Car accidents are a harsh reality of modern life, especially in bustling areas like Riverside. The aftermath of a car crash can be overwhelming, bringing physical pain, emotional distress, and financial burdens. If you’ve been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s fault, you don’t have to navigate this challenging time alone. A skilled Riverside Car Accident Lawyer at Hanson & Mouri is ready to stand by your side, fight for your rights, and help you secure the compensation you deserve. We offer a free consultation to discuss your case and explain your legal options.
Why Choose Our Riverside Car Accident Lawyer?
Selecting the right legal representation after a car accident is crucial. Here’s why Hanson & Mouri should be your first call:
- Proven Track Record of Success: We have a history of achieving substantial settlements and verdicts for our clients, recovering millions of dollars on their behalf. Our experience translates to effective advocacy for you.
- Unique Insider Perspective: Our team includes a car accident lawyer who previously worked as an insurance defense attorney. This invaluable experience provides us with unique insights into insurance company tactics, allowing us to anticipate their moves and build stronger cases for our clients. We know how insurance companies operate, and we use that knowledge to your advantage.
- Trial-Ready Approach: While many cases settle out of court, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. This proactive approach demonstrates our seriousness to insurance companies and ensures we are always ready to fight for your best interests in court if necessary. We are not afraid to take your case to trial to get you the compensation you are entitled to.
- Comprehensive Legal Support: From investigating the accident scene to negotiating with insurance adjusters and, if needed, litigating in court, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can focus on your recovery while we manage the legal complexities.
- Client-Focused Representation: We understand the stress and uncertainty you face after a car accident. We prioritize clear communication, keeping you informed every step of the way, and providing personalized legal guidance tailored to your specific situation.
Common Questions After a Riverside Car Accident
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident often brings up a lot of questions. Here are some common concerns we address for our clients:
What Are the First Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Riverside?
The moments following a car accident can be disorienting. Knowing the right steps can protect your health and your legal claim. Here’s a guide:
- Ensure Safety and Remain Calm: Your immediate priority is safety. Stop your vehicle, check for injuries to yourself and others, and if possible and safe, move your vehicle to the side of the road to avoid further accidents. Try to remain calm to assess the situation clearly.
- Contact Emergency Services: Call 911 immediately. Emergency responders can provide medical assistance to anyone injured and law enforcement can create an official police report. This report is a critical piece of evidence for your insurance claim and any potential legal action.
- Gather Essential Information at the Scene: If it is safe to do so, exchange information with the other driver(s). Obtain their name, phone number, address, driver’s license number, vehicle registration details, and insurance information. Also, if there are any witnesses, collect their contact information. Witness testimonies can be incredibly valuable.
- Avoid Admitting Fault: Be polite but cautious in your interactions with the other driver and at the scene. Refrain from apologizing or admitting fault for the accident, even if you are unsure of the cause. Anything you say can potentially be used against you when determining liability.
- Document the Scene: If you are physically able, take photos and videos of the accident scene. Capture images of vehicle damage, your injuries, road conditions, traffic signs, and the overall accident scene. This visual evidence can be crucial in establishing what happened.
- Notify Your Insurance Provider: Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. Provide them with the facts of the accident without speculating or admitting fault.
- Consult with a Riverside Car Accident Lawyer: Before speaking extensively with insurance companies or making any decisions about your claim, contact a Riverside car accident lawyer. We can advise you on your rights, protect you from making mistakes that could harm your claim, and begin an immediate investigation into the accident.
riverside car accident attorney hanson & mouri
What Types of Compensation Can I Recover in a Riverside Car Accident Settlement?
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence in a car accident, you are entitled to seek compensation for your losses. California law allows you to recover damages to cover both your economic and non-economic losses. These can include:
- Medical Expenses: Coverage for all medical treatment related to the accident, including emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, doctor appointments, physical therapy, medications, and rehabilitation. This includes both past medical bills and anticipated future medical costs.
- Lost Wages: Compensation for income you’ve lost due to being unable to work because of your injuries. This covers lost earnings from the time of the accident to the present, as well as projected future lost income if your injuries impact your long-term earning capacity.
