Brea Car Accident Lawyer
Brea Car Accident Attorney
Car accidents happen every day in the Brea, CA, area, and while most of these incidents are resolved with insurance claims and do not entail severe injuries, serious accidents can happen unexpectedly and cause devastating losses to those involved. When a serious car accident happens, a victim may be left wondering how the accident happened, who is responsible, and how they can recover from the damage they sustained.
Experienced Legal Representation for Victims of Car Accidents in Brea, CA
If you or a family member in Brea, CA are recovering from injuries and calculating economic losses suffered in a car accident someone else caused, it is crucial for you to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible about your legal options. Filing an insurance claim against an at-fault driver is usually the first step in recovering from any serious accident. However, many car accidents result in damages that eclipse available insurance coverage, and severely injured victims are likely to have many pressing legal questions in this situation.
The attorneys at Easton & Easton have years of experience handling a wide range of personal injury claims in Brea and have helped many clients recover from damaging accidents. We know the obstacles you are likely to face in your recovery efforts after another driver’s negligence or misconduct behind the wheel results in severe damage. Our goal in every car accident case we accept is to help our client navigate the insurance claim process as efficiently as possible. However, if this isn’t enough to fully cover their losses, we can make an effective personal injury claim on their behalf for the fullest recovery possible.
Determining Fault for a Car Accident in Brea
California uses the fault system to resolve car accident disputes. For example, if another driver hits your vehicle and injures you in Brea, you have the right to hold them accountable for all the damage. However, you must first prove they caused the accident in question. This may sound simple, but proving fault in a personal injury claim requires clear evidence of the defendant’s negligence or misconduct. Some of the most common causes of car accidents that lead to difficult insurance claims and personal injury actions in Brea include:
- Distracted driving. Each year in the United States, distracted driving tops the list of most common causes of accidents throughout the country. Any type of distraction behind the wheel is potentially very dangerous, and an experienced Brea car accident attorney can be invaluable for gathering evidence to prove liability when you have no idea how you can show the court the defendant wasn’t paying attention behind the wheel.
- Intoxicated driving, which is both illegal and extremely dangerous. Driving under the influence (DUI) typically leads to fines, jail time, and driver’s license suspension for most convicted drivers in California, but if a defendant causes injury to others while intoxicated, their penalties escalate significantly. They will also face a civil claim for damages caused to the victim.
- Speeding, which is one of the leading contributing causes of fatal accidents throughout the country. Speeding dramatically reduces the time and distance a driver has to slow down or stop to avoid a crash. Speeding is especially dangerous when motor vehicle drivers hit pedestrians, and accidents that happen at high speed significantly increase the likelihood of fatalities.
- Moving violations, which can startle other drivers and disrupt the flow of traffic significantly. Running a red light or performing an illegal turn can easily result in a devastating crash. Drivers could face criminal penalties depending on the severity of the moving violations they commit and the amount of resulting damage they cause to others.
- Intentional misconduct, such as reckless or aggressive driving. If an investigation reveals that a defendant was displaying a reckless disregard for the safety of others, or if they intended to harm the victim, the defendant faces severe criminal penalties in addition to liability for civil damages.
However your accident happened, liability may not be immediately clear to you, or your injuries may have been so severe that you do not have any recollection of the accident or who caused it. In any case, The attorneys at Easton & Easton take time to carefully examine the details of our client’s accident and review all accessible evidence. As a result, we know how to gather the documentation, witness testimony, or expert witness input you may need to prove fault for your recent accident and hold the responsible driver appropriately accountable for your damage.
Filing an Auto Insurance Claim in Brea
Every California driver must have auto insurance that includes basic bodily injury and property damage coverage. When a driver is responsible for causing a car accident, their insurance policy will cover any damage they caused to others up to the policy’s coverage limits. At a minimum, your auto insurance policy in California must provide the following:
- $15,000 or more in bodily injury liability coverage for a single victim in a single accident.
- $30,000 or more in total accident liability coverage for bodily injury to multiple persons in a single accident.
- $5,000 or more in property damage liability coverage, which goes toward paying the victim’s vehicle repair bills.
These coverage amounts might seem like enough to cover car accident damage, but the reality is that a severe accident can very quickly eclipse the total amount of the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage. Additionally, California has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country, so there is no guarantee that insurance will be available to you at all after your accident. Ultimately, every car accident victim faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities for recovery.
The attorneys at Easton & Easton accept every personal injury case with the goal of addressing the client’s unique needs and helping them secure the compensation they deserve as swiftly as possible. We can guide you through the insurance claim process if the at-fault driver has appropriate coverage, but if they do not, or their insurance can’t fully cover your losses, we’ll compile an effective personal injury claim on your behalf to ensure an acceptable recovery.
