Luckily, most car accidents are relatively minor and the damage is minimal. But Just because there isn’t major damage to your car does make the process of recovery “simple.” When it comes to making insurance claim or initiating a law suit, there is no such thing as “simple.”

Regardless of how little damage there is to your vehicle, you may have still sustained a soft tissue or whiplash injury that over time persists into chronic pain. As a Car Accident LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS, Cutrone & Associates has expertise in presenting minimal impact-significant injury claims to both insurance companies and juries. As a competent personal injury attorney, our firm can help you recover full financial compensation for medical care, lost wages, and personal property losses.

Car accidents have a number of causes. Many stem from negligent driving including texting behind the wheel, cell phone abuse and DUI. Driver error or negligence is the number one cause of automobile accidents in North America. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a factor in 33% of all fatal automobile accidents throughout the U.S.

Other forms of driver negligence that form grounds for a personal injury claim include: speeding, reckless driving, and failure to obey traffic laws. Driver errors like failing to check for oncoming traffic before making a left turn or a lane change of failing to check the blind spot, or not looking both ways before entering traffic at an intersection might also constitute grounds for a lawsuit.

Rarer causes of Sherman Oaks car accidents might involve automobile defects, automobile malfunction, poor road  or weather conditions.

Safe roads and vehicles are important concerns when it comes to driving. A competent personal injury attorney can advise you if there are grounds for a claim or lawsuit involving road conditions or automobile defects.

Most drivers know that If the other driver has been negligent or has committed a wrong doing that caused your car accident you may be able to hold that driver responsible.  It less common knowledge that In the case of an automobile malfunction or defect you may have a case against the auto manufacturer or part manufacturer. In cases of poor road conditions, you may be able to hold the local municipality, state or federal government responsible for poorly maintained or badly designed roads or intersections.

For more information on car accident claims, and whether you have grounds for a lawsuit, contact the Car Accident LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS of Cutrone & Associates.

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No one can file a personal injury claim on a whim. There must be suitable grounds for doing so.

Certain conduct is deemed sufficient grounds or reason for filing a personal injury claim against the individual, organization, or group that can be held responsible for causing your bicycle to be involved in an accident which injured you, the cyclist.

You must establish that your physical and/or emotional injuries were a result of their actions or failure to act. This is the foundation for your personal injury claim.

Grounds for personal injury claims usually lie in one of three categories:

• negligence
• strict liability
• Intentional conduct.

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS can help if you have sustained an injury in a bicycle accident resulting in the action or failure to act of an individual, group, or organization.

Your personal injury claim would fall under one of the following grounds:

Negligence

Negligence involves acting without proper care given the circumstances. For example, a driver who was not paying attention to his driving and swerved into a bike lane colliding with a cyclist may be held accountable for any injuries he or she caused to the cyclist if the cyclist was riding safely in the bike lane or the shoulder of the road. A motorist to drive too close to the bike lane or shoulder of the road may be held responsible for the colliding with the cyclist thereby injuring the cyclist.

A city or town or municipality might be deemed negligent in not repairing holes in the road which resulted in injury to the cyclist.

Strict Liability

In some circumstances, an individual, group, or organization may be held accountable for personal injuries to a cyclist caused regardless of intent or negligence. Cities and towns are held accountable for the condition of bike lanes or municipal bike paths which might result in injury to a cyclist because of pot holes, ruts, stones, or other obstructions which the individual or organization failed to keep in good repair.

Intentional Conduct

If an individual, group, or organization intentionally acts in a way that harms a bicyclist,that individual, group or organization may face a personal injury or wrongful death suit. If intent is proven criminal charges may be laid as intentional misconduct is illegal behavior.

A civil suit would be lodged by the cyclist and/or his family.

Criminal courts would try the criminal suit.

If you are involved in a bicycle accident and have grounds for a lawsuit, you have a legal right to recover financial damages related to medical care and lost wages as a result of the accident. You also have a right to make a claim for pain and emotional suffering that was directly related to your bicycle accident.

If you have been involved in a bicycle accident contact PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS to discuss whether you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

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However, you should call your car insurance company. Provide details, time, place of the accident, other driver’s insurance details.

If a personal injury has occurred, there may be grounds for a claim. As such,  AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD urges you to hire a personal injury attorney with experience in these matters. Insurance companies are usually anxious to settle claims quickly and for the least amount possible. It is financially favorable for their shareholders for them to do so. Remember, insurance companies are a money-making venture. Do not be fooled into believing the other driver’s insurance company has your best interests at heart. You do not have first-party relationship with that company, that is, you don’t pay that company a premium and so that company does not owe you a duty to be fair.  A personal injury lawyer can assess whether you have grounds for a claim and whether the settlement you are being offered is just compensation for your injuries.

