The roads and highways of Southern California can be dangerous places. A wide array of hazards may ultimately result in a car accident that includes you. In a lot of these circumstances, some or all of the blame for the collision may rest with someone else. When that is true, you may find yourself needing to fight for compensation (either in court, through the insurance claim process, or both.) Make sure you have a skilled Santa Barbara auto accident lawyer representing you to help you get what you deserve.
A recent late-night crash here in Santa Barbara involved a less common cause for crashes: road debris. Initial three vehicles were involved in a collision on southbound Highway 101 near the Carrillo Street off-ramp. That collision sent six people to the hospital, one with serious injuries. The impact created a lot of debris, including throwing a large chunk of guardrail off the highway and onto the off-ramp.
After that initial incident, multiple other drivers were involved in single-vehicle accidents in which they encountered debris and crashed.
If your accident happened because you hit debris in the road, proper crash investigation is a must. If the debris you hit is considered "avoidable" debris, which means it was something that you reasonably should have seen and steered around, then you may face a substantially uphill climb in recovering compensation for your injuries.
If, however, the debris is considered "unavoidable," then you may have viable claims for compensation. Unavoidable debris includes situations such as flying debris or, as may have been the case in this local incident, debris on a highway at night that came to be on the road just moments before the subsequent drivers encountered it.
Prompt Action to Enhance Potential Results
Swiftly hiring an effective legal team that can do the necessary investigation to establish another party's culpability can make a huge difference. Your lawyer can aid you in obtaining various important items, like a police accident report, witness statements, and any photos/videos of the crash scene that might be available.
Whether you are seeking compensation from another driver's insurer or you're pursuing a claim with your own insurance company under your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, those insurance companies often will work strenuously to avoid paying your claim (or paying as little as possible,) so you'll need to have a strong legal team who can help you to determine whether that early settlement offer you received from the insurance company is a fair offer or (more likely) a low-ball one.
Additionally, saving your medical bills and all other documentation related to your treatment can help bolster your case. This paperwork can aid in both establishing that the crash caused your injuries and the extent of the harm you suffered.
The knowledgeable Santa Barbara car accident attorneys at the law firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP are here to help. Our team offers clients more than 75 years of combined legal experience, which allows us to represent our clients effectively, no matter what surprises a case may yield. Contact us at 805-617-1365 or through our website to get a free case consultation today.