When to File a Civil Claim After a Car Accident
A successful insurance claim against an at-fault driver can potentially yield substantial compensation, but if you suffered catastrophic injuries and/or any level of permanent harm from the incident in question, you are unlikely to secure a full recovery with just an insurance claim. A Brea car accident attorney can be invaluable if you must file a personal injury claim to ensure an appropriate recovery from your accident.
The basis of a personal injury claim is an act of negligence or intentional misconduct resulting in actual harm. This “actual harm” can take the form of economic and non-economic damage, with the former being more straightforward. The economic damages you can claim through your personal injury action are the direct financial losses caused by the defendant’s actions. For example, depending on how your accident happened and the severity of its effects, your claimable economic losses may include the following:
- Medical expenses, both immediately following the accident as well as long-term treatment costs for serious injuries. Your Brea car accident attorney can help you gather whatever medical records and other documentation you may need to prove the full scope of medical expenses the defendant caused you to incur and those you will incur in the future due to their actions.
- Lost income, including lost future earning potential, when you have been left unable to return to work due to the severity of the injuries you suffered. This may sound difficult to calculate, but an experienced attorney can help you estimate the income you would have reasonably expected to earn in the future if you hadn’t been injured.
- Property damage, which generally includes the cost of repairing or replacing the victim’s vehicle, but if any other personal property was lost in the accident, the plaintiff might claim compensation for these losses as well.
When you have an experienced Brea car accident attorney handling your recovery efforts, you are far more likely to secure maximum compensation for the full scope of all your economic damages. However, this will not be the end of your recovery when you have the right attorney handling your case. State law also allows you to seek pain and suffering compensation.
“Pain and suffering” might sound subjective and difficult or impossible to quantify in monetary value, but there is no cap or limit on the amount a plaintiff can claim for a car accident in California. This compensation is meant to repay the victim’s physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological trauma resulting from a car accident. Your attorney can assist you in determining a suitable amount based on the breadth and severity of the long-term damage you face.
Ultimately, every car accident case is unique, and every plaintiff faces different challenges in their efforts to recover from these damaging events. Regardless of how a car accident happened or the scope of a victim’s damage, every injured driver benefits by having legal counsel they can trust when they are forced to take legal action to recover from these incidents.
Brea Auto Accident FAQs
Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Brea?
A: Recovery from a car accident in California typically requires an insurance claim, followed by a personal injury claim if necessary for the plaintiff’s full recovery. The time limit for the insurance claim is very short, and the victim must notify the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier of their intent to file a claim within a few days of the accident. If they proceed with a personal injury claim, they will have two years to file their civil action.
Q: How Much Compensation Can I Secure for an Auto Accident?
A: You have the right to expect full compensation for any and all economic losses the defendant caused and a suitable amount of compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced. However, if you bear partial fault for the accident, you will lose a percentage of your final compensation. Conversely, the severity and/or illegal nature of the defendant’s actions could compel a judge to enhance your recovery through restitution or punitive damages.
Q: What Happens If a Car Accident Is Fatal?
A: Unfortunately, many fatal accidents occur in the Brea area each year, and the surviving loved ones of deceased victims are often left wondering how they can recover from these incidents. If a car accident is fatal, the family of the victim can file a wrongful death claim instead of the personal injury claim the victim could have filed if they had survived. While similar to a personal injury claim in some ways, a wrongful death suit entails very different legal issues and requires the attention of an experienced wrongful death attorney.
Q: Is It Worth Hiring a Brea Car Accident Attorney?
A: Don’t assume that hiring an attorney would cost more than the compensation you could obtain with their help. The attorneys at Easton & Easton offer legal counsel for personal injury cases on a contingency basis, so there is no risk to you if we cannot secure compensation for your losses. When we win your case, our contingency fee is just a percentage of your final compensation. It is always worth investing in reliable legal counsel if you want the best possible outcome for your recovery efforts.
Q: Will a Driver Go to Prison for Causing a Car Accident?
A: A driver who causes a car accident should not worry about facing jail time or serious criminal penalties unless they caused the accident through some illegal misconduct. If a driver intentionally causes an accident with the desire to do harm, they are likely to face felony prosecution for attempted murder and other charges. If a driver causes an accident because of DUI, they face enhanced penalties compared to what they would face for a standard DUI.
The attorneys at Easton & Easton have helped many Tustin clients recover from their car accidents, and we are often able to surpass our clients’ expectations by uncovering various forms of compensation they didn’t know they could claim. Our team can provide the guidance and support you need during a very difficult time and assist you in maximizing the outcome of your recovery efforts after an accident someone else caused. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation with a Brea car accident attorney you can trust.
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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…
The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…
I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…
Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…
What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…
I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!
-Allee
Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.
I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!
They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.
Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.
They are the BEST!
I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.
I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way
The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!