O'Connor, Runckel and O'Malley LLP would like to announce our 2021 law school scholarship recipient, Margaret McCallister.
Margaret McCallister
Margaret is an incoming 1L at Georgetown University Law Center. She just wrapped up a 2 year fellowship working as a Carbon Pricing Analytics Fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Through analysis, policy outreach, and capacity development on the design and implementation of market-based climate policies, Margaret focused on the fight against climate change. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with certificates in Environmental Policy and Sustainable Energy. While at Princeton, Margaret engaged with environmentalism as a member of Princeton Student Climate Initiative and as the managing editor of the Princeton Legal Journal. She used the Legal Journal as a platform to conduct and share research in environmental policy. Incorporating her personal interest in law and innovation into her independent work, such as her senior thesis, has challenged Margaret to more fully explore the politics of environmentalism and to envision creative solutions and strategies for combating environmental injustice.
We look forward to seeing Margaret succeed in her upcoming years at Georgetown University Law Center.
A car accident can cause many different types of injuries, ranging from minor all the way up to catastrophic and possibly fatal. Generally speaking, there are two different categories of injuries resulting from car accidents:
Impact injuries: These are caused by the victim being slammed into part(s) of the car.
Penetrating injuries: These are caused by objects penetrating into the victim.
Some car accident injuries heal naturally or after a routine course of medical treatment. But other more severe injuries can require multiple surgeries and a lengthy recovery, leaving some victims with lifelong aftereffects. These variations are what determines the amount of financial compensation the victim will need.
The mechanics of the accident will determine which type of injuries result. For example, how fast the car was going when it crashed, which direction the victim happened to be facing when impact occurred and the direction of the crash. Any one of these can make a huge difference.
There are other factors that can minimize injuries, like using a seatbelt and the deployment of airbags. If a victim fails to make use of safety precautions while driving or riding in a vehicle, it may result in less damages being awarded under the comparative negligence principle.
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
Head Injuries
A high-speed car crash can cause the driver to strike their head on the steering wheel. And the driver and/or their front-seat passenger striking their head on either the windshield or the side window. They can also end up with facial cuts, scrapes, bruises and broken bones as well as brain damage. A severe strike to the head can cause a serious head injury, like a concussion or traumatic brain injury, which could be permanent.
Neck Injuries
One of the most common car accident injuries is whiplash. This is caused by the head and neck being suddenly jerked back and forth, which typically occurs in rear-end collisions. As a result, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the neck are damaged. The severity of whiplash varies widely, depending on details of the accident as well as the victim’s health. In milder cases the victim will commonly suffer from pain and swelling in the neck and shoulders. Also, car accident victims have been known to suffer from temporarily paralyzed vocal cords.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue is the connective tissue in our bodies, consisting of muscles, tendons and ligaments. These injuries are the most common type of car accident injury and take many different forms. Whiplash, which we’ve already discussed, is a perfect example of a soft tissue injury because it affects all three types of soft tissue. Car accident victims also frequently suffer soft tissue muscle damage in the mid- and lower back.
Back Injuries
It’s common for car accident victims to end up with back injuries. Anytime the spinal cord is damaged there can be significant nerve impairment. This may take the form of less sensation and control over the movement of limbs and other body parts. Severe spinal cord damage can result in permanent paralysis.
Another common type of back injury resulting from a car accident is a herniated disk. These injuries are not as serious as head or spinal cord injuries, but they can still result in serious physical problems. People with a herniated disk can have muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling sensations as well as arm and/or leg pain.
Chest Injuries
Front-seat car accident victims can end up with injuries to their internal organs if their chest slams against the steering wheel, dashboard or some other internal part of the car. The impact can also cause broken ribs. Furthermore, drivers and passengers can be abruptly slammed against their shoulder harness/seatbelt, causing very serious contusions.
Limb Injuries
Drivers have only so much leg room in the average car, so an unexpected impact can slam their shoulders, arms and/or leg(s) and those of front-seat passengers against the dashboard, or the door. Passengers in the back can have their shoulders, arms and/or leg(s) slammed against the front seat, or the door. If the impact is severe, the victim can end up with shattered joints and/or broken bones in their limbs and/or shoulders. It rarely happens, but if the accident is extremely serious, the result could be an amputated arm or leg.
