Get to a safe location and don’t make damaging statements
If you get into an auto accident, the first thing you should do is to get yourself out of oncoming traffic and into a safe location. If your car is not drivable, you should stay in the vehicle until help arrives. A very common mistake is for people to get out of the vehicle and start making statements regarding the accident to the other driver. Do not discuss the accident! Your statements to the other driver may be used against you and cause the insurance company to deny your claim! For example, simply stating “I’m sorry. I totally did not see you pull out of that driveway” may seem innocent enough, but it can be used against you in court! On the other hand, if the other driver makes such a statement, mention this to your attorney.
Take pictures and exchange information
Next, if possible, take pictures and exchange information. You should take pictures of the (1) accident scene, (2) damage to your vehicle, and (3) damage to the other vehicle. You should exchange your driver’s license information and insurance information with the other driver. Ideally, you should take the other driver’s insurance information card and driver’s license and copy the information yourself. Ask if the address found in the driver’s license is current; if it’s not, ask them to provide their current address.
Obtain witness information
If there were any witnesses to the accident, make sure to get their name(s) and contact information as well. We will be contacting the witness(es) and getting their side of the story. A good witness may be the difference between getting you cash quickly and having your case last for months or even years!
After you have obtained all of this information, call Frish Law Group, APLC for immediate assistance in getting you the compensation you deserve! If you are still at the accident site, we can come to you and make sure that the entire process goes as smoothly as possible.
If your car is drivable (i.e., in a safe and working order) you may not want to have it towed unless you have a free tow service. If LAPD or CHP tows your car, be ready to pay substantial fees (e.g., hook-up fees, tow fees, storage fees, etc.).
Also, should your car be towed from the scene of the accident, you may lose evidence as a result of the tow company’s negligence.
For this reason, we always suggest calling the Frish Law Group, APLC first so we can have one of our attorneys or experts come to the scene of the accident to properly document and photograph the scene. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged a dime unless we are able to get you a recovery. Contact Frish Law Group, APLC today for a free consultation.
This is a legal theory used by courts in America. This theory is often used to establish that the other driver was at fault for the accident. Negligence is a theory that has a number of parts that must be established to win and be compensated for your injuries; these parts are called “elements.”
The elements of negligence include:
Generally, negligence is based on the carelessness of the defendant that led to your injury. If the driver is determined to be negligent, then oftentimes, the injured party is not at fault and can recover compensation. Usually, accidents are not caused intentionally, but negligently. Regardless, you have a right to receive compensation for the carelessness of another person while driving a vehicle or doing any other action.
Sometimes, the other driver’s insurance denies responsibility for the accident and instead sues you for the injuries and damage to the insured. If the other driver sues you for the accident, you will have to defend the lawsuit.
You can do this in one of several ways:
Contact your insurance company. If you had valid insurance at the time of the accident, your insurance may be required to defend you if a lawsuit is brought against you. This representation is free. Besides the fact that you must have car insurance in California, one of the benefits of having insurance is that you won’t have to hire an attorney if another driver sues you for an accident. Although you do not have to agree to have the attorney chosen by the insurance company, it is usually your most cost-effective and efficient option.
Represent yourself (pro per/pro se). If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident, you may elect to represent yourself in the accident. Although this is not advisable, it may be your only option if you don’t have the money to pay an attorney. However, Frish Law Group, APLC can guide you through the entire process and help you prepare the necessary paperwork to give you the best chance to win your case.
Hire an attorney to represent you. If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident, you may wish to hire an attorney to represent you. Although this is the costliest option, having an attorney gives you best chance to win your case. If you lose and the other side obtains a judgment, it is possible for the other side to take your house, car, or other belongings to pay for their damages and injuries.
Frish Law Group, APLC is always available to discuss your available options and guide you through the entire process.
If your car is a total loss, the insurance carrier will give you 2 options:
What if you recently spent money on fixing or upgrading your car? Most insurance companies won’t tell you this, but you are actually entitled to be reimbursed for the money you’ve spent on fixing or upgrading your car. Some insurance companies will reimburse you for money you’ve spent within the past 12 months prior to the accident. For example, if you recently spent hundreds of dollars on changing your tires or repairing your transmission, we will submit an additional claim to the insurance company and demand that it pays for this as well.
