The personal injury lawyers at Maison Law is ready to help any Lathrop car accident victim as they navigate this legal challenge. If you or a loved one was recently involved in a car accident and need legal guidance to resolve the matter and your damages, please get in touch with Maison Law today to speak to a Lathrop car accident lawyer at a free consultation.
Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer
There is never a single answer to a complex question that will perfectly meet everyone’s needs. In the case of Lathrop car accident victims, there are several points to consider when deciding if you need the help of a car accident lawyer to ensure that all of your losses and expenses are resolved. But the first point that you need to understand is that from a legal perspective, you are not required to hire a car accident lawyer to represent you if you plan to file a car accident lawsuit. You have the right to represent yourself in this matter. But keep in mind that, with or without legal representation, you must follow the same rules and strict guidelines for preparing and filing your lawsuit as the legal professionals at Maison Law, who have been completing this process for many years.
As you weigh your options, consider the dollar amount of losses and expenses that were generated by your Lathrop car accident. If the damage was minimal and you were not hurt, the matter could be resolved by working directly with the liable party’s insurance company. However, if you were severely injured and could face tens or hundreds of thousands in medical expenses, entrusting your car accident case to a legal professional at Maison Law could be the best choice you make regarding this arduous matter. Turn your focus and energy to healing and rehabilitation to ensure the best results, while leaving the legal work to the team that handles these matters every day.
You will be pleased to learn that in most cases handled by a car accident lawyer instead of the victim, the settlement or amount awarded to the victim is significantly higher. So, put your trust in professionals and reap the benefits. Focus on following your doctor’s orders to heal as quickly as possible, and know that your legal concerns are in equally reliable hands at Maison Law and will afford you similar positive results.
Request Your Free Consultation Today
The legal team at Maison Law is here to ensure that all car accident victims in Lathrop have access to exceptional legal guidance and assistance. We offer every victim of a vehicle accident a free consultation where a car accident lawyer will provide a complete case evaluation. After this meeting, you will understand your rights, options for legal action, and that you are under no obligation to pursue a car accident lawsuit or hire Maison Law for the case if you choose to move forward. Our goal is only to put each car accident victim in a place of knowledge so they can make a well-informed choice about this significant matter that could impact the rest of their life.
Calculating the Value of a Lathrop Car Accident Lawsuit
After a car accident, you are sure to have many financial concerns that include the cost of medical care, how to handle paying your living expenses if you are unable to work, and the impact your injuries could have on your career in the future. The team at Maison Law is ready to help you sort through all of these worries and address them by providing a reasonable estimated value for your Lathrop car accident lawsuit. The process begins by gathering all the actual expenses and losses you face because of the car accident and your injuries. These items are called economic damages and include things like:
- All your current medical expenses related to the treatment and care of your injuries from the car accident
- Any projected medical expenses that will be for extended care or rehabilitation of the car accident injuries
- Your lost wages if you cannot work at your regular job while healing from your car accident injuries
- Any lost earning potential for the future or changes to your career path due to limitations created by your injuries that will limit or decrease your earning capability
- The cost of transportation to medical care or treatment appointments
- Any cost for therapy or counseling that is needed to address emotional damage from the car accident, such as anxiety, trouble sleeping, increased stress, depression, or other emotional trauma
The other items that will be included in the total compensation sought by your car accident lawsuit are less concrete and will need to be explored to have a dollar value assigned to them. These are the losses that will impact your future but are not already financially defined. Working with your Maison Law car accident lawyer, they will rely on their years of experience to help you place a dollar value on losses like:
- Pain and suffering from your injuries
- The loss of your ability to enjoy certain activities like hobbies, involvement in sports, or taking part in family activities
- Your inability to contribute to the lives of family and friends as you did before the accident
- Loss of consortium
Common Kinds of Lathrop Car Accidents
Knowing a bit more about the various kinds of car accidents that are common in Lathrop can help you evaluate how long it could take to resolve the matter, the value of the car accident lawsuit, and even how to be more aware of places or events that can increase the potential for a car accident so you can avoid future accidents. As you drive around Lathrop, be aware of these possible car accident situations:
