Santa Ana Car Accident Lawyers
Heavy traffic is prevalent in the Santa Ana region, including on California State Route 55 and the Santa Ana Freeway. However, the possibility of severe car crashes comes with more traffic in the area.
Car accidents can significantly affect an accident victim’s overall life and well-being. In addition to incurring high medical costs, a car crash victim may be unable to work for an extended period. As a result, medical expenses and other losses can mount up quickly.
Most car accidents happen because other people drive negligently and carelessly under the circumstances. If you suffered injuries in a recent car accident, you should have a knowledgeable team of car accident lawyers advocating for your legal interests.
The experienced Santa Ana car accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP understand the significant hardships many car crash victims experience due to others’ negligence.
Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars for car crash victims throughout California, and we have the resources and experience necessary to handle complex insurance companies and defense lawyers. Our legal team can get to work right away on pursuing the monetary compensation you deserve for your injuries and other losses.
Because we primarily handle catastrophic car accident cases, a strong network of referral attorneys in the area brings us their most challenging cases all the time.
For your free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Santa Ana car accident attorney, please call us for more information.
Santa Ana Car Accident Injuries
When a violent car crash occurs, an accident victim’s body may move violently inside their vehicle. A part of the accident victim’s body may also strike something in their car, like the headrest, steering wheel, or dashboard, causing severe injuries.
The injuries that a car crash victim suffers may depend on:
- The total amount of force involved in the collision
- Where the accident victim sat in the vehicle
- Whether or not the accident victim was wearing a seatbelt
- Whether the vehicle has airbags
- The type of car crash that occurs
- The speeds of the respective vehicles just before the crash
Some car accident injuries are far more severe than others. However, car accident injuries may require significant medical care, including hospitalizations, doctor visits, physical therapy sessions, and medical procedures.
Some of the most common injuries that car crash victims suffer include:
- Internal organ injuries
- Whiplash and other soft tissue contusions
- Bone fractures
- Rib fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Full or partial paralysis
- Death
If you suffered any of these injuries in a recent car accident, you must receive same-day medical treatment at your local hospital or emergency care facility. Failing to seek prompt medical treatment after your accident increases the chances of worsening your injuries.
In fact, many injury symptoms do not appear right away and may take weeks to manifest. A medical provider at a hospital emergency room can perform the necessary imaging studies, like MRIs and X-rays, to determine the actual severity of your injuries.
Seeking same-day medical treatment after a car accident is also important because it demonstrates to insurance companies and their representatives that your injuries are, in fact, severe and debilitating. If you fail to seek prompt medical treatment after your accident, the insurance company may allege that your injuries are not severe and do not warrant significant monetary compensation.
While you attend medical appointments, undergo treatment, and attend physical therapy sessions, the experienced Santa Ana car crash attorneys at Bentley & More LLP can start working and advocating for you. Our legal team can begin gathering up your medical treatment records, medical bills, and lost income documents from your employer, along with investigative documents, photographs of property damage, and injury photographs.
Once you finish your medical treatment or know your prognosis, our legal team can begin the claims-filing process by sending these documents to the insurance company and negotiating fair settlement compensation for your injuries.
Common Types of Car Wrecks that Occur in Santa Ana
When people drive negligently, many types of car crashes may leave other drivers and their passengers seriously injured.
Some of the most common car accidents that happen in Santa Ana include:
- Broadside accidents or T-bone collisions
- Rear-end crashes
- Sideswipe collision
- Parking lot and parking garage accident
- Head-on crashes
While some of these accidents are more serious than others, all car crashes can lead to significant property damage and debilitating personal injuries.
If you sustain injuries in a recent car crash, the skilled Santa Ana car accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP can help you recover the monetary damages you deserve. Our legal team can first meet with you and determine your eligibility for filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. If you are eligible, we can assist you throughout your case and help you recover the necessary monetary damages.
Car Accident Causes in Santa Ana
Car accidents in Santa Ana typically result when people drive negligently. Some car accidents happen when people drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Many truck drivers resort to stimulant drugs to try and drive for long periods without taking breaks. However, stimulants and other controlled substances may cause a driver to become sleepy while on the road, bringing about a severe accident. These accidents are prevalent if a driver falls asleep at the wheel due to drug or alcohol intoxication.
A driver who operates their vehicle under the influence of alcohol may experience various physical symptoms, including dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea. They may also experience limited reflexes and delayed reaction time, preventing them from stopping in time to avoid hitting another vehicle or pedestrian.
Passenger vehicle drivers are legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.08 percent, while underage and commercial vehicle drivers must follow stricter legal standards. When a drunk driver negligently causes a car crash, they and their insurance company may need to pay monetary damages to the accident victim.