- Vehicle and Property Damage: Reimbursement for the costs to repair or replace your damaged vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by your injuries. This is a subjective category that accounts for the disruption to your life, the severity of your pain, and the emotional impact of the accident.
- Loss of Earning Capacity: If your injuries result in a reduced ability to earn income in the future, you can seek compensation for this diminished earning potential.
- Disability and Disfigurement: If the accident resulted in permanent disability or disfigurement, you are entitled to compensation for these life-altering consequences.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensation for the ways your injuries prevent you from participating in hobbies, activities, and aspects of life you enjoyed before the accident.
- Loss of Consortium: In cases where injuries severely impact your relationship with your spouse, your spouse may be entitled to compensation for loss of companionship and marital relations.
It’s important to remember that insurance companies often try to minimize payouts. A Riverside car accident lawyer will thoroughly assess your damages, ensure all your losses are accounted for, and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
How Much Does a Riverside Car Accident Attorney Cost?
Worries about legal fees should not prevent you from seeking justice after a car accident. At Hanson & Mouri, we work on a contingency fee basis for car accident cases. This means:
- No Upfront Costs: You pay no attorney fees upfront or out of pocket to hire us.
- Fees Based on Recovery: Our legal fees are a percentage of the settlement or verdict we secure for you, typically one-third.
- No Win, No Fee: If we do not win your case and recover compensation for you, you owe us no attorney fees.
- Contingency Fee Advantages: This arrangement aligns our interests with yours. We are motivated to maximize your recovery because our fee is directly tied to the amount we obtain for you. It also makes quality legal representation accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
How Will a Riverside Car Accident Lawyer Gather Evidence to Support My Claim?
Building a strong car accident claim requires gathering and presenting compelling evidence to prove negligence and damages. Your Riverside car accident lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation, which may include:
- Accident Scene Investigation: Returning to the accident scene to take photographs, measurements, and document road conditions and traffic signals.
- Police Report Procurement and Analysis: Obtaining the official police report and analyzing its details, including officer observations, diagrams, and citations issued.
- Witness Interviews: Identifying and interviewing witnesses to gather their accounts of the accident.
- Medical Record Collection and Review: Gathering all relevant medical records and bills to document the extent of your injuries and treatment.
- Employment and Wage Verification: Collecting pay stubs, tax returns, and employment records to prove lost income.
- Vehicle Damage Assessment: Obtaining repair estimates or vehicle damage reports to document property damage.
- Accident Reconstruction: If necessary, hiring accident reconstruction experts to recreate the accident and determine the sequence of events and factors contributing to the crash.
- Surveillance Footage and Traffic Camera Retrieval: Identifying and obtaining surveillance video from nearby businesses or traffic cameras that may have captured the accident.
- Cell Phone Record Subpoenas: In cases involving distracted driving, subpoenaing cell phone records to determine if the at-fault driver was using their phone at the time of the accident.
- Vehicle Black Box Data Retrieval: Obtaining data from the vehicle’s event data recorder (black box), which can provide information about speed, braking, and steering in the moments leading up to the crash.
By meticulously gathering and analyzing evidence, your lawyer builds a robust case to demonstrate the other driver’s fault and the full extent of your damages.
Will My Car Accident Case in Riverside Go to Court?
While most car accident claims in Riverside are resolved through settlement negotiations outside of court, some cases do proceed to litigation. Whether your case goes to court depends on several factors, including:
- Insurance Company Willingness to Settle: If the insurance company is unwilling to offer a fair settlement that adequately compensates you for your losses, filing a lawsuit may be necessary.
- Disputes Over Fault: If there is disagreement about who was at fault for the accident, a lawsuit may be needed to resolve the liability dispute in court.
- Complexity of the Case: Complex cases involving serious injuries, multiple parties, or intricate legal issues may be more likely to go to court.
Even if a lawsuit is filed, many cases still settle before trial. However, being prepared to go to court is often a crucial aspect of achieving a favorable settlement. Your Riverside car accident lawyer will advise you on the best course of action for your specific situation.
