Sacramento Auto Accident Lawyer

Sacramento Auto Accident Lawyer

Not only can car accidents be scary and traumatizing, but also, they can pose serious consequences to one’s life – both financially speaking and physically speaking. From damages to the vehicle, to physical injuries, and from missed wages to outstanding medical expenses, car accidents can have a way of seriously disrupting one’s life, and of putting a person in a financial hole. Thankfully, that is what car insurance is for.

Unfortunately, car insurance companies only make money when their customers do not get into accidents. When a customer does get into a serious accident in which thousands of dollars worth of damage was done, the insurance carrier will more likely than not try to pin liability on the victim of the accident, or downplay the victim’s injuries and losses so as to only have to pay out a small sum of money. This is not right. 

At the Law Office of Scott Righthand, our Sacramento auto accident attorneys advocate for the victims of car accidents, and ensure that they receive a fair settlement from the liable party’s insurance carrier. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in California, and if you are relying on the insurance company’s settlement to get you through your recovery and these financially strenuous times, contact our Sacramento personal injury law firm to see how a car accident attorney can help you.

California is a “Fault” Car Insurance State 

California is a “fault” car insurance state, meaning that the person responsible for the car accident is also responsible for compensating the other driver for his or her losses, including damages to the vehicle, physical injuries, and pain and suffering. As a fault car insurance state, each Californian motorist is required to carry a minimum of:

• $15,000 to cover the injury or death of one person (themselves or another individual involved in the accident;
• $30,000 to cover the injuries or deaths of two people in a single accident; and
• $5,000 to cover property damage.

If the other party is at fault, and if the value of your damages exceeds what the liable party’s policy will pay for, you are entitled to sue the individual him or herself for the remainder of your damages.

Comparative Fault Rules in California

While California does recognize that the at-fault driver should take responsibility for his or her actions, they also apply pure comparative fault rules to each accident. “Comparative fault” essentially means that the state recognizes that two drivers can be very much responsible for the same accident, but in very different ways. For instance, the at-fault driver could have run a red light, but the victim could have been texting while driving at the intersection, thereby leading to their failure to see the oncoming vehicle. In a pure comparative fault state such as California, you can recover damages if the other party is more at-fault than yourself, but your recovery will be reduced by the percentage that is equal to your share of liability.

Consult with an Experienced Sacramento Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Sacramento, let the auto accident lawyers at Law Office of Scott Righthand help you file your claim and pursue a fair settlement. For many individuals, navigating the car insurance claims process on their own is difficult and time-consuming, causing them to give up before they can receive compensation for their losses. We do not want this to happen to you. From filing the claim on your behalf, to negotiating a fair settlement with the liable party’s insurance company, our Sacramento auto accident attorneys can make sure that you receive the reimbursement you deserve for your medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, and pain and suffering. Contact our office today for an initial consultation.