30+ Years of Experience as a Car Accident Lawyer in the Roseville & Auburn Areas

In my 34+ years of practice the average settlement that I have been able to attain for my clients has been in the 5-figure range. 

Sometimes they are even higher. I focus on serious injury cases, and many of those cases average in the 6-figure range. About once a year I resolve cases for up to 7 figures.

Your specific results will depend on the facts of your case, as well as the extent of your injuries and the impact they have on your life.

Absolutely, though the goal is rarely to take your case to trial.

In my practice, I always try to resolve a case out of court first. This can mean more money in my client’s pockets since I charge a lower percentage fee. This is simply because my costs are much lower than they’d be for litigation.

In some cases, we can’t get a reasonable offer or the injuries are too significant to settle out-of-court. That is when we will typically choose to file a suit.

It typically takes about 2 months after you have finished your treatment to go into settlement negotiations. In my practice, most people reach maximum medical improvement for their injuries within six months. 

If settlement negotiations break down and a lawsuit has to be filed, it can take much longer to go to trial. On average, a trial can take up to 18 months after a lawsuit is filed.

However, many cases get resolved after the suit is filed and before trial. This can mean putting money in your pockets that much faster.

Pain and suffering is often the most valuable part of an injury case. It’s not awarded separately, but is included as part of your lump sum settlement. 

The amount of pain and suffering is calculated by the length of time you received treatment for your injury, plus any residual symptoms or care you will need on a permanent or future basis.

Frequently, pain and suffering is equated with an inability to do activities, go on trips, engage in hobbies or recreational activities, or engage in other daily life activities. It can also equate to an inability to work, or pain suffered while working. You need to be able to demonstrate how your injuries have had a negative impact on your quality of life.

Pain and suffering is awarded in addition to your medical expenses, future medical expenses, wage losses, and any kind of ongoing, out-of-pocket care or equipment you might need in the future.

Your bodily injury claim will depend on the actual cost of your medical bills. 

The average settlement is in the 5-figure range. Serious cases can be 6 or 7 figures.

Be sure to keep all medical records and bills to share with me so that we have that evidence on-hand to set a number.

The best way to evaluate a good settlement offer is to take the case at its highest value from a potential jury verdict vs. the offer that’s being made prior to filing suit. We then calculate the costs of going forward to trial, including your time and my attorney’s fees. This can help us make a determination of whether the current offer to settle is best.

Hypothetically, let’s say the insurance company is currently offering you $50,000. Let’s say the costs are $1,000 and the fees are at 25% since we have not filed suit. In this hypothetical, you’d get approximately $37,000 on this $50,000 settlement.

On the same hypothetical, if you had a verdict of $75,000 after trial, costs would typically be around $15,000. After costs, the attorney fee would be 33% because of the higher risk involved in litigation. In this hypothetical, you would get approximately $40,000.

The $3,000 difference probably doesn’t justify the 18 month wait, the stress of litigation and your time to go to trial. Of course, if you go to trial, there’s no guarantee that you would do better than the offer prior to litigation.

Many of my clients opt for the sure thing. On average, well over 90% of cases settle because clients are realistic.

In California it’s important to have the police out to the scene of the accident whenever possible. If someone is injured, you should always call the police.

The police officer will take statements from the witnesses, look at the scene, and give an opinion about who is at fault. The insurance companies almost always accept the police officer’s determination. 

If there’s no police report, unless someone admits fault or the accident has an obvious cause, or there’s a witness who helps establish fault, proving fault can be difficult. When there is a problem proving fault there may not be much point in pursuing the case, simply because the costs will outweigh the potential gains.

If you were injured, make sure you call the police so they can come to the scene and establish fault. You should also do what you can to collect evidence that will help you establish the other party’s liability. This evidence includes:

• The names and numbers of all witnesses.
• Contact information and insurance information for the driver. Photos of the scene and the vehicles involved.
• In some cases, you may be able to get the driver to admit fault. With permission, take a recorded statement from the other party or from witnesses using your phone.

If you were at fault, don’t talk to anybody about the accident except your lawyer or insurance company! Avoid making even so much as an apology, which can be construed as an admittance of fault.

Sometimes more than one person is at-fault. In those situations, if you are severely injured, you may still be able to recover significant monetary damages based upon comparative fault. 

The mere determination of fault does not mean you lose. You have to be 100% at-fault in California before you lose the right to recover.

The law of negligence means that if you suffer traumatic brain injury, fractures, neck injuries, back injuries, scarring, burn injuries, soft tissue injuries, or other physical and emotional injuries as a result of another person’s failure to exercise reasonable care, then you are entitled to collect your medical expenses, wage losses, future car and expenses, and compensation for your pain and suffering.

I have recovered millions of dollars for victims of motor vehicle accidents over the last 30+ years. I provide the expertise and leverage to handle your case from the initial insurance claim to jury trial, all to maximize your recovery without any up-front costs or fees to you. 

Best of all, I only get paid when you win.

If you have been to a doctor and are told you need ongoing medical care, then it pays to get an attorney involved as soon as you are medically capable of meeting with an attorney. I can even file your claim with the insurance company for you.

If you are in a serious accident where the police prepare a report and your vehicle has sustained major visible damage, then you will need the help of an experienced auto accident lawyer to maximize your financial recovery. Having a lawyer will ensure that you aren’t taken advantage of by the other driver’s auto insurance company at a time when you are at your most vulnerable.

In many cases, it is not worth hiring a lawyer. If the police never came out, or if there’s no police report and the property damage to your vehicle is small, and your injuries are soft tissue only, you can often get a fair settlement on your own. I encourage people to call me to find out if they really do a lawyer and if I think they don’t, I will tell them what they need to do to handle it themselves. And I never charge a fee for that advice.