What if the insurance company offers to pay me a fair price for my car? If the price is fair, you will get a check within a couple of days of your acceptance of the settlement offer. You will sign your title (or pink slip) over to the insurance company, they will come pick up the car, and you can start searching for a new or used car to purchase.
For example, your 1999 Nissan Maxima that has 120,000 miles on it is involved in an accident. Let’s say you have $1,500 in damage to the car and the car is worth only $2,000. Although the car is considered “totaled” and the insurance company offers to pay you $2,000 for the car, your best bet may be to keep the car and fix it for $1,500. Why? Because, for example, you are the first and only owner of the car, you’ve changed the oil every 3 months, you’ve never abused the car, etc. If you choose to take the $2,000 and buy another car, you may be purchasing a car that has been abused, never had its oil changed, etc. In other words, the best bang for your buck may be to keep and fix your old car.
What’s the downside to this option? Your car will have a salvaged title. This means that the resale value on your vehicle will be substantially less than other similar vehicles that do not have a salvaged title. By hiring Frish Law Group, APLC, we will help you by weighing the pros and cons to each of the options listed above so that you get the most value from the insurance company’s offer.
We understand that your life cannot stop just because you got into an accident. You probably have a job and kids, and the only way to get around is by car. The attorneys and staff at Frish Law Group, APLC will do everything possible to make sure that you have a rental car while your car is being repaired.
In most instances, you will be able to get the other driver’s insurance carrier to pay for a rental car while your car is being repaired. In addition, we will negotiate with the insurance carrier so that it compensates you for the fact that you couldn’t driver your own car (also called “loss of use” damages). If the other driver’s insurance company won’t accept responsibility for the accident, we will review your insurance policy to see if your insurance will pay for a rental car and for “loss of use.”
Either way, Frish Law Group APLC’s number one concern is to get you through this process as smoothly and painlessly as possible. We will be by your side every step of the way.
This is a legal theory used by courts in America. This theory is often used to establish that the other driver was at fault for the accident. Negligence is a theory that has a number of parts that must be established to win and be compensated for your injuries; these parts are called “elements.”
The elements of negligence include:
Generally, negligence is based on the carelessness of the defendant that led to your injury. If the driver is determined to be negligent, then oftentimes, the injured party is not at fault and can recover compensation. Usually, accidents are not caused intentionally, but negligently. Regardless, you have a right to receive compensation for the carelessness of another person while driving a vehicle or doing any other action.
A release is a document that you will sign in exchange for money you receive if you agree to settle your case. Most releases contain promises to either stop a lawsuit or not to start after you receive this money. You should always consult an attorney before you sign anything given to you by an insurance adjuster or the other driver’s attorney.
Subrogation is the process by which an insurance carrier tries to recoup the money it has paid for a claim. If you were involved in a car accident and the accident was not your fault, your insurance carrier pays to repair your car and will try to recoup the money it paid for your car by going after the opposing party or their insurance carrier. The attorneys in our office will work with your insurance adjuster to help them recover that money from the other insurance company.
By law, all California drivers must have a minimum of a 15/30 personal injury liability policy. This means that the insurance carrier will pay each injured person up to $15,000 per accident and will pay no more than $30,000 per accident for all persons involved in the accident. So, if there are 3 people in your car and each of them suffers $15,000 in injuries, there will be a coverage issue because there is a total of $45,000 in damages, but the insurance carrier is only responsible for paying $30,000.
This means that the insured may be liable for the difference of $15,000. Californians are only required to maintain $5,000 limit for property damage. Therefore, if you get into an accident and the other driver has a $5,000 policy and you have $10,000 in damage to your car, there may not be enough money to fix your car.
Please contact the attorneys at Frish Law Group, APLC so we can help you fix your car, even if the other driver’s insurance coverage is too small to cover all of your damages.
Sometimes, the other driver’s insurance denies responsibility for the accident and instead sues you for the injuries and damage to the insured. If the other driver sues you for the accident, you will have to defend the lawsuit.
