If you get injured in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s careless or reckless actions in Irvine, you are entitled to financial compensation. At Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, we believe that no car accident victim should have to worry about getting the case results they deserve for a serious or life-changing automobile accident. We provide strong legal advocacy for crash victims and their families. Let us help you seek justice after a car accident in Irvine. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Our Irvine Car Accident Lawyers?
- Our legal team has more than 75 years of combined negotiation and litigation experience, allowing us to handle even the most challenging automobile accident case.
- We have achieved over for our clients, including many positive outcomes for motor vehicle accident victims.
- Our team of attorneys practices open and honest communication. We believe in a client-centered approach to personal injury law and will always keep you updated about your case.
- You will only be charged attorney’s fees if we secure financial compensation for your losses. Our Irvine personal injury lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis.
Irvine Car Accident Resources
To immediately access the resources at any point on this page, click the corresponding links below.
- How a Car Accident Lawyer in Irvine Can Help You
- Areas We Serve
- We Can Help After Any Type of Auto Accident in Irvine
- Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Irvine
- Is California a No-Fault State
- How to Prove Fault in an Irvine Car Accident Case
- California Car Accident Statistics
- Common Car Accident Injuries
- How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth
- Types of Financial Compensation Available
- What Is Comparative Negligence and How Might It Affect Your Car Accident Claim?
- How to Deal With a Car Insurance Claims Adjuster
- What Is the Statute of Limitations on an Irvine Car Accident Claim?
- Request a Free Consultation With a Car Accident Attorney in Irvine Today
How a Car Accident Lawyer in Irvine Can Help You
Working with an experienced car accident lawyer in Irvine can ensure you are treated fairly by insurance companies during your claim. Your attorneys will take over communications with an insurance carrier to advocate for your best interests and fight for fair financial compensation. A car insurance company will not be able to take advantage of you with an attorney by your side.
A law firm can send investigators to the scene of your car accident to investigate and collect evidence. Your lawyer will have connections to experts, such as crash reconstruction professionals and medical experts, to strengthen your case. After accurately calculating your damages, your lawyer can file a legal claim, negotiate a settlement or represent you in court, if necessary, for a positive case outcome. Meanwhile, you can concentrate on healing.
Areas We Serve
No matter where your car accident occurred in California, we can help you with the claims process. We serve all of California with tailored legal services.
The areas we serve include, but are not limited to:
- Irvine
- Newport Beach
- Orange County
- Anaheim
- Fullerton
- Santa Ana
- Santa Rosa
- Santa Barbara
We offer 100 percent free initial case consultations over the phone and in person. Whether you connect with one of our Orange County personal injury lawyers or a Newport Beach one, we serve a wide range of areas in Southern California. Our Orange County law office is located at 26 Corporate Plaza, Suite 250, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
We Can Help After Any Type of Auto Accident in Irvine
The trial attorneys at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian are proud to offer unparalleled legal representation for car accident victims in Irvine. Our extensive litigation experience enables us to effectively navigate even the most complicated cases.
We accept all types of motor vehicle collision cases, including:
- Car accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Pedestrian accident
- Bicycle accident
- Truck accident
- Bus accident
- Uber or Lyft accident
- Rollover
- Rear-end collision
- Parking lot accident
- T-bone accident
- Head-on collision
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Drunk driving accident
- Hit-and-run
- Uninsured/underinsured driver accident
- Auto part defects
As your attorneys, we will investigate your car accident carefully to look for signs of fault. Then, we will use what we find to help you hold one or more parties accountable for your related injuries and losses. Contact us after any type of automobile accident in Irvine for top-tier representation.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Irvine
If you are involved in a car accident in Irvine, it is important to know what steps to take next. The things you do (and don’t do) can impact your physical, emotional and financial future.
Try to stay calm and remember to take these steps:
- Pull over at the scene of the accident and check for injuries. If anyone is injured, render aid.
- Get medical care. Even if you initially feel fine, you may have hidden or delayed injuries.
- Call 911 to report your car accident to the police. Do not admit fault.
- Exchange information with the other driver involved and any eyewitnesses.
- Take photographs and videos of the scene of the accident before you leave.
- Contact your car insurance carrier to report the accident as soon as possible.
- If you believe the other driver is at fault, file a claim with his or her insurance company.
- Continue your medical care and treatment plan as ordered by your doctor.
- Do not accept the first settlement offered to you by an insurance company.
- Consult with an experienced Irvine car accident attorney for assistance with the claims process.
A car insurance company will analyze your actions during its investigation of your car accident claim. If you miss an important step, they may use it against you. When in doubt, contact a lawyer early for advice and guidance. You can trust your lawyer to walk you through the legal process from start to finish.
Is California a No-Fault State?
No, California is not a no-fault state. California uses a traditional fault-based rule to assign liability, or legal responsibility, in automobile accident cases. Under this law, the person or party at fault for causing a car accident is responsible for paying for a victim’s medical bills, property repairs and other losses.
All motor vehicle owners in California are required to carry proof of insurance in minimum amounts. Bodily injury and property damage liability coverage are both mandatory. If a motor vehicle driver is at fault for a car accident, such as after violating a traffic law, that driver’s insurance carrier will be responsible for paying a valid claim.