Other motor vehicle accidents in Santa Ana result from distracted driving. A distracted driver does not give sufficient time and attention to the road while behind the wheel. A driver may become distracted when they look at a smartphone, program a GPS navigation device, or listen to loud music. Vehicle passengers may also prove distracting for some drivers. When drivers take their focus off the road, even momentarily, they may crash with another vehicle or pedestrian.
Other vehicle accidents happen when drivers exceed the speed limit and violate other traffic laws. For example, a driver might fail to yield the right-of-way to another vehicle or pedestrian at the proper time, such as by running a red light or stop sign. Alternatively, a driver might negligently tailgate another vehicle by following them too closely. A rear-end crash may result if a sudden traffic back-up occurs or the driver is speeding.
Car accidents in Santa Ana may also result from road rage or a driver’s inappropriate reaction to situations that arise on the road—whether real or imaginary. Drivers exhibit road rage when they tailgate other vehicles, fail to use their turn signals in heavy traffic, and aggressively weave in and out of traffic lanes. Drivers engaging in these risky maneuvers significantly increase their chances of causing a traffic crash.
If you or someone you love sustained injuries in a recent car accident, the skilled Santa Ana car accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP can explain your legal options and help you embark on the best course of action for your case. Our legal team will do everything possible to increase your settlement compensation—or litigate your case to a favorable conclusion in the California Court System.
Why Do Insurance Companies Make Low Settlement Offers in Car Accident Cases?
Since California is a fault-based state, car accident victims may be eligible to file an insurance claim with the responsible driver’s insurance company. However, in some situations, the at-fault driver has no motor vehicle insurance coverage. Alternatively, they may not have sufficient insurance coverage to compensate an accident victim for their losses.
In those situations, an accident victim may turn to their own insurance company and file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim, seeking the total compensation they deserve. An accident victim must exhaust the at-fault party’s insurance coverage to pursue an underinsured motorist claim.
Regardless of which insurance company you deal with, most insurance adjusters are unwilling to offer you a fair value for your claim, at least initially. Insurance companies want to try and save themselves as much money as possible. In fact, they have a strong incentive to do so.
Insurance companies only make money when they collect premium payments from covered individuals. However, they can lose significant money by paying a large settlement, jury verdict, or binding arbitration award in a car accident case. Therefore, insurance companies and their adjusters will do everything to undermine your car accident claim, shift blame, or offer you far less than your case is worth.
The skilled Santa Ana car accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP understand the tricks and tactics many insurance company representatives use to try and undervalue car accident claims. Our legal team can aggressively negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and pursue the most monetary compensation available to you in your accident case.
Filing a Timely Car Accident Lawsuit in California
Car crash victims in California have a limited time to file a lawsuit in their case. Under the statute of limitations, the time clock starts running on the accident date and ends two years later, absent limited exceptions. Failing to file a timely lawsuit will prohibit an accident victim from recovering any monetary damages for their accident-related losses.
The skilled Santa Ana car accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP can help you file a timely claim or lawsuit in your case, protecting your right to recover the monetary damages you deserve.
Car crash victims in Santa Ana who can establish the legal elements of their claim may be eligible for various damages.
The types of monetary recovery that an accident victim may receive in their car accident claim or lawsuit include compensation for their:
- Related medical costs
- Future medical expenses, if a medical provider determines that the accident victim may need to undergo ongoing medical treatment (such as surgery, physical therapy, or pain management) for their injuries
- Lost earnings
- Loss of earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Mental distress
- Inconvenience
- Loss of the ability to use a body part
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Loss of life enjoyment
Our legal team can determine which damages you can pursue and likely recover in your case. We can then help you plan the best way to recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Call Our Experienced Santa Ana Car Accident Lawyers as Soon as Possible
Greg Bentley & Keith More, Car Accident Lawyers
Car accident victims in Santa Ana rarely know how best to proceed with their claims or lawsuits. In fact, failing to seek prompt legal representation in your case can be a grave mistake. Car insurance companies and their representatives routinely take advantage of unrepresented accident victims and try to settle their cases for as little money as possible. Reach out to a Santa Ana personal injury lawyer.
The skilled legal team at Bentley & More LLP, however, is on your side and ready to advocate for your legal interests. We can aggressively negotiate your case with the insurance company and threaten them with litigation if the adjuster fails to offer you the compensation you deserve. If we have to litigate your case in court, we welcome the opportunity to represent you at trial and pursue a favorable monetary award.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Santa Ana car accident lawyer, please call us at (949) 870-3800 or contact us online to learn more.
Client Testimonial
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bentley & More for the past 5-6 years. Their drive and compassion to earn great results for their clients is obvious to everyone who works with them.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with the firm to help serve their clients.” – Nicole S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read more of our Google reviews.
Bentley & More LLP – Santa Ana Office
Phone: (949) 870-3800