You can do this in one of several ways:
Contact your insurance company. If you had valid insurance at the time of the accident, your insurance may be required to defend you if a lawsuit is brought against you. This representation is free. Besides the fact that you must have car insurance in California, one of the benefits of having insurance is that you won’t have to hire an attorney if another driver sues you for an accident. Although you do not have to agree to have the attorney chosen by the insurance company, it is usually your most cost-effective and efficient option.
Represent yourself (pro per/pro se). If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident, you may elect to represent yourself in the accident. Although this is not advisable, it may be your only option if you don’t have the money to pay an attorney. However, Frish Law Group, APLC can guide you through the entire process and help you prepare the necessary paperwork to give you the best chance to win your case.
Hire an attorney to represent you. If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident, you may wish to hire an attorney to represent you. Although this is the costliest option, having an attorney gives you best chance to win your case. If you lose and the other side obtains a judgment, it is possible for the other side to take your house, car, or other belongings to pay for their damages and injuries.
Frish Law Group, APLC is always available to discuss your available options and guide you through the entire process.
If your car is a total loss, the insurance carrier will give you 2 options:
What if you recently spent money on fixing or upgrading your car? Most insurance companies won’t tell you this, but you are actually entitled to be reimbursed for the money you’ve spent on fixing or upgrading your car. Some insurance companies will reimburse you for money you’ve spent within the past 12 months prior to the accident. For example, if you recently spent hundreds of dollars on changing your tires or repairing your transmission, we will submit an additional claim to the insurance company and demand that it pays for this as well.
What if the insurance company offers to pay me a fair price for my car? If the price is fair, you will get a check within a couple of days of your acceptance of the settlement offer. You will sign your title (or pink slip) over to the insurance company, they will come pick up the car, and you can start searching for a new or used car to purchase.
For example, your 1999 Nissan Maxima that has 120,000 miles on it is involved in an accident. Let’s say you have $1,500 in damage to the car and the car is worth only $2,000. Although the car is considered “totaled” and the insurance company offers to pay you $2,000 for the car, your best bet may be to keep the car and fix it for $1,500. Why? Because, for example, you are the first and only owner of the car, you’ve changed the oil every 3 months, you’ve never abused the car, etc. If you choose to take the $2,000 and buy another car, you may be purchasing a car that has been abused, never had its oil changed, etc. In other words, the best bang for your buck may be to keep and fix your old car.
What’s the downside to this option? Your car will have a salvaged title. This means that the resale value on your vehicle will be substantially less than other similar vehicles that do not have a salvaged title. By hiring Frish Law Group, APLC, we will help you by weighing the pros and cons to each of the options listed above so that you get the most value from the insurance company’s offer.
We understand that your life cannot stop just because you got into an accident. You probably have a job and kids, and the only way to get around is by car. The attorneys and staff at Frish Law Group, APLC will do everything possible to make sure that you have a rental car while your car is being repaired.
In most instances, you will be able to get the other driver’s insurance carrier to pay for a rental car while your car is being repaired. In addition, we will negotiate with the insurance carrier so that it compensates you for the fact that you couldn’t driver your own car (also called “loss of use” damages). If the other driver’s insurance company won’t accept responsibility for the accident, we will review your insurance policy to see if your insurance will pay for a rental car and for “loss of use.”
Either way, Frish Law Group APLC’s number one concern is to get you through this process as smoothly and painlessly as possible. We will be by your side every step of the way.
The insurance companies look for every opportunity to get out of paying you for an accident. They may claim that the accident was your fault (and not the other driver’s fault) or that the other driver didn’t have valid insurance. If the other driver’s insurance carrier is denying that their driver is responsible for the accident, you have several options:
Option 1: File a lawsuit in small claims court. If the amount of damages you are seeking is less than $10,000, you can sue the other driver in small claims court. Although an attorney can’t go to court for you, we can help you prepare the necessary paperwork and advise you on what to say in court. It’s a simple and fast way to get you the compensation you are looking for. The entire small claims process takes less than 3 months and costs relatively little.
Option 2: If you want to sue for more than $10,000, you may want to hire an attorney. Although you can file a lawsuit yourself, we recommend hiring an attorney to bring a lawsuit against the other driver if you have injuries and/or damage to your car worth more than $10,000. The entire process generally takes anywhere between 6 months and 2 years. However, you may potentially receive a lot more money by going this route rather than settling your claim with the insurance company before filing a lawsuit.
