Were you hurt in a car accident on the roads of Pasadena, CA? If someone else’s negligence caused the crash, you should call a Pasadena car accident lawyer to help. You may be entitled to reimbursement for your damages, like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers has been helping car accident clients in Pasadena and throughout Southern California since 2013. We routinely recover six and seven-figure settlements to make our clients whole again. While we can’t go back and prevent the car accident from happening, we can help you move forward.
Contact our office by calling (877) 300-4535 to set up a free consultation with a Pasadena car accident attorney today.
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Pasadena Car Accident
Car accidents happen fast, and so does the aftermath. Many people don’t realize they can ask a lawyer for help immediately after an accident. Getting a Pasadena personal injury lawyer involved early in your case is the best way to maximize recovery and protect yourself from blame.
Since we opened, M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered over $400 million for our clients. Our team is composed of elite personal injury lawyers recognized as “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” by Thomson Reuters. Los Angeles Magazine has named us “Top Attorneys,” and we are members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
When you hire us to represent you in Pasadena, CA, we can:
- Investigate the cause of the crash
- Collect evidence
- Handle insurance claims and negotiate with auto insurance companies
- Calculate your total damages
- Consult with experts
- File a car accident lawsuit and go to trial if necessary
When possible, we prefer to resolve car accident cases without a trial and get our clients their money faster. However, insurance companies routinely try to get out of paying what you deserve. That’s why we are never afraid to argue your case in front of a jury.
What Causes Car Accidents in Pasadena?
Like other cities in Los Angeles County, Pasadena is no stranger to car accidents. Many different factors can contribute to car crashes in the area, including:
Sometimes car crashes have multiple causes. You might not even be entirely sure what caused the crash. M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers can help you figure out what caused the accident and hold responsible parties accountable.
How Can I Calculate the Value of My Pasadena Car Accident Case?
Every car accident case has a different value. There is no set amount that you can expect to recover based on how the accident happened or the type of injury that you experienced.
Hiring a lawyer is the best way to accurately calculate the value of your case. That’s because a lawyer will estimate the value based on their experience handling similar cases in your area.
You can expect your car accident lawyer to ask you some of the following questions that will impact the value of your case.
- What are your physical injuries? Did you have any pre-existing conditions?
- Are your physical injuries permanent, or will you fully heal? How long will it take to heal?
- What treatment did you undergo for your injuries? What treatment will you require in the future?
- How much have you paid for your medical expenses thus far?
- What was the psychological impact of the accident? Have you received mental health treatment?
- How have your injuries affected your quality of life? Are there activities or responsibilities that you can no longer perform?
- Have the injuries affected your relationships with family or friends?
- Are you able to work in the same job, with the same responsibilities, since getting hurt? Did you miss any work to go to the doctor or while recovering?
Depending on how you answer these questions, your lawyer can estimate the value of your Pasadena car accident case. This estimate will be a benchmark during negotiations so that you can decide if a settlement offer is fair or not.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Car Accident in Pasadena?
The money that you recover after a car accident is called damages. When your lawyer calculates the value of your case, they are adding up your estimated damages.
In a car accident lawsuit, there are several different categories of damages. Each category serves a different purpose and compensates you for a particular harm.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are monetary losses that happen after an accident. This type of damages reimburses an injured person for money that they paid, will pay, or lost as a result of the crash and their injury.
Economic damages are the most common form of payment in a car accident case. Some examples include:
The best way to prove economic damages is to keep track of bills, receipts, repair estimates, payroll records, and any other documentation of these losses.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are payments for non-monetary losses that happen after a car crash. This category of damages recognizes that sometimes your injury is deeper and more complicated than just the physical.
We frequently recover non-economic damages for:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Mental illness
- Inconvenience caused by the accident
- Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
Sometimes it is hard to recognize non-economic damages because they are highly personal. It’s also difficult to put a value on this type of loss. You should keep a journal or seek out mental health treatment after a traumatic crash so that you can record how you are affected, beyond just bills. It may become helpful later in your car accident case.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not very common in car accident cases, but they are also not unheard of. Under the California code, you can ask for punitive damages if the defendant acted with fraud, oppression, or malice. This means that the defendant’s behavior was worse than negligent.
Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant. They are dependent on the defendant’s actions, not on your losses. An example where punitive damages in a car accident case might be appropriate is in a road rage case. In that circumstance, the defendant isn’t just negligent, they are intentionally putting you in danger when they caused the accident.
What Should I Do If the Defendant Blames Me for a Car Accident In Pasadena?
Defendants and car insurance companies regularly blame the plaintiff in a car accident case. This is their attempt to get out of paying for your losses or at least limit the amount that they must pay. A car accident lawyer can help protect you from wrongful blame so that you still get compensated.
In these circumstances, California applies a pure comparative negligence law. That means that you can still get money from the defendant even if you are partially to blame for the accident. However, your total award will be reduced by your percentage of the blame.
For example, if you are 30% responsible for the accident and the defendant is 70% responsible, you will recover 70% of your damages. While our goal is to always protect you from any blame, this rule should be comforting for plaintiffs.
We Handle All Types of Injuries Caused By Car Accidents
A great car accident lawyer isn’t just familiar with how car accidents happen but also with the types of injuries that are normally caused by crashes. In our practice, it is common to see clients suffering from:
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers have experience handling many types of injuries, from mild to severe. We also help families after a loved one dies from their injuries in a fatal crash.
Is There a Deadline for Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Pasadena?
Every car accident case has a deadline. This is called the statute of limitations. The purpose of the statute is to make sure that cases are brought promptly so that both sides can prepare.
In Pasadena, the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of the accident or the date that you discovered your injury. This is a relatively short period. If you miss the deadline, your case will be dismissed. As a result, you will lose any opportunity to sue the defendant for your damages.
A lawyer will keep track of this deadline, and other important deadlines, to make sure that you don’t miss out on your chance to get justice.
Set Up a Free Consultation With a Pasadena Car Accident Lawyer
If you’re ready to talk with a Pasadena car accident lawyer about your crash, call M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
Our team is available to review your case and advise you on the best way to proceed. We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to our cases, so you can rest assured that you’ll get legal advice specifically designed to reach your goals.
