Auto Accidents in the Bay Area: Determining If You Have a Case
If you are involved in a Bay Area auto accident, you may or may not have basis for an auto accident lawsuit. In the Bay Area, some auto accidents are minor fender benders that do not involve any bodily injury and some auto accidents involve severe injuries. To determine if your automobile accident will result in a lawsuit you need to assess the details of your accident.
Auto accident with no bodily injury
It is possible to be involved in an accident with another vehicle that does not result in any injuries to any of the occupants of the vehicles. When this occurs you have a physical damage claim that is usually settled by the insurance company of the driver who is at fault. If both parties to the collision are somewhat at fault, comparative negligence will be used to determine the percentage of fault for each driver and the payments will be adjusted accordingly.
However, if the other driver is not insured, your insurance company will pay for the damage to your car either under the uninsured motorist property damage coverage or under your policy’s collision coverage.
You may also be involved in a Bay Area auto accident that does not involve another vehicle. If this is the case, you will be responsible for any damage you cause to someone else’s property. Your auto insurance company would pay for this claim under your auto liability physical damage coverage.
Bay Area auto accident injury
Auto accidents in the Bay Area resulting in severe injuries have the highest probability of turning into auto accident lawsuits. If blame is clear, an accident with minor to moderate bodily injury can usually be settled with the insurance company. However, you may want to have an auto attorney in the Bay Area review the settlement offer with you before you sign any agreements.
If your accident is severe, you may need to file an auto accident lawsuit. You must show that the other driver was at fault or somewhat at fault and the resulting accident actually caused damages to you. If you can prove all of these conditions, you have the basis for filing a lawsuit.
Contact us
Attorneys at the San Francisco accident law firm of Albert G. Stoll, A Law Corporation are available to help you determine if you have an auto accident case. Contact us today for consultation.
