Fighting for Car Accident Victims and Their Families
A car accident can change your life in an instant. One moment you’re driving to work, picking up the kids, or running errands—the next you’re dealing with painful injuries, mounting medical bills, a wrecked vehicle, and an insurance company that seems more interested in protecting its bottom line than helping you recover.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve an attorney who will fight for every dollar you’re owed. Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and lawyers working to minimize your claim. You need someone on your side with the experience and determination to level the playing field.
At DJC Law, our car accident lawyers have dedicated their careers to helping crash victims and their families recover the compensation they need to move forward. We understand what you’re going through, and we’re ready to fight for you.
We handle car accident cases on contingency, which means you pay nothing unless we win. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Choose DJC Law for Your Car Accident Case
Not all car accident lawyers are the same. Here’s what sets DJC Law apart.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win
We handle all car accident cases on contingency. You don’t pay any upfront fees, and you owe us nothing unless we successfully recover compensation for you. This arrangement means we’re fully invested in your success—our payment depends on getting you results.
Personalized Attention From Your Attorney
You won’t be handed off to paralegals or left wondering about your case status. Our attorneys stay personally involved in every case, return your calls promptly, and keep you informed at every stage. When you have questions, you’ll get answers from the lawyer handling your case.
We Handle the Insurance Companies
Dealing with insurance adjusters while recovering from injuries is exhausting and stressful. We take over all communications with the insurance companies, protecting you from their tactics and allowing you to focus on healing.
Trial-Ready Representation
Insurance companies know which law firms actually take cases to court. Our willingness to go to trial when necessary often motivates insurers to offer fair settlements rather than risk a jury verdict. If they won’t pay what your case is worth, we’re prepared to fight for you in the courtroom.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Most car accidents are preventable. They happen because someone made a careless decision behind the wheel. Common causes include:
Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of accidents. Drivers who text, check social media, adjust GPS systems, eat, or engage in other distracting activities take their attention off the road with potentially deadly consequences.
Drunk and impaired driving remains a major problem despite decades of awareness campaigns. Alcohol, drugs, and even certain medications impair judgment, reaction time, and coordination.
Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects, extends stopping distance, and increases the severity of crashes when they occur.
Aggressive driving behaviors like tailgating, weaving through traffic, running red lights, and road rage put everyone on the road at risk.
Fatigued driving impairs reaction time and decision-making similar to alcohol intoxication. Drowsy drivers may even fall asleep at the wheel.
Reckless lane changes and failure to check blind spots cause countless sideswipe collisions and force other drivers into dangerous situations.
Running red lights and stop signs leads to severe T-bone collisions at intersections.
Failure to yield the right of way causes accidents at intersections, merge points, and when entering traffic.
Following too closely doesn’t leave enough stopping distance, resulting in rear-end collisions when traffic slows.
Weather-related negligence occurs when drivers fail to adjust their speed and following distance for rain, snow, ice, or fog.
When another driver’s negligence causes your accident, they should be held accountable for your injuries and losses.
Types of Car Accidents We Handle
Car accidents take many forms, each with different dynamics, injury patterns, and liability considerations. Our attorneys handle all types of car accident cases.
Rear-end collisions are among the most common accidents. While often dismissed as minor “fender benders,” they frequently cause whiplash, back injuries, and other serious harm—especially at higher speeds.
T-bone (side-impact) collisions occur when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, typically at intersections. These crashes are particularly dangerous because the side of a vehicle offers less protection than the front or rear.
Head-on collisions are among the deadliest accidents. When two vehicles collide front-to-front, the combined speed multiplies the force of impact, often causing catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Sideswipe accidents happen when two vehicles traveling in the same or opposite directions make contact along their sides. These often occur during lane changes or when a driver drifts out of their lane.
Rollover accidents involve a vehicle flipping onto its side or roof. While any vehicle can roll over, SUVs and trucks with higher centers of gravity are more susceptible. Rollover crashes often cause severe injuries.