Through an insurance claim or litigation if needed, you can seek reimbursement for damages and expenses that include:

• Medical expenses related to injuries sustained in the auto accident.
• Lost wages due to missed work as a result of the accident injuries and rehab.
• Auto repair bills for damaged caused to your vehicle in the accident.
• General damages for pain and suffering

Your personal injury attorney will contact the responsible driver, the person’s attorney, or his/her insurance company to inform them of your intent to make a claim.  If the matter cannot be settled, keep in mind that personal injury lawsuits generally have a 2 year statute of limitations by which a lawsuit must be filed in court and as little as 6 months if the responsible party is or is employed by a government agency and 1 year if medical malpractice. Once the statute of limitations expires, your rights to make a claim are usually gone. This is another good  reason why it is good to have a personal injury attorney.

Once an Auto Accident Lawyer is involved in your claim, the responsible driver and his/her insurance company is more likely to settle and avoid a lawsuit.

For more information on personal injury claims resulting from car accidents and whether you have grounds for a lawsuit, contact: AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD
 

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CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS want parents and others who transport children and youth those road injuries are the greatest single cause of preventable deaths and injuries to North American children. Properly used child safety seats will reduce the risk of death by almost 75% percent.

Tips for Car Seat Use

• Almost 75% of car seats are not available or are not installed correctly according to police safety checks
• NEVER transport a child without a child’s car seat. It’s the law.
• Before you start your trip, always check your child’s car seat. This check takes less than fifteen minutes.

Quick Checklist

1. Make sure the seat is the right size: Check the label on your car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height. These labels have an expiration date. Make sure the seat is still current.
2. Make sure the car seat and child are in the right place. Kids ride in the backseat until they are thirteen.
3. Is the child facing the right direction? Until children are two or outgrows the backward facing seat, they should face backward.
4. Give the seat the inch test before you head out. Give it a good shake at the base. Can you move it more than an inch side to side or front to back? If it is properly installed, the car seat will not move more than an inch.
5. Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and is coming from the correct slots. With the chest clip placed at armpit level, pinch the strap at the child’s shoulder. There should not be any excess webbing.

If these things check out, you are ready to roll.

• Attend a safety check run by local law enforcement officers to make sure you have installed your car seat properly. Free courses on correct installation are also available.
• Don’t buy a used car seat unless you know its crash history. Buy from someone you trust. Avoid garage sales, thrift shops and online sales like eBay and Kajiji.

• Be a good role model. Always buckle up. It’s the law.

• Make sure everyone in your car is buckled in.

• Never leave any child alone in your car, ever.

If you or a child has suffered an injury due to an automobile accident contact CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS to discuss whether you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

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If you or your child isinvolved in a road accident, which was not your fault, AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS wants you to know that you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim.

All automobile accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries. AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS contends those pedestrians are most at risk of serious injury or death if they are involved in a collision. Pedestrians must be given right of way by drivers.

There are many instances when pedestrians make poor choices and put themselves in unnecessary danger. For example jaywalking or attempting to cross a busy road where there is no designated pedestrian crossing. Drivers are expected to travel within the speed limit and be alert to foot and motor traffic around them.

Accident on a Crosswalk

Drivers are expected to be on the lookout for crosswalks and pedestrian crossing at traffic lights. However, pedestrians are also expected to be on the alert. Make sure the driver sees you before you cross.

Driving in Residential and School Areas

When you are driving in residential neighborhoods and school zones, be extra alert for bikers, walkers or runners. They may be distracted and step into the street without thinking.

Other Pedestrian Safety Tips to Avoid Car-Pedestrian Accidents

Since kids are often the ones involved in pedestrian accidents parents are reminded:

• Talk to kids about safe walking. Walk on sidewalks or paths. Cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Teach kids to put away iPods, and other handheld devices. Look left, right and left again before crossing the street.
• Children under 10 should never cross the street without adult supervision.
• Remind children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
• Remind kids to watch out for cars turning or backing up.
• Tell kids to watch out for cars leaving a parking space or merging into traffic. Be sure they see you.

Compensation Claim Advice

If you have suffered an injury as a pedestrian in an automoblile accident as a pedestrian, call police immediately.

Then call an ambulance.

You want both medical and police reports.

Take pictures of the scene or ask a witness to do so.

Make your report to the police succinctly.

Do not talk to the driver, witnesses, family members, colleagues. Talk only to your lawyer.

If you have been involved in a pedestrian-car accident contact AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS to discuss whether you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

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If you choose to ride a motorcycle, CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS wants you to know some safety statistics. Motorcycles represent approximately only 1% of the traffic. However, they account for 20% of all deaths and serious injuries.  If you are a motorcyclist, you are forty times more likely to be killed in an accident than a car driver

Some Safety Tips to Avoid a Motorcycle Accident

CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS suggests these tips for motorcycle riders.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Especially at intersections, traffic lights and traffic circles, motorcyclists must be alert. Learn to anticipate other motorists. Look back over your shoulder and in your rearview mirror before changing lanes, merging and making turns.

