Crash on State Route 152 Near Los Banos
Officers with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to a report of a crash on State Route 152 near the Los Banos area on the afternoon of Friday, February 25, 2022. The car accident took place on SR-152 at Cozzi Avenue around 12:50 p.m. and involved two vehicles.
Details of Crash on State Route 152 and Cozzi Avenue Near Los Banos
CHP traffic officers responding to the report located the two involved vehicles, with one in an empty irrigation ditch and the other in the center divider. A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2012 Honda Accord was allegedly rear-ended by a 2004 Toyota Sequoia. The impact of the collision reportedly propelled the Toyota into the ditch and the Honda into the center divider.
The Toyota driver and the Honda driver both sustained injuries described as minor in the crash. They were both treated at local hospitals. Two passengers in the Toyota were transported to a Modesto area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Sadly, a third passenger from the Toyota was declared deceased at the scene. The Merced County Coroner’s Office has recently identified the decedent as Carlos Velazquez. Additional information on the incident was not immediately released by officials due to ongoing investigation.
Can You Claim Compensation for Damages from a Car Accident?
In the aftermath of a traffic collision, you may be dealing with emotional, financial, and physical consequences. From physical pain and emotional suffering to financial hardship from mounting medical expenses, lost time at work, and vehicle repair costs, this may be stressful for you and your family. It helps to know that California law recognizes such a situation and provides injured parties a way of taking legal action against the negligent driver or entity in the form of a personal injury claim. Such cases are generally brought forward against the at-fault party and their insurance provider. A two-year statute of limitations applies to most claims meaning that a lawsuit must be filed in civil court if a settlement is not accepted from the insurer within that time period. This is by the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1.
There are unique facts and circumstances involved in every accident claim. The value of the injury case will depend on several factors, such as the severity of injuries, the amount of bodily injury liability coverage available, whether the claimant has uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, the extent of damages incurred, and more. Some types of economic and non-economic damages an injured party may be entitled to after a motor vehicle collision in California may include payment of all accident-related medical treatment, wage loss and loss of future earning potential, and pain and suffering. Aside from these, punitive damages may be sought in cases of egregious conduct on the part of the negligent driver, like excessive speeding and drunk driving.
After getting injured in a car accident caused by another party or entity, working with an experienced injury lawyer may be helpful in getting your life back on track, that is because a skilled attorney can handle all aspects of your case, from conducting an independent and thorough investigation of the incident to properly determining fault and uncovering all potential sources of insurance coverage to handling all communications with the other side and working with experts in the field to prove the true extent of resulting losses. If the insurance company is unwilling to make a reasonable settlement offer, your accident attorney will be prepared to build a strong case to present at trial when that becomes necessary. You cannot work with any personal injury lawyer on your case; you need to select one with years of experience handling legal matters like yours. For information on how to accomplish that, watch this video.
Should You Accept the First Insurance Settlement Offer?
No matter how minor or severe a car accident is, the entire situation may be stressful for an injured party and their family. Claimants deserve fair compensation, but the process of recovering it may be challenging as insurance companies may not always be willing to make things right for injured parties. It is not uncommon for insurers to resort to defense tactics to get out of paying bodily injury claims. That is why it is essential to retain legal counsel to ensure insurance carriers do not take advantage of you in your vulnerable situation. Before accepting any initial settlement offer from the insurance company, consider discussing your case with one of our experienced lawyers at AutoAccident.com today.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Banos
I’m Ed Smith, a Los Banos personal injury lawyer. No one plans to be involved in a motor vehicle collision. However, the decisions made in the aftermath of the car accident may have a significant effect on your recovery in all aspects. Choosing the best attorney to handle your personal injury case is one of the most crucial choices you must make, but it does not have to be a challenging one. At our law firm, we have been representing parties injured in crashes caused by the negligence of others since 1982. Learn how we can help you with your accident case by giving us a call today to receive free, friendly advice from one of our skilled lawyers at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400.
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