Multi-vehicle pileups involve three or more vehicles and often occur on highways. Determining liability in these accidents can be complex, with multiple drivers potentially sharing fault.
Single-vehicle accidents may still involve liability from other parties—a driver who ran you off the road, a government entity responsible for dangerous road conditions, or a vehicle manufacturer whose defect caused you to lose control.
Hit-and-run accidents leave victims with injuries and a driver who fled the scene. We help victims pursue compensation through uninsured motorist coverage and investigate to identify the responsible party.
Intersection accidents occur where traffic flows cross, making them hotspots for collisions involving drivers running lights, failing to yield, or misjudging gaps in traffic.
Parking lot accidents happen more often than many realize, as drivers back out of spaces, cut through lots, or fail to watch for pedestrians.
Whatever type of accident you were involved in, our team has the experience to handle your case.
Common Car Accident Injuries
The human body isn’t designed to withstand the forces involved in car crashes. Even relatively low-speed collisions can cause serious injuries. Common injuries we see in car accident cases include:
Whiplash and neck injuries occur when the head is suddenly jerked forward and backward, straining the soft tissues of the neck. While often dismissed as minor, whiplash can cause chronic pain and long-term problems.
Back injuries including herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and soft tissue damage can result from the impact forces in a collision. These injuries often require extensive treatment and may cause permanent limitations.
Traumatic brain injuries range from concussions to severe brain damage. Even a “mild” concussion can cause lasting cognitive problems, headaches, and mood changes.
Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis, fundamentally changing every aspect of a victim’s life.
Broken bones commonly affect the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, and facial bones. Some fractures require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
Internal injuries to organs like the spleen, liver, and kidneys may not be immediately apparent but can be life-threatening without prompt treatment.
Cuts and lacerations from broken glass, metal, and debris can cause scarring and disfigurement.
Burns may result from fires, explosions, or contact with hot surfaces or fluids.
Knee and leg injuries often occur when legs strike the dashboard or are pinned in the wreckage.
Shoulder injuries including rotator cuff tears and dislocations can result from bracing against impact or seatbelt forces.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological injuries are common after serious accidents. The emotional trauma of a crash can be as debilitating as physical injuries.
Some injuries are immediately apparent, while others take days or weeks to fully manifest. That’s why getting prompt medical attention after any accident is crucial—both for your health and for documenting your injuries.
Understanding Car Insurance Coverage
Car accident claims often involve multiple insurance policies and coverage types. Understanding how these work is essential to maximizing your recovery.
Liability coverage pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others. When another driver causes your accident, you file a claim against their liability insurance. Most states require minimum liability coverage, though these minimums are often inadequate for serious accidents.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you when the at-fault driver has no insurance. This coverage, which you purchase as part of your own policy, pays for your injuries when hit by an uninsured driver or in a hit-and-run.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage kicks in when the at-fault driver’s liability limits aren’t enough to cover your damages. If you have $100,000 in losses but the other driver only has $30,000 in coverage, your UIM coverage can help make up the difference.
Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle regardless of who was at fault. If you file through the other driver’s insurance, their liability coverage pays for your property damage instead.
Medical payments (MedPay) coverage pays for your medical expenses regardless of fault, up to your policy limits. This can help cover immediate medical costs while your claim against the at-fault driver is pending.
Personal injury protection (PIP) is required in no-fault states and optional in others. It covers medical expenses and sometimes lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident.
Our attorneys help you identify all available coverage sources and pursue maximum compensation from each.
How Fault Is Determined in Car Accidents
Determining who was at fault—and to what degree—is central to any car accident claim. Several types of evidence help establish fault:
Police reports document the investigating officer’s observations and may include their opinion on who violated traffic laws or caused the accident.
Witness statements from people who saw the accident can corroborate your account of what happened.
Physical evidence including vehicle damage patterns, skid marks, debris fields, and final resting positions help reconstruct how the accident occurred.
