Cars are the cornerstone of transportation in Wildomar and the rest of Southern California, so it’s no surprise that accidents do happen. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, rear-end accidents, numbering over 1.7 million each year are the most common type of accidents in the country. They account for nearly 30 percent of all collisions. These accidents are particularly dangerous for vehicle occupants on the busy 15 freeway and nearby city streets, as they are unexpected and individuals in the vehicle often have no time to prepare for impact. Nearly 500,000 people were hurt and over 2,300 lost their lives due to these crashes – the nature of the accidents can cause injuries at speeds as slow as 5 miles per hour and result in life-altering consequences and a lifetime of recovery.
These accidents are especially tragic because they avoidable and are largely the result of a driver’s inattention to their surroundings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 87 percent of rear-end accidents happened simply because at least one driver was not paying attention. Common negligent behavior such as texting and driving has only increased the frequency, but it’s no excuse for the consequences you suffer. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, speak to an experienced Wildomar Rear-End Accident Attorney to see if you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
What are Common Injuries Sustained in a Rear-End Car Accident?
Rear-end accidents are particularly concerning for victims because these crashes are unexpected and vehicle occupants have little or no time to prepare for multiple impacts. It’s common to see severe injuries requiring long-term care or keep victims from returning to work long-term or even permanently. It’s common to see head trauma such as traumatic brain injuries, harm to the neck, back, or spinal cord, strains, sprains, and contusions in victims fortunate enough to survive.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries suffered in rear-end accidents. Whiplash occurs when a victim’s neck moves quickly and unnaturally due to an impact, causing soft tissue and nerve damage in the area of the injury and often radiating into other parts of the body. Because whiplash often doesn’t present symptoms or several days after an accident, victims may not realize they’ve been hurt in a collision. The delay in symptoms such as:
- Headaches,
- Fatigue,
- Dizziness,
- Stiffness,
- Numbness, and
- Pain
is a major reason it’s so important to receive medical care as soon as possible afterwards, as well as follow treatment provider recommendations for additional appointments or screenings as necessary. Proper diagnosis and record keeping can help you make a full recovery and also establish the origin of your injuries for purposes of helping any case you make for compensation in the future.
Can I Prove Fault and Recover for My Injuries?
Filing a civil suit alleging someone’s negligence caused your injuries is a common way that victims in Wildomar and the rest of California pursue recovery for the harm they suffered. This can be done by proving a defendant owed you a duty of care, breached the duty through an act or omission, and caused your injuries. Another way to establish liability is proving negligence per se existed – often by showing through evidence and witness statements that someone caused your harm while violating a rule or regulation such as texting while driving or driving while intoxicated.
Rear-end accidents are often straightforward when it comes to who’s at fault – drivers who manage to hit a vehicle traveling in front of them are usually responsible for the accident due to some kind of negligent behavior. A variety of traffic violations can result in collisions; tailgating, speeding, unsafe lane changes, and distracted driving are all common causes indicating the first driver to make impact was at fault. However, sometimes the rear-ended driver engaged in unsafe behavior that renders them at least partly to blame for what happened. These situations may appear when a lead driver:
- Slammed on their brakes for no reason to brake-check the tailing vehicle,
- Unexpectedly put their vehicle in reverse for no reason,
- Didn’t look in their mirrors before reversing their vehicle,
- Operated a vehicle either with broken taillights or reverse lights, or
- Drove their vehicle without hazard lights when it had with a flat tire or other problem.
If the court determines evidence exists that more than one driver was at least partly to blame, they will review the facts and assign a percentage of fault to each party involved – this can reduce your recovery by the amount of negligence you bear.
What Can I Recover for My Injuries?
Victims injured by negligence may be able to recover an award of damages to compensate for their suffering. Nothing will erase what you went through, but damages may be given for your financial, emotional, physical, and psychological injuries. Victims can recover damages for harms including:
- Medical expenses,
- Property damage,
- Lost wages,
- Pain and suffering,
- Permanent disability or disfigurement, and even
- Funeral expenses.
Sometimes, a defendant’s behavior has been so vile or reprehensible that victims may be entitled to an additional court-ordered award of damages to punish the behavior and discourage the conduct’s repetition. Due to the discretionary nature of these punitive damages and the requirement victims satisfy a high burden of proof to qualify, it’s highly advisable to work with an experienced Wildomar Rear-End Accident Lawyer to avoid legal missteps that may greatly affect any potential recovery in your case.
Contact an Attorney Today
Any car accident can change your life in a split second, but anyone injured in rear-end car accidents know firsthand how much damage they can cause to your health, your emotional well-being, and your financial situation. These injuries are especially tragic because they are often avoidable and cause needless headaches from an accident that you never expected. If you were injured in one of these collisions, speak to the skilled Wildomar Rear-End Accident Attorneys at Walton Law, APC today. Time is not on your side, but our attorneys can fight for you to receive the compensation you deserve so you can get your life back on track. Contact us today to schedule your risk-free, no obligation case review. We are available 24/7 at (866)-338-7079 or through our online Contact Page to set up your consultation. The initial evaluation is free, and you don’t pay until we win your case. Let us use our knowledge and resources to help you make the best out of an unfortunate situation starting now.