Even a moderate collision can disrupt months of life — medical appointments, lost wages, and an insurance posture designed to minimize what you recover. Senior counsel from day one keeps the record clean and the leverage on your side.
First Steps After a Collision
- Call law enforcement and obtain the report number — the contemporaneous police narrative is often outcome-determinative.
- Photograph vehicles, debris field, skid marks, traffic controls, and visible injuries.
- Exchange information with all involved drivers and obtain witness contacts before the scene clears.
- Seek medical evaluation promptly, even if injuries seem mild — soft-tissue and concussive injuries often present hours later.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault carrier without counsel.
Determining Fault
California is a pure comparative-negligence jurisdiction: each party recovers in proportion to the other’s fault. Building the record — police report, scene photographs, surveillance video, vehicle telematics, and accident-reconstruction analysis where warranted — is what determines that allocation.
Insurance Posture
Most claims resolve through one or more insurance policies: the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, your own MedPay or PIP, your uninsured/underinsured-motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, or a combination. We coordinate the order of presentation, lien resolution, and any policy-limit demand.
Injury Categories
- Head & brain — concussion, post-concussive syndrome, traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Spinal — herniated discs, radiculopathy, vertebral fractures.
- Soft tissue — whiplash and cervical strain (often delayed onset).
- Orthopedic — fractures, ligament tears, joint trauma.
- Psychological — PTSD, anxiety, sleep disturbance.
Damages We Pursue
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Property damage and rental-vehicle costs
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment
Statute of limitations
In California, personal-injury claims arising from auto accidents must generally be filed within two years of the date of injury. Claims against public entities have shorter notice deadlines — often six months. Speak with counsel promptly.
How We Engage
Initial consultations are complimentary. Where we accept the matter, fees are typically contingent — you pay nothing unless we recover.
