Serious Injury Car Accident on SR-145
Officials in Madera County reported a serious injury car accident that temporarily shut down SR-145 on the morning of Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The traffic collision took place shortly after 10:30 a.m. on a portion of State Route 145 along a bridge crossing Cottonwood Creek and involved two vehicles.
Details on the Serious Injury Car Accident on SR-145 in Madera County
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) received a report of a car accident involving a sedan and a van. A preliminary report revealed that the sedan was headed northbound on SR-145 while a van was traveling southbound on the highway. For unknown reasons, one of the vehicles allegedly veered off the roadway, struck a guard rail, and drifted into the southbound lane, where it crashed into an oncoming van.
CHP traffic officers indicated that the impact of the collision allegedly sheared the sedan in half, with one of the two halves falling into the creek. There were six occupants in the van described as family members at the time of the incident.
Two of these parties were transported to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Two other individuals had complaints of pain, but it was unclear whether they were treated for their injuries. A child and a baby were the remaining two of six people that were uninjured in the crash, according to officials. The sedan driver and their passenger were also taken to the hospital for treatment of major injuries. The cause of the car accident in Madera County is under investigation by officials, and additional information on the two-vehicle crash on Highway 145 was not immediately available.
Importance of Hiring a Lawyer After a Car Accident Resulting in Serious Injuries
When multiple parties are injured in a motor vehicle crash, the situation may become complicated. This is especially the case when it has been determined that one party was responsible for the incident and that individual has little to no liability coverage to pay for resulting losses. Injured parties may have recourse in such scenarios by bringing a claim under their uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage if they have this type of benefit under their insurance policy. Putting a dollar figure on serious injuries may be challenging as it requires expertise, knowledge, and resources to establish the severity of damages resulting from the trauma. This is one of the many reasons why it is essential to hire an experienced car accident lawyer to investigate the crash, work with experts in the field, and build a strong case for fair compensation on your behalf.
In an ideal world, the insurance company would do what is right for an injured party and their claim by fairly compensating them for the financial losses and intangible harms they have suffered because of a traffic collision caused by another party or entity. However, that is not always the case, as insurers are focused on protecting their profit margins. This approach often comes at the expense of claimants as insurance carriers and their teams of attorneys will devise defense strategies to get out of fairly paying a bodily injury claim. Such situations may also occur in first-party insurance claims under UM and UIM coverage. When faced with this predicament, it is essential to retain legal counsel to protect your rights and interests as an injured party. Watch the video below for tips on how to select the right lawyer for your car accident case.
How Much Time Do You Have to Bring a Personal Injury Lawsuit in California?
There is not an unlimited amount of time to bring a lawsuit for a car accident resulting in injuries in the state of California. That is because there is a statute of limitations that generally applies to injury cases. Under the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, an injured person usually has two years from the date of the crash causing trauma to file a lawsuit in civil court. This deadline must be followed if an insurance settlement is not accepted within that time frame. Failure to meet the filing criteria may result in the dismissal of the case by the court and the loss of the right to take legal action for damages incurred. Keep in mind that the statute of limitations may be shortened to 180 days in those cases involving public agencies, as stated in the California Government Code Section 911.2.
The general two-year deadline may seem like ample time to file a lawsuit in civil court. However, waiting may do more harm than good in the long run as the insurance company representing the other side or even your own may already be working to downplay the value of your personal injury case or outright deny it. You are already under enough stress after suffering traumatic injuries in a motor vehicle collision; let our team of Madera car accident lawyers take the burden off your shoulders while you recover. We are only a phone call away, so do not hesitate to reach out to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced injury attorneys.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Madera
I’m Ed Smith, a Madera personal injury lawyer. Suffering major injuries in a car accident may be stressful and overwhelming, to say the least. Add difficult insurance companies and defense counsel to the equation, and injured parties may feel as if they are at a loss when it comes to how their medical bills, wage loss, and other damages will be covered. Those experiencing such situations may benefit from the assistance of an experienced accident attorney who can help seek full and fair compensation on their behalf. Get started on your case today by speaking with one of our skilled personal injury lawyers and receive free, friendly advice at (559) 377-7676 or (800) 404-5400.
When you have been injured in a car accident, selecting the right personal injury lawyer in your area matters. The outcome of your case will depend on the experience, skills, and resources your attorney has. Past client ratings and reviews can provide a basis for whether a particular injury lawyer will be a good fit for you and your case. Our client comments may be found at the links below:
Our law firm has a history of successful case results obtained on behalf of our clients since 1982. Making sure that we obtain full and fair compensation on behalf of those we represent in accident cases is what our legal team at AutoAccident.com does best. See some of the results we have secured over the years by visiting our Settlements and Verdicts page. In recognition of these results and the outstanding service we have provided to our clients, we have been recognized in the Top 1 Percent and Million Dollar Advocates as California members.
Photograph Attribution: “Optical-Essence” via Pixabay
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