Make Yourself Visible

Wear fluorescent clothing. Don safety vests. You need to be seen to avoid a motorcycle accident.

Take the Middle Ground

The safest place on the road for a motorcycle rider is in the centre of his/her lane. Remember if you can’t see the driver’s mirror you may be in his blind spot. This is one of the most common reasons for motorcycle-car collisions.

Before you make a turn, use your turn signal. Give the drivers lots of advance warning of your intention to turn or to change lanes.

Pass Safely

Improper passing is another major cause of motorcycle accidents.  Make sure there is room to pass. Make sure you can see the road ahead of you clearly.

NEVER come between two lanes of cars to save time by creating your own lane or pass on the shoulder!

Use Common Sense

Travel at a safe speed that will allow you to slow down and stop quickly if you need to. Posted speeds are meant for motorcyclists too.

Adjust forbad weather conditions

Rain, ice and fog contribute to motorcycle accidents. Motorcycles are not meant to drive on snowy, icy roads!

Tips for Car Drivers

Before you turn, check in your mirrors to make sure there is no motorcycle there. Remember your blind spots.

Be alert to motorcyclists on the road.

As always use driver etiquette. Any collision with a motorcycle is likely to kill or seriously injure a motorcyclist.

Before you open a car door into traffic, check for cyclists and motorcyclists who may be travelling too close to parked cars.

When passing, give a motorcyclist the same amount of room as you would a car.

Before pulling into traffic or merging, check your mirrors for motorcyclists.

As you pull away from an intersection, stop light yield sign, or stop sign, check formotorcycles. It is sometimes difficult to see them, particularly if there are parked cars, hedge, trees or other obstructions.

If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident contact CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY SHERMAN OAKS to discuss whether you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

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AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS would like you to know that whiplash is caused when a person suffers from a sudden jolt which damages the muscles, ligaments, or tendons of the neck. Whiplash is one of the most common injuries claimed as a personal injury in car accidents. However, it is not just about car accidents. Whiplash may also occur in sports injuries, slips, falls, trips and assaults.

How does whiplash can affect you?                                                       

Whiplash may cause pain, or stiffness or limited movement in the neck. Whiplash can also cause headaches, muscle spasms, or shoulder or arm pain.

If it is severe whiplash it may cause swelling of the neck, back aches, dizziness, lack of energy, pins and needles in the hands and/or nausea.

Usually the symptoms of whiplash arise immediately after the automobile accident.  However, they may not appear untila day or two, or even weekslater. Symptoms of whiplash may worsen over time. Whiplash can even render victims permanently unable to work.

AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS warns that the severity of a whiplash injuries and the recovery time required vary greatly. For some automobile accident victims, symptoms can linger for months or even years.

How is Whiplash Treated?

Often, the best treatment for whiplash is rest. Your injury needs time to heal.

Ice packs may reduce any swelling caused by the whiplash. Anti- inflammatory drugs may often help. The doctor may prescribe painkillers for the pain.

You may benefit from gentle exercise to prevent the areas affected by whiplash from stiffening.

Whiplash caused by Car Accidents

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer whiplash during an automobile accident you may make a personal injury claim.

If you were a passenger in a vehicle, your whiplash compensation claim is against the insurance company of the driver who was responsible for the accident.

If you were a driver or a pedestrian your whiplash claim would be made against the insurance company of the person driving the vehicle which hit you.

Steps to take in making a whiplash personal injury claim

You would need to prove that someone was responsible for your whiplash injury.

Get names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses. Take photographs of the accident site.

Make sure you or someone else at the scene contacts police. You want an official report of the accident.

Seek immediate medical attention for injuries. You want this on report too.

Keep all medical receipts: medical costs such as a neck brace, prescription costs, travelling expenses…

If you have suffered a whiplash injury contact AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER SHERMAN OAKS to discuss whether you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.

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A 2011 Actuarial Profession report states that there has been an 11% drop in road accident reports. They cite such factors as:  increased safety measures, automobile safety features, the high costs of fuel which is curbing non-essential travel, and campaigns that encourage commuters to use public transportation. In spite of this drop in vehicle collisions, the number of personal injury claims increased by 18%.

British actuaries estimate the increase will probably cost insurance companies an extra £400m a year. North American insurance companies are estimating a hundred million dollar increases in personal injury claims.

What are the Reasons for Personal Injuries Claims?

Insurance companies are speculating about the causes in these increases. Several theories have been proposed:

• Increased costs of medical treatments
• Increased claims for personal suffering and loss of quality of life
• Increased costs of work time lost due to accident and recovery
• Increased numbers of people claiming total disability
• Increased knowledge of how to put forth a personal injury claim
• Higher costs of repair and replacement to vehicles and property damaged by the accident
• Personal injury lawyers encouraging those involved in accidents to make claims
• Pervading opinion that insurance companies have deep pockets
• Public opinion that supports and encourages litigation.