Sometimes, when your insurance company finds that you are not responsible for the accident, they may go after the other insurance company so that you do not end up paying for the accident out of pocket. Frish Law Group, APLC will contact and negotiate with all parties so that you can concentrate on fixing your car, treating your injuries, and moving on with your life.
California has strict laws requiring car insurance, but many drivers either don’t have insurance or don’t have sufficient insurance (also known as being “underinsured”). If you have been in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may have more options than you realize.
For example, your insurance policy may cover the damage to your car and pay for your injuries and pain and suffering if the other driver did not have insurance. Before you settle with any insurance company, contact our firm to learn about your legal rights and options.
Your insurance carrier may deny your claim for several reasons. One of the most common reasons is for not doing something that you should’ve done pursuant to your contract with your insurance company. Your insurance contract tells you what your obligations are pursuant to the contract.
These may include calling your insurance carrier to report an accident within 24 to 48 hours after the accident, calling your adjuster back in a timely manner when they have questions for you regarding your accident, paying your premiums on time every month, and/or refraining from drinking and driving.
Before denying a claim, an insurance company will undertake an investigation into “coverage” and “liability.” Coverage investigations usually don’t take very long and relate to whether the insurance company will cover its driver for the accident. Most often, insurance companies will deny coverage if the other driver didn’t pay their insurance on time or if the driver was not allowed to be driving the car at the time (an “excluded driver”).
Generally, if the insurance policy was paid on time, there should be coverage. Also, even if the driver of the vehicle is not listed on the automobile insurance policy, the insurance company will cover the accident as long as the person on the policy made a timely premium payment.
Sometimes problems arise if the driver of the vehicle is an “excluded driver.” This is when the insurance policy specifically states that a certain person is not covered, or excluded, by the policy (generally a minor living in the same household as the insured). If that’s the case, and the excluded driver is involved in the accident, the insurance carrier will deny coverage.
Liability investigations take longer than coverage investigations and there are many more considerations involved. Once an accident occurs, the insurance company will assign a person (called an “adjuster”) to investigate the accident and determine who was at fault. The adjuster will attempt to talk to all of the drivers and witnesses regarding the accident (called a “recorded statement”).
The adjuster will also try to obtain any videos or photos of the accident. There may also be police reports that include the drivers’ and witnesses’ statements. Once all of these considerations are taken into account, the adjuster will make a liability determination. If the adjuster decides that you were at fault, don’t worry — the fight is not over. It’s your attorney’s job to make sure that the adjuster is proven wrong in court.
It depends. Your insurance will go up only if you are found to be at fault for the accident. If you are found not to be at fault, your insurance should not increase. But be careful — your insurance company may have initially found you to be at fault for the accident.
If you do not follow up with the insurance carrier, they may accidently fail to update the person actually found to be at fault for the accident, and your insurance may go up. The attorneys at Frish Law Group, APLC will closely monitor your accident claim and ensure that every claim is handled properly and carefully.
Let’s say you are involved in an accident where the damage to your car is $10,000. The minimum property damage coverage that California drivers must have is $5,000. Obviously, $5,000 is not enough to repair your car in this scenario. If you have what’s called “underinsured property damage” coverage, your insurance will pay for the remainder of the necessary repairs.
If you do not have underinsured coverage, you may have to sue the other driver to collect the remainder of your damages. If the other driver doesn’t have any property or any assets, you may be stuck paying for the remaining repairs yourself. If you contact one of our attorneys, we can review your entire claim and make sure that you pay as little as possible out of pocket for your repairs and your injuries.
Collision deductible waiver (CDW) coverage allows you to waive your mandatory deductible if you are found not to be at fault for an accident. You can think of this as insuring yourself against having to pay your deductible if you are involved in an accident and the other party is at fault. If you have a high deductible (e.g., $1,000 or more) and you are generally a safe driver, you are a good candidate for this type of coverage.
This is an optional insurance plan that covers property damage and/or bodily injury caused by another driver when that driver’s insurance policy is insufficient to cover your damages. If you drive a car that is worth more than $10,000, we highly recommend that you get this coverage.
Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your damages if you are involved in a hit and run accident, or when another driver is responsible for your accident and does not have automobile insurance. Our attorneys highly recommend that you get this coverage — you will be thankful that you did. A recent study found that 1 out of every 7 (or 13.8%) drivers do not have automobile insurance. Therefore, if you happen to get into an accident with one of these drivers and you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, you’ll have to pay for all of your damages yourself.
Rental car coverage will pay for a rental vehicle while your car is being repaired. Although this varies based on the insurance company, some insurance carriers cover up to $50 a day for 30 days for a rental car. If you obtain this coverage, you will be able to use a vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired.
The attorneys at the Frish Law Group, APLC will advise you as to when and how to obtain a rental vehicle at the expense of the insurance company. If you obtain a rental vehicle before the body shop can start repairing your vehicle, you may be stuck paying hundreds of dollars for the rental. Don’t let that happen to you — consult with one of our attorneys.
Generally, you do not need to take out extra insurance as long as you have insurance coverage for the vehicle that is being repaired. However, please consult with one of our attorneys so that we can review your insurance policy to determine whether you need additional insurance.
This is a type of insurance coverage that is available to you for property damage. It does not cover injuries, rental cars, or anything else other than property damage. If you collide with a dog and damage your car, comprehensive coverage will be used to fix your car. This coverage only covers repairs and not stolen items. The attorneys at the Frish Law Group, APLC can help advise you on the amount and type of automobile insurance that we recommend.
This is a type of coverage that will pay for only for your property damage when you are involved in an accident with another vehicle — it will not pay for the damage to the other vehicle. This insurance only takes effect when you are at fault for the accident. This coverage will pay for your repairs.
Generally, if you get into an accident, you will have to pay a certain amount to fix your car. This is called a deductible. If you obtain this type of coverage, the insurance company will waive your mandatory deductible, as long as you are found not to be at fault for the accident.
Maybe. Some insurance policies will pay you money after an accident even if you are at fault. This is called medical payment coverage, or “med-pay/medpay.” This is a type of insurance coverage that is not connected to fault. Regardless of who caused the accident, your insurance company may pay for a certain amount of medical bills that you, or anyone in your car, incurred. Some med-pay policies are “excess policies.” This means that the med-pay payments will only cover what your medical insurance will not cover.
In addition, most med-pay policies are reimbursable. This means that if you recover money from another driver, you will have to reimburse your insurance company for the money they paid for your medical expenses. However, it is not always necessary to repay the insurance company 100% of the money they paid you. Sometimes, you only have to reimburse the insurance company a small percentage of the amount they paid you.
The attorneys and staff at Frish Law Group, APLC will sit down and review your entire insurance policy to ensure that you receive the most money from your accident. Many attorneys and clients have never heard of med-pay, let alone requested payment for it. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to potentially receive hundreds or even thousands of dollars from your insurance company in the event of an accident. Contact our office as soon as possible.
Generally, the best way to get more money for your accident is to sue the other driver. Statistically, if you bring a lawsuit against the other driver, the amount of money that you will receive will be at least 3 times greater than the settlement offer that the other insurance carrier made before trial. The reason for this is simple: Once a lawsuit is brought against the other driver, the other driver’s insurance carrier has to hire an attorney to defend their insured.
This means that the insurance carrier has a large expense from the get-go. The longer the lawsuit lasts, the more expenses the insurance carrier incurs. In addition to the expenses, the insurance company has the possibility of paying you a lot of money if the court or the jury decides that the other driver was at fault. The combination of these 2 factors places more pressure on the insurance company, which results in larger settlement offers.
A:The amount of money you receive for an automobile accident depends on the severity of your injuries, the type of coverage the other driver has, the amount of your medical bills, and the attorney’s fees. Most cases get resolved for somewhere around 1.5 to 3 times the amount of your medical bills. So if your chiropractic bill is $2,000, your recovery should be somewhere between $3,000 and $6,000; generally, if the amount of the damage to your vehicle is more than $3,000, you will likely have a resolution closer to the $6,000 range. Some insurance companies pay more to settle a case. Mercury insurance is notorious for providing inadequate payouts, while Progressive and State Farm have fair payouts. Most insurance companies are somewhere in the middle. You should keep in mind that if the amount of your medical expenses is not reasonable, the insurance company may deny your claim altogether. Your attorney and doctor should be able to advise you as to what will be considered reasonable treatment in your particular matter.