- Hit and run
- Side swipe
- Rear-end collisions
- T-Bone impact
- Single vehicle accidents
- Chain reaction or multi-car collisions
- Accidents caused by Road Rage
- Distracted driver car accidents
- Unsafe lane changes
- DUI-involved car accidents
- Accidents related to excessive speed
- Failure to yield accidents
- Accidents as a result of ignoring poor weather or road conditions
- Animals on or near the road causing an accident
- Wrong-way drivers
- Head-on collisions
- Farm or heavy equipment on the roadways causing an accident
- Accidents caused by a pothole in the road
- Accidents as a result of missing, damaged, or unreadable traffic signage or warnings
- Debris in the roadway
Who Is Liable for a Lathrop Car Accident
Most people have a very narrow perspective when they think about the issues that can cause a car accident and who to hold accountable for the losses and expenses incurred by the car accident victims. Often, it is not until you are involved in this unfortunate incident that you gain insight into the many possible causes and liable parties in a Lathrop car accident that include:
- Vehicle operators
- The driver of a commercial vehicle or system like a bus, train, or trolley
- A property owner at the site of the accident who failed to maintain the space and landscape that was blocking road signs or other road hazards
- The party responsible for road maintenance and care along the side of the road and in the median
- A rental car or truck company if one of their vehicles caused the accident due to a lack of proper care or maintenance
- The service company that was contracted to provide maintenance for a commercial vehicle fleet and one of those vehicles failed and caused the accident
- The manufacturer of a defective vehicle that caused the accident
The Statute of Limitations for a Lathrop Car Accident Lawsuit
In most cases, the victim of a car accident in Lathrop will have two years from the date of the accident to have their case prepared and filed with the court. This time limit is non-negotiable and is strictly enforced. Once it has expired, the victim will no longer have the right to pursue legal action to secure compensation for the damages related to that specific accident.
It is also critical to note that in California, when the liable party in a car accident is a government entity or agency, like the City of Lathrop or the State of California, the time to take legal action is decreased to only six months from the date of the accident. Even with the short timeline, there is little opportunity for additional time to pursue legal action. So, if you are interested in learning more about a Lathrop car accident lawsuit, reach out to Maison Law today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Lawsuits
Can I pursue legal action related to a car accident where I was deemed partially to blame?
Yes. California is a comparative negligence state. That means that the total responsibility or blame for a car accident can be divided among two or more parties. These parties can also sue for the same portion of their damages that is equal to the amount of blame for the accident shared by all other parties. For example, if you were deemed 20% liable for the Lathrop car accident, you can still sue the other liable parties involved for up to 80% of your damages.
Can I file a lawsuit for a car accident if I did not have car insurance at the time?
While you are required to have car insurance in California, not having it at the time of an accident in Lathrop will not prevent you from pursuing legal action against another driver or party that was responsible for the car accident.
When should I hire a car accident lawyer?
There is nothing wrong with trying to resolve your car accident losses and expenses with an insurance company on your own. However, if the insurance company employees fail to respond in a reasonable amount of time or are bullying you, ignoring your requests, or making low-ball settlement offers, know that all you need to do is contact Maison Law. Our team can step in at any point to assist you in negotiating with an insurance company or preparing and filing a car accident lawsuit. Just be mindful of the time remaining to file a lawsuit and do not wait too long to contact the Maison Law staff if you need our help.
Contact A Lathrop Car Accident Lawyer
After a car accident in Lathrop, it is understandable that you will want expert legal help to resolve this matter. Most people quickly tire of reliving the upsetting and painful experience over and over as they relate the story and facts to others working on the case. When you reach out to Maison Law, you can share the facts with us, and we will handle everything from there. Your initial consultation is free, and there is never any obligation to hire our firm. But if you do want a professional managing your lawsuit, we are ready to take on any case with legal merit.
Equally as good as eliminating your stress about handling the lawsuit is the fact that we work on a contingency basis so you never need to worry about how to cover your legal fees and expenses. In our process, we only get paid after the matter is settled through negotiation or the case goes to court and we win your lawsuit. The funds for you to pay for our legal services are included in the settlement or compensation that is awarded to you by the court. It is a simple, stress-free way to know that your case is getting the attention it needs and deserves while you focus on your healing and family.