Cuts, Scrapes & Lacerations
Cuts resulting from a car accident often heal without much medical treatment. The driver and/or passenger(s) can get cut when things inside the car start flying around and forcefully strike the victim. People can even get cut by the deployment of the airbag. More serious cuts will need to be stitched up by a medical professional, causing more pain and suffering, not to mention higher medical costs.
Any loose item inside the car instantly becomes a projectile upon impact. These could be books, eyeglasses, cell phones, handbags, coffee mugs, a GPS mounted on the dashboard, and etc. If one or more of these items strikes your body, you could end up with cuts, scrapes, bruises, or other injuries.
At O’Connor, Runckel & O’Malley we have over 50 years of litigation experience. We have the expertise and a proven track record of success. If you or a loved one has been the victim of an automobile accident injury due to someone else's negligence, please contact us. We are here to answer your questions and discuss how to protect your legal rights.
Published on behalf of O’Connor, Runckel & O’Malley LLP. The information presented in this article is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current and is subject to change without notice.
O'Connor, Runckel and O'Malley LLP would like to announce our 2020 law school scholarship recipient, Annie Liu. Annie is a first-year law student at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She is the proud daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and the first person in her family to pursue a law degree. Growing up in a low-income household, Annie shared in her family's struggle to overcome financial hardships and make a better life for themselves.
Annie Liu
Following her graduation from Harvard University with a degree in Sociology, Annie joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as a Strategy Analyst. She played an integral role in the creation of the Crime Strategies Unit (“CSU”), a special operations team that combined the office’s best legal talents with cutting-edge technology to concentrate resources on prosecuting Manhattan’s most violent criminals. CSU paved the way for prosecutors to take on more proactive roles, not only in prosecuting crime but also in rehabilitating the communities most afflicted by it. CSU quickly became a model for innovative prosecution and has been replicated by dozens of district attorney’s offices nationwide.
Annie’s commitment to social justice eventually transformed into a passion for the practice of law. She left CSU after a 4-year tenure to explore these interests and develop a more nuanced view of the criminal justice system. She has had the opportunity to work with judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and most recently, in the Northern District of Illinois.
Working in chambers, Annie has been fortunate to observe, not only the power of the law to change people, but also the power of the people to change laws. She has come to realize that although this country’s legal system was founded on the promise of equal justice, this promise remains elusive for far too many people. As an aspiring lawyer, Annie hopes to advocate for underrepresented populations and to serve as a leader for change in criminal justice reform.
We look forward to seeing Annie succeed in her upcoming years at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
California drivers involved in any type of traffic accident are under specific legal obligations to report the crash. If you plan to hold the driver who caused the accident financially responsible for the losses you incurred, California has some laws that could substantially affect your case.
When Must Law Enforcement be Notified of a Car Accident in California?
California Vehicle Code section 20008 states that the driver (or their representative) of any vehicle involved in a traffic accident is required within 24 hours to provide the local police department or the California Highway Patrol with a written report of the accident, if it caused anyone to be injured or die (driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian, etc.). If the governmental agency receiving said report does not have the authority to investigate the crash, they will forward the report to the appropriate investigating authority.
However, if law enforcement is called to the scene of the accident, that officer will prepare and submit a written report regarding the accident on behalf of his or her agency. In this case, you are under no obligation to write and submit your own written report.
If I’m Involved in a Car Accident, am I Required to Report it To the California DMV?
In many cases, yes. Any driver who is involved in a traffic accident in California is required to report it within 10 days to the California DMV if any of the following applies:
the accident injured anyone involved (even slightly)
the accident killed anyone, and/or
the accident caused property damage (to any vehicle or real property) of over $1,000.
Does the Law Require Me to Report a Car Accident to My Auto Insurance Company?
California, like most states, does not have laws on the books mandating whether or when people involved in a car accident should report it to their auto insurance provider.
However, your auto insurance policy does require you to report car accidents to your insurance carrier very soon after the accident. The sooner you report the accident to your insurer, the sooner they can begin defending the claim. If you do not report the accident in a “reasonable period of time,” your insurance company may decline to cover damages in connection with the accident. Insurance companies have been known to consider a “reasonable period of time” as just one or two days, depending on the particular circumstances.
