The city of Modesto, California sees many hundreds of car accidents each year, resulting in many injuries and deaths. The streets of Modesto can be dangerous sometimes, but we’re here to help if you need a car accident lawyer in Modesto, CA after a crash.
Our nearby legal team will even find experienced medical providers for you and deal with the insurance companies for you, so you don’t have to do anything but focus on recovering from your injuries. Our Modesto lawyers service the area and have the experience required to obtain justice for your case.
Call us today at (209) 232-2933 or fill out our simple contact form to obtain your FREE consultation today. We’re available 24/7.
Why You Need a Modesto Car Accident Lawyer for Your Case
One reason you should consider looking for a car accident lawyer near you is to protect you when speaking with insurance companies. The insurance adjuster that works for the at-fault driver’s insurance company is trained to manipulate you into saying things that will reduce or eliminate their insured’s liability for your damages. It is very easy to accidentally say something that implies your own fault for an accident, or that you’re not hurt as badly as you claim. For example, you could find an insurance company claiming you’re not actually injured that badly if you do something as simple as replying “fine” when the adjuster asks “how are you today?”
To make things worse, the insurance company will take advantage of you unless you have a strong, experienced car accident lawyer representing you. They will low-ball you with their settlement offers if you don’t have a lawyer, as they know your chances of winning a lawsuit without one are slim to none.
What We Can Do for You After Your Auto Accident in Modesto
With one of our firm’s Modesto accident attorneys on your team, you won’t have to talk to the other driver’s insurer at all. Instead, your lawyer will talk to the insurer for you, explaining your damages to them and negotiating on your behalf. In addition to all that, your Modesto car accident attorney will:
- Gather evidence (such as traffic camera footage and your medical bills) to show the insurer (or a court) your damages are legitimate
- Corroborate your evidence with statements from witnesses and experts, like a medical expert
- List all your damages for the insurer and for a potential court
- Valuate your damages fairly so the insurer can’t lowball their offers
- Establish fault in your case and protect you from any blame
- Negotiate your settlement for you (or litigate your case if necessary)
What We Can Recover For Your Auto Accident Injuries in Modesto
We could recover multiple types of damages for you if you were injured in a car accident in Modesto, including:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional injuries
- Property damage
- Rental car costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Modifications to your home/vehicle for disability accommodations
- Disfigurement
- Inconvenience
- Punitive damages in some cases, such as drunk driving cases
- Wrongful death damages if you lost a loved one in a car accident
What If I Only Suffered Aggravation To A Pre-Existing Injury?
You may be eligible for financial compensation for any or all of the above, even if your accident only aggravated a pre-existing injury rather than giving you a new injury.
However, it can be very difficult and complicated to prove that a pre-existing injury was made worse by an accident. You shouldn’t try to prove this yourself to an insurance company. It’s important that you call experienced car accident lawyers like Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers if your pre-existing injury was made worse by an accident. We have been successfully proving that our clients’ pre-existing injuries were made worse by accidents for over 30 years.
How to Establish Liability in a Modesto Car Accident Case
California Civil Jury Instructions No. 401 defines negligence as failing to use reasonable care to prevent harm to others or oneself. People can be negligent by acting or failing to act, according to the instructions. Doing what a reasonably careful person would not do is negligent, as is not doing what a reasonably careful person would do.
Our car accident lawyers in Modesto can obtain a car accident recovery for you by proving that your injuries were the result of somebody else’s negligence. It’s necessary to establish negligence in car accident claims in order to prove the other party’s liability. California Civil Jury Instructions No. 400 states what must be proven to establish a negligence case in California. It states that the following must be proven:
- The defendant was negligent
- The plaintiff was harmed
- The defendant’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff
Drivers in California (and their insurance companies) are liable for damages caused by the drivers’ negligence, including injuries caused by their negligence.
Examples of Negligence
There are many examples of negligent acts a driver can commit which can lead to an accident and injuries, including but not limited to:
- Speeding
- Not staying alert and attentive and not keeping a proper lookout
- Driving in any way that causes the driver to lose control of the car
- Driving a poorly maintained car, such as a car without properly working brakes
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Failing to obey right-of-way laws
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Failing to properly use vehicle equipment, like headlights
- Failing to obey traffic laws
- Driving while distracted by texting or other cell phone use
- Driving while too fatigued
Comparative Negligence
California Civil Jury Instructions No. 405 establishes comparative negligence in California. It states a defendant must prove the following to establish a comparative negligence case:
- The plaintiff was negligent
- The plaintiff’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing their own harm
If comparative negligence can be established in a case, the plaintiff’s damages are reduced by what the jury decides the plaintiff’s percentage of fault for the accident is.
What this essentially means is that if you are 30% at fault for an accident that injured you and the other driver is 70% at fault, the other driver and their insurance company will only be liable for 70% of your damages.
Wrongful Deaths in Modesto Car Accident Cases
Sometimes, a collision can result in a victim’s loss of life. If your loved one lost their life in a collision, you could have a wrongful death case, as opposed to a personal injury case.
In a California wrongful death case, you can hold the other party accountable for the incident and for the damages your loved one, you, and your family all have. These damages can include both financial and intangible damages, including lost family income and loss of emotional support.
Our personal injury lawyers take on personal injury and wrongful death cases in Modesto, so we can help you in either case.
The Filing Deadline for Lawsuits Involving Auto Accidents in Modesto, CA
You may or may not be considering a lawsuit against the other driver. Typically, lawsuits are for more serious cases, such as a case involving the loss of life, whereas claims are for less serious cases, like one involving non-life-threatening injuries. Regardless, you may want to consider that at some point in your case, filing a lawsuit may become your best option.
In California, to meet the deadline for a personal injury suit, you have two years from the date of your accident to file the suit, per the statute of limitations in CCP § 335.1. Per the same code, to meet the deadline for a wrongful death suit, you have two years from the date of the loss of life to file the suit.
A personal injury lawyer from our firm can help you meet either deadline for your case.
The Modesto Car Accident Attorneys From Our Firm Are Ready To Help
Are you looking for the best car accident lawyer in Modesto? Our car accident lawyers have been specializing in car accident cases since 1990 and have recovered over $750,000,000 on behalf of clients in that time. We’ve seen every kind of auto accident there is to see – so, we know every method when it comes to proving our clients’ motor vehicle accidents were the result of someone else’s negligence.
We can hire professionals to thoroughly examine and recreate the accident scene to prove another driver’s negligence caused our clients’ injuries. On top of that, your personal injury attorney will work for you on a contingency basis, so you won’t pay your lawyer anything until they recover compensation for you.
Contact Our Modesto Car Accident Lawyers Today
Your consultation and case review with our California personal injury lawyers at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers will be free of charge. Best of all, we offer our clients a no-fee promise, meaning you will never be charged a fee unless we obtain a recovery for you! We will only charge you a small percentage of your recovery as our fee, and only in the event one of our Modesto auto accident attorneys obtain a recovery for you.
Call us now for a FREE consultation at (209) 232-2933 or fill out our quick contact form. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a car accident in Modesto, you may be entitled to financial compensation – and we’re here to help you claim it.
We’re available 24/7 to support you.
