Reviewed by Adrianos Facchetti, Esq. California State Bar Number 243213. This page has been reviewed for its accuracy, legal relevance, and helpfulness regarding California personal injury issues related to car accident injuries in Santa Clarita, Valencia, and surrounding communities of Los Angeles County. The bar number of Adrianos Facchetti can be confirmed at the California State Bar.
Have You Been Injured in an Automobile Accident in Santa Clarita?
In the event that you were injured in an automobile accident in Santa Clarita, it would be wise for you to consult an experienced Santa Clarita car accident attorney who will represent your interests. A serious automobile accident in Santa Clarita usually involves a freeway accident on either I-5 or SR-14; a rear-end accident among commuter traffic; negligence involving distraction while driving; a careless lane change; a rideshare vehicle; or a driver with insufficient insurance coverage.
Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti, Accident & Injury Lawyer provides representation for those injured anywhere within the Santa Clarita Valley. As a Santa Clarita personal injury lawyer, we have noticed that each accident in any of the following places has its own unique characteristics depending on the locality’s traffic patterns, the responding agency, and the evidence available in such a location.
Why a Santa Clarita Car Accident Case Requires Local Legal Assistance
Unlike what you may think, Santa Clarita does not consist of one homogenous section of roadway. Rather, it includes freeways, commuter roadways, and canyon roads. Freeway accidents occur frequently on I-5 or SR-14, while other accidents take place at McBean Parkway, Soledad Canyon Road, Valencia Boulevard, and Golden Valley Road. Freeway, commuter, and canyon accident investigations are different due to different kinds of traffic involved.
Thus, a freeway accident on SR-14 will include a response from the California Highway Patrol and high-speed collision injuries, while a rear-end accident on McBean Parkway during evening commuter traffic will include a response from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station serving Santa Clarita. Different types of response and evidence available, as well as different tendencies of the local insurance adjusters, will be of importance in case preparation.
Common Reasons for Car Crashes in Santa Clarita
There are usually only a few common reasons for most car crashes in Santa Clarita, although there may be slight variations depending on if you’re analyzing traffic on freeways or on residential roads.
- Distracted driving due to mobile phone usage
- Speeding, especially on highway ramps
- Unsafe lane changes
- Rear-end crashes in the flow of commuting cars
- Running red traffic lights
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Driving while drowsy, especially on longer drives through the I-5
- Driving while intoxicated
- Traffic generated by ridesharing services in entertainment districts
- Crashes caused by merging into freeways
- Weather conditions that may reduce visibility
- Hazards on the road, such as debris and uneven road surfaces
Knowing which of these caused your accident will lead you to the party responsible for it.
Injuries Resulting from a Vehicle Collision
Injuries resulting from car accidents can range from minor to very severe depending on the speed of the vehicle, point of impact, and how the force was absorbed by the vehicle. Whiplash is one injury that occurs in almost all car accidents regardless of the speed and tends to be overlooked initially and worsen later.
Other common car accident injuries include spinal injuries, disc injuries, and bone fractures that occur especially in severe collisions. Brain injury and concussion injuries are some of the other injuries that occur in car accidents. These injuries can sometimes not present themselves immediately after the collision.
Emotional trauma following a car accident is also a common yet neglected injury. Some injuries might take days to fully manifest. This is why prompt medical examination will create a clear link between your injury and the accident while details are still fresh.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Santa Clarita
The things you do immediately following a collision can have an impact both on your health condition and on your ability to get compensation at a later time. This is how you should do it.
- Call 911 and ask for an official report. It will create a record of the event.
- Seek immediate medical attention. Even if you think you are all right, it may take a while for symptoms to manifest.
- Exchange contact information and insurance information. This includes names, phone numbers, insurers, and policies.
- Take pictures of the scene, injuries, traffic signs, vehicle registration plates, road conditions, and whatever else that might be relevant.
- Collect witness contact information. These people might be hard to find after some time.
- Do not give a recorded statement or sign any insurance documents immediately. You are not under obligation to provide it right now.
- Consult a lawyer before settling for a certain amount. A release form will become final once it has been signed.
No professional skills are necessary in order to do all that. You just need to make sure to document everything before being asked by the adjuster.
Evidence That May Help You Make Your Case
Creating a solid case is very much dependent on documentation, and knowing what you need can make all the difference later.
- Police report
- Photos of crash scene
- Documentation of damage done to vehicle
- Medical records
- Witness statements
- Dash cam video of you or other party
- Surveillance video from nearby businesses
- 911 recordings, if available
- Repair quotes
- Insurance correspondence
- Information from event data recorder, if available
- Proof that you missed work
This evidence may not last long. Surveillance video from nearby businesses gets recycled after only a few days, and witnesses’ memories get blurry the longer it takes to get their statements.