Even if the accident you were in was minor and didn’t meet the California requirements for a “reportable accident,” you should still inform your auto insurance provider to ensure that they will cover it should the need arise.
Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents
The period of time that a potential plaintiff has the legal right to file a lawsuit in a given state is called the “statute of limitations.” There are different deadlines for different types of harm that may have been suffered and/or the type of case potentially being filed.
Comparative Negligence Rule
The laws vary state-to-state when two or more people caused the car accident and therefore share the fault. California law allows you to recover money damages from other at-fault parties, regardless of how much of the accident was your fault. However, any compensation you receive will be reduced depending on what percentage was your fault. Legally speaking, California is a “pure comparative negligence” state.
How does the comparative negligence rule work in California’s courtrooms? Should your lawsuit make it to court, you can expect judges and juries in California to follow the letter of the law. And, you can count on the insurance claims adjusters involved in your case to apply those rules when determining the amount of money your claim could be worth.
For example, let’s say that you were involved in a car accident in which another driver abruptly changed lanes in an unsafe manner, side-swiping your car. However, you were going a little too fast when this occurred, according to witnesses on the scene and detailed in the police report that was prepared and submitted after the accident.
You end up suing for damages and it’s decided in court that you are 25% responsible for the accident and the other driver is 75% responsible. Your total damages come to $12,000, which includes vehicle repairs, medical bills and loss of income. Under the comparative fault rules in California, you are legally entitled to collect $9,000 from the other at-fault driver after deducting 25% from the $12,000 because you were that much at fault for the accident.
Avoid Making the Situation Worse
When you’re involved in a car accident in California you are required to present your driver’s license, your vehicle registration, proof of financial responsibility or auto insurance, and address to the other driver(s) or people involved, or to law enforcement on the scene.
To calm things down while protecting your rights:
Avoid arguing with other drivers, passengers, pedestrians and/or anyone else who may be involved.
Save your side of the story for law enforcement and your insurance provider.
Do not sign anything about this being your fault or offer to pay damages to the other parties involved.
If the other driver offers to pay whatever your deductible is, do not agree or sign anything.
Auto Insurance Rules in California
Whenever there’s a claim made after a traffic accident, car insurance is going to have a role to play. As in most states, California requires motor vehicle owners to have a specific amount of insurance coverage, or somehow prove financial responsibility should there be an accident. Otherwise, the owner cannot legally operate their vehicle on roads and highways in California. This is why it is important to know the auto insurance rules in California.
California Auto Accident & Insurance Tips
Read your auto insurance policy now rather than waiting until you have an accident.
If there is something you don’t understand, ask your insurance agent and/or company.
If you’re involved in an accident, call law enforcement. If someone is injured, call 911 for paramedics.
Gather as much information as you can at the scene of the accident and give this info to your insurance agent and/or company.
Contact your insurance agent and/or company immediately after an accident.
Be cooperative with the insurance investigators and/or adjustors so they can do their work.
If there is something you don’t understand regarding the claims’ process, ask your insurance agent and/or company representative.
Inform your insurance agent or company in writing if there is a change in ownership of your vehicle.
If you or a family member has been injured in an accident involving motor vehicle negligence and would like to discuss this with a reputable California auto accident lawyer, please contact us. We would be happy to answer all your questions and explain what you can do to protect your legal rights in this situation.
The Law Firm of O’Connor, Runckel & O’Malley has experienced attorneys that specialize in automobile accidents. We are well known and highly respected by our clients as well as the legal community at large. Please contact us now to benefit from our experience and expertise. The initial consultation is free.
Published on behalf of O'Connor, Runckel & O'Malley LLP. The information presented in this article is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current and is subject to change without notice.
How Long do Personal Injury Cases Typically Take Before a Settlement is Reached?
If you have a personal injury claim that you are seeking to settle, it may not be smart to rush it because your compensation may be less than fair.
But what if you don’t relish the idea of your case dragging on month-after-month, year-after- year? If you’re wondering if there is any way to get your case settled quickly, even if that means agreeing to less money, we would have to say yes. But what we won’t say is that this would be a good idea.
Of course, you can reach a quick settlement on a personal injury claim if you’re willing to accept a lot less money than you deserve. You need to think about how much money you’ll be walking away from and if you’re going to need that money to take care of yourself after being injured.
