobeying red lights and stop signs.
- Sudden lane changes at high speeds.
Fresno Fatal Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
There’s nothing more heartbreaking than losing a loved one in a terrible accident. It’s especially hard when the accident could have easily been prevented.
When someone’s negligence caused the death of a family member, you are allowed to act on behalf of the close relatives left behind by filing a wrongful death claim. This civil lawsuit would hold an at-fault party’s insurance company responsible for all costs associated with any emergency response provided on the date of the accident. The suit would also ask for full payment for a funeral and burial for the victim.
Families must also protect their futures by requesting help to replace the financial support the deceased can no longer provide through job income. As far as the future goes, the family should receive additional support for loss of the care and guidance a loved one will no longer be able to provide in the years to come.
A wrongful death claim may be filed by a spouse or children of the victim. A Fresno wrongful death attorney may also file this lawsuit on behalf of all close relatives. A skilled attorney would investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident to make sure all at-fault parties shared in the liability. The attorney would confront insurance companies to secure the most support possible while disturbing the family as little as possible to allow them time to grieve.
How Does Liability Work When One Driver Is Drunk and the Other Is Texting?
Drunk drivers aren’t always found at fault in every accident. Texting drivers could strike them from behind and be found fully responsible. However, the drunk driver would still face criminal DUI charges and is more likely to be assigned blame.
There’s also the legal concept of comparative negligence that can factor into any traffic accident. Two drivers involved in a collision can share blame in a crash. A drunk driver and a texting driver could be assigned percentages of the blame for the same collision.
This would happen if an investigating officer felt both drivers contributed to the accident. Yet, any driver found to be intoxicated is more likely to receive a bigger share of fault or all of the fault.
Texting is generally just an infraction and only becomes a misdemeanor when fines aren’t paid. The violation would generally have less impact on the determination of fault when the other motorist was driving under the influence.
Frequently Asked Questions
California extends a time limit of two years from the date of the accident for victims to file an injury claim. Your case will benefit if you take action as soon as possible so your lawyer can access fresh evidence.
No. They will call you asking to record you making a statement about what happened. Decline. This statement can be used against you later. Give basic information and refer them to your attorney.
Yes. Keep any damaged personal property. Preserve any damaged or bloody clothing and don’t wash them. If you were on a bike when you got hit, save your damaged bicycle.
Contact a Fresno Car Accident Lawyer Today
Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an actual Fresno car accident lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are fully aware of the insurance tactics you’ll face. These shady practices are meant to limit the money you receive. Avoiding these pitfalls will be key to earning what you’ll need to rebuild your life.
Maison Law serves all victims in Fresno County and makes sure they aren’t taken advantage of by insurance adjusters. We seek to get the maximum in compensation available for victims and their families.
If you feel we can help you earn more for your injury, you won’t need any upfront money to hire Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive.
