Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer

Donald Colvin, Esq

Vehicles pass through the roads and highways of Central California daily and by the millions. Many drivers are commuting, tired, and distracted. While others are under the influence or driving recklessly. You or a loved one may find yourself in an accident in a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, some accidents can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or even fatality. The California Highway Patrol reported that in a single year, more than 223,000 people were injured, and an additional 3,104 people died due to traffic accidents in California. Car accidents can leave your family stunned, confused, and looking for guidance. The injuries from collisions can be severe and often leave victims facing extensive medical bills, lost income, or with permanent disabilities. Those who lose a loved one are often left with not only grief, but also loss of financial stability and support.

Car accidents can leave your family stunned, confused, and looking for guidance. The injuries from collisions can be severe and often leave victims facing extensive medical bills, lost income, permanent disabilities, or disfiguring scars. You will likely face a challenging road to recovery filled with doctors’ visits, surgeries, painful medical procedures, and rehabilitation. Sadly, some people with injuries from automobile collisions never fully heal or sustain fatal injuries. Those who lose a loved one in a motor vehicle crash are often left with not only grief, but also loss of financial stability and support.

If you have found yourself as a victim in a serious automobile accident, a Bakersfield car accident lawyer could help resolve your case. A positive resolution of your legal claim could give you the money you need to pay for the medical treatments and other care you need to restore your physical health and mental well-being. Call a dedicated personal injury attorney to begin your case.

Who Can Recover Damages After a Car Crash?

Under California law, you can recover damages following a car wreck as long as you can prove the accident caused your losses. With help from a skilled legal professional, you could potentially recover economic damages, which are quantifiable losses resulting from the accident. These damages could include medical bills for current or future medical expenses, rehabilitation expenses, relocation costs, property damage, lost wages, and anticipated lost future earnings. You might also be eligible to collect non-economic damages for losses that affect your quality of life. Pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, and decreased quality of life are all examples of potentially recoverable non-economic damages. Fortunately, California law does not cap the amount of economic or non-economic damages in automobile wreck cases. Skilled attorneys in Bakersfield could carefully review the details of the car crash and work to maximize the available damages.

If a car accident leads to an untimely death, the estate of the victim and certain family members can bring a lawsuit and recover for wrongful death, funeral expenses, and the loss of companionship or consortium.

A compassionate legal representative knows how to help guide grieving families through the legal process, making it as painless as possible. Attorney Donald Colvin meets with every client personally, as it is a delicate yet crucial time. He truly wants to give his clients his focused attention to learn all there is about the details of the accident and the case.

Can People Share Fault for an Accident?

In some auto accidents, one party is clearly at fault, such as when one drunk or distracted motorist crosses over the median of a road and crashes into an oncoming vehicle. At other times, determining liability is not as straightforward and more than one party can bear responsibility for causing the crash. For example, in a two-car collision, one motorist might drive through an intersection without stopping at a red light, while the other might be driving 10 miles over the speed limit. In that situation, both motorists are liable for the crash.

California law allows people who are partly responsible for an accident to pursue compensation. Under California’s pure comparative negligence system, people can pursue a legal claim for damages even when they are partly to blame for the crash. In such cases, the court assigns percentages of blame to each party who contributed to a wreck. For instance, in the above example, the court might determine that the driver who ran the red light is 75 percent at fault, while the speeding motorist is 25 percent at fault. When awarding damages, the court will reduce each party’s compensation by their percentage of fault.

Shared fault accidents are complicated, which is why working with a seasoned legal professional is critical. An experienced Bakersfield lawyer could investigate the accident and gather evidence proving the negligent driver is primarily at fault.

If a car accident leads to death, the estate of the victim and the family members can bring a lawsuit and recover for:

  • Wrongful death
  • Loss of companionship or consortium

Donald Colvin is here to help. As a hardworking Bakersfield car accident lawyer, he meets with every client personally, as it is a delicate yet crucial time. He truly wants to give his clients his focused attention to learn all there is about the details of the accident and the case.

For over a decade, attorney Donald Colvin has been helping his clients win cases against insurance agencies. He understands California law and has had years of experience disputing with insurance companies in the auto industry. Donald will negotiate a settlement that is beneficial to YOU. Insurance agencies will quickly offer a settlement, but we want you to be better informed and exceptionally represented.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney in Bakersfield Today

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident and are thinking about filing a personal injury claim, Donald Colvin and his team can help you! Call today.