Injured In Pasadena Car Accident? We Can Help.
Car accidents range from minor bump-ins to serious accidents that result in severe, even catastrophic injuries or death. If you are involved in a less serious car accident, you may believe your injuries are negligible, only to find out later they are more serious than you realized. During a car collision, the body is flooded with adrenaline. This adrenaline rush can mask injuries, causing many people to refuse medical treatment because they believe they are “fine.” You should always have a medical professional check you out—even if you think you are fine. Your body may take a few days to feel the effects of the collision fully. This can be a critical time for a future claim against the negligent party for damages related to your injuries.
If you were involved in a Pasadena, CA car accident, you must speak to an experienced Pasadena car accident attorney as quickly as possible. A knowledgeable car accident attorney from the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky can guide you through this difficult time, holding the negligent party responsible. Attorney Scott Glovsky will fight for your rights and your future, ensuring you receive the medical treatments you need as well as the financial damages you are entitled to receive. Do not face these issues on your own—the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky can provide the help you need now.
Pasadena Car Accident Statistics
According to city-data.com, there were seven fatal car accidents in Pasadena in 2019. Of those fatal car accidents, two involved driver impairments, eight people died (two of which were pedestrians), and a total of 26 people were involved in those seven fatal accidents. In 2018 in Pasadena (according to ots.ca.gov), there were a total of 933 victims of car accidents—either injured or killed.
Pasadena ranked 21/59 among Los Angeles County cities for the frequency of car accidents and 3/59 for the number of pedestrians killed in car accidents. Those involved in serious car accidents face months, years, or even a lifetime of surgical procedures and rehabilitative therapies. Some will never fully recover from their Pasadena car accident. At the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky, we have the experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to ensure you receive a fair amount for damages related to your car accident.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Pasadena, CA
While it is difficult to put a number on how many accidents are caused by distracted driving (drivers do not want to admit they were distracted), many experts believe distracted driving is the top cause of auto accidents. A car accident is much more likely when drivers are distracted by their phone, children in the back seat, other passengers, eating, changing car controls, or any other type of distraction. Other common causes of car accidents include:
- Excess speed
- Impaired driving
- Driving recklessly or carelessly
- Adverse weather conditions
- Running stop lights and stop signs
- Inexperienced teen drivers
- Driving at night
If the driver who hit you was not driving responsibly, then they may be held liable for your injuries and damages. Most car accidents could be avoided if drivers paid more attention and made better decisions. If you have been involved in a Pasadena car accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky on your side, fighting for the compensation you are owed.
Proving Liability for a California Car Collision
To receive compensation for your injuries, your attorney will show the defendant acted negligently in your case. Under California Law, negligence consists of the duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. Showing the other driver had a duty of care is relatively simple. Whenever we get behind the wheel of a car, we assume a duty of care to the drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists around us.
Next, your attorney will show that the other driver breached this duty of care. When we act carelessly or recklessly or violate a traffic law, we have breached our duty of care. If there were witnesses to the other driver’s careless or reckless driving, you must obtain contact information for those witnesses.
Next, your attorney will show that the other driver’s breach of duty of care directly resulted in your accident. This is known as causation. Two types of causation must be proven—actual and proximate. The final part of proving liability is to show that you suffered specific damages due to the car accident. These damages may be in the form of lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and certain other damages.
California operates under pure comparative negligence rules in car accidents and all other personal injury cases. This means the driver responsible for causing an accident only compensates the injured party per their percentage of fault. For example, if the other driver ran a stoplight, hitting you and causing the accident, but it can be proven you were speeding at the time, the other driver might be judged to be 75 percent at fault. In practical terms, if you were to be awarded $200,000 for your injuries and lost wages, that amount would be reduced by 25 percent or $50,000 for your negligence in the incident.
Wrongful Death Claims in a Pasadena, CA Car Accident
When a car accident results in a fatality, certain surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim is like a personal injury claim, although the damages have additional elements. In other words, medical expenses and lost wages could also be a part of a wrongful death claim. Still, there could also be funeral expenses, loss of consortium, loss of guidance for a child, loss of inheritance, and loss of future wages if the decedent was the primary earner.
What are the Potential Damages in A Pasadena Car Accident?
Compensatory damages cover medical expenses, including emergency transportation costs, hospital bills, physician costs, prescription costs, and more. If your injuries are expected to require a long period of recovery that includes medical treatments and rehabilitative therapies, this will be included under medical expenses. If you cannot return to work for a relatively short period due to your injuries, you will be entitled to lost wages.
If you will be unable to return to work for months, years, or possibly forever, you are entitled to receive future lost wages. You are entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, which can include actual physical pain, as well as emotional or mental trauma. Punitive damages are rare, intending to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar misconduct among those who exhibited particularly reckless or malicious conduct.
Should You Contact the Police Even if the Car Accident is Minor?
You should always contact law enforcement following a car accident. In some cases, the at-fault driver could ask you not to contact the police, telling you they will simply pay the damages out-of-pocket. This is extremely risky, as the at-fault driver may not have auto insurance or could have been impaired at the time of the accident. You need a police report to help you show who was at fault in the accident—and to be able to collect damages from the negligent driver’s insurance.
What Should You Do Following a Car Accident That Is Not Your Fault?
If a negligent driver has injured you, there are steps you can take immediately following the collision that can significantly help your attorney secure damages on your behalf. Of course, you should first attend to the medical needs of yourself and all those involved in the accident. If you are physically able, take some photos of the accident scene, including the license plate number of the other car. Next, if there are witnesses to the accident, jot down contact information. Even if you believe you might have been partially at fault, never say this. It is wise even to avoid saying “I’m sorry.”
While you may mean you are sorry the accident occurred, this could later be misconstrued as you are sorry for your part in the accident. Once you are home, contact your own insurance company and write down every detail you remember about the crash once you are home. Keep a file of every medical receipt related to the accident, and, finally, contact attorney Scott Glovsky to ensure your rights are properly protected.
When Should You Hire a Pasadena Car Accident Attorney Following a Car Crash?
Ideally, you should hire a Pasadena car accident attorney as quickly as possible following your accident. There are statutes of limitations to consider, and the faster your attorney can begin gathering evidence to support your claim, the better your outcome is likely to be. As time passes, witnesses may move, their memories can fade, or evidence can disappear entirely. Attorney Scott Glovsky is simply better prepared, more focused, and fully prepared to aggressively defend your right to a fair settlement following an accident that was not your fault.
How a Pasadena Car Accident Attorney from the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky Can Help
Car accidents can result in severe, life-altering injuries. Fortunately, you have an advocate in attorney Scott Glovsky. We want to help you through this difficult time to hold the negligent party accountable. Scott Glovsky is a highly skilled negotiator, as well as a smart, aggressive litigator when necessary. Our goal at the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky is to make a real difference in the lives of every single client. Contact an experienced attorney from the Law Offices of Scott Glovsky today to pursue the compensation you deserve.