Fresno Car Accident Lawyer

Cars have become embedded in most people’s daily routines in Fresno and throughout the country. Unfortunately, reliance on personal vehicles for transportation puts millions of cars on the road in California daily, dramatically increasing the risks of a dangerous accident.

Being in a car accident can be confusing and frightening. Depending on the magnitude of the accident, it can cause severe injuries and even death. If you or a loved one are in a car accident, you do not need to face this difficult time in pain and alone. You can work with an established Fresno car accident attorney team to seek to recover the costs of treating your injuries along with your other losses.

At Singh Ahluwalia Law Firm, our car accident attorneys have years of combined experience helping those hurt seek compensation for their medical bills and other damages. We will provide you with a free, confidential, and no-obligation case review to discuss your strategies available for seeking compensation. When you are ready for someone to listen, we are here. Call (559) 878-4958 or Contact us online to schedule your appointment today.

How Fresno Car Accident Attorneys Can Help

Hiring a Fresno car accident attorney who understands car accident cases is critical when seeking to secure the maximum compensation possible. At Singh Ahluwalia Law Firm, we use our knowledge and experience to assist clients with obtaining all the compensation they need to restore them financially after their accident.

Your car accident lawyer will provide the following services:

• Provide legal representation and resources like crash scene investigators
• Provide legal guidance and strategy throughout the course of the claim
• Calculate the medical costs of treating injuries related to the accident
• Calculate all necessary future medical costs and treatments
• Calculate loss of wages caused by time taken off work because of pain or medical needs
• Document your personal pain and suffering, including both physical and emotional suffering
• Seek punitive damages for cases that go to trial in instances where there is extreme negligence and reckless behavior
• Provide compassionate care and counsel to reduce the burden placed upon you during your claim

Common Causes of Car Accidents Our Fresno Injury Lawyers See

Car accident attorneys are familiar with common forms of negligence that all-too-often lead to unfortunate crashes. Car accidents can seemingly appear out of nowhere, but they are usually caused by the careless actions of a negligent party.

The most common types of negligence that lead to car accidents include:

• Unsafe speed, especially when there are dangerous weather conditions
• Driver distractions, including daydreaming and “zoning out”
• Driving on the wrong side of the road, often seen in cases of driving under the influence
• Improper turns, like making a U-turn where it indicated not to do so
• Violation of the right-of-way rules, like failing to yield before turning
• Violation of stop signals and signs, such as yield signs and no-turn arrows
• Cell phone distraction, or use of other devices while operating the vehicle

Distracted Drivers Are Causing a Rise in Car Accidents

Today, drivers are easily distracted by cellphones, passengers, eating and/or drinking, and daydreaming during long commutes. Statistics show that, in 2019, 3,142 road accident deaths (8.70%) in California were related to distracted drivers.

Distracted driving incidents are growing, increasing the risks of injury or death for everyone on the road. A distraction can be anything, too, not just a device. It is defined as anything that causes a shift in a driver’s focus, from talking on a cell phone or texting to zoning out mentally when driving on a long commute. Distracted drivers inevitably end up ignoring their surroundings, even if they did not mean to, putting others at risk of an accident because of their negligence.

It is illegal in the state of California to use your cell phone while driving, and the state has introduced measures to help enforce its hands-free cellphone law. Awareness campaigns are being promoted by grant programs, for example, but cell phone use while driving remains a major cause for concern and a common source of dangerous and deadly collisions in Fresno.

What to Do After a Car Accident

There are a number of steps one should always take in the wake of an accident, regardless of the circumstances.

Always Call the Police

In the event of an accident, it is important to call 911 so that the police can assess the accident and complete a police report documenting all the primary factors involved, including the possible causes of the accident.

One should call the police no matter how minor a car accident may seem, as it is required to report most accidents under California law. Parties of the accident must also take care to exchange insurance information and document the accident with pictures and police reports, but police evidence will be considered some of the most important pieces of a typical car accident claim. Documentation and records are especially important when litigating cases that started as a simple claim but have escalated into significantly larger legal disputes.

Although waiting on the police to arrive may elongate the time at the scene, it will be the best move you can make in the long run. When police arrive at the scene of an accident, they will perform the following duties:

• The police will investigate the entire scene, including damages to personal property and bodily injuries. They will make an estimate as to the severity of injuries involved as well as the range of possible damages inflicted to vehicles and other personal property..
• The police will find witnesses, talk to them, and record their statements.
• The police will obtain and log any available evidence to support the claims of witnesses and both parties of the car accident.
• The police will provide official documents to both parties documenting what occurred.
• If applicable, the police may assign a citation to one or more parties for committing acts that they determine to have been moving violations or criminal activity.