There are reasons why it might take longer than expected to reach a settlement. Let’s discuss these and why it probably makes sense for you to think long and hard before accepting a quick offer.
Why Do Personal Injury Cases Drag Out So Long Before Settling?
The three primary reasons for this are as follows:
Legalities or facts of the case are still in dispute.
A substantial amount of money is at stake.
Victim has not completed treatment or reached maximum medical improvement.
If any or all of these issues are holding your case up, it will take time for it to all play out. To speed things up you would have to agree to accept a fraction of what you would otherwise be entitled to in compensation.
Upon close examination, you can see that these involve highly complex issues:
Legalities or Facts of the Case are in Dispute
What legalities or facts are usually in dispute? The amount of compensation a victim in a personal injury case is legally entitled to depends on two things: who is liable and what the damages are. It basically comes down to whose fault it was and the seriousness of the injuries.
If statements from the parties involved and multiple witnesses are at odds, then it’s not going to be easy proving liability. In a case like this, the insurance company will not offer the victim a reasonable settlement. But if you have an aggressive attorney who is willing to go to court and steps up and files a lawsuit, their attitude may change. It would change even further if your liability experts can show that the defendant (their policyholder) was at fault. However, if the legalities of your case are in question that could be a problem. For example, if the insurance company thinks that you have no legal standing to sue, then they will wait for a judge to rule on that issue before making an offer.
Also, there could be some question about damages. For example, your doctors may not be convinced that your injuries were caused by any negligence on the part of the defendant. The insurance company will never make you a fair settlement offer until they know that your lawyer can put a doctor on the stand who will unequivocally state that the defendant is responsible for your injuries.
A Lot of Money is Involved
Another issue that often causes a personal injury case to drag out is when it involves quite a bit of money. Insurance companies are not going to make a big payout until they have thoroughly researched your claims.
They will investigate every last detail of your case until they have no choice but to believe that:
They have no plausible defense
Your injuries are every bit as serious as you claim
You and your credibility are above reproach
Furthermore, insurance companies often put off settling big cases hoping the plaintiff gets worn down enough to accept a lot less money than they deserve. Many claimants do not have the financial resources to wait an indefinite period of time to be compensated. Insurance companies are well aware of this and they can afford to wait.
Your Treatment is Not Complete So Your Condition May Improve
One more reason that it may take much longer than you’d hoped to get your claim settled is that you are still undergoing medical treatment. As long as your doctors are continuing treatment, there is reason to hope your condition will improve. If you have the financial means to wait, it would not be wise to accept a settlement on your personal injury case until your doctors have informed you that you have now reached maximum medical improvement (MMI).
This means that you have recovered from your injuries as much as it is medically possible. Once you have reached this point in your recovery you and your attorneys can now determine what a fair settlement would be for your injuries. As long as you are still undergoing treatment, the magnitude of your injuries cannot be fully known or how extensive an impact they will have on your life. So, it really is impossible to accurately determine what a fair settlement would be.
Settling for Less
What happens if you know that you could receive a considerable settlement for your injuries if you could just wait it out, but you really cannot afford to. How do you figure out what you could realistically get if you settled now?
The insurance industry calls these “short settlements.” Typically, the insurance company would offer 30% to 40% of what they might offer you if you could wait until the day before you were set to go to trial. If you’ve been injured and have grounds for a personal injury case, but do not want a long legal process, it would be best to reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney. This way you would receive expert advice on your particular case and understand the risk you would be taking by accepting a quick settlement.
The goal at O'Connor, Runckel & O'Malley LLP to bring justice to those who have been harmed by the wrongdoing of others by seeking full compensation for their losses. We retain the finest engineers, physicians and other experts to obtain the highest possible recoveries. We are proud to play a role in keeping the justice system strong by protecting the rights of the individual. We are results driven attorneys who bring a strong combination of education, experience, and practical knowledge to the representation of our clients.
If you have been seriously injured due to someone else's negligence, contact a personal injury attorney at the law offices of O'Connor, Runckel & O'Malley today. We provide free consultations in order to evaluate your case and discuss the legal options available to you.
Published on behalf of O'Connor, Runckel & O'Malley LLP. The information presented in this article is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current and is subject to change without notice.
