Category: Car Accidents — Page 18 of 22

Drivers in California are legally required to have liability insurance coverage in case they injure someone in a car accident.  For a variety of reasons, however, some motorists fail to comply with this insurance requirement.  If you are hurt in a car accident while driving without insurance, it will affect your right to receive compensation for your injuries. What Happens If You're In An Accident While Driving Without Insurance? California law penalizes uninsured … [Read more...]

What Is A Release of Liability Related To A Car Accident? by Michael Waks A release of liability is a document you sign giving up the right to make future claims related to an accident. Before you sign a release of liability, it is important to make sure you are getting the right settlement amount in exchange for signing. … [Read more...]

Side impact collisions are often caused by negligence or carelessness on the part of motorists.  These types of crashes are some of the most dangerous collisions that occur.  The side of a vehicle, unlike the hood, is not able to absorb much of the impact from a collision. Victims can be badly hurt or killed, and compensation is necessary to provide for treatment or to take care of family members left behind. To determine if it is appropriate to pursue a case for … [Read more...]

Car accidents are usually caused by a driver making a careless or negligent choice.  Sometimes, however, a crash happens because a driver has a medical episode like a heart attack or a seizure. When this occurs, it is imperative to determine if the incident was simply an unavoidable Act of God for which no one was to blame, or if the driver was negligent for  driving despite having a high-risk medical condition. Cases involving car accidents caused by medical emergency can be complicated.  A … [Read more...]

A car accident lawyer helps crash victims obtain full and fair compensation for all their losses.  While attorneys can and do take cases to court on behalf of clients, most car accident claims don't proceed all the way through the litigation process.  Most cases settle outside of court with an insurer paying a negotiated amount to accident victims, and the victims signing a release of liability as a condition of the settlement. Fair Claims Settlement Practices … [Read more...]

Drivers have many obligations on the road.  As the California Driver Handbook makes clear, one of the duties drivers have is to “not drive a vehicle so loaded, either with property or people, that you cannot control it, or see ahead or to the sides of your vehicle.”  Driving with an unsecured load is both a safety hazard and illegal under California Vehicle Code section 24002(a).  These rules about the safe transport of cargo apply to passenger cars.  There are … [Read more...]

Drivers involved in collisions in California are expected to stop and exchange insurance and contact information with other involved motorists.  In cases where an injury or death occurs if a driver fails to stop, that driver may face criminal charges for a hit-and-run accident. Victims of a hit-and-run accident can face many challenges in seeking compensation for crash related losses. First and foremost, the accident victim may be unable to find and/or identify the … [Read more...]

Los Angeles has long been an automobile-focused city, but trends may be shifting.  As the LA Times reports, city leaders have endorsed a sweeping policy designed to rework some of the main boulevards to make them more accessible for buses, bicycles and pedestrians.  This, in turn, will leave less room for motor vehicles. The new mobility plan is creating controversy.  Transit advocates and the growing bicyclist and pedestrian community are excited about the changes, but opponents … [Read more...]

New studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have some good news and some bad news.  While the number of drivers with alcohol in their system has declined since 2007, the number of drivers with marijuana or other drugs has gone up.  The mixed results from the study show there is still a very serious risk that some motorists are driving while impaired. Drunk Driving Accident Risks in Long Beach The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has conducted a … [Read more...]

After an auto accident, the insurance company may pressure you to sign a release of liability.  Whether you are making a claim with your own insurer or against another driver's insurance, you could find yourself with an insurance adjuster putting a release of liability form in front of you. Before you sign this form, or any other paperwork from an insurer, you should talk with a Long Beach car accident lawyer.  Releasing the insurer and the other driver of liability too soon … [Read more...]