Los Angeles Automobile Accident Lawyers

Each year, automobile accidents on California's roads and highways cause thousands of injuries and deaths and millions of dollars in property damage.  The Los Angeles automobile accident lawyers at the law offices of Howard Craig Kornberg help people throughout Southern California who have been harmed in accidents to recover the compensation they deserve.  Automobile accidents have the potential to cause serious personal injury, from fractures due to side impacts, to spinal cord injury from rear-end collisions, and brain injury from rollovers involving roof crushes.  Whether the accident caused a serious personal injury or wrongful death, Los Angeles automobile accident lawyer Howard Kornberg has the skills and experience to help his clients fight for a full and fair recovery.

Automobile accident lawyers that understand liability insurance

All California and Los Angeles automobile drivers are required by law to carry liability insurance or proof of financial responsibility in the event of an accident.  The minimum liability limits required by law are 15/30/5, meaning the person or auto insurance company must be able to pay up to $15,000 for injury or wrongful death to one person, $30,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $5,000 for all property damage caused by the negligent driver.  However, these limits often fail to cover all the damage caused in a serious accident, let alone one in which the injuries were truly catastrophic.  For this reason, it may be wise to purchase more insurance than the statutory minimums in an attempt to avoid personal liability in the event of an accident. Speak with a Los Angeles auto accident lawyer for help deciding what is right for you.

Another problem with liability insurance is that not everybody carries it.  Despite the fact that it is required by law, about 17% of California drivers do not carry liability insurance.  This number is higher in Los Angeles, where at any given time, over 20% of the cars on the road are being driven without liability insurance.  To counter this, California law requires all insurance companies to offer Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage to their policyholders.  If you have UM/UIM coverage, your own insurance company will compensate you in the event you are hit by an uninsured driver or a driver who is only carrying minimum limits that do not fully compensate you for your damages.  Talk to a Los Angeles car accident attorney for more details.

Even though insurance companies must offer UM/UIM coverage, the law does not require it to be carried by drivers.  Many people do not understand what UM/UIM is, and decline the coverage in order to save money on their premiums.  However, not only is it recommended that you purchase UM/UIM, but you should also consider carrying limits equal to what you have on your own liability policy.  Taking the proper precautions may be extremely helpful in the event of a Los Angeles auto accident.

Los Angeles automobile accident lawyer

Dealing with Insurance Companies

Los Angeles automobile accident lawyer Howard Craig Kornberg can help you make important insurance decisions. Insurance companies make money by charging premiums, not by paying claims.  Consequently, insurance companies will do all they can to minimize the amount they pay out.  The insurance adjustor will almost always undervalue your claim, offering a settlement far below that which you are entitled to receive.  Even if you are dealing with your own insurance company on an uninsured motorist claim, do not be fooled into thinking that your insurance company is on your side.  They will try to pay as little as possible, or deny the claim altogether if they can, the same as if it were the other driver's insurance company.  For more information about insurance costs and statistics, see the Insurance Information Institute's article on rising insurance costs.

Before you decide to negotiate directly with the insurance company, and certainly before you sign any papers or accept any money, you should first consult with an experienced Los Angeles auto accident attorney who has handled automobile accident cases of the kind related to your claim.  Your automobile accident lawyer in Los Angeles can assess the evidence at hand and provide you with a reasonable estimate of what your claim is worth and what you should expect to receive, either through a settlement or in a judgment at trial.

The Effect of Comparative Negligence

Sometimes, both drivers in a car accident in Los Angeles are considered to have contributed to the accident.  In these situations, the court will assign a percentage of the comparative fault to each party.  The allocation of a portion of the negligence does not keep an injured plaintiff from suing, but the amount the person can recover is reduced by the percentage of that person's negligence.  Even if the plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, he or she can still recover from a negligent defendant for the portion of that person's negligence which contributed to the accident.

A person's comparative negligence may not have contributed to the accident itself, but may have contributed to the seriousness of the injury.  For instance, if the plaintiff was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was thrown from the car and suffered a serious car accident injury in Los Angeles, the court may find the plaintiff partially at fault for the seriousness of the injury.  Given the ability of the court to severely limit a plaintiff's recovery by allocating fault, it is critical that you be represented by an aggressive Los Angeles automobile accident lawyer who can fight to ensure that the defendant is held fully accountable for his or her negligence or wrongful actions.

Contact an automobile accident lawyer in Los Angeles

In his thirty years practicing personal injury and handling auto accident lawsuits, attorney Howard Kornberg has tried all types of automobile accidents cases involving virtually every kind of injury.  If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, contact The Law Offices of Howard Craig Kornberg today for a free initial consultation.