Murrieta Car Accidents Attorneys

Car accidents can happen unexpectedly from a wide range of possible causes in Murrieta, CA, and determining the fault for an accident is a crucial first step in recovering. If you or a loved one recently experienced an accident that you believe occurred because of the actions of another driver, you must prove fault for the accident before you can recover any compensation for your damages. Proving fault can be more challenging in some accident cases than others, but any victim facing this challenge benefits by working with experienced Murrieta car accidents attorneys.

Experienced Legal Representation for Car Accident Cases in Murrieta, CA

The team at Kampf, Schiavone & Associates has years of professional experience handling a wide range of personal injury cases on behalf of clients throughout the Murrieta area, including those arising from motor vehicle accidents. We know how challenging it can be to resolve the aftermath of any vehicle accident, especially one for which liability is unclear or contested. The sooner you reach out to our team, the sooner we can help establish fault for your accident and guide you through the process of recovering compensation for your damages.

Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Murrieta

A car accident can occur in various ways, most often from acts of negligence behind the wheel. “Negligence” is the legal term used to describe an individual’s failure to use reasonable care in a given situation. A few examples of how car accidents happen because of the negligence of individual drivers in Murrieta include:

• Distraction and inattention. All drivers are required to pay attention to the road while operating their vehicles, but distracted driving continues to be a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents throughout the United States. Cell phone use behind the wheel is the most commonly reported form of distracted driving responsible for accidents throughout the state each year.
• Although it may be relatively commonplace to see drivers slightly exceeding posted speed limits, any level of speeding is dangerous. When a driver exceeds the speed limit, they reduce the time they will have to react to sudden changes in the traffic ahead of them. When accidents happen at higher speeds, they are more likely to result in catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Moving violations. Drivers sometimes fail to yield the right-of-way when necessary, run red lights or stop signs, perform illegal turns, and otherwise violate posted traffic signals and commit moving violations. These actions disrupt traffic and can easily take other drivers by surprise, sometimes resulting in serious accidents. Traffic camera footage is often vital for proving fault for this type of car accident.

These are just a few possible examples of negligence that might result in an accident. Alternatively, it is also possible for an accident to happen because of a driver’s intentional and illegal misconduct. Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is the most common example of this. Whenever a driver has injured another party from an illegal act, they face criminal prosecution along with their civil liability for the victim’s damages, and resolving these cases can be significantly more challenging than standard civil claims for damages.

An experienced Murrieta car accident attorney can be invaluable for helping their client gather the evidence they need to firmly prove liability for their damages. Eyewitness testimony from others involved in the accident and witnesses who saw the accident happen firsthand can be critical to a case. Vehicle computer data, cell phone records, and other forms of digital evidence may also come into play. Ultimately, proving fault will be different for every accident, but every accident victim benefits by securing legal counsel they can trust to help them prove liability.

How to Recover From an Accident Through Auto Insurance

California law requires every driver to have personal auto insurance coverage that meets basic requirements. At a minimum, an auto insurance policy needs to include at least $15,000 for bodily injury liability for a single victim, at least $30,000 total accident coverage for bodily injuries to multiple victims, and at least $5,000 to cover property damage. When a driver harms another driver in an accident, the injured party’s first option for recovering their losses is to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.

Your Murrieta car accident attorney can streamline your insurance claim filing process substantially. They can help draft your demand letter to the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, resolve any disputes they raise with the claim, and review their final settlement offer to ensure it is suitable under the terms of the policy. If the insurance carrier handles your claim in bad faith in any way, your attorney will know how to address the issue and resolve your claim efficiently.

Unfortunately, insurance may not fully cover all your damages. Even if the at-fault driver has coverage beyond the minimum requirements, some car accidents result in devastating injuries and economic losses that quickly outpace available insurance coverage. It is also possible for an at-fault driver to not have insurance at all, and the state has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country. If you cannot fully recover your losses through auto insurance, you will need to file a personal injury claim against whoever caused your accident.

Building Your Personal Injury Claim for a Car Accident in Murrieta

After exhausting your recovery options through insurance, or if an at-fault driver does not have insurance, the next step in your recovery process after a car accident is to file a personal injury claim against the driver who injured you. To succeed with a personal injury claim, the plaintiff must identify the defendant responsible for their damages and then prove that the defendant’s negligence or intentional misconduct directly caused those damages. Under the law, the plaintiff can then hold the defendant accountable for all economic losses they suffered, which are likely to include:

• Property damage, such as vehicle repair costs not covered by the defendant’s auto insurance. If your property losses exceed the property damage liability coverage of the defendant’s insurance policy, you can add the remainder to your personal injury claim as economic damages.
• Medical expenses. Many car accidents result in severe injuries, including broken bones, brain injuries, and more. The defendant who caused your accident is fully responsible for all medical expenses you incur due to the accident they caused. This includes not only immediate healthcare costs after the accident but also medical expenses associated with any long-term rehabilitative care you require to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries.
• Lost income. If you are too injured to work because of your accident, you can claim compensation for the income you are unable to earn during your recovery. Additionally, when an accident has caused a permanent disability that affects your future earning capacity, you can hold the at-fault driver accountable for the future income you are no longer able to earn.

The average person might be able to accurately assess immediately noticeable damages like their hospital bills and the cost of repairing or replacing their vehicle, but calculating long-term damages is far more challenging. When you have a Murrieta car accident attorney handling your case, they can help accurately calculate the extent of the economic damages you can claim from the defendant. Additionally, they can also help determine a fair amount of pain and suffering compensation to include in the claim.

California law allows the victim of a personal injury to hold the defendant accountable for the physical pain and psychological distress they inflicted. There is no limit to how much compensation a plaintiff may seek for these intangible losses in a car accident case, so your attorney can offer guidance as to what might be a fair amount to include in your claim. It’s possible to recover pain and suffering compensation that reflects the severity of a permanent injury or the length of time it takes you to fully recover.

Find Your Legal Team Today

Every car accident case in Murrieta is unique, and every victim will face different legal challenges as they seek compensation for their damages. Some encounter problems with the insurance claim filing process that they do not know how to address. Others succeed with their insurance claims only to realize that their total damages far exceed the settlement they received from the insurance company. Kampf, Schiavone & Associates approaches every case we accept with the goal of helping our client maximize their total compensation as much as state law allows.

We can help file your insurance claim and resolve any issues that arise with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If insurance isn’t enough to fully compensate you for your losses or if the defendant does not have insurance, we can help compile a comprehensive personal injury claim that seeks the maximum amount of compensation possible under the state’s personal injury statutes.

Our team has years of experience helping clients in Murrieta and surrounding communities with all sorts of civil claims for damages, and we are ready to put this experience to work for you. We can aim to settle your case as swiftly as possible, but if litigation is necessary, you can rely on our firm to support you through all your courtroom proceedings. You have a limited time in which to pursue compensation for your damages, so contact Kampf, Schiavone & Associates today and schedule your consultation with a Murrieta car accident attorney you can trust with your case.