Car accidents happen regularly in Pasadena, as they do throughout California. According to California’s Office of Traffic Safety, Pasadena saw 1,244 fatalities or injuries due to car accidents in a single recent year. Of these, almost 60 were alcohol-involved, and around another 300 were speed-related. High-traffic corridors like the 210 Freeway, 110 Freeway, Colorado Boulevard, and Foothill Boulevard are among the most common sites for serious collisions in the area.
Unfortunately, there is no reason to assume these numbers are declining. The rise of distracted driving and other risks have made Pasadena’s roads less safe. As a result, more residents and visitors find themselves in crashes that were someone else’s fault.
If you have been involved in a car accident and someone else was to blame, you need professional legal help. Please contact our Pasadena car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Pius Joseph – Personal Injury Attorney to review your case. The consultation and claim review is free.
Attorney Pius Joseph has over 30 years of experience representing car accident victims across California and has secured millions in settlements. We have won more than 90 percent of the cases we have handled.
We also serve clients in Arcadia, Glendale, Altadena, Alhambra, Monrovia, San Marino, and throughout Los Angeles County.
How Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Pasadena Can Help You
After a crash, you are probably shaken up and unsure about what to do. Your car might be wrecked and you possibly lack the money to get a rental car to get to school or work. If you suffered bodily injuries, you might be going to medical appointments and therapy sessions several times a week.
California law allows injured car accident victims to seek compensation when someone’s carelessness led to their injuries. Under the law, you can negotiate an insurance settlement or bring a lawsuit, if necessary, to vindicate your rights.
At our firm, we help our clients with all aspects of a case, including:
- Fully documenting their injuries
- Analyzing fault (who is to blame for the car accident)
- Consulting with experts about issues such as the cause of the crash and the extent of your losses
- Collecting evidence to use to bolster your claim for compensation
- Calculating your full losses, both economic and non-economic
- Communicating with insurance adjusters to make a claim for compensation
- Representing you during negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit if the insurance company refuses a fair settlement
These are only some of the tasks we help our clients with, freeing them to focus on getting better physically and emotionally. Let us do the heavy lifting for you — get in touch with one of the best car accident lawyers in Pasadena.
Compensation in a Car Accident Claim
The goal of bringing a claim is to pursue full compensation for your losses.
Economic Damages
In a settlement or verdict, you could receive money for economic losses such as:
- Medical care, including rehabilitation, prescription drugs, surgery, and doctor visits
- Future medical care, if you are permanently disabled
- Lost income, if you could not work because of your car accident
- Lost future income, if your disability will prevent you from returning to work
- Property damage, such as damage to your vehicle
- Property damage beyond insurance limits — California requires a minimum of only $5,000 in property damage liability coverage, which may not cover your vehicle’s actual value
Non-Economic Damages
You can also seek compensation for non-economic losses, including:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement or impairment
- Emotional distress and PTSD
- Grief
- Loss of consortium — if your injuries have negatively affected your relationship with your spouse or partner
Punitive Damages
In cases involving gross negligence or intentional misconduct — such as a drunk driver or a street racer — a court may award punitive damages on top of compensatory damages. These are designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct.
You need a seasoned Pasadena car accident lawyer to carefully calculate the amount of compensation you could receive. Economic losses are the easiest to measure. However, to calculate pain and suffering damages, your Pasadena accident attorney will rely on experience with how juries value those losses. Contact us today for a free consultation.
If a loved one died in a motor vehicle accident, then certain family members might also qualify to bring a wrongful death claim. Compensation in this type of lawsuit can cover the income the deceased would have earned had she or he lived, as well as other damages.
Our car accident lawyer in Pasadena at the Law Offices of Pius Joseph – Personal Injury Attorney also helps those involved in ridesharing accidents, whether you are the passenger or the driver. Call us today for a free consultation!
California’s Comparative Fault Rules
California follows a pure comparative negligence system. This means that fault is assigned as a percentage, and your compensation is reduced by your share of blame. For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages but were found 20% at fault, you could still recover $80,000.
Importantly, even if you were partially at fault, you may still recover compensation. Insurance adjusters often try to assign you more blame than is warranted to reduce their payout. This is one of the key reasons having an experienced Pasadena car accident attorney in your corner matters — we fight to ensure fault is allocated fairly.
Reporting Requirements After a Car Accident in California
California law requires that you report your accident to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days if:
- Any person was injured in the accident (no matter how minor)
- Any person died as a result of the accident
- There was more than $1,000 in property damage
This is done by filing an SR-1 form with the DMV. Failure to file can result in license suspension. You must also report the accident to your insurance company as required by your policy. Waiting too long to file can result in a denial of your claim.
