After a car accident, hire an experienced and top-performing car accident attorney to preserve your rights and get the compensation you deserve. An attorney will advocate for your best interests, navigate the complex legal system, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, represent you in court.
Asking the right questions will help you get to know the law firm and its approach, understand the legal claims process and make you feel comfortable about proceeding with a lawsuit.
Most of our clients have never worked with a trial lawyer or filed a lawsuit before, so they often ask us many questions.
As a client-focused law firm, Wilshire Law Firm believes in treating all our clients with respect and compassion. We aim to make you not just comfortable but completely confident in selecting Wilshire Law Firm for your case.
These are some of the questions our lawyers hear often. You may have some additional questions specific to your case, so reach out to us. We want to help!
What’s the Most Important Thing to Do After My Accident?
We believe there are two sides to this question. Taking care of your health is your top priority after a car accident. Many injuries don’t seem obvious at first and may become symptomatic weeks, months, or even years later.
Concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) must be treated properly, for instance. Mild soreness in your neck or back might become something much more serious if you ignore it.
Getting medical treatment also demonstrates that you took your injuries seriously from the start and are committed to a full recovery. It also helps validate the existence and extent of your injuries.
Your medical records provide evidence of the injuries you sustained in the accident. Things like X-rays, doctor’s notes on your symptoms and pain levels, and prescribed treatment plans all create a paper trail that can significantly bolster your case and defeat arguments that your injuries were pre-existing.
Just as you protect your health, you want to protect your finances. Doing that means hiring a personal injury lawyer who becomes your advocate and your ally, fighting for your full compensation and never backing down until we secure it.
What Should I Do to Strengthen My Case?
To strengthen your car accident case:
- Take photos and shoot videos of the crash scene from multiple angles. Photographing and videoing the scene preserves evidence of vehicle damage, road conditions, and traffic signals/signs.
- Obtain the witnesses’ contact information. Their statements can provide third-party validation of what occurred.
- Do not discuss the accident details or admit fault of any degree when speaking to other drivers involved in the crash, their passengers, or their insurance company. The defense could use anything you say to diminish your claim.
- Do not post about your accident or injuries on any social media platform.
- Keep detailed records and receipts related to all accident-related expenses, including medical bills, repair costs, lost income documentation, etc.
- Keep a journal. Write detailed recollections of the accident as soon as possible while details are fresh in your mind. Write about your emotional state and struggles. These will help us quantify your non-economic damages, including pain and suffering and emotional distress.
What Deadlines Must I Meet?
Yes, California’s statute of limitations for filing car accident lawsuits is two years. That means you have two years from the day of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, a few exceptions may extend or shorten the statute of limitations, depending on the specifics of your case.
Additionally, there may be other interim deadlines your attorney must meet throughout the legal process, especially if your lawsuit involves a government entity, an uninsured or underinsured motorist, or goes to trial.
Wilshire Law will manage and meet these deadlines for you. We keep you informed of your case’s progress, and we will contact you should we need to do anything.
What Evidence Will Support My Case?
Thorough documentation and evidence strengthen your case. Any accident-related materials you have will help us build a strong claim for you.
Materials we usually ask clients for include:
- Accident scene photos and videos, pictures or video of vehicle damage, injuries, road conditions, traffic signals, etc.
- Contact information for any witnesses
- The police report
- Medical records and receipts
- Repair estimates or bills for vehicle damage
- Documentation of wages lost due to missed work
- Journals or notes tracking your injuries, recovery process, and how the accident impacted your daily life
- Any correspondence with insurance companies
How Long Will It Take to Resolve My Case?
At Wilshire Law Firm, we know that our car accident clients like you need relief as soon as possible. Lost work, mounting medical bills, and depleted savings are some of the many hardships you face in the aftermath of a crash.
Wilshire Law Firm’s car accident lawyers have years of experience litigating car accident lawsuits. We know what to expect, and we will give you realistic expectations from the start. We keep you informed about delays.
Every case is unique, so resolution timelines vary widely. Whatever your case, we work to resolve it and get you maximum compensation as quickly as possible.
How Often Will We Communicate?
We pride ourselves on open, honest, and regular communication. At Wilshire Law Firm, we understand the importance of informing you from beginning to end. We will provide regular case updates through your preferred contact method, be it phone, email, or in-person meetings.
What Can You Do To Strengthen My Case?
As a client, you have the most at stake in your car accident case. That’s why Wilshire Law Firm will take the time to explain our approach to pursuing maximum compensation for your losses.
The major steps our results-driven team of personal injury lawyers and staff take include:
- Thoroughly investigate all negligent parties
- Gather all accident-related evidence
- Manage all communications and negotiations with insurance companies
- Enlist expert witnesses and accident reconstructionists when needed
- Identify all negligent parties and sources of compensation
- Calculate all economic and non-economic damages
- Prepare your case for trial if other parties refuse to settle fairly
- Take your case to court and fight aggressively for you before a judge and jury
- Leverage our extensive experience and resources for your best interests
- Provide compassionate support during this difficult time
What Damages Can I Seek?
