Highway travel is a way of life for nearly everyone in Menifee and the surrounding area. Freeways connect the city to the Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego metro areas, and these large roadways are used for everything from commuting to errands to weekend getaways. Unfortunately, risk is involved when using these highways so it’s not uncommon to see rollovers, chain reaction crashes, pileups, big rig jackknifes, and high-speed tire blowouts causing major injuries and deaths on a regular basis. These consequences can follow victims the rest of their lives and impact their ability to function normally. The tragedy is only made greater knowing that so many of these accidents could have been avoided. If you or a loved one were hurt in a collision on one of California’s highways, contact a Menifee Highway Accident Lawyer to see if you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
Highway Accident Risks in MenifeeA growing town of more than 93,000 residents, Menifee has experienced a rapid expansion as people move away from urban areas to escape the rising cost of big city living. Many people in the area commute to large cities every day for work, so daily use of the 15 and 215 freeways in Riverside County as well as State Routes in the area is common. Riverside County is also the third busiest county for large commercial semi-tricks and big rigs, so there are a disproportionately large number of these dangerous vehicles traveling on the highways with everyday drivers. Earlier in 2019, a driver traveling from Menifee lost 2 children when her vehicle collided with a tractor trailer parked on the side of the road and then collided with a box truck. This just goes to show that the risk of injury and death from highway accidents in the Menifee area is dangerously high for innocent motorists.
What Injuries Result from Highway Accidents?In comparison to city travel, the high speeds and massive commercial trucks traveling Menifee’s highways make it no surprise severe injuries and fatalities are common when accidents do happen. Even a 5 mile an hour increase in the speed limit translates into an 8 percent fatality increase during a collision. It’s common to see certain types of injuries from such a crash – some are minor like cuts or bruises, but others are incredibly severe and permanent. Victims fortunate enough to survive often suffer traumatic brain injuries, whiplash and other neck issues, back injuries like paralysis, and fractures. Traumatic brain injuries are among the most common and dangerous consequences. Symptoms often don’t present for days or even weeks after an accident, so victims who don’t seek medical evaluation may not realize they’ve been hurt. It’s critical to be seen by medical professionals because these injuries can be fatal if untreated.
Can I Win My Case?In Menifee, highway accident injury victims often file suit seeking compensation by arguing someone’s negligent behavior caused their injuries. To prove negligence and hold a defendant responsible, you typically need to show the defendant owed you a duty of care, breached their duty by acting when they shouldn’t have or failing to act when they should have, and that breach caused your injuries. In accident cases, it’s also possible to get past proving the elements of negligence by showing the defendant broke a law or regulation when they committed the act that harmed you. This also includes traffic laws such as speeding, tailgating, texting and driving, or failing to signal when changing lanes – these can often be shown through traffic cameras, police reports, or evidence like skid marks. Under negligence per se, violating these laws meant to keep people safe create a presumption the violator acted negligently.
Even if you were partly responsible for the accident that caused your injuries, you may still be able to recover. California adopted comparative negligence, which means the court will evaluate the facts of your case and assign a percentage of responsibility for the fault you bear in the accident. Any award of damages you receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
How Much Is My Case Worth?If you can prove your highway accident injuries were caused by another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensatory damages to make you whole for what you’ve suffered. Highway accidents are often severe due to elevated speeds and large vehicles like 18-wheelers, so the cost of medical treatment can easily skyrocket. An award can’t take away the trauma you suffered, but it can help you recover from both quantifiable damages and injuries that reflect less concrete harms to your mental and emotional health. It’s not uncommon for victims to recover for proven harms such as medical expenses, property damage, funeral expenses or burial costs, pain and suffering, permanent disability or disfigurement, and lost wages.
Additionally, it’s possible in some circumstances for a victim to receive an award of additional damages from the court. If a defendant behaved in a vile or reprehensible manner, victims may receive punitive damages to punish the wrongdoer’s conduct as well as deter repetition of the behavior in the future. These damages require a satisfying a high burden of proof and are entirely at the judge or jury’s discretion, so it’s advisable to consult with an experienced Menifee Highway Accident Lawyer to avoid potentially costly mistakes with your case.
Contact an Attorney TodayIf you or a loved one were injured during an accident on one of the highways or busy roads intersecting with highways in the Southern California area, don’t wait; call the Menifee Highway Attorneys at Walton Law, APC to protect your rights and fight for your recovery. Our skilled attorneys have spent years delivering customized, dedicated representation on behalf of victims like you. We get results – we’ve secured millions in recovery for their injuries. Contact us 24/7 at (866)-338-7079 through our online Contact Page today to schedule your risk-free, confidential case evaluation today. The consultation is free, and don’t pay until we win your case. Let our team of lawyers use their knowledge and resources to fight for you and get the maximum possible recovery so you can get your life back on track.