As a general rule, the doctor is not paid upfront. The doctor will provide their services to you and will furnish the attorney with the medical reports and invoices for your treatment. Once the attorney brings your case to a resolution and collects the injury proceeds, they will start negotiating the liens that the doctors have in your case. Some doctors will expect 1/3 of your settlement. However, most doctors will take much less.
Almost all injury accident representations will be based on a contingency fee agreement. This means that the attorney will get paid only if they are able to make a recovery on your behalf. Often, an attorney will charge 33% of the recovery. However, if your matter must be litigated, you should expect to pay up to 50% of the recovery.
Generally, no. If you were involved in a car accident and you received either a settlement or won and received someone’s money, this money is not taxable because it is not considered income. However, fines imposed by the court to punish the defendant (“punitive damages”), may be taxable. We have relationships with accountants throughout Los Angeles who would be able to advise you as to the tax consequences of the money you receive from your accident.
The types of expenses associated with your case can widely range — these include doctor’s expenses, court filing fees, fees to obtain your medical records and reports, fees to pay experts at hearings, etc. At Frish Law Group, APLC, you never have to pay for these fees out-of-pocket. If and when we receive payment for your injuries, we deduct that amount from the total settlement.
Furthermore, if you were injured in an accident, we will find and recommend a doctor for you who will only be paid if we win or settle your case. The doctor does not need to be paid upfront or use your health insurance (if you have a policy). You will never be stuck with a large medical bill. In short, if there is no recovery, you pay nothing.
The person responsible for paying the expenses associated with your injury case depends on the agreement you have with the attorney. At the Frish Law Group, APLC, our clients do not pay any litigation expenses out-of-pocket. Frish Law Group, APLC pays those expenses for you. If and when Frish Law Group, APLC makes a recovery on your behalf, we will then deduct the expenses from the recovery. If there is no recovery, you will not have to pay us for any of the expenses.
It will take anywhere from 4 months to 2 years for you to get your compensation. As a general rule, the more severe the injuries, the longer it will take to resolve the matter because you need to concentrate on your recovery, receiving your treatment, and visiting your doctors.
Further, it takes longer to receive payment in accidents with more severe injuries because we seek a larger amount of money to resolve the matter — and as you know, insurance companies would rather pay you less than more. Insurance companies’ initial settlement offers are always for a small amount. Many attorneys will suggest that you accept the smaller amount because it provides the attorney with faster compensation, while doing minimal work.
This is a BIG mistake. At the Frish Law Group, APLC, we make sure that you are fully compensated for your injuries, your lost wages, and the future pain and suffering that you will incur as a result of the accident. We will not settle your accident claim unless we know that we have made every effort to get you the maximum compensation.
If you are involved in a serious automobile accident and you need to use the emergency room, you should definitely use your medical insurance to pay for the expenses. Please be aware that if you use your medical insurance, and you thereafter seek compensation from the other driver, your medical insurance provider will want to be reimbursed for the payments it made on your behalf.
An attorney at the Frish Law Group, APLC will be able to negotiate the reimbursement amount with your medical insurance provider so that you receive as much money as possible for your injuries.
It all depends. If the other driver had insurance and the other driver was responsible for the accident, their insurance should compensate you for your injuries. If the other driver did not have insurance or their insurance policy is too small to cover all of your injuries, your insurance might step in and pay for all or part of your injuries. Sometimes it is worthwhile to file a lawsuit against the other driver and recover money directly from the driver (this is especially true when the driver did not have insurance, but has money or assets sufficient to compensate you for your injuries).
If the driver was on the job when the accident occurred, the employer may be responsible for your injuries. In that case, you may file a claim and/or lawsuit against both the driver and the employer. As you can see, there are various ways to compensate you for your injuries and the explanation above does not cover all of the different scenarios. The attorneys at our firm can help you navigate this confusing and complex maze in order to ensure that you are compensated for your injuries.
