Your Esteemed California Personal Injury Attorneys

In California, individuals may purchase Under-insured or Uninsured motorist insurance (UIM) which helps cover the costs related to bodily injury. Un-insured coverage steps in when the at fault party has no auto insurance and Under-insured insurance steps in if the other side has low insurance coverage. You may be able to pursue a UIM claim depending on your insurance coverage.

Often times, the pain and injuries sustained are not immediately present after the accident because of the shock and adrenaline from the incident. It is best to speak to your family physician or seek emergency care if the pain becomes unbearable.

If you have liability only insurance, you will typically need to wait for the third party to admit fault before your vehicle can be repaired. If you have full coverage or collision coverage, your insurance company will take care of your vehicle repairs and go after the at fault party for reimbursement. Your vehicle may be repaired after an accident or it could be deemed a total loss depending on the severity of the damages. Every insurance company is different in the way they have your vehicle inspected. Some insurance companies will have you upload pictures of your vehicle on the insurance website, an adjuster may be sent to where the vehicle is located, or you may be told to visit a specific collision repair center for an estimate.

If your car is deemed a total loss it can be one of several reasons. The first reason is that the cost to repair your vehicle exceeds the actual cost of your vehicle or close to the amount of your vehicles worth. Another reason your car could be totaled is because it is not repairable. Sometimes after an accident a car may sustain frame damage or damage that may deem the vehicle unsafe to drive or if fixed, it will never be 100% to the way it was.

The price of your totaled vehicle is always negotiable. You may use values from Kelly Blue Book or Nada guides that will give you a ballpark of what your vehicle is worth. You may also point out to the insurance that you vehicle has certain options, trims, or rare features that commands a higher premium. You can also search on Auto Trader, Carvana, or other websites that may help you show that your vehicle is valued more than what is being offered.

If you have purchased rental vehicle coverage from your insurance, you definitely can. Sometimes the insurance will give you a certain allowance of how much they will pay out for a car rental in which we typically see it to be $25-35 a day. It is important to speak to your insurance about what the daily rental limit allowed is and if there is a cap on duration of rental such as 30 days. If you do not have rental vehicle coverage, the third party who hit your vehicle may also pay for your rental vehicle depending on their coverages.

In California, there is a time frame in which you must settle or file your by or you will lose your right to file a claim. In California, you have two years from the date of your injury to come to an agreement or file claim in court. This is also referred as a statue of limitations.