Car crashes happen everywhere – parking lots, freeways, residential streets, parks, and more. There’s a wide variety of ways that accidents can happen, and although some can result in extremely debilitating injuries, even fatalities, others are seemingly innocuous and have no repercussions. These low impact collisions, like fender benders, rear end accidents, and side swipes can cause very minor damage to a vehicle, but greatly hurt the occupants inside. Cars are able to withstand a higher force of impact than humans, and as a result, even low impacts can be dangerous to suffer. Individuals who have been affected by these kinds of accidents often find it difficult to retrieve compensation; insurance agents claim that the contradiction between the severity of the crash and the severity of the injuries is too disparate. For this reason, it is important that you seek the assistance of one of our skilled car accident lawyers at Downtown LA Law Group in Los Angeles. We’ll be able to file a claim on your behalf and fight for the compensation you deserve if you were hurt in a car crash – no matter if the crash were high impact or low impact.

Information on Low Impact Collisions

Low impact collisions are generally classified as accidents that take place at slow speeds. They do not generally result in a lot of damage to the vehicles involved; people can usually drive off just fine and have no need to fix much besides cosmetic damage. However, the common misconception is that the lack of damage to the car is directly proportional to the lack of damage of the occupants. Occupants within the cars can sometimes be just as seriously hurt as if the crash happened at a much faster speed. This is because sudden jerks of the car can be harmful to the body, especially the neck and back. A rear end accident that happened at less than 15 mph, for example, can cause a bent bumper and trunk on your car. You may have been jerked forward, however, and your head may have snapped back to its location, resulting in an injury like whiplash. These occurrences are not uncommon. Another way that a low impact collision can cause damage is with a side swipe, which may force you off the road and crash head on into a pole or other object. Your car may eject its airbags, which can cause facial damage and other injuries like a broken nose, broken orbital sockets, broken teeth, and more. There are numerous ways that you can be injured in low impact collisions, but one of the most frustrating ways includes injuries that you already had. Pre-existing spinal cord problems or internal organ issues can be exacerbated in low impact crashes. A spinal cord injury that was on its way to healing could have been worsened; discs may slip out of place again, for instance, or a realignment may suffer.

Who is at Fault?

If you were hit in a low impact collision, you could very easily file a claim against the responsible driver for compensation for your injuries. The way to prove that he was negligent and at fault is by showing the four points of negligence to be true. They are as follows:

• You were owed a duty of care by the driver, which is generally true; all drivers on the road must take care to not harm anyone else
• The duty of care was breached in some way, whether by not paying attention while operating the vehicle, speeding, or ignoring the right of way law applicable in the situation
• The breach of duty led to an accident, such as a rear end collision or a side swipe
• The accident resulted in physical harm; this is important because if you did not sustain any physical damages you won’t be able to file a personal injury claim for compensation

In many rear-end collisions, the driver who hit you from behind is considered at fault. A driver who turns into your lane and side swipes you can also be considered negligent and at fault. In other cases, a car may be backing out of a parking spot, only to hit your vehicle; this can result in the driver being deemed at fault and made to compensate you for your damages.

Post-Accident Procedure

To make sure you have the best chance of filing a successful lawsuit for a low impact collision, you should follow the necessary steps after an accident so that you don’t have any disadvantages. Some people will make crucial errors, such as forgetting to take down information or even leaving the scene of the crash, and they find it difficult or impossible to be compensated. The first step you should take is get medical treatment. Paramedics can evaluate you at the scene if you were particularly injured and could take you to the emergency room if need be. You should see the doctor as quickly as possible to get evaluated; if you do not feel the injuries at first but they flare up later, you may offer the insurance company an opportunity to claim that you were hurt elsewhere and that you’re blaming the damages on the accident, as there is no way of knowing the true cause because of the gap in time. Next, you should record the insurance information of the driver and take down his personal details, like contact number, name, driver’s license number, license plate number, and more.

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It will come in handy to take pictures of the scene of the accident, the damage to your car, and the injuries you had, if possible. If the injuries are not apparent on your body, you should get a copy of the medical notes from the paramedics or the doctor. Any eyewitnesses, passengers, or bystanders should be called upon to give their statements and testimonies as to what happened. It is important to have as many perspectives supporting you as possible, which is also why it’s a good idea to request a copy of the police report from the police officers who may show up at the scene of the crash. Because of the injuries, you should make sure to contact a skilled car accident lawyer in Los Angeles. The presence of physical harm means that the ensuing insurance negotiations will be difficult, and an attorney can accurately represent you and your case. If you were not hurt, though, you likely won’t need an attorney and can pursue a simple property damage claim for reimbursement for the costs of repairs to your vehicle.