Actuaries noted one of the sharpest increases in personal injuries claims is whiplash. They cite more knowledgeable drivers and passengers and better detection by the medical profession as reasons for the increase in whiplash. Medical technology is able to pinpoint whiplash more accurately and sooner. Accident victims are also more aware of the symptoms of whiplash.

Governments and insurance companies are looking at ways to limit the amount of personal injury claims and the number of claims being made.

What does this mean for drivers?

In light of the increased numbers of claimants and the higher figures being sought, drivers are being advised by insurance companies and AUTO ACCIDENT LAYWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD to make sure they have a minimum of   two million dollars coverage in personal liability and property damage (PLPD) in their insurance policies. If claims go beyond the amount of his/her PLPD, the defendant is responsible for the additional costs.

For more information on making a personal injury insurance claim contact: AUTO ACCIDENT LAYWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD

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 In assessing what your claim should be worth, AUTO ACCIDENT LAYWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD first looks at the types of damages you may be claiming.

If a driver is liable for an accident his/her insurance company is liable for claims payable to the person who makes a successful personal injury claim. AUTO ACCIDENT LAYWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD will inform clients that the damages claimed by an injured person may include any or all of the following:

• medical care, rehab expenses required as a direct result of the accident
• income lost because of the accident, andtime spent undergoing treatment and/or rehab for injuries
• permanent physical disability or disfigurement as a direct result of the accident
• loss of family, social, and educational life, including school or training, vacation or recreation, or othersocial, family, or educational event missed as a direct  result of the accident and ensuing care and treatment
• Emotional damages: stress, embarrassment, depression, or family relationships strain including: the inability to care for children, post-traumatic stress as a result of the accident, disruption of sexual relations…
• Damage to property.

 How Insurance Companies Calculate Damages

The Insurance Company will add up the money spent on medical costs and money lost as a result of missed work. Putting a value on pain and suffering or on missed family, social, and educational experiences, lost opportunities and emotional damages is much more difficult.

In an effort to simplify the process and treat all cases fairly the insurance company uses a damages formula.

An insurance adjuster calculates the medical expenses related to the injury. The adjuster uses this amount to figure out what to pay the injured person for pain, suffering, and other intangible losses.

If the injuries are minor, the adjuster multiplies the amount of medical damages by 1.5 or 2.

If the injuries are serious, painful and/or long-lasting, the adjuster takes medical damages and multiples that amount by a figure greater than 2 and up 5.

In very serious injury cases and/or cases of permanent disability and/or disfigurement, the multiplier could be as high as 10

The adjuster then adds income lost as a direct result of the injuries.

These three figures: medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of income as a result of the accident constitute the claim calculation the insurance company is offering to pay.

For more information on personal injury claims resulting from car accidents contact: AUTO ACCIDENT LAYWYER NORTH HOLLYWOOD

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The odds are strong that almost every car driver will be involved in at least one serious automobile accident in a lifetime. Sometimes car accidents result in litigation.CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY NORTH HOLLYWOODwants you to be aware of your rights and responsibilities when it comes to automobile accident litigation.

If you are involved in a car accident, know what to do. Keep a checklist with your license, ownership, and insurance so you do not forget steps.

Litigation after an Accident

Not every automobile accident involves litigation. If no one is injured or there are only minor injuries, it is quite realistic to assume claims for medical care and automobile damage may realistically be solved by the drivers’ insurance companies. If the damage is extensive or injuries are serious, a lawsuit could results.

Most automobile accidents involve two drivers. One or both driver and/or any passenger may be involved in litigation. A driver or a passenger may claim that one of the drivers is guilty of negligent driving. There are cases where only one car and one driver are involved. In this case one or more passengers or a pedestrian who may have been injured inthe single vehicle may claim their injury was the result of the driver’s negligence.

Litigation could also be against a government agency claiming the agency failed to properly design or maintain the road or intersection.

Litigation might also involve a car manufacturer. This is a product liability claiming a design or manufacturing defect caused or contributed to the accident.

Litigation might be against a repair company or individual claiming the mechanic or service center left the vehicle in a hazardous condition.

Special Issues

Special circumstances can make litigation more difficult. These include:

Hit-and-Run Accidents: The driver who caused an accident flees the scene. It may make bringing a law suit against him/her difficult or impossible.

Car-Pedestrian Accidents: If a car collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian will often suffer severe injuries or death. It is often difficult for pedestrians to make claims against the drivers since car-pedestrian accidents are often attributed totally or in part to pedestrian behavior.

If you wish to hire a personal injury lawyer, or you want to find out more about personal injuries involving car accidents contact a CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY NORTH HOLLYWOOD.

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