Insurance Company Tactics That Could Reduce Your Claim
Insurance companies train their adjusters to save the company money whenever possible, and there are several strategies they employ to do this. They may try to get a recorded statement at the earliest opportunity while you still do not have a good understanding of your injuries and your legal rights. They may dispute your injuries being accident-related and argue that you suffered them earlier.
The insurance company adjuster will sometimes claim that you were at fault for the accident. They may give you a quick settlement while still not being aware of your entire medical condition. The comparative fault doctrine of California can reduce your compensation if you were at fault for the accident, although it does not mean that the claim is invalid.
Deadlines for California Personal Injury Claims Following Santa Clarita Car Accident
In most cases, the time limit for filing a California personal injury claim following a car accident is two years from the date of the accident according to California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1.
When a government vehicle or any public body is involved in the accident, that time frame is often reduced to only six months under California Government Code § 911.2, which makes this time limit very strict. It becomes important to know if any government agency is potentially liable in such situations.
According to California law, drivers involved in accidents must file a DMV SR-1 form within 10 days of a crash if there were any injuries, fatalities, or damage costing over $1,000. This document is separate from the police report and is often overlooked immediately following the accident.
Evidentiary documentation must be collected quickly despite having the deadline that seems to be far into the future, as there will be no chance to recover the video surveillance or witness recollections later on. Every case is individual, and this information cannot serve as specific advice for your case.
Potential Compensation After an Accident
Based on the details of your individual case, your compensation could include the following:
- Emergency treatment
- Hospital charges
- Physical therapy
- Future medical treatments
- Loss of income
- Decreased earning capacity
- Costs for car repairs or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Expenses out-of-pocket
- Wrongful death compensation, where relevant
There’s no hard and fast rule regarding this because what you may be entitled to is determined by the specifics of your injuries and your proof. It will depend on your injury, the validity of the proof, and insurance coverage once liability is proven. In the event that your claim involves wrongful death, our Santa Clarita wrongful death attorney page has further information.
What We Consider Before Filing Your Santa Clarita Claim
The first step involves gathering information about the precise location of the accident and the parties responsible, along with determining any possible party at fault and if the party was a rideshare driver, commercial carrier, uninsured driver, hit and run driver, or public entity.
After that, we examine the details of the treatment you received, the documents available, and the issue of whether the insurance company disputes either coverage or the question of liability. All throughout, we ensure that the proper deadlines are being maintained, especially when it comes to the issue of a potential government vehicle or entity involved.
If your accident included a commercial vehicle on I-5 or SR-14, then our Santa Clarita truck accident lawyer page will discuss how that will affect the claim process. In cases where there wasn’t another vehicle involved, such as with a pedestrian accident, a bicycle accident, or a motorcycle accident, our Santa Clarita pedestrian accident lawyer page, Santa Clarita bicycle accident lawyer page, and Santa Clarita motorcycle accident lawyer page are dedicated to discussing those issues.
On the fence about whether you should hire an attorney to file your claim? Read our article on whether it’s worth hiring a lawyer for a car accident.
Talk to a Santa Clarita Car Accident Lawyer
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Santa Clarita and been injured, it would be wise to have your case investigated now while there is still plenty of evidence around and all your deadlines are in place. There will be no charge for this.
The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti provide a free initial consultation, and we only get paid when we make a recovery on your behalf. We will not guarantee any outcome without knowing more about your case, but we will give you an honest assessment of the situation.
FAQs About Santa Clarita Car Accident Claims
How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer in California?
In most cases, the lawyers at The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti charge contingency fees. This means there are no upfront legal costs, and fees are only due in the case that we recover money for you.
What should I do after a car accident in Santa Clarita?
Call 911, see a doctor even if you think that you are alright, exchange information with the other driver, take pictures of the accident scene, and collect contact information from witnesses. Avoid recording statements until you speak with an attorney.
How long do I have to file a claim for a car accident in California?
Generally 2 years from the date of the crash. If any governmental body were involved, the time limit would be significantly shorter, typically 6 months.
Do I need to file a DMV SR-1 form after my car accident?
If the accident involved an injury, the death of a person, or more than $1,000 in damages, yes, you must fill out an SR-1 form. California requires this form to be filled out within 10 days, independent of the police report.
What if my insurance company says I was at fault for the crash?
That statement must be backed by the evidence, not just accepted at their say-so. The comparative fault rule in California can limit your compensation if you are partially responsible, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that your claim is finished.
Should I negotiate with the insurance company or hire a lawyer?
Depends on your injury and the facts of your car accident. If the damage is very minimal and there is no injury, then you could consider settling the issue without hiring a lawyer. In every other instance it is a good idea to have your claim reviewed.
What is the average settlement for a car accident in California?
There is no such thing as an average settlement for a car accident in California. Any website that states there is should be taken with a grain of salt. How much your claim is worth will depend on a number of factors.