California is an at-fault state, meaning injury victims must be prepared to prove fault and to file a liability claim against any negligent driver(s) if they wish to be compensated for their damages. Because of this system, it is important to call the police as soon as possible, in addition to documenting the incident yourself and exchanging insurance information with the other driver(s) involved. Police reports play a large part in helping to determine who is at fault in an accident. So even if the opposite party wishes to handle the case without police involvement, always call the police.

Gather Information From the Other Party

There are many moving parts during an accident, and it can be confusing about what information should be gathered from the opposite party. If you find yourself in an accident, make sure to gather the following information that pertains to the other party:

• Driver’s date of birth
• Driver’s license number and state
• Driver’s name and address
• Vehicle license plate number and state
• Driver’s insurance company name
• Insurance policy number and expiration date
• Policyholder’s name and address
• Vehicle owner’s name and address
• Injuries or property damage

This information is needed for filing a liability claim from the at-fault party’s insurer.

Always Seek Medical Attention

Injuries in a car accident can happen, no matter how minimal the collision is. While minor accidents do not often account for deaths, they can nevertheless cause serious injury. A minor accident is usually caused by drivers who are backing up without looking, negligent driving in dangerous weather conditions, distracted driving, and rear-end collisions in slow-moving traffic — especially in the presence of distractions, like looking at a cell phones.

“Fender benders” can still cause serious physical injuries to either party. These injuries include internal bleeding, soft tissue damage, concussions, whiplash, cuts and lacerations, and other minor injuries. Sometimes, these injuries will not appear for weeks or even months after the accident.

In 2019, California Highway Patrol reported that there were over 269,000 injuries in car accidents, with 3,737 people killed.

After being involved in a car accident, injuries may not be immediately apparent due to the presence of the adrenaline hormone. Adrenaline is released as the body’s natural reaction when someone is in a stressful situation and triggers their flight or fight responses. It is common to experience increased adrenaline levels immediately after a car accident that hide injuries. In fact, many serious injuries may not appear for weeks or even months after the accident because of the body’s natural pain management abilities. Consequently, it is important that you do not refuse the service if medical care is offered at the scene of the accident. It is difficult to feel injuries on adrenaline, but a medical professional can identify any harm you have suffered, including hard-to-detect injuries to soft tissues and internal organs.

Common Car Accident Injuries

The following injuries commonly result from collisions in Fresno:

• Head Injuries — These injuries can be caused by flying glass, displaced objects inside the vehicle, and even the force that thrusts you forward. While most of these injuries are minor, a few can be very dangerous, like Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) or concussions. Worst of all, the symptoms are not visible at the scene. TBIs occur when you receive a jolt or are forced quickly in one direction, where your brain bounces inside your skull. This injury can lead to chemical changes in the brain and brain cell damage.
• Neck Injuries — While whiplash is the most common injury after a car accident, it is not necessarily present at the time of the car accident. Unfortunately, whiplash can come days or weeks after the accident, presenting limited mobility and loss of flexibility and stiffness.
• Back Injuries — Spinal cord injuries are the most severe injuries in car accidents. This kind of injury can lead to fractures, paralysis, and a load of other sorts of medical complications. Spinal cord injuries are the most dangerous of all potential injuries you can face during a car accident. Victims can find themselves battling chronic pain, hernias, nerve damage, and other injuries. The pain can present itself up to months after the accident occurs.
• Abdominal Pain — Ruptures and tears can cause internal bleeding and damage other internal organs. Internal bleeding or damage to internal organs, like the spleen, can cause abdominal pain after an accident and can appear weeks after the accident. You must seek medical attention immediately if you feel any abdominal pain after an accident.

Dealing with pain can prevent you from enjoying doing the things you love and even spending time with your family. If you are dealing with chronic pain, stiffness, limited mobility, or any other medical conditions caused by a car accident, it is important to seek immediate medical attention and to also call a reputable Fresno car accident attorney. Your medical expenses should not come out of your pocket due to someone else’s negligence.

Singh Ahluwalia: Your Fresno Car Accident Attorney

Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law knows that you need someone who will fight for your legal rights and provide you with the attention and compassion you deserve. We feel for every injured client and do everything we can to make your experience as positive as possible from start to finish. When you feel no one is there to help, don’t give up — lawyer up! Reach out to our experienced attorneys, and know that someone is there to care about what happens to you.

When you work with the attorneys at Singh Ahluwalia Law Firm, our experienced legal team is highly familiar with the process of handling complex car accident claims. We know how to investigate accidents, review evidence, and build strong legal cases to defend our clients, and as a result, we have helped many car accident victims get financial compensation for their losses. We work to handle car accident cases daily and have proven results.

Our car accident lawyers have years of combined experience fighting and finding compensation our clients desperately need. Call (559) 878-4958 or Contact us online today for a free, no-obligation consultation over the phone or in person at our local office. We are here to help.