California has some of the highest numbers of car accidents in the nation. Our lovely Santa Cruz is not immune to this problem and has more than its share of serious injuries and fatal car crashes.
Highway 17, with its sharp curves, narrow lanes, and limited visibility, is an especially dangerous highway connecting Santa Cruz and San Jose. Another hazardous roadway is Bonny Doon Road in our beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains.
While our highways and roads offer some of the most scenic drives in the world, the can, unfortunately, be the scene of catastrophic car accidents.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident near Santa Cruz because of another party’s negligence or wrongdoing, you have the right to seek compensation. Even if you were partially at fault in the accident, you may be able to recover damages for your injuries from the other at-fault parties.
You need the representation of an experienced Santa Cruz car accident attorney to fight for your rights and get you the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Jacoby & Meyers: Your Santa Cruz Car Accident Law Firm
At Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers, Our Santa Cruz personal injury lawyers have been successfully representing California car accident victims for more than 50 years. Having recovered more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts, we know how to win big for our clients. We want to do the same for you.
Call us at (408) 341-6883 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free evaluation of your case. We will listen to you, answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you take the next steps to getting the justice and compensation you deserve.
What Can a Car Accident Lawyer Do for You?
An insurance claim or lawsuit for a motor vehicle collision in Santa Cruz can be much easier and more effective with help from an experienced car accident lawyer. The right attorney can provide critical guidance, representation and legal advice in your time of need. You can focus on getting better while your attorney takes care of everything else.
A lawyer can determine who is at fault for your auto accident to seek maximum compensation for your losses using aggressive legal strategies. This can include hiring experts and taking your case to trial, if necessary.
At Jacoby & Meyers, we can help you get medical treatment to improve your health and well-being while we prepare and prosecute your legal claim. Our case managers can also assist you with the handling of property damage with an insurance company at no cost.
How Much Does a Car Accident Attorney in Santa Cruz Cost?
We never charge a fee unless we win the case we are litigating at Jacoby & Meyers. We operate on a contingency fee basis, which means we won’t take any money unless we settle your case or achieve a positive jury verdict. If the car insurance company denies liability or coverage, we will not collect an attorney’s fee.
If your car accident case is successful, we will charge our fee by taking a percentage of the overall amount won on your behalf. The amount of the percentage will depend on the circumstances, such as the complexity of your case and whether it has to go to trial. We will always discuss our fees with you ahead of time with full honesty and transparency.
We realize that crash victims already have enough expenses with medical treatments and property repairs. With a contingency fee payment arrangement, you never have to worry about paying for a high-quality car accident lawyer out of pocket. With this fee structure, we’ve earned the trust of tens of thousands of clients who need guidance when they are most vulnerable.
Steps to Take After A Santa Cruz Car Accident
- Unless you need immediate medical attention, do not leave the scene of the accident until you are released by the police. If you leave the scene of an accident you could be charged with a hit-and-run violation that carries significant penalties and would be damaging to your chances of recovering compensation for your damages.
- Get a medical evaluation right away. If you are injured, call 911 and seek emergency medical assistance. Even if you believe your injuries are minor, you should be checked out by a medical professional. Many injuries do not reveal themselves for several days. However, those same injuries can lead to chronic pain and limited mobility.
- If you can do so safely, move your vehicle out of the line of traffic and to the shoulder of the road or a close safe area. However, if someone is seriously injured or has been killed, you should wait for the police and not move the vehicles until the police tell you to do so.
- Exchange contact information with other parties and any witnesses. Take a photo of their license and other documentation with your phone camera and collect their phone numbers. Also, get the attending officer’s name. Regardless of who is at fault, you must provide your information to the other driver and the police officer. Provide your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and registration paperwork. But do not give any more information than you must.
- Document information about the other vehicles, including the license plate number, year, make, model, and color and if possible, get the VIN.
- Be careful what you say. Do not admit fault, do not apologize, and do not say that you are not hurt.
- If you hit an unoccupied vehicle, you must either locate the owner and give them your license and registration, or leave a written note with your name and address in a conspicuous place on the vehicle. You must also notify the Santa Cruz Police Department or the California Highway Patrol.
- If you can do so safely, take photos or video footage of the scene of the accident, the vehicles involved, and any visible injuries.
- As soon as possible after the accident write down everything you can recall about it. Consider drawing a diagram or sketch of the scene. Record the time, date, weather conditions, cross streets, and direction of travel for each vehicle. Record anything that seems important.
- Document your injuries with photographs or video footage. Note your physical injuries as well as your emotional state.