How to Prove Fault in an Irvine Car Accident Case
The benefit of a fault-based insurance law is that a third-party claim against another driver can generally result in a greater financial outcome than a first-party claim (with the victim’s own insurer). However, the tradeoff is that the victim must prove or establish fault.
Most car accident cases use the legal doctrine of negligence, meaning a failure to act in a reasonable manner that results in harm to another person. For example, a motor vehicle driver is negligent if he or she texts and drives and causes a distracted driving accident in Irvine.
Proving negligence requires evidence of four elements:
- Duty of care: a responsibility owed by the accused party (defendant) to prevent harm to others.
- Breach of duty: an act or omission that violated the defendant’s duty of care.
- Causation: proof that the breach of duty was the proximate or actual cause of the auto accident.
- Damages: losses suffered by the crash victim, such as injuries and medical bills.
Clear and convincing evidence of fault is required to prove a car accident case in California. While evidence can vary, it may include a police accident report, photographs and videos, eyewitness statements, expert testimony, and medical documentation of injuries. A car accident lawyer in Irvine can help you collect evidence to prove your individual claim.
California Car Accident Statistics
Every year, California leads the country in terms of the number of auto accidents. In the State of California 4,285 people died in fatal traffic accidents . The City of Irvine reported 467 victims killed and injured in car accidents within the same year. Fifty-three (53) of these accidents involved alcohol-impaired drivers.
Common Car Accident Injuries
The forces involved in a motor vehicle collision can inflict serious injuries on vehicle occupants. A car accident has the potential to injure any part of the body due to blunt-force trauma, penetrating injuries, fires or explosions, and flying debris or shrapnel.
Common types of injuries include:
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries
- Concussions
- Crush injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Emotional and psychological damage
- Facial injuries
- Herniated disks
- Internal injuries
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Paralysis
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Soft-tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
At Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, we handle car accident cases involving traumatic and catastrophic injuries, including permanent disability and wrongful death. We will make sure you receive the medical care you need. Then, we will pursue fair compensation for what may be a lifetime of related medical costs and losses.
How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
There is no “average” car accident settlement value that applies universally to every case. Values are determined on a case-by-case basis according to factors such as the extent of the victim’s injuries, the cost of required medical care, the amount of pain and suffering, the victim’s age and overall health, and the limits on available insurance policies. Before you agree to a settlement from an insurance company, learn the true value of your case by speaking to an attorney.
Types of Financial Compensation Available
California law permits the recovery of economic and noneconomic damages in a car accident case. This means you may be entitled to compensation that reimburses your monetary losses after a car accident as well as makes up for the intangible losses you experienced due to the crash.
Damages can be awarded for all of the following:
- Past and future medical care and required treatments
- Motor vehicle damage repairs or replacement
- Lost wages and earnings, including future earning potential
- Physical pain, emotional distress and mental anguish
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- The wrongful death of a loved one (after a fatal car accident)
Some car accident cases in Irvine also involve punitive damages – an additional award granted to punish a defendant for especially egregious acts of wrongdoing, such as reckless driving or intent to harm.
What Is Comparative Negligence and How Might It Affect Your Car Accident Claim?
In California, a law known as the pure comparative negligence doctrine could impact the value of your car accident case. Under this rule, a victim’s compensatory award can be diminished if he or she is allocated a percentage of fault for a car accident. California Civil Code § 1714 states:
Everyone is responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself.
If you are assigned a percentage of fault for the car accident, such as 10 percent for speeding, this will reduce your financial reward by an equivalent value under this law. In this example, a $100,000 award would be reduced by 10 percent ($10,000) to $90,000.
How to Deal With a Car Insurance Claims Adjuster
Blaming you for the car accident is just one tactic an insurance company may use to try to minimize your payout or avoid paying you altogether. Another is to underestimate the value of your claim in the hopes that you will accept a settlement that is less than you deserve.
When you are contacted by an insurance company claims adjuster, protect your rights by saying as little as possible about the crash and your injuries. Do not give the adjuster a recorded statement. If you are offered a settlement, wait to accept until you get your case reviewed by an attorney.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on an Irvine Car Accident Claim?
You should always file a car insurance claim as soon as possible after a car accident, while important evidence is still available and within the insurance company’s deadline. While most car accident claims in Irvine reach settlements, if your case has to proceed to court, you only have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit under California’s statute of limitations – two years, in most cases.
Section 335.1 of the California Civil Code states that “an action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another” must be commenced within two years. In general, this means two years from the date of the car accident. However, you may have two years from the date of discovery if you discovered your injuries later. Act quickly to ensure that you do not miss your deadline to file.
Request a Free Consultation With a Car Accident Attorney in Irvine Today
You do not have to go up against a car insurance company alone after a motor vehicle accident in Irvine. You have the right to hire an experienced and skilled car accident attorney to represent you. At Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, we are passionate about helping car accident victims and the loved ones of those who have lost their lives in crashes.
When you need representation from an attorney you can count on, contact us for a free initial consultation. We will listen to your story and help you rebuild your life after a motor vehicle collision. Call (866) 953-2833 or fill out our contact form today.