Intersection Accidents

When approaching an intersection, it is always a good idea to make sure that there are no other drivers who choose to ignore the signage or lights and cut through, but it is a basic expectation that we can share the road with other licensed drivers with the confidence that they will obey the traffic laws. In some instances, whether it is because of distracted driving, drunk driving, or simply reckless or aggressive driving, someone may drive through an intersection that they should have stopped at, and will crash with another vehicle. There are no shortage of intersection accidents in Fresno, which is why Grossman Law Offices are ready and available to help if you or someone you know has been seriously injured in an accident at a road intersection.

Read more below about intersection accidents, how to deal with insurance companies, and how we will work to calculate the amount that you are rightfully owed. We offer a free initial consultation to victims of personal injuries so that we can discuss their circumstances, their injuries, and answer any questions they may have about how we can help them navigate this complicated and stressful situation with minimal stress and the best possible outcome. 

Working With Insurance Companies After an Intersection Accident

When you are involved in any accident, one of the things you will need to do is to deal directly with an insurance agent who is handling the other driver’s policy and payments. While your interaction with the agent will likely be amicable, it is important that you keep in mind that the agent works for the insurance company, and their top priority is to limit the payments made and therefore protect their employer’s financial interests. The settlement amount that the insurance company will ultimately offer you is nowhere near the amount that you actually deserve.

DO NOT accept this offer, or sign any binding paperwork. If you accept this payment, you will be required to waive your future ability to seek additional compensation from the insurance company or the driver, even if you realize that your losses and expenses exceed the amount you were given. Instead, your personal injury attorney will use this offer as a starting point for negotiations. If we are unable to reach a fair amount through these settlement negotiations, then we will decide to move into a full lawsuit in the Fresno courts. 

How To Calculate Personal Injury Damages

The damages for a car accident depend on a variety of factors that include the severity of the injuries, but also go far beyond the simple medical expenses and the nature of the crash. Instead, there are many different details that a personal injury attorney will go through and work to quantify in order to present a complete picture to the courts about what their client rightfully deserves. Generally, these damages are divided into two different types:

Economic Damages

These damages seek to repay the victim for actual financial losses or expenses that have come from the accident. This includes things like medical expenses, hospital costs, ambulance rides, physical therapy, assistive devices, medicine, and more. In addition to expenses, these types of damages include lost wages and other income-based losses such as short- and long-term disability and possible compensation for a permanent reduced earning capacity. 

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are more complicated to calculate than economic damages, simply because they do not come with income statements, receipts, and invoices that can simply be tallied. They include things like the actual pain and suffering of the injuries, as well as the emotional distress that a victim endures during a crash and while dealing with the reality of their injuries. Since these damages do not have set dollar amounts, an experienced personal injury attorney in Fresno will use an alternative solution that still clearly makes their case.

It is common for non-economic damages to be quantified with a “multiplier,” which is a number used to represent the severity of the damages typically on a scale of 1-5. Once they determine the multiplier, it is then applied to the economic damages in order to translate these abstract damages into a real-world, measurable amount. For example, a multiplier of 2x and economic damages of $50,000 would result in non-economic damages of $100,000.

Contact Us Now

If you have been injured in an intersection accident, contact the team at Grossman Law Offices as soon as possible to get working on your case. We will handle the legal aspects of your accident so that you can focus on recovery and getting your life back on track after this serious and upsetting disruption.