Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of bodily injuries in California each year, and thousands of people living in the Orange County area will suffer injuries as a result of motor vehicle accidents caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of others. Recovery from a motor vehicle accident can be a long process, typically beginning with filing an insurance claim, followed by the filing of a personal injury lawsuit when an insurance company refuses to provide full and fair compensation for the harm suffered by innocent car crash victims.
Experienced legal representation for motor vehicle accident claims in Orange County
The Bertch Firm can provide compassionate and communicative legal counsel after you have been injured in any type of motor vehicle accident. Our team has years of professional experience handling a wide range of cases for clients in Orange County, and we are ready to put this experience to work in your recovery efforts. Depending on how and why your accident happened and who is responsible for causing it, you may have more avenues of recovery available to you than you initially realize. Working with a seasoned legal team offers the greatest chance of success with all the recovery efforts you choose to pursue in the aftermath of your accident.
Types of motor vehicle accident claims in Orange County
Motor vehicle accidents occur in many ways, and it is vital to choose an attorney who has experience handling cases that are similar to your recent accident. At The Bertch Firm, we routinely provide comprehensive legal counsel to victims of:
- Car accidents – Car crashes can happen in many ways throughout Orange County, from distracted driving and speeding to driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. Proving fault is a critical first step in resolving any car accident case, and an experienced Orange County motor vehicle accident attorney can make this process much easier to complete.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than standard passenger vehicles because they lack the basic safety features found in most other vehicles. These accidents have a greater chance of causing catastrophic or fatal injuries.
- Trucking accidents – Trucking accidents include box truck crashes, delivery truck accidents, and accidents involving large commercial trucks. In some of these accident cases, employers bear fault for the actions of their employees under the rule of vicarious liability. Your legal team can help determine liability and hold the appropriate party or parties accountable for your damages.
- Rideshare and delivery service accidents – Rideshare and delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, or DoorDash are responsible for causing car crashes every day in Orange County. You could face a more complex insurance claim filing process than you would after a standard accident and will need legal counsel you can trust to navigate the case successfully.
- Common carrier accidents – Common carriers include vehicles such as bus, taxi, train, plane and Metrolink accidents. Any organization that provides transportation as a paid service to the public is a common carrier and subject to special rules. Filing a claim against this type of organization will be different from filing a claim against another individual driver.
- Bicycle, e-bike and scooter accidents – Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters are environmentally friendly and provide a means of easy local transportation at minimal cost. However, riding a bike or e-bike near motor vehicle traffic always entails a degree of risk, and any bike accident has a high chance of causing severe injuries.
- Pedestrian accidents – Whenever a motor vehicle hits a pedestrian, the victim has a high chance of suffering catastrophic or fatal injuries. Pedestrians always have the right-of-way, even if they cross a street illegally, so a driver who hits a pedestrian is almost always entirely at fault. Many pedestrian accidents occur in crosswalks, although they sometimes also occur in parking lots or mid-block.
Whatever type of accident you suffered, proving fault will be a critical first step in your recovery process. You must identify the party responsible for causing your accident and then prove how they caused it. An experienced Orange County motor vehicle accident attorney can help their client gather physical evidence, digital evidence such as another party’s cell phone records or vehicle computer data, traffic camera footage, and eyewitness testimony from those who saw the accident happen firsthand.
Recovering maximum compensation for your motor vehicle accident in Orange County
Depending on the type of accident you experienced and how it occurred, you could have more options for recovering your losses than you may initially expect. After identifying the party or parties responsible for your accident, you can proceed with filing an insurance claim in some cases. This is standard practice after most vehicle accidents, such as car, truck, and motorcycle accidents. However, if insurance is unavailable, if insurance alone cannot fully compensate your damages, or if the at-fault party does not have insurance as required by California law, you must prepare to start a personal injury claim against them to recover your losses.
How much do motor vehicle accident lawyers charge in Orange County?