Our personal injury lawyers evaluate every aspect of your case to identify and pursue every dollar of compensation you deserve. We can fight tirelessly to recover the full extent of the losses you suffered.
Damages you can seek for car accident injuries typically fall into two groups:
Economic Damages
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages from missed work
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Costs for vehicle repairs or replacement
- Other accident-related out-of-pocket expenses
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
Occasionally, the court may award punitive damages to plaintiffs. They punish the at-fault party when the court finds their conduct grossly negligent or intentional.
Will My Claim Cover Future Medical Costs?
Absolutely. Some accident-related injuries have lasting effects requiring ongoing care or even a lifetime of treatment.
Our top priority is ensuring you receive compensation to cover all current and future accident-related medical expenses so you will never have to face severe economic hardship or bankruptcy.
How Much Will You Pursue for My Damages?
The amount we pursue depends on the total economic and non-economic impacts the accident has had on your life.
Wilshire Law Firm takes an exhaustive approach, identifying every single loss to maximize the value of your claim. Our goal is always to recover complete and fair compensation for you.
What if I’m Partially at fault?
First, never admit any blame after a car accident, whether you’re talking to the police, the other driver, an insurance company, or posting on social media. We often handle cases where blame isn’t as obvious as it seems.
California applies a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning you can still recover damages even if you were partially at fault – as long as you are not 100% to blame. Say the court found you shared 25% of the blame for the accident that injured you. Your damages would decrease by 25%.
Hire the most experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer to handle your case. Our powerhouse team can back your case, fighting any blame the defense tries to pin on you to minimize your damages.
How Do You Determine Liability?
Establishing negligence is key to most successful car accident cases.
Our top-performing attorneys build a case that demonstrates the four elements of negligence:
- The defendant had a duty to the plaintiff (to drive responsibly, for instance)
- The defendant breached (failed) in that duty
- Their failure directly caused your injuries
- You suffered actual damages
Establishing negligence paves the way for you to recover the full compensation you deserve.
Will You Handle the Insurance Companies?
Yes, Wilshire Law Firm will handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies from start to finish. Insurance companies are one of the most powerful influences on the outcome of your car accident case.
Allowing us to handle all insurance companies is absolutely critical because insurers are motivated to minimize payouts, even to their own customers. Their adjusters may get you to make statements that downplay your injuries and undermine your case. They often rush to offer lowball settlements before the full damages are known, preying on accident victims’ vulnerability.
An insurance company’s settlement offer may entice you. If you accept it without legal advice, you almost certainly get far less than you deserve. You also relinquish your right to pursue additional compensation should future medical needs and other expenses surface.
Our lawyers know how insurance companies operate. We refuse to let them take advantage of our clients. Our overachieving lawyers fight for the maximum compensation you deserve based on accurate data and facts—not an insufficient settlement determined by their profit motives. Protecting you is our top priority.
What Are My Case’s Strengths and Weaknesses?
In evaluating your case, we always identify its strengths and potential weaknesses, if any.
First, let’s consider the strengths:
- Evidence: Clear evidence, such as photos from the scene, witness statements, and a police report, that supports your version of events is a strong point. All of these help establish what happened and who was at fault.
- Compliance with Law: If you were following traffic laws and the other driver was not, this should strengthen your case.
- Documentation: Medical records linking your injuries directly to the accident also make for a strong case. They show the impact of the accident on your life and health.
Now, let’s discuss potential weaknesses:
- Partial Fault: If you had any role in causing the accident, this will likely reduce the amount of compensation you receive.
- Delayed Medical Treatment: If you waited to seek medical treatment after the accident, the opposing side might argue that your injuries were not serious or did not result from the accident.
- Inconsistent Statements: If your account of the accident has changed over time, this can undermine your credibility and weaken your case.
Understanding both sides helps us prepare the best case for you. By focusing on the strengths and addressing the weaknesses head-on, we improve your chances of a favorable outcome. Always discuss these aspects openly with us so we can represent you effectively.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
By far, most car accident lawsuits settle out of court through a series of negotiations between all the parties involved in the accident. However, our car accident attorneys prepare every case for the possibility of going to trial from day one.
We are not afraid to take your case in front of a judge and jury if the at-fault defendants, their insurers, and their attorneys refuse to offer a fair settlement amount. Our results-driven trial lawyers don’t back down until you get all the compensation you need and deserve.
How Much Do I Have to Pay?
Wilshire Law Firm works on a contingency fee structure, meaning you pay nothing upfront. Our fees are simply a percentage of your final settlement or award amount when we win your case. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you owe us nothing. We are upfront about your after-win expenses.
This arrangement ensures you have access to top-performing personal injury lawyers regardless of your financial situation.
