Motor Vehicle Accidents

CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA AUTO ACCIDENT AND MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
ATTORNEYS

Auto Accidents

When you or a loved one is injured in an automobile accident, it is critical that you speak to an attorney with experience in the field as soon as possible. Clients injured in motor vehicle collisions have unique needs. At Walkup, we understand the engineering principles involved with automobile accident reconstruction, the medical issues presented by the dynamics of car crashes, and the ways in which automobiles are designed to protect their occupants. If you wait too long to speak with a lawyer, it is possible that evidence in your case may be lost, witnesses may disappear, and memories may fade. When we accept your automobile accident injury claim, we immediately begin an investigation to secure and preserve evidence in your case.

Many people believe that claim resolution in automobile accidents is simple and easy, and that insurance companies simply pay. In fact, this is often not the case. In California and Nevada, an injured person must prove fault in a claim against another driver. This means that your lawyers must be prepared not only to negotiate, but to bring your case to trial if necessary.

Automobile accidents kill more than 42,000 people per year across the United States. In California, 300,000 people per year are injured in automobile collisions. Because the minimum liability limits in California require only $15,000 per person of insurance coverage, your attorneys must understand how to investigate all avenues of loss, all available insurance coverages, and if necessary, to find ways to collect above and beyond available insurance. Our team will negotiate with the responsible insurer, and if necessary, directly with the defendant, to reach a fair and just settlement. However if settlement on terms favorable to you are not available, our team is prepared to vigorously litigate your case in court.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle crashes involve unique issues of liability, comparative fault, injury causation and accident reconstruction. Tragically, motorcycle accidents account for a disproportionate number of catastrophic injuries on California’s highways. Injuries to motorcyclists are typically much more severe than to automobile occupants. For this reason, if you are injured in a motorcycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a collision, it is critical that you speak to an attorney who understands motorcycle accident reconstruction as soon after the accident as possible. Many juries, and some judges, are predisposed to find motorcycle riders at fault. Many drivers ignore motorcycles on the highway, and fail to grant them full use of the road, or the legal right of way. For these reasons, motorcycle riders are at higher risk than other vehicle drivers. Experienced motorcycle riders know the risk of careless drivers, and experienced motorcycle accident attorneys know how to protect the rights of motorcycle riders.

A complete and thorough investigation of any motorcycle accident by a competent attorney, skilled in the field, is critical. Issues including highway design, stopping distances, field of vision by the rider and opposing vehicle operator, vision obstructions including signage and shrubbery issues must all be considered. Reconstruction of a motorcycle accident often requires prompt identification and analysis of road debris, skid marks, or gouge marks produced from impact between the bike and the pavement. This type of investigation must be done soon after an accident to guarantee that it is accurate. If you or someone you know has been involved in a serious motorcycle accident, you need an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to stand up for your rights and secure the compensation you are entitled to.

EXAMPLES OF OUR SUCCESS

Head-On Collision - $8,875,000 Jury Verdict

Our automobile accident trial specialists obtained a jury verdict in Sacramento County in the amount of $8,875,000 on behalf of a young woman injured in a high-speed head-on collision. Our client’s car was struck by another automobile which was speeding and making an illegal left-hand turn. We sued the driver of the other car as well as the rental agency that had provided the car to the negligent operator. Our client sustained a brain injury and was in a coma following the accident. She also had multiple fractures of her arms and legs. Her claim included compensation for both pain and suffering as well as out-of-pocket damages including wage loss. Her residual complaints at trial included difficulty with memory, speech, gait and cognition. Before the trial, the insurance companies for the defendants had offered only $150,000 in settlement.

Cross-Median Accident - $2,750,000 Settlement

Our automobile accident attorneys obtained a settlement in the amount of $2,750,000 on behalf of the surviving wife and children of a 39-year-old San Francisco businessman who died when his car was struck head-on by another vehicle that had catapulted over the center divider of northbound Highway 101. The accident occurred when a Jeep, traveling in the opposite direction, lost control and climbed up and over the median, striking our client’s husband. The settlement was contributed to both by the offending driver and the State of California. Our lawyers proved that the other driver was negligent, and that the median divider, as designed and built, was in violation of State of California design requirements.

Motorcycle Accident - $1,600,000 Settlement

Our attorneys represented a 26-year-old Marine who was injured in a motorcycle accident in Southern California. He sustained significant head and spinal injuries when he was struck by a vehicle. The opposing driver claimed that the motorcyclist was speeding, and not positioned in the correct place on the roadway. We were able to reconstruct the accident in such a way as to demonstrate that the motorcyclist was fault-free.

Contact Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger for a FREE CONSULTATION to discuss your auto or California or Nevada automobile accident or motorcycle accident injury claim with an experienced personal injury attorney.