Many people believe that hiring an attorney for a vehicle accident would cost more than they could recover, but this is not the case when you choose The Bertch Firm to represent you. Our firm accepts personal injury clients on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay a fee if and when we win your case. The contingency fee we take is a percentage of the total compensation we recover on your behalf, and you pay nothing if we are unable to secure a recovery for you. This eliminates any financial risk of hiring an Orange County motor vehicle accident attorney and ensures that legal counsel is accessible when you need it most.
You have a very limited time in which to file your insurance claim after a vehicle accident in Orange County, and the sooner you begin the claim filing process, the more likely you are to succeed. When you must file a personal injury claim, connecting with an attorney quickly after your accident helps ensure the reliability of any evidence you may need to prove liability. The Bertch Firm is ready to help you recover from your recent vehicle accident as fully as possible, so contact us today and schedule your consultation with an Orange County motor vehicle accident attorney you can trust with your recovery.
What damages am I entitled to recover as a result of my motor vehicle accident?
In California, a responsible party is required to provide compensation to an injured person for all harm that was caused by their negligence or wrongdoing. This includes medical bills, loss of earnings and earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment, disfigurement, grief, anxiety, and humiliation. It also includes property damage, loss of use (rental car expenses) and diminution in value (loss of value of your vehicle as a result of an accident). Under limited circumstances, it may also include punitive damages to punish the defendant for their negligence or wrongdoing, if the evidence establishes that the defendant acted intentionally, recklessly or with malice, fraud or oppression. See Civil Code §3294. In order to recover damages, you will need to make a claim or file a lawsuit against the responsible party. An experienced attorney at The Bertch Firm possesses the knowledge, training, skill and experience to pursue justice for you and secure maximum compensation for the damages you have suffered.
How much is my motor vehicle accident injury case worth?
Every case is unique and must be evaluated in light of the specific circumstances giving rise to your injury. The value of your case depends on many factors including the liability of the defendant, any comparative fault of your own in causing your injuries, and the nature and extent of all of the harm suffered by you as a result of the incident, including damages for bodily injury, loss of earnings and earning capacity, property damage, general damages (e.g. pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment, anxiety, inconvenience, grief, humiliation, and disfigurement) and punitive damages.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit for injuries from a motor vehicle accident?
In California, the statute of limitations for all personal injury claims, including motor vehicle injury accidents, is two years from the date the incident occurred. This is known as the statute of limitations. (See Code of Civil Procedure §§335-349.4) Code of Civil Procedure §§335-335.1 states that “the periods prescribed for the commencement of actions other than for the recovery of real property, are…[w]ithin two years: an action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.” However, there may be exceptions to this rule which shorten or extend the time for you to file a lawsuit. In most cases, a lawsuit cannot be brought if more than two years has passed since the date of the incident. In limited situations, the time to file a lawsuit may be longer than two years. For example, if the claimant is a minor, they must file a lawsuit within two years of their eighteenth birthday. In other situations, the time to file a lawsuit may be shorter than two years. For example, if your injury occurs as a result of wrongdoing or negligence of a public or government entity, you must submit a claim to the appropriate government entity within six months, even if the claimant is a minor. We strongly encourage you to speak to an attorney at your earliest opportunity to ensure your rights to bring a lawsuit to recover damages for the harm you have suffered are protected.
The Bertch Firm Difference
Personalized attention for your motor vehicle accident injury claim
At The Bertch Firm, each case is overseen and prosecuted by a licensed attorney, not a paralegal or case manager. The Bertch Firm has experience with many different types of accidents, including motor vehicle accidents. An experienced attorney can help you gather and preserve crucial evidence for your motor vehicle accident claim. Contact The Bertch Firm today and experience The Bertch Firm difference when you hire us to represent you for your injury claim.
Contact The Bertch Firm today
For further information about your motor vehicle accident injury claim
The Bertch Firm has represented many people who have been injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents. For further information about your potential case as a result of a motor vehicle injury accident, contact an attorney at The Bertch Firm today for a free consultation.