Traffic camera and surveillance footage may capture the accident itself or the moments leading up to it.
Event data recorders (“black boxes”) in modern vehicles record speed, braking, steering inputs, and other data that can reveal what happened in the seconds before impact.
Cell phone records can prove a driver was texting or using their phone at the time of the crash.
Accident reconstruction experts analyze all available evidence to determine how the accident happened and who was responsible.
Insurance companies conduct their own investigations and often try to shift blame onto victims. Our attorneys gather evidence independently and fight to ensure fault is properly assigned.
What If You Were Partially at Fault?
Many accident victims worry that they can’t recover compensation if they were partially at fault. In most cases, that’s not true.
Most states follow some form of comparative negligence, which allows you to recover damages even if you share some blame for the accident. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you’re found 20% at fault for a $100,000 accident, you could still recover $80,000.
Some states bar recovery if your fault exceeds a certain threshold—typically 50% or 51%. A small number of states follow pure contributory negligence, which bars recovery if you were even 1% at fault, though this is the minority rule.
Insurance companies routinely try to shift blame onto accident victims to reduce what they pay. Even if you think you might have been partially at fault, talk to an attorney before accepting that assessment. Our lawyers work to minimize fault assigned to you and maximize your recovery.
Compensation Available in Car Accident Cases
Car accident victims may be entitled to significant compensation for their injuries and losses. Recoverable damages generally include:
Economic Damages
- Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, medication, physical therapy, and all other treatment costs
- Future medical costs: Anticipated expenses for ongoing treatment, future surgeries, and long-term care
- Lost wages: Income lost while recovering from your injuries
- Loss of earning capacity: Reduced ability to earn income in the future due to permanent impairments
- Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and personal belongings damaged in the crash
- Rental car costs: Transportation expenses while your vehicle is being repaired or replaced
- Out-of-pocket expenses: Other accident-related costs like transportation to medical appointments
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain caused by your injuries and their treatment
- Mental anguish: Emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma
- Disfigurement: Permanent scarring or physical changes
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to participate in activities you once enjoyed
- Loss of consortium: Impact on your relationship with your spouse
In cases involving drunk driving, egregious recklessness, or intentional misconduct, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. If a loved one was killed in a car accident, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim.
Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Car Accident
After a car accident, you’ll likely hear from insurance adjusters—both from the other driver’s company and possibly your own. While they may seem friendly and helpful, remember that their job is to minimize what their company pays.
Common insurance company tactics include:
- Requesting recorded statements they can use to find inconsistencies or admissions against your interest
- Asking for blanket medical authorizations to search your entire medical history for pre-existing conditions
- Offering quick settlements before you know the full extent of your injuries
- Disputing medical treatment as unnecessary or unrelated to the accident
- Delaying your claim hoping financial pressure forces you to accept less
- Shifting blame onto you to reduce or deny your claim
- Monitoring your social media for posts they can use against you
- Using surveillance to catch you in activities they claim are inconsistent with your injuries
Before talking to any insurance company, speak with an attorney. We handle all communications with insurers on your behalf, protecting you from these tactics.
What to Do After a Car Accident
The steps you take immediately after a car accident can significantly impact your ability to recover compensation. Here’s what to do:
At the scene:
- Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone needs medical attention
- Move to safety if possible, but don’t leave the scene
- Call the police to report the accident
- Exchange information with the other driver (name, contact info, insurance, license plate)
- Get contact information from witnesses
- Take photos of the vehicles, damage, accident scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries
- Don’t admit fault or apologize—even saying “I’m sorry” can be used against you
- Don’t discuss the accident with the other driver beyond exchanging information
After leaving the scene:
- Seek medical attention promptly, even if you feel fine—some injuries take time to manifest
- Follow all medical advice and attend all appointments
- Obtain a copy of the police report
- Document your injuries with photos as they develop
- Keep records of all medical bills, expenses, and missed work
- Don’t give recorded statements to insurance companies without consulting an attorney
- Don’t sign any documents from insurance companies without legal review
- Be careful what you post on social media—insurance companies are watching
- Contact a car accident attorney to discuss your case
When Should You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Not every car accident requires an attorney. If you were in a minor fender bender with no injuries and straightforward property damage, you may be able to handle the claim yourself.
