Stretches of Sunset Boulevard carry a touch of Hollywood glamour. Yet, some Los Angeles motorists simply use the route to travel to work, to class, or downtown. The long, and sometimes windy boulevard takes traffic from central L.A. through some curvy mountains passes and down to Pacific Palisades.
Drivers may be surprised by the heavy traffic and steep curves on some parts of Sunset Boulevard. Motorists who aren’t watching the road or going too fast can easily cause a multi-car accident and leave other drivers and passengers facing long, difficult injury recoveries.
When these crashes occur, it’s critical that at-fault drivers and their car insurance companies are held accountable.
Contact a Sunset Boulevard Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
As a victim of a Sunset Boulevard car accident, you have benefits and rights that an insurance company won’t be informing you of. You should never have to worry over your medical bills or the lost paychecks you suffer while missing work. Insurers for the drivers to blame must be held liable for every financial hardship you face.
There’s a no-risk way to find out what your case is worth and what kind of support you should demand from an insurance adjuster. Schedule a free case consultation with Maison Law of Los Angeles. Discussing what happened with a skilled attorney will help you understand the options you have before you so that you can make an informed decision on your next move.
Sunset Boulevard Car Accident Dangers
Sunset Boulevard takes a lot of different forms over its 22 miles in Los Angeles. It’s partly a glitzy Hollywood drag, especially along the famous Sunset Strip and through the posh boutiques of Beverly Hills. Drivers will find lanes full of drivers more interested in checking out the sights than what’s on the road. The lanes also handle far more traffic than they were designed for.
Sunset Boulevard also travels over western hills and across Brentwood and Rustic Canyon. The sharp curves and steep inclines and declines can catch drivers by surprise. When traveling a little too fast, drivers can lose control in a bend and end up in opposing lanes or running the car beside them off the road.
Then there are the normal traffic dangers experienced on all Los Angeles roads. A student at UCLA may be late for class and not notice a light turning red up ahead. An impact can cause whiplash, broken bones, and other traumatic injuries for the SUV occupants that get rear-ended. A driver trying to make a left turn during rush hour in West Hollywood may not take the time to look to see the smaller profile of an oncoming motorcyclist or bicyclist and turn in front of a defenseless rider.
These mistakes and others leave car occupants, pedestrians, and all riders vulnerable to severe injuries. Victims may need more than just a night in the emergency room to recover. Drivers at fault should be held fully liable for any care needed for however long healing takes. A Sunset Boulevard Car Accident Lawyer makes absolutely sure a victim doesn’t face the consequences of an accident alone.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Sunset Boulevard Car Accident Claim
After a collision on Sunset Boulevard, insurance companies look for ways to discount your injuries and even point the finger of blame at you. They are looking for excuses to reject your claim or reduce the support they must provide to you.
It’s only by providing strong evidence that you can block these attempts to rob you and your family of compensation. Your L.A. Personal Injury Attorney will be investigating what happened in order to build a strong case for you.
But your lawyer won’t be on the scene in the moments after your accident to collect the powerful evidence available there. It’s up to you or someone with you to gather as much proof of what happened as possible. The more evidence you bring to the negotiating table, the better chance you’ll have of securing a fair insurance settlement check.
Try to collect these details right after a collision:
- Alert 911. You’ll want the authorities, perhaps the LAPD or the Beverly Hills Police Department, to respond to your accident. They’ll be writing up a collision report based on what you report to them. Give them a full account of what happened.
- Let paramedics examine you. Let the ambulance crew take you to the hospital if necessary. Ask someone with you or a helpful witness to gather some information for you.
- Exchange information. Get driver’s license and insurance information from other drivers.
- Don’t make comments like “I’m fine” or “my bad.” These statements can be twisted by an insurance company to make it seem like you were admitting fault or saying you weren’t injured. These statements may both turn out to be false, so don’t talk over the accident with the drivers involved.
- Use your cellphone to take pictures. Show the damage to all cars involved. Show lane markings and traffic signs that were ignored to cause the accident. Take photos of any visible injuries.
- Find out what witnesses saw. Get their contact information so your Sunset Boulevard Car Accident Attorney can reach out to them later.
Compensation and Deadlines in Los Angeles Interstate 5 Accidents
Sunset Boulevard accident victims have up to two years to file an accident claim against an at-fault driver’s auto insurance provider. But it’s important to take action as soon as you can.
Set up a free consultation with a skilled Los Angeles car accident lawyer immediately. The sooner you turn your case over to a legal professional, the easier it will be to secure recent evidence. It’s also helpful to stay in touch with witnesses in the early going. Witnesses can change phone numbers or move away and valuable testimony can be lost.
Filing your accident claim as soon as you’re ready also means you could see your injury settlement check sooner. The amount on this settlement check will be determined by several factors.
Your total on hospital bills and any estimates on future care needed should be the first things to be compensated. Your lost income and work benefits, while you’ve been forced to miss hours on the job, must be reimbursed. Your physical pain and emotional trauma experienced also add to the total of a settlement agreement.
Families who lose a loved one in a car accident can also ask for financial support through a wrongful death lawsuit. This civil claim asks for money to pay for funeral costs and support to replace the income the deceased can no longer contribute to the family.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Serving Los Angeles Victims
After a serious traffic accident on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills please rely on an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney to secure what’s fair from insurance companies. A skilled attorney handles the most frustrating parts of the insurance claims process and maximizes the compensation victims receive.
Take advantage of a free case consultation from Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. This evaluation comes with no obligation to you or your family and is strictly confidential. Make sure you receive the support you need to rebuild your life.
