Oakland Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident can disrupt many aspects of your life. Recovering from injuries while addressing insurance claims, medical expenses, and lost income can be challenging.

The Jacoby & Meyers Oakland personal injury lawyers have represented California personal injury victims for more than 50 years. The firm has recovered more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts across all practice areas, though keep in mind that past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Our Oakland car accident lawyers assist clients with navigating the legal process following a collision so they can focus on their recovery.

Why Choose Jacoby & Meyers?

• Experience in Complex Matters: Jacoby & Meyers manages a wide range of automobile accident claims, including those involving intricate liability disputes and complex insurance coverage issues.
• Comprehensive Legal Advocacy: Our attorneys assist clients in seeking recovery as permitted under California law. We manage the coordination of medical documentation and address property damage claims to ensure a thorough evaluation of your losses.
• Direct Attorney Communication: We prioritize transparency; you will work directly with your attorney and dedicated legal team throughout the duration of your representation.
• Contingency Fee Representation: We handle personal injury matters on a contingency fee basis. This means attorney’s fees are only owed if a recovery is secured. Please note: While attorney’s fees are contingent on a recovery, clients may remain responsible for certain advanced case costs, regardless of the outcome, as specified in your representation agreement.

How Can a Car Accident Lawyer in Oakland Help?

An accident lawyer can evaluate the circumstances of your crash to help you understand your legal rights and how fault may be determined under California law. A law firm may consult qualified experts when appropriate to support a claim.

A lawyer can also communicate with insurance companies on your behalf. If a resolution cannot be reached through negotiation, your attorney may file a lawsuit and represent you in court.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Accept

Jacoby & Meyers is an experienced team of attorneys that has an in-depth understanding of California personal injury law. We represent clients in a variety of California motor vehicle accident matters.

We handle the following types of motor vehicle accident cases in Oakland, among others:

• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle collisions
• Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
• Rideshare accidents
• Taxi accidents
• Bus and AC Transit accidents
• Hit-and-run accidents
• Driving under the influence (DUI) accidents
• Head-on collisions
• T-bone collisions
• Rear-end accidents
• Multi-vehicle pileups
• Rollovers
• Auto defect accidents
• Fatal auto accidents

Working with an attorney who has experience handling motor vehicle accident cases may help ensure that relevant legal and factual issues are properly evaluated.

Common Causes of Oakland Car Accidents

Oakland car accidents can occur for many reasons. Some common contributing factors include:

• Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents. Texting, eating, adjusting the radio, talking on the phone, or having conversations with your passengers can all distract your attention from the road and cause an accident.
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol impairs judgment, reaction time, and coordination, which increases the chances of having an accident.
• Speeding reduces your ability to react to road hazards, making crashes more likely and increasing the severity of injuries when an accident happens.
• Reckless drivers engaging in behaviors such as tailgating, running red lights or stop signs, and aggressively weaving in and out of traffic are often the cause of Oakland car accidents.
• An inexperienced driver may not anticipate road hazards or react as quickly to dangerous conditions, which may increase the chances of a crash.
• Fatigued driving can impair reaction times and abilities as much as driving under the influence.
• Vehicle defects or failures, such as tire blowouts, brake failure, steering malfunctions, and more, can cause car accidents.
• Wildlife running into the highway can cause a serious collision. In California, there are more than 7,000 collisions involving wildlife each year. One study shows that vehicle collisions with wildlife cost California $1 billion over a 5-year period.
• Poor vehicle maintenance can cause brake, tire, and engine problems that make you more likely to have an accident.
• Dangerous road conditions, such as a defective design, can lead to car accidents.

Common Injuries in Oakland Car Accidents

Car accidents in Oakland can result in injuries ranging from mild whiplash and bruises to serious injuries and even death. Some of the most commonly reported Oakland car accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Amputations
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Broken and crushed bones
• Bruises, lacerations, and cuts
• Burns
• Disfigurement
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression

Many times, car accident victims believe they have suffered only minor injuries, only to realize later that those “minor” injuries have an impact on their mobility and often cause chronic pain. Some injuries may not fully present symptoms immediately after a crash.

Oakland Car Accident Statistics

Publicly available traffic safety data indicates that speeding and intersection-related crashes contribute to a portion of serious and fatal collisions in Oakland. Oakland is known for having a high rate of traffic collisions, and 60% of the severe and fatal crashes in Oakland occur on just 6% of its streets.

Certain streets have been identified as having higher rates of serious and fatal crashes, which may overlap with the city’s designated “Communities of Concern.” Communities of Concern refers to neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty, people of color, people with disabilities, zero-car households, and residents who speak English as a second language.

To address traffic safety, the Department of Transportation, the City Administrator’s Office, the Oakland Police Department, and the Department of Race and Equity launched the Safe Oakland Street (SOS) initiative in 2021. In addition to the SOS program, the city has recently implemented additional initiatives aimed at reducing traffic collisions in Oakland

Important California Car Accident Laws

California follows a pure comparative negligence rule for personal injury cases. This means that even if you were partially at fault in a car accident, your recovery may be reduced according to your percentage of fault rather than being completely barred.

In some other states, recovery may be limited if a person’s fault exceeds a certain percentage. For example, in Texas, individuals generally cannot seek damages if they are more than 51% at fault in the accident.

This is not true in California. Here, you may be 99% at fault in the accident and still be allowed to pursue damages from the party who was only 1% at fault. However, your damages award will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.

It is critical to be aware of the legal deadlines, known as the statute of limitations, for filing a claim. Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, most personal injury and wrongful death actions must be filed within two years of the date of the incident or death. Failing to meet these strict statutory deadlines generally bars you from pursuing