Yes. Most doctors will tell you that the effects of a car accident may take a few days, or even a month, to manifest. Also, the initial shock following an accident may block some of the pain that you would normally feel. A doctor will be able to examine you closely to make sure that you really are OK.
If you contact the attorneys at the Frish Law Group, APLC we can refer you to a doctor who will conduct a full evaluation of your injuries for free. If you are injured, that doctor may even treat your injuries without any upfront payment. Instead, the doctor will get paid only when we recover money for your accident.
If you get into an accident, the attorneys and staff at Frish Law Group, APLC can help you find a body shop and mechanic that will make your car look and drive like it is brand new. Repairing your car may take anywhere from 10 to 30 days. After opening a claim, Frish Law Group, APLC will have both insurance companies inspect your vehicle. By sending a property damage adjuster to inspect and take pictures of the vehicle, a value is placed on the amount of the damages.
After the adjuster inspects the vehicle, they will write a report, which includes how much it will cost to repair your car. As you can imagine, the adjuster’s job is to agree to pay for as little damage as possible. At Frish Law Group, APLC, we know how to get the property adjusters to pay for all of the damages to your vehicle. How? We strive to have the best mechanics meet the adjuster in person and point out all of the necessary repairs, even those that may not be visible at first glance.
We have our mechanics take the car apart and look for damage to the frame of the car or other parts that are not visible from the exterior. If the initial adjuster does not agree to cover all of the damage to the car, our mechanics will have another adjuster come out to do another inspection (also called a “supplement” to the previous adjuster’s recommendations). One way or another, we will not be satisfied unless we make sure that all of the damage to your vehicle is paid for by the insurance company, and not by you.
No. Over 90% of accident cases are not filed in court. Instead, attorneys often file what is called a “claim” against the other driver’s insurance carrier. The insurance carrier will investigate the accident and, if they find that their driver was at fault for the accident, will offer you some amount of money to settle the case.
However, if you are involved in a serious accident and the other driver has a home, a job, other valuable property, or enough money to pay for your injuries, it may be advisable to file a lawsuit against the other driver. Even when lawsuits are filed, over 95% of them are resolved before a trial actually takes place. At the Frish Law Group, APLC, we recommend that you consult an attorney to determine whether filing suit is your best option.
Filing a lawsuit against the other driver will generally result in a larger recovery. The problem is that most personal injury attorneys hate going to court. They would rather make a quick buck and move on to the next case. The first thing you should do when consulting with a personal injury attorney is to ask them if they will file a lawsuit on your behalf, if necessary. If they say yes, ask them how many cases they currently have filed in current.
These questions should give you a good idea if the attorney is a litigator or just in it to settle and make a quick buck. The Frish Law Group, APLC team is prepared to go to trial for you, if necessary. You should be aware that litigation is time-consuming and lengthy. You should be ready to answer lots of questions from your attorney, the opposing attorney, and others. Some of these questions will have to be answered while under oath. It’s not easy, but definitely worth the effort if you are involved in a serious car accident.
The amount of time you have to file a lawsuit for a car accident depends on something called the “statute of limitations.” In California, the statute of limitations for a car accident that was caused by the carelessness of another driver is 2 years from the time of the accident. This means that if you do not file a lawsuit within 2 years of the accident, it’s possible that you’ll never be allowed to file one in the future.
There are exceptions to this rule, but to be on the safe side, you should file within 2 years of the accident. If you contact one of our attorneys, we will tell you how much time you have to file a lawsuit. In certain situations, we must file a lawsuit the same day that you visit our office.
If you have been injured in a car or motorcycle accident, we know that the most important thing is your health, and then the repair/replacement of your vehicle.
Insurance companies, however, are only concerned about getting away as cheaply as possible. We level the playing field. You can focus on getting well while we provide aggressive representation. We won’t settle your personal injury case unless we are sure that we have obtained the best possible result for your accident claim. If the insurance carrier or defendant is being unreasonable, we will litigate your matter until we get you the just compensation you deserve.
Advocating for justice, one case at a time. The Frish Law Group, APLC, fights tirelessly to protect the rights of our clients in Los Angeles County, leveraging decades of legal experience and a deep understanding of local laws.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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