Car Accidents

Pleasanton Car Accident Attorney

In California, car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury each year. Experienced Pleasanton car accident lawyer Stephen M. Fuerch has more than 35 years of experience in personal injury law, and has represented countless car crash victims while they rebuild their lives after an accident. If you have been injured in a car collision, contact us today to see how we can help you seek compensation for the harm you have suffered.

Car Wrecks Can Happen to Anyone

According to the California Highway Patrol, more than 159,000 people were injured in California car accidents in 2011. Some of these accidents may have been inevitable, but many were preventable. More than 300 of these accidents were caused by drivers on a cell phone, 160 by drivers eating while driving, and even 54 by drivers who were reading behind the wheel. People injured by negligent drivers have a right under the law to seek compensation for their financial, physical, and emotional injuries.

California Law Protects Accident Victims

People injured in car accidents that are the fault of other drivers often bring lawsuits alleging negligence. To bring a successful negligence suit, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, that the defendant breached that duty, and that this breach caused injuries to the plaintiff. In the context of vehicle accidents, every driver on the road owes a duty to other drivers to act reasonably. Talking on a cell phone, eating, or reading while driving are all examples of unreasonable behavior under the principles of negligence. If a person doing one of these things causes an accident that injures another driver, he or she may be found to have acted negligently, and therefore may be liable to the injured driver.

There are other kinds of lawsuits that the victim of a car accident may file, depending on the circumstances of the crash. Single-vehicle accidents, for example, may have been caused by a faulty component of the car. Victims of single-vehicle accidents may have grounds to file a suit against the car manufacturer or the manufacturer of the faulty component, such as a tire, under a theory of products liability. In these cases, defendants may be held strictly liable, meaning that the injured victim need not prove negligence on the part of a manufacturer.

Those injured in a car accident that was the fault of some other person or product may always seek compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are designed to reimburse plaintiffs for their damaged car, hospital bills, lost wages, and even emotional distress. In some cases, such as one involving a drunk driver who causes an injury accident, punitive damages may also be available if the defendant’s actions merit punishment. Finally, if you lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, you may be able to seek compensation through a wrongful death action, which can afford you damages for funeral expenses, lost income the deceased would have earned, and loss of companionship.

Contact an Experienced Lawyer

The aftermath of a car accident can be confusing and expensive. If you have been injured in an accident, speak to an experienced Pleasanton car accident attorney. At the Law Offices of Stephen M. Fuerch, we can assess your claim and help you seek the compensation that you deserve. With an office in Pleasanton and 35 years of experience, our firm is equipped to litigate cases for clients in all parts of the East Bay, including Pleasanton, Dublin, Fremont, Hayward, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, and all parts of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. To schedule a free and confidential case evaluation, fill out our online contact form or call (925) 463-2575.