However, you should strongly consider hiring a lawyer if:
- You suffered significant injuries requiring medical treatment
- Your injuries may require ongoing or future medical care
- You missed substantial time from work
- Your injuries may affect your ability to work in the future
- The insurance company is disputing fault
- The insurance company is offering a settlement that seems too low
- The other driver was uninsured or underinsured
- Multiple vehicles or parties were involved
- A government vehicle or entity was involved
- A commercial vehicle was involved
- The accident resulted in a fatality
- You’re unsure about your rights or what your claim is worth
Consultations are free, so there’s no risk in talking to an attorney to understand your options.
Statutes of Limitations for Car Accident Claims
Every state has a deadline for filing car accident lawsuits. Most states give you between one and six years from the date of the accident, with two to three years being most common.
Claims against government entities typically have much shorter notice requirements—sometimes as little as 30 to 180 days. If a city bus, state vehicle, or government employee caused your accident, contact an attorney immediately.
Property damage claims may have different deadlines than injury claims in some states.
Missing the deadline typically means losing your right to compensation forever. Don’t wait to consult an attorney.
How Our Car Accident Lawyers Help
Handling a car accident claim while recovering from injuries is overwhelming. Our team takes over the legal burden so you can focus on healing.
We investigate your accident thoroughly, gathering police reports, witness statements, photos, video footage, and other evidence. We work with accident reconstruction experts when needed to prove exactly what happened.
We handle all insurance communications, protecting you from adjusters’ tactics and ensuring nothing you say is used against you.
We document your injuries and damages, working with medical professionals to understand your current and future needs. We calculate the full value of your claim, including damages that are easy to overlook.
We negotiate aggressively with insurance companies, armed with evidence and prepared to take your case to trial if they won’t offer fair compensation.
We fight for maximum recovery, pursuing all available sources of compensation including the at-fault driver’s insurance, your own UM/UIM coverage, and any other liable parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, meaning we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement or verdict—if we don’t win, you don’t pay.
How long will my car accident case take?
Every case is different. Simple cases with clear liability may settle in a few months. Complex cases or those requiring litigation can take a year or more. We work to resolve your case as efficiently as possible while never settling for less than you deserve.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
In most states, you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault. Your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. Talk to us about how the laws in your state affect your claim.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?
Almost never. Initial settlement offers are typically far below what your case is worth. Insurance companies make low offers hoping you’ll accept before understanding the full extent of your injuries and damages. Let us evaluate any offer before you accept.
What if the other driver doesn’t have insurance?
You may still have options. Your own uninsured motorist coverage can pay for your injuries. We also investigate whether other parties share liability for the accident. Don’t assume you can’t recover just because the at-fault driver was uninsured.
What if the other driver’s insurance isn’t enough to cover my damages?
Your underinsured motorist coverage can help make up the difference. We also look for other potentially liable parties—employers, vehicle owners, government entities, or product manufacturers—who may have additional insurance.
Do I have to go to court?
Most car accident cases settle without going to trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we’re fully prepared to present your case to a jury. Our willingness to go to court often motivates insurers to offer better settlements.
How much is my car accident case worth?
Every case is unique. Value depends on the severity of your injuries, medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and the strength of evidence. We can give you a better estimate after reviewing your specific situation in a free consultation.
Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to face the insurance companies alone. At DJC Law, our car accident lawyers have the experience, resources, and determination to fight for the compensation you deserve.
We’ve helped countless accident victims recover from devastating crashes. Let us put that experience to work for you.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and help you take the first step toward recovery. There’s no obligation, and you’ll pay nothing unless we win.
