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San Bernardino Car Accident Attorney

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Car accidents are some of the most common reasons injured individuals reach out for legal assistance. A car accident can severely complicate someone’s life, and vehicle damage is just the beginning. Serious injuries resulting from car accidents can prevent a victim from returning to work, cause permanent physical and psychological trauma, and destroy financial security. Insurance doesn’t always cover the full extent of a victim’s injuries, and that’s where our San Bernardino car accident attorneys can help.

The team at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo understands what car accident victims and their families endure. For the last three decades, we’ve built a reputation for excellence in personal injury cases in San Bernardino. Our job extends far beyond negotiating settlements and aggressively pursuing lawsuits.

We are also some of the most accessible accident attorneys in the area and we’ll take the time to come to you to discuss a case. If you need medical help, we’ll ensure you have access to qualified health care professionals. We want to help you make the best possible recovery after suffering from a car accident.

Why Choose DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo for This Claim?

  • At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we have been helping personal injury victims in San Bernardino and throughout California since 1979.
  • Our team has recovered significant multimillion-dollar settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of car accident victims over the last three decades.
  • We strive to have open communication with our clients, and you will always have a personal injury attorney available to answer your questions or listen to your concerns while your case is ongoing.

What Will a Car Accident Attorney Do to Help Your Case?

Insurance carriers will do what they can to limit how much money you recover for your claim. Often, this means they may even deny your claim initially, or they may try to shift some or all of the blame for the incident onto you. When you have a skilled San Bernardino vehicle accident lawyer by your side, you will have an advocate available to push back against any tactic by the insurance carrier.

Your lawyer will have the resources necessary to help you through every step. This will include fully investigating the incident to find the evidence needed to prove what happened and ensuring that you are evaluated by a trusted medical professional. Your lawyer will be the one to negotiate with the other parties involved. You will not have to handle any of that. If necessary, your car accident lawyer will fully prepare your case for a trial by jury to ensure that you are treated fairly. In a case where you have lost a loved one in a car accident, our San Bernardino wrongful death lawyers can help.

What to Do After a San Bernardino Car Accident

After a car accident, you may experience a whirlwind of activity with doctors, investigators, and insurance representatives all trying to find out what happened. Since this part of the process can be very overwhelming, we encourage injured individuals and their families to reach out for a free legal consultation as quickly as possible. The sooner an attorney reviews your case, the more likely it is you will recover maximum compensation.

Take pictures at the scene of the accident if you have an opportunity. Accident scenes are often cleared quickly, and some evidence may disappear during the cleanup. Some simple images from your phone may yield helpful insights into what caused the accident.

If you do speak with claims adjusters, police officers, or investigators before consulting your San Bernardino car accident attorney, focus on the facts. Many injured individuals unwittingly implicate themselves in causing an accident with phrases like, “I’m so sorry,” or “I wasn’t really paying attention.” California is an at-fault state, and if you were responsible for causing any part of the accident, the courts may limit the amount of compensation you can claim. Only provide factual information and request that the individual wait for the results of the investigation to ask any further questions.

Who is Liable After a California Car Accident?

Determining liability is the key factor in any vehicle accident case. Some cases are clear-cut, but many involve factors that are not readily apparent. For instance, you might assume that the driver is always at fault in a single-car crash. However, many single-car crashes occur because of a defective part. In those cases, the manufacturer is wholly liable for any resulting damage and injuries. In accidents involving multiple vehicles, one or more drivers may shoulder some of the responsibility.

Every case is different, and only a careful evaluation of the facts will yield the information needed to hold a defendant accountable for the accident and resulting injuries. Other drivers on the roads, truckers, auto manufacturers, rideshare companies, and roadway construction companies may be potential defendants in a car accident claim. We may also hold an auto insurance company liable for failing to honor the terms of a policy and provide fair compensation.

What Type of Compensation is Available for These Claims?

There may be various types of compensation available to car accident victims in San Bernardino if another driver causes their accident. Whether through an insurance settlement or a jury verdict, you should be able to recover the following:

  • Complete coverage of all medical expenses related to the incident
  • Payment of physical therapy or rehabilitation costs
  • Property damage expenses for your vehicle 
  • Coverage of lost income if you cannot work
  • Pain and suffering damages
  • Loss of quality of life damages

There is no set amount of compensation paid to injured crash victims. There are various factors that can influence the total settlement amount, including the severity of your injuries, whether or not you can work, how long it takes to recover from your personal injury, how much it costs to repair your vehicle, and whether or not you shared any fault for the incident.

How Much Does a San Bernardino Car Accident Attorney Cost?

Affording an attorney to help with your car accident case is easier than you think. At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we handle car accident claims on a contingency fee basis. For you, this means absolutely no upfront or out-of-pocket costs related to your case. You will not even have to pay legal fees until after we successfully recover the compensation you need to get through this. You will pay an agreed-upon percentage out of the final settlement or jury verdict. Additionally, if we do not win your case, you will not pay any legal fees at all.

san bernardino car accident lawyer

Steps You Need to Take After a Vehicle Accident

If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a San Bernardino car accident, there are various steps that you can take right after the incident occurs and in the weeks that follow to help ensure that you recover maximum compensation for your losses.

  • Go to the hospital. You need to go to the hospital or emergency room for an evaluation after your vehicle accident. You can take the ambulance, or you can have someone drive you there right after the incident occurs. Not only does this establish a link between the incident and any injuries you sustained, but it also helps ensure that any hidden injuries come to light. Often, the signs and symptoms of crash injuries do not appear until hours or even days after the incident occurs. Some of the common serious injuries from car accidents include brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. If you do not seek medical treatment right away, this could give the insurance carrier a reason to deny your claim.
  • Gather evidence if you can. It may be possible to gather evidence at the scene of the incident. The best way to do this is to get out a cell phone and start taking pictures or videos of everything that you see, including injuries, property damage, license plates, traffic conditions, causes of the crash, and more. Additionally, if there are any eyewitnesses who saw what happened, get their names and contact information written down immediately.
  • Reach out to an attorney. You should reach out to a San Bernardino car accident lawyer soon after the incident occurs. The quicker your attorney can get involved, the better. An auto accident lawyer in San Bernardino can help guide you towards the best path moving forward, and they will have the resources necessary to fully investigate the incident.
  • Call your insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier needs to know about the car accident very soon after it happens. You do not have to go into much detail when you initially report the incident. All the insurance carrier needs to know is that you are seeking medical treatment for your injuries along with the names and contact information of others involved. Be very guarded with what you tell any insurance carrier that contacts you, and refer claims adjusters to your attorney. Never agree to give any recorded statements to the insurance carrier.
  • Keep any important documentation. Keep any type of documentation that comes in after the crash occurs. This includes medical bills, property damage estimates, your medical records, proof of lost wages, notes from an employer, and more.
  • Continue medical treatment. It is vital that you continue medical care until your doctor releases you. This includes going to all follow-up treatment, physical therapy or rehabilitation, and using any medical devices recommended by the doctor. If you discontinue any treatment early, this could be taken as assigned by the insurance carrier that you have not sustained as severe an injury as claimed.

Our San Bernardino Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Secure Fair Compensation

At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, our San Bernardino work accident attorneys fight hard to obtain the best possible outcome for our clients based on careful considerations of financial losses, job impacts, and current and future medical expenses. In some cases, we can effectively settle cases out of court saving time and money while maximizing compensation. If needed, we can and will pursue a trial.

Every initial consultation is free. For more information about how we can help you recover after a car accident, contact our office in San Bernardino at (909) 436-4610 today.