Value of a Case

There is no calculator that allows lawyers, victims, or insurance agents to input the damages and have a number returned that will list the compensation amounts. Instead, an insurance agent will consider the circumstances of the case (who was at fault, for example), your injuries (how extensive they were and how much of an impact they had on your day to day life, career, and future), your occupation, and more, and he will make an offer based on those factors. If you do not have an attorney, it is very likely that the insurance agent will throw your case out or deny your claim without considering it very closely. You may find it extremely difficult to get a hold of him and won’t be able to negotiate a deal. This is why it is crucial that you hire legal help: our attorneys will aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve and will always stay in touch with the insurance agent so we can work to secure you a settlement offer that will cover your damages. Your initial settlement offer may be very low, which is a tactic used by insurance agents to try and persuade you to accept something worth much less than the actual value of your case. You should not proceed until you have an experienced attorney on your side who can give you all the help you will need to win your case.

Call (855) 339-8879 to set up a free, no obligation consultation to find out if you have a case.

Time Limit to File a Lawsuit for a Car Accident

As per state law in California, you only have 2 years from the date of the injury to file a claim for compensation against the responsible party. If you wait too long, the claim will be thrown out and you won’t be able to pursue compensation ever again. A lawyer can help you determine how long you have until that deadline is met. You should also ask about any potential extensions to the time limit. You may be able to have the statute temporarily suspended if circumstances allow it, as in cases where you were underage at the time of the incident, mentally or physically incapacitated following the crash, or when the defendant fled the state.

Types of Compensation from a Low Impact Collision Lawsuit

As with all personal injury claims, you can receive numerous types of compensation for your damages. An attorney at our firm can help bring you the maximum value available, and we will explore every angle to secure you a fair settlement. We will work to bring you compensation for:

• Medical bills and expenses, including hospital fees, doctor’s costs, medication fees, physical therapy costs, and future medical bills
• Lost wages due to missed days at work from the past and the future
• Property damage to your vehicle and personal items
• Pain and suffering damages, such as fear, anxiety, PTSD, psychological trauma, emotional stress, and more

There are also opportunities to earn punitive damages, which are handed out in times of gross negligence, but only a truly skilled attorney will be able to win them for your case, and wrongful death damages in the event that a loved one passes away (perhaps from a heart attack or other kind of internal damage brought on by the crash). Our team of attorneys can help you no matter what, and we will do our best to ensure that you are fully covered after a collision.

Free Second Opinion

Many clients call us because they already have lawyers representing them and wish to know if there are any procedures they are missing or if their attorneys are doing a good job in their endeavors. Unfortunately, many lawyers tend to rush through cases in an attempt to get their cut of the check as quickly as possible. They may act in bad faith and not care about their clients. At our law firm, we dedicate ourselves to you and your case and do all we can to secure you the compensation you deserve. We will give you a free second opinion on your case and tell you if we think it is worth more than the value you’re being offered, as well as if we think your attorney is doing a poor job of helping you. Call our offices at (855) 339-8879 to receive a free second opinion with a skilled lawyer.

How DTLA Helps You

Our law firm, the Downtown LA Law Group in Los Angeles, has a dedicated team of lawyers with years of experience under their belts. We have been winning car accident lawsuits for our clients for years and have successfully brought millions of dollars to victims. We believe in transparency and in helping those who need it the most, so we will always consider every claim brought to us, from low impact collisions to hit and runs. We will tirelessly work to secure you the compensation you deserve. Reach out to our offices today to set up a free legal consultation with one of our expert lawyers. You can discuss your low impact collision lawsuit and we will tell you what we believe the case is worth. Our lawyers are available around the clock, and nothing you share with us will be released anywhere – our consultations are totally confidential.

To speak with a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, call (855) 339-8879.

If you sign up with our law firm, we will give you our zero fee guarantee, which prevents you from spending any of your own money for our services. We will only get paid if we win your case. Our fees will be taken from the settlement we bring you. If we lose, we take no payment and you won’t have to pay us a dollar. To learn more and to get started on filing your low impact collision lawsuit, get in touch with our experienced attorneys in Los Angeles at the Downtown LA Law Group.