Salida is a small agricultural city located in California’s Central Valley. It is a farming area with roughly 13,722 and lies just north of Modesto along Highway 99. While this unincorporated city is relatively small, it has seen its fair share of motor vehicle accidents. 

One of the main traffic concerns in Salida is congestion along the main thoroughfare, Hatch Road, particularly during peak commute times. Hatch Road and Sisk Road intersection has also been identified as a potential safety hazard due to its design and heavy use by vehicles and pedestrians. Additionally, as an agricultural town, there can be increased traffic during harvest season as farm equipment is transported on local roads. 

When residents of Salida or those traveling past the area are involved in an injury crash, it is essential to know who to turn to for legal representation when dealing with insurance companies.

The California personal injury attorneys at AutoAccident.com have assisted Salida residents with accident cases since 1982. To learn more about how our legal team can help you, call (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice from one of our compassionate and skilled lawyers today.

Our personal injury lawyers in Salida have the experience and resources needed to obtain full and fair financial compensation for your injury claim. We handle personal injury matters on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and will only have to pay attorney’s fees if we win your case.

Every city and town in California seems to have at least one intersection prone to motor vehicle collisions. The intersections that have the most accidents in Salida, California, include:

• Bangs Avenue and Sisk Road
• Broadway Avenue and Salida Boulevard
• Curtis Street and Broadway Avenue
• Finney Road and Treetop Avenue
• Hammett Road and State Route 99
• Highway 99 and SR-219
• Parks Avenue and Curtis Street
• Sisk Road and Wallasey Way
• State Route 219 and Salida Boulevard
• Stoddard Road and Kiernan Avenue

A personal injury claim for a car accident is designed to provide reimbursement for the damages suffered due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence. If it was not for the negligent actions of the at-fault party, the claimant would not have suffered personal injury damages. While financial compensation may not always put the plaintiff, or the injured person bringing a claim, in the same position they would have been in if not for the motor vehicle accident, it is intended to make them as whole as possible. 

The types of injury cases handled by our law firm include:

• Auto Products Liability
• Bicycle Accidents
• Brain Trauma
• Car Crashes
• Dog Bites and Attacks
• Farm Injuries
• Motorcycle Crashes
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Trucking Collisions
• Wrongful Death

One type of damage in an insurance settlement is designed to reimburse a claimant for financial losses. Economic damages are losses that can be calculated and proven through documents, receipts, and other types of verifiable evidence. This includes paperwork or invoices for medical treatment, including ambulance rides, hospitalization, surgery, doctor visits, prescription medications, consultations or appointments with specialists, and other forms of care.

If time was missed at work because of injuries suffered in a motor vehicle collision, income tax records, paycheck stubs, or letters from employers may be used as a form of evidence when making a claim for lost wages. 

For information on the types of factors that may affect the value of a personal injury settlement, watch the video below.

Another form of compensation in a bodily injury claim is non-economic damages. Also referred to as general damages, these are generally awarded in personal injury cases because of the long-term effects of car accident injuries. This kind of personal injury loss usually includes diminished quality of life, disfigurement, facial scarring, pain and suffering, and other intangible damages. 

A Salida personal injury attorney who is experienced in handling these cases has strategies for proving non-economic damages in the negotiations process with insurance companies and in court. This includes presenting:

• Medical Records: Not only do medical records play a role in economic damages, but they are also helpful in proving non-economic losses. They contain detailed information on injuries related to the motor vehicle collision, the severity, and what the patient went through to return to maximum medical recovery. They also reveal the facts medical professionals have documented for patients who were unable to make a full recovery and will suffer from a permanent disability as a result. Moreover, medical records can also help paint a picture of how accident-related injuries have created physical limitations that have affected the claimant’s life.
• Medical Expert Witnesses: A medical expert is a physician, surgeon, or licensed practitioner whose experience and skills qualify to give testimony on a particular branch of medicine. A Salida auto accident attorney and defense counsel often involve medical expert witnesses during the discovery process and trial in personal injury litigation. Such medical professionals can describe the extent of pain and suffering from a personal injury since they have experience in treating patients with the same conditions. They can also determine the prognosis and the future for a patient who has suffered the same type of accident injury. If chronic pain is involved, a medical expert can put lasting pain’s psychological and physical effects into perspective for insurance claims adjusters, defense attorneys, and jury members.
• Finance Experts: In some personal injury cases, accident-related injuries may affect the future, both in loss of future earning potential and future medical treatment expenses. To prove these, a Salida auto accident lawyer may hire an economist or other type of financial professional to calculate a full and fair value on non-economic losses resulting in monetary concerns in the future.

Punitive damages are generally awarded in personal injury matters where an at-fault party acted particularly egregiously. They are intended to punish the wrongdoer financially and deter the same behavior from them and others in the future. Punitive damages are rarely sought from insurance companies unless in cases where it has been proven that the insurance company acted in bad faith.

Specific filing criteria and deadlines may affect a case when seeking financial recovery through a personal injury claim. For one, there is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits in California. This means a lawsuit must be filed within two years from the date of a motor vehicle crash if a personal injury settlement is not reached with the insurance company. If the deadline is not met, the court may dismiss the case, and the legal right to financial compensation may be lost.

Another factor that may affect a payout for a personal injury case is the amount of bodily injury liability coverage available. When the driver responsible for the auto accident has state minimum bodily injury liability coverage limits or none at all, the injured person may be placed in a financial predicament. Fortunately, personal injury claimants may have recourse in these situations if they carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM).

UM coverage can help reimburse medical bills, property damage, lost income, and pain and suffering when an insured member is injured by a driver who does not have car insurance. UIM coverage may come into play when financial damages and intangible losses are not fully covered by the at-fault party’s insurance carrier. UM/UIM coverage may also extend to other household members if they were injured in a traffic collision as a cyclist, pedestrian, or passenger of a motor vehicle. This is possible so long as they were not listed as an excluded party of the auto insurance plan.

If you have suffered severe injuries after an accident caused by another party or entity, it is essential to discuss your case with an experienced Salida personal injury lawyer. An attorney who is experienced in handling cases like yours knows how to overcome the defense tactics insurance companies use to dispute the value of a personal injury claim or deny it altogether. This way, you can rest assured knowing your injury lawyer will work diligently to recover the settlement you need and deserve. 

Call our law firm today at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 to schedule a meeting with one of our accident attorneys and receive free, friendly case advice. Our legal team is available anytime to listen to your story and discuss your options on how to get your life back on track after a life-changing crash.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 5.10.23 Image by Egor Shitikov from Pixabay ds cha [cs 1431]}