Most significant car accidents feel like a blur for the first few days. You’ll probably talk to the insurance adjuster, try to get your car handled, and then you wake up and realize your neck still hurts. Or a fracture is taking way longer to heal than anyone predicted.
When injuries turn serious, you’ll need a lawyer with car accident experience and in some cases, catastrophic injury litigation experience to handle everything.
When A Crash Turns Into A Serious Injury Case
When folks hear the words “serious injury” in the context of a car crash…they usually picture the most dramatic cases. In real life it’s a lot different. But they don’t realize that a “traumatic brain injury” can look like headaches, sleep issues, mood swings or even memory gaps that don’t become noticeable until much later.
Those kinds of cases often pull in real questions about a person’s future earning ability and what daily life might look like a year from now.
Truck collisions tend to raise the stakes because the physics are different. Size and weight change what happens to the human body in a split second. That reality shapes the legal work, too.
What Makes Truck Accident Cases So Different
A car crash usually involves drivers, insurers, maybe an employer if one of the involved parties was working. A truck crash can involve that, plus layers of corporate responsibility. The driver matters, the carrier matters, maintenance can matter, loading can matter, and the paper trail gets thick fast.
One reason timing matters is evidence. Federal guidance says a motor carrier must retain drivers’ records of duty status and supporting documents for six months.FMCSA If someone waits too long to get help, important records can disappear through ordinary retention cycles.
Hours of service rules also sit in the background of many truck cases, since they limit how long drivers can be on duty and driving. FMCSA publishes a plain-language summary of those rules, including driving limits and on-duty limits.FMCSA+1
What To Do After A Motorcycle Crash In Los Angeles Or Orange County
Safety first. If anyone is hurt, call 911. If no one is hurt and you can move out of traffic safely, do it, then call. That is straight from the California Driver’s Handbook.
After the immediate chaos, think about the version of you who is going to need details later. Photos help. Witness names help. Basic scene context helps. Then get checked out even if you feel stubborn about it. Adrenaline can mask a lot, especially after a motorcycle impact.
There are unique Califonira reporting rules that catch people off guard. California DMV says an SR-1 must be sent within 10 days if anyone is injured or killed, or if property damage is over $1,000. California DMV California Vehicle Code section 20008 also requires a written report within 24 hours to CHP or local police when an accident results in injury or death.
How Comparative Negligence Works In California Car Accident Cases
California follows pure comparative negligence, which means fault can be split. The focus becomes percentages and proof. The California Supreme Court’s decision in Li v. Yellow Cab describes California’s move to a pure comparative approach where liability is assessed in proportion to fault, even when a plaintiff carries a large share of it.
That means if someone says you were partly responsible, it rarely shuts the whole case down. In California, it usually means the argument shifts to percentages. How much blame goes to each person, and how that percentage lowers what you can recover. That is why the focus turns to the details that prove what actually happened, like photos, witness statements, medical records, vehicle damage, and sometimes expert opinions.
How To Find A Car Accident Claim Attorney With Free Consultations And Contingency Fees
Contingency fee arrangements show up all the time in personal injury cases. In basic terms, a contingency fee generally means the lawyer gets paid out of what is recovered, not upfront. But the fine print of the agreement matters more than people expect!
Your agreement should always clearly spell out the fee terms upfront, in writing, along with the other required items under California Business and Professions Code section 6147.
A strong consultation feels steady. You walk out understanding the next step, what could make the case harder, and what they need from you right away so nothing important slips through the cracks. That’s the kind of experience you’ll have with Martin J Kaufman.
What To Look For When You Evaluate A Car Accident Claim Attorney In Los Angeles
In the first conversation, pay attention to how they ask about proof. Do they bring up medical records, future care plans, wage loss documentation, and the timeline for preserving evidence in your specific case? You’re looking for someone who expects resistance and knows how to best handle it.
A billboard firm can still be capable, but advertising is not the same thing as readiness. When you talk to a lawyer, listen for how they explain the plan. Do they speak clearly about proof? Do they sound comfortable walking into a courtroom (if the case needs that?) At The Kaufman Law Firm, we take all matters seriously because the strongest negotiations usually come from a case that can be tried, if and when it has to be.
If an attorney is AV Preeminent rated (like our own Martin J Kaufman) that is another good sign, as AV Preeminent is the highest peer rating standard tied to legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards.
Deadlines That Can Quietly Wreck A Good Case
Most people focus on the injury and the insurance and forget the calendar. That’s a good way to end up in a bad spot, and that’s when you need an attorney looking out for you.
California’s statute of limitations for many personal injury and wrongful death cases is two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. There are exceptions in certain situations, including cases involving public entities, so waiting around can create problems that have nothing to do with the facts of the crash.
Truck cases have their own urgency because of record retention and the speed at which evidence can get harder to obtain.
A Quick Word About Insurance Limits In 2025
A lot of people assume the other driver’s insurance will cover the real cost of a serious injury. The numbers often surprise them.
The California DMV lists minimum liability insurance limits as $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Serious injuries can burn through that quickly once medical bills and wage loss enter the picture.
Thirty Plus Years Of Trial Experience? Or A Billboard Firm…
When you bring 30 years of trial time, you know you should build the case like it is headed to a courtroom, even when everyone hopes it settles. That mindset shows up in the first month.
At The Kaufman Law Firm, we approach every case with trial readiness from the start, because serious cases deserve serious work.
