Mountain House, California, is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County. Located five miles from the City of Tracy near Interstate 205, it is ideal for residents who commute to work in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the population of Mountain House is under 22,000, the odds of a crash remain high for those driving in the city. When a collision is caused by negligence, the injured person may recover subsequent losses by filing an injury claim.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in an accident in Mountain House or anywhere else in San Joaquin County, reach our experienced injury lawyers at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for a free consultation.

When a person is injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, California law allows the injured party to collect compensation through a personal injury claim.

In this case, compensation is to make the injured individual whole again. In other words, it would help restore them to their position before the incident. Two types of damages are needed to accomplish this: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages consider existing financial losses and those incurred in the future that may be suffered by an injured party. These include:

• Medical Bills: The costs for past and future expenses of necessary and reasonable medical treatment are recoverable. These include hospital stays, ambulance fees, diagnostic testing, physical therapy, chiropractic care, prescriptions, medical appliances, and more. The cost of travel to and from medical appointments may also be recovered.
• Lost Wages: This includes the earnings you lost when you could not work due to your injury and recovery. If an injury or disability reduces your ability to earn wages, you may be able to recover from the loss of earning capacity.
• Property Damage: This includes the cost to replace or repair damaged property. If you were injured in an accident as a pedestrian or cyclist, you might be able to be reimbursed for the repair or replacement of your personal property, such as watches, clothing, or glasses.

Noneconomic damages are designed to compensate injured people for the intangible losses related to how the trauma has affected their lives. These include:

• Disfigurement: Injuries from a motor vehicle accident can be severe and even permanent, including disfigurement and scarring. At a minimum, scarring in a visible location can cause immense trauma and embarrassment. For some, disfigurement can affect their ability to get a job and enjoy life. In these cases, an injured party may be reimbursed for cosmetic surgery costs to revise the scarring and the emotional and psychological distress associated with the trauma.
• Loss of Consortium: A spouse of an injured party who has suffered a debilitating injury or has passed away may be able to submit a claim for loss of consortium. This attempts to acknowledge and compensate the spouse for the impact on the marital relationship through financial damages. These consider the loss of love, companionship, affection, and sexual dysfunction or impairment. The inability to conceive children may also be considered.
• Pain and Suffering: No amount of money can lessen the emotional suffering and mental anguish an injured party and their family endure after an accident. In California, those who have been injured in a crash may be able to collect compensation for the unfortunate experiences they have suffered.

Punitive damages are not designed to compensate the injured person. Instead, they are intended to punish the negligent party. In California, these only apply when it is shown that the responsible party acted with fraud, oppression, or malice. In the case of a car accident, an injured party may seek damages from a negligent party convicted of drunk driving.

After an auto accident, you want to protect your legal rights and health. Remember to keep the following in mind:

• Stay at the Scene: Leaving the scene of an accident can constitute a hit-and-run. If property damage is only involved, it can be a misdemeanor; if injuries were sustained, it could be a felony.
• Check on All Drivers and Passengers: Ensure everyone involved in the car wreck is okay before looking into property damage—request medical personnel at the scene for anyone who needs immediate treatment. If a person has back or neck injuries or is unconscious, do not move them until medical responders arrive.
• Photographs: Take pictures of the injuries sustained, damages to the cars involved, and any other evidence, including traffic signals and road conditions. Be sure to include marks on the road, such as skid marks. This may help determine fault.
• Contact the Police: If physical injuries and significant property damage occur, contact authorities at the scene. Obtain the names and badge numbers of the responding officers and ask for a traffic collision report.
• Exchange Information: Write down the names, addresses, contact numbers, license plate numbers, and driver’s license numbers of all motorists involved. This information is necessary for filing a claim with an insurance company.
• Witness Statements: Talk to credible witnesses and gather their contact information, which can provide relevant testimony for your claim later.
• Seek Medical Attention: Some injuries from a car wreck, such as a cervical sprain or traumatic brain injury, can take some time to show symptoms. If the trauma was not diagnosed promptly after the collision, insurance companies might claim it did not result from the crash. This may possibly be left out of your claim and settlement offer. For this reason, it is critical to follow up with your medical provider regularly.
• Call Your Insurance Company: You will need a claim established with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider and your own. Do not apologize to the insurance adjuster or other parties involved in the crash, and this can be misinterpreted as an admission of guilt.
• Document the Accident Details: It is critical to write down what happened in the collision. As traumatic as the crash can be, these details can be forgotten over time. You want to ensure you have several copies of these notes to provide to insurance companies and your personal injury attorney.

