Lucerne is only five square miles big, yet nearly 4,000 people call this community home. It’s easy to see why. Although relatively isolated, Lucerne is connected to the surrounding area by California Highway 20, which runs along the western edge of Lucerne near Clear Lake. This makes the community an ideal place to live, even if you work an hour away.

Even in a quaint town like Lucerne, accidents can still happen. If you or a family member has been seriously hurt in a crash due to someone else’s negligence, call our injury attorneys at (707) 564-1900 to discuss your legal options.

Despite its sparse population, car accidents frequently happen in Lucerne. In Lake County, 18 people were killed and 423 injured in 2015. Most were injured in car accidents, but others were injured while riding a bicycle or motorcycle. One pedestrian was also killed, with another five injured.

These accidents vary, but the usual reasons probably explain them: carelessness, distracted driving, and alcohol intoxication.

No one should suffer when injured by someone else’s careless or dangerous conduct. After a devastating accident, victims have outstanding expenses and often little ability to earn their income, especially if they need to recover from catastrophic injuries.

Our injury lawyers saw a need for someone to stand up to the giant California insurers who were shortchanging innocent victims, offering them pennies on the dollar for what their injuries were really worth. We soon learned all the tricks of the most lucrative insurers, especially their willingness to make lowball settlement offers and attempts to drag out negotiations with unfair delays.

As experienced Lucerne personal injury lawyers, we handle the most complicated cases—those where someone has suffered severe injuries such as fractures, brain injuries, nerve damage, burns, and spinal cord damage, among other injuries. Victims with these injuries need someone who can confidently calculate their total economic losses, including future medical care.

You will find a legal team that treats you like family if you work with us. We have been working together for over 20 years, and you hope to continue working with us for 20 more.

Choosing the best Lucerne auto accident attorney for your case is critical. A great lawyer can get you the maximum compensation and provide helpful advice for improving your quality of life. An inexperienced lawyer will be over his head and could cost you money.

Many of our clients have come to us after working with a different attorney and growing so frustrated they ended the attorney-client relationship. Some of the mistakes they have admitted include:

• Trusting the advice of their friends or family members. One lawyer who works excellently for your cousin might not be the right lawyer for you. You need to do your own research.
• Using a divorce lawyer or criminal defense attorney to handle a personal injury case. These are different areas of law, and no lawyer can be at the top of each. Our firm commits over 95% of our time to personal injury cases, so we know them inside out.
• Not researching the lawyer thoroughly and missing extremely negative online reviews, which turned out to be accurate.
• Not staying involved in their case and hiring a lawyer who never returns phone calls.

If you want to avoid the headache of an inexperienced lawyer, call us. We’ve been practicing personal injury law since 1982.

The video below provides more information on choosing the best Lucerne personal injury attorney for your case.

Is it better to settle a dispute without involving insurance companies?

Absolutely not! People often exchange money at the accident scene and call it a day. Though it might be okay to repair minor scratches to a bumper, this approach has many problems. You have no idea how much damage has been done to your vehicle. On closer inspection, what looks like a small dent could be damage to the radiator or engine.

Also, you might feel fine now, but you don’t know the full extent of any physical injuries. We’ve seen clients come down with brain or back injury symptoms one or two days after a crash. If you don’t have the other driver’s insurance information, you’ll never be able to get compensation for what is often pricey medical care.

Do I have to report my accident to the state?

You do if someone died or was physically injured in the crash (no matter how minor) or if the collision caused at least $1,000 in property damage. You must file a Traffic Accident Report with the DMV within ten days of the crash.

Is it true I can’t receive compensation if I’m partially to blame for the accident?

Wrong! California law allows victims to receive money even if their negligence contributed to the accident, called comparative negligence or comparative fault. So long as someone else also contributed to your accident, you can sue them.

Should I use my health insurance to pay my immediate medical bills?

That is one option. Also, check whether you have medical payment coverage, which means you can pay for medical treatment without a deductible. Often, it is better to use medical pay. Your health insurance company will probably want to be reimbursed for any amount it pays for accidents related to your injuries.

I’m self-employed. Can I receive compensation for lost income?

Yes. You can receive compensation in a settlement or lawsuit if you can’t work because of your accident injuries. The key will be providing just how much income you lost out on, so collecting contracts, gig offers, and tax returns can help show how much you likely would have made.

A loved one died in a car crash. Can I sue on their behalf?

Yes. California law lets certain family members bring a wrongful death suit when a loved one dies. You can receive compensation for the following:

• Lost financial support
• Funeral and burial costs
• Loss of love and community
• Medical bills incurred to treat your loved one’s final stay in the hospital
• The cash value of any household services your loved one provided

These wrongful death cases are complicated. Usually, a lot of money is on the line, and insurance companies will fight them aggressively.

If you’ve been involved in a Lucerne car accident or someone you care about has, you need our help. Call (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400 to speak with our experienced Lucerne personal injury lawyers or fill out this online contact form.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 11.1.23 Image by dekorationwsm on Pixabay da cha [cs 1125]}