- Report your accident immediately. California law requires you to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days of an accident if anyone was killed or injured, or the accident resulted in more than $1,000 in damages. Accidents should be reported using California DMV Form SR1.
- Notify your insurance provider promptly. Even if the accident was your fault, you must report it. California is one of only two states that prohibits auto insurance companies from raising rates if an accident is not the fault of the policyholder.
- Contact a Santa Cruz car accident attorney as soon as possible to help protect your rights.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Santa Cruz
Automobile accidents are preventable disasters that are often traced back to human error, such as dangerous driver behaviors and careless decision-making behind the wheel. Top causes of car crashes throughout the Santa Cruz County area include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Texting or other cell phone use
- Driving under the influence
- Driving while drowsy
- Ignoring or breaking traffic laws
- Following behind others too closely
- Making unsafe lane changes
- Running red lights
- Reckless or aggressive driving
- Illegal or dangerous passing
Outside of driver error, other common causes of car accidents include road defects, such as potholes, defective vehicle parts, crossing animals and poor weather conditions. If you aren’t sure who or what caused your car accident, consult our attorneys for advice.
Who Is Liable for a Car Crash in Santa Cruz?
Recovering compensation for a car accident in Santa Cruz takes proving liability, or legal responsibility, for the crash. Who is liable will depend on the factors involved, including the cause of the crash. California operates under a fault-based system, which means liability typically goes to the party responsible for the damages.
Liability is often assigned to the party that was negligent, or failed to act with reasonable care. Negligence has four parts:
- Duty of care: a responsibility to act in a manner that is proper and reasonable based on the circumstances, such as a duty to operate a vehicle according to California’s traffic laws.
- Breach of duty: an act or omission that fails to meet the duty of care, such as failing to pay attention to the road or driving under the influence.
- Causation: proof that the breach of duty caused or substantially contributed to the automobile accident.
- Damages: compensable losses suffered by the injured victim because of the car accident.
If you or your lawyer can prove these four elements as more likely to be true than not true, you can win your car accident claim and hold another person liable. Our attorneys can help you prove liability in your case by finding and collecting evidence of fault, such as police reports, witness statements and expert testimony.
What Is Comparative Negligence?
Comparative negligence is a legal principle that allows fault for a car accident to be divided among multiple parties. If the plaintiff is allocated a percentage of fault, his or her compensation will be adjusted accordingly. Since California is a pure comparative negligence state, a plaintiff can be found any amount at fault and still recover a portion of financial compensation. Speak to an attorney for more details about this particular law in your case.
Financial Compensation Available as a Car Accident Victim
A successful car accident case has the potential to get your life back on track by paying for all related expenses – allowing you and your family to move forward with greater peace of mind. Our attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers regularly reach settlements over 10 times the initial insurance offer.
You may be eligible for the following types of financial compensation:
- Present and future medical costs
- Disability expenses and accommodations
- Lost wages, income and earning opportunities
- Pain, suffering and emotional distress
- Property damage repairs or replacement
- Wrongful death damages
If a defendant caused your car accident due to especially egregious acts of wrongdoing, such as drunk driving or road rage, you may also qualify for punitive damages. This is an additional amount awarded in some cases to punish or penalize a defendant for gross negligence or recklessness.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Santa Cruz Car Accident Claim?
Don’t wait to take legal action after a harmful car crash in Santa Cruz. The statute of limitations places a time limit on the right to file a car accident claim in California. Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 states:
- CHAPTER 3. The Time of Commencing Actions Other Than for the Recovery of Real Property [335 – 349.4]
- 335.1.
- Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.
Under this law, you have a maximum of two years from the date of your car accident to file a related personal injury case. In some cases, this time limit may be shortened or lengthened.
While you have two years to file a lawsuit, a car insurance claim should be initiated much sooner. Typically, you must file an insurance claim as soon as possible after an auto accident to qualify for benefits.
Contact a Santa Cruz Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a car accident due to another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, you deserve to be compensated for your damages. Even if you were partially at fault, in California you may still be able to recover damages from the other at-fault parties.
You also deserve to be represented by a skillful, dedicated Santa Cruz car accident attorney with a proven track record of success.
The car accident attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers have more than 50 years of experience recovering maximum compensation for California car accident victims. We have secured more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients and we want to help you too.
We understand the challenges you face when you have been injured in a car accident. You are likely angry, worried, and overwhelmed.
You need to focus on your recovery and let us handle your personal injury claim. Don’t face these challenges alone. Let us help you.
Call us at (408) 341-6883 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free consultation. We will listen to you, evaluate your case, answer your questions, and explain your options. If we represent you, we will work tirelessly to get you the justice and every dollar you deserve.
Call or text 888-522-6291 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form