Maison Law represents the victims of Monterey 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.
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Car Accident Claim?
A car crash resulting in only fender damage and perhaps a few scratches and bruises might not leave you in need of a lawyer’s help. But if a reckless driver leaves you with serious injuries like a broken arm or a head injury, it becomes much more important to have a Monterey Car Accident Lawyer on your side.
The higher your medical bills go, the more an auto insurer will fight to avoid paying those invoices. They can cast doubt on what a police accident report says and try to blame you. Your Maison Law lawyer is your defense against these unfair strategies. Your lawyer gathers all evidence and uses it to build a strong case that insurance adjusters can’t easily reject. Your lawyer then demands the most in compensation possible for your injuries.
Accident Dangers in Monterey
Monterey drivers already know the dangers when local traffic mixes in with the rush of tourist traffic. Collision risks can pop up on a major highway like the Pacific Coast Highway/Highway 1 or a busy thoroughfare like Del Monte Avenue.
Careless drivers looking at their phones for navigation help can miss spotting a traffic light turn red and rear-end the cars in front of them. A speeding driver can lose control in an unexpected curve and side-swipe another vehicle.
California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reports that in 2023 there were 137 car accidents involving serious injury on Monterey roads. Highway 1 through Monterey County alone was the scene of over 130 serious collisions and at least 9 tragic deaths.
With the speeds and weight of cars involved, traumatic injuries are common. You can suffer life-threatening injuries and suffer through weeks or months of recovery. Your Maison Law attorney would be documenting every hardship you went through. Your lawyer would demand support for past bills and for as far into the future as necessary to get you back on your feet again.
What Our Clients Say
What Can I Do Right After a Car Accident To Strengthen My Case?
A frightening accident can leave you feeling powerless. But there are things you can do on the scene and in the weeks that follow that can help you build a strong case that prevents insurance adjusters from finding ways to change the facts of a case.
If you are forced into a collision on a Monterey road, here are a few things you should try to do and a few things not to do:
DO’S
- Contact the Monterey Police Department or CHP: Even if the damage seems minor, you’ll want a police report filed. A collision report is one of the strongest pieces of evidence in your favor.
- Call for an ambulance: If you or anyone else is hurt at all, you should have an ambulance respond to the scene. Have paramedics check out every pain. And even if you go to the emergency room, visit your own doctor in the days that follow and get all injuries documented.
- Collect evidence: The best evidence often gets cleaned up and disappears once the scene is cleared. If your injuries will allow, take photos with your cell phone. Get photos of car damage and any visible injuries you have. Get contact info from witnesses. Exchange information with the other drivers unless an officer provides the information to you.
- Alert your insurance agent: Call your insurance provider and let them know what happened on the day of your accident.
DON’TS
- Don’t offer statements: Don’t talk about your injuries or who was to blame with the other drivers. When the at-fault driver’s car insurance company contacts you later, they’ll be asking for you to make a recorded statement about what happened. Decline and only offer basic information. They hope you’ll say something they can twist to hurt your case later. Let your attorney handle communications with insurance representatives.
- Don’t post to social media: You may want to post an update on social media about your accident and that you are okay, but you should not jump on Facebook or Instagram. The opposing insurance company can also twist these posts to make it look like you weren’t hurt.
- Don’t sign off on a settlement: Don’t sign any settlement that’s hastily offered. Have a skilled California car accident attorney check out any agreement you are thinking about signing. If you receive an offer quickly, it probably means the car insurance company knows your injuries are worth more and they want to get you to sign and accept less.
- Contact a Monterey Car Accident Lawyer: The sooner you alert a lawyer to what happened, the sooner your lawyer can get started collecting evidence. The longer you wait, the more likely evidence will disappear. Witnesses can become hard to locate and surveillance video might get erased. Always take advantage of a free consultation to find out if a lawyer can help you earn more for your injury recovery.
What Can I Earn Compensation for After a Monterey Accident?
When a careless driver’s mistake causes a roadway crash, California allows victims and their families to ask for financial help.
After such a traumatic event, you’ll need to account for every bill you’ve received and the emotional hardship you’ve faced. These should not be your hardships to face alone. These damages must be all listed when you file an injury claim with a car insurance company. Anything you leave off the list can’t be reimbursed and will probably have to come out of your own pocket.
These are just some of the losses you’ve experienced that your personal injury lawyer will help you list and provide documentation for:
- Hospital and medical expenses.
- Estimates for the support you could need over a lifetime after suffering a permanent physical disability.
- Emotional distress, such as anxiety and PTSD symptoms you experience due to the trauma of a car crash. The depression you face during a long and difficult injury rehabilitation also factors in.
- The physical pain you endure and the pain that may be present in the years to come.
- Past and future lost income.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families can file this civil claim to ask for support for burial costs and remaining medical bills. They’ll also earn support for the guidance and lost income the deceased will no longer be able to provide to the family.
These losses and more will be considered as your personal injury lawyer negotiates to get the most possible out of a car accident settlement agreement. The size of car accident settlement checks can vary greatly and having a skilled attorney fighting on your behalf is the best way to avoid losing out on valuable support.
Contact a Monterey Car Accident Lawyer
After an accident, California sets a statute of limitations at two years after the crash. It means if you wait longer than two years to file an injury claim, your case will probably be thrown out.
Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an actual Monterey car accident lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you. We want to help you keep track of deadlines and avoid pitfalls that can leave you without the support you’ll need to rebuild your life.
Maison Law serves all victims in Monterey County and makes sure they aren’t taken advantage of by insurance adjusters. If you feel we can help you earn more, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. Maison Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement a car insurance company must pay you.