What Should I Say to My Insurance Provider After a Car Accident?
It is essential to report the accident to your own insurance company, even if you were not at fault. However, be cautious about what you say. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts, and even seemingly innocent statements can be used against you. Here are some guidelines:
- Report the Accident Factually: Provide the basic details of the accident – date, time, location, and vehicles involved.
- Stick to the Facts: Answer their questions honestly and directly, but avoid speculating, admitting fault, or providing unnecessary details.
- Do Not Discuss Injuries in Detail: Simply state that you are receiving medical treatment. Do not go into specifics about your injuries or how you are feeling.
- Refer Them to Your Lawyer: Politely inform the insurance adjuster that you have retained a Riverside car accident lawyer and that all future communication should go through your attorney.
Having a lawyer handle communication with insurance companies protects you from inadvertently harming your claim and ensures your rights are protected.
What Happens if the At-Fault Driver is Uninsured?
Discovering that the driver who caused your accident is uninsured can be concerning, but it doesn’t mean you have no options for recovering compensation. California law and insurance policies offer avenues for recourse:
Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage: If you have Uninsured Motorist coverage as part of your own auto insurance policy, you can file a claim with your insurer. UM coverage is specifically designed to protect you when you are hit by an uninsured driver. This coverage can compensate you for your injuries, pain and suffering, and other damages, up to the limits of your UM policy.
Collision Coverage: If you carry collision coverage, this will cover damage to your vehicle, regardless of who was at fault. You will typically be responsible for your deductible, but your insurance company will handle the repairs or replacement of your vehicle.
Med-Pay or Personal Injury Protection (PIP): If you have Medical Payments (Med-Pay) coverage or Personal Injury Protection (PIP), these optional coverages can help pay for your medical bills and sometimes lost wages, regardless of fault or whether the at-fault driver has insurance.
Lawsuit Against the Uninsured Driver: If the uninsured driver has personal assets, you may be able to file a lawsuit against them directly to recover your damages. However, collecting from an uninsured individual can sometimes be challenging.
A Riverside car accident lawyer can assess your insurance coverage, investigate the uninsured driver’s assets, and advise you on the best strategy to pursue compensation in this situation.
How Long Will It Take to Receive a Settlement Check in a Riverside Car Accident Case?
The timeline for resolving a car accident case and receiving a settlement check varies depending on the complexity of the case and the willingness of the insurance company to negotiate fairly.
- Post-Settlement Check Delivery: Once a settlement agreement is reached and all necessary paperwork is signed, it typically takes a few weeks to receive your settlement check. It can sometimes be as quick as 1-2 weeks.
- Negotiation and Settlement Phase: The negotiation process itself can range from a few months to a year or longer, depending on factors like the severity of injuries, the clarity of fault, and the insurance company’s responsiveness.
- Litigation Timeline: If a lawsuit is filed, the process can take significantly longer. While a car accident trial itself might only last a few days, the entire litigation process, including discovery, motions, and potential appeals, can take a year or more, and sometimes several years.
Factors that can influence the timeline include:
- Complexity of Investigation: Cases requiring extensive investigation, accident reconstruction, or multiple expert witnesses may take longer.
- Insurance Company Delays: Insurance companies may intentionally delay the process or make lowball offers, prolonging negotiations.
- Court Backlogs: If a lawsuit is filed, court schedules and backlogs can impact trial dates and overall case duration.
Contact Hanson & Mouri
Riverside Car Accident Legal Representation You Can Rely On
Don’t face the aftermath of a car accident alone. Contact Hanson & Mouri today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our dedicated Riverside car accident lawyers are committed to providing you with compassionate support, aggressive advocacy, and experienced legal guidance. We are dedicated to helping you rebuild your life and recover the compensation you deserve. We also proudly serve car accident victims in San Bernardino and throughout Riverside County, including Corona, Norco, Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Banning, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, & Calimesa.
Client Testimonial
A fantastic attorney who did a wonderful job for us. He explained the process thoroughly and he’s also a very pleasant guy. – R. Parker