Choosing a Mountain House personal injury attorney among a sea of qualified lawyers can be challenging. Review the following tips to feel confident in your choice:

• Work with an Attorney Who Practices Personal Injury Exclusively. The lawyer you choose should be experienced in handling personal injury cases like yours. Without that experience, you may not receive a favorable outcome.
• Pick a Lawyer with Experience. Your attorney should be able to negotiate with insurance companies for the maximum compensation you need to cover your damages. If an agreement cannot be made, your lawyer should have no problem taking your case to trial, where a jury or judge can decide the compensation you receive.
• Read Client Reviews of a Law Firm. Reading comments and reviews by past clients is a meaningful way to search for a reputable law firm. While some may be biased or inaccurate, many can give you an idea of what it is like working with that particular law office. Former clients often write comments about their experience, especially if it was unsatisfactory.
• Look for Promptness and Communication in a Lawyer. Ask your attorney how best to contact them and how long you can expect a response. Since excessive delays from an accident attorney can cause unnecessary aggravation, it is essential to choose one dedicated to touching base with you frequently.

Learn more about how to find a reputable Mountain House car accident lawyer by watching this video.

After being involved in a car accident, it can be complicated to determine liability on your own. Not only do you need to preserve evidence proving the other driver’s fault, but you also have to present that evidence to the at-fault motorist’s insurance carrier. Since insurers often search for discrepancies in a car wreck, they are prepared to point out any flaw in the claim.

This is an attempt to offer you less than what you deserve in financial compensation. Having an experienced Mountain House car accident lawyer at your side can ensure a higher chance of obtaining the total amount to cover your injuries and damages.

California operates under a system of comparative fault. This means the compensation awarded to an injured party would be equivalent to the percentage of negligence apportioned to them. For instance, an injured person who is only 30 percent negligent for contributing to an accident would just be able to recover 70 percent of the compensation awarded.

Insurance companies often attempt to falsely pinpoint fault in an injured person to reduce the value of their settlement offer or deny their claim. Hiring an attorney in these cases can help properly determine liability to ensure you receive a fair recovery.

California’s time limit to bring a claim for personal injury after an auto accident is two years. This is known as the statute of limitations. When bringing a case against a government entity for negligence, it must be filed within 6 months or 180 days from the date of loss. The courts will likely dismiss the case if this deadline is not met.

This is why contacting an experienced Mountain House auto accident attorney is crucial. An attorney can protect the statute to ensure you receive the compensation you need and deserve.

Most personal injury lawyers handle cases on contingency fee agreements. This allows injured parties to obtain legal representation after an accident without coming up with the money to pay an attorney.

This allows injured individuals to focus solely on recovering rather than worrying about how upfront legal fees will be paid while the attorney begins preparing the case.

After an accident, contacting a Mountain House personal injury lawyer can provide peace of mind during difficult times. A lawyer understands how stressful it can be after being injured in a car wreck and is prepared to help you in your time of need. This way, you can focus on your recovery while your attorney obtains the damages owed to you.

Even if you do not need a lawyer, receiving advice on handling negotiations with an insurance carrier may be a good idea.

An accident can dramatically change the lives of those involved, including their financial, emotional, and physical well-being. The at-fault party may be held financially responsible for subsequent losses when the accident occurs due to another’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please call our Mountain House personal injury lawyers at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly case advice.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 11.13.23 Image Source: Aron Visuals on Unsplash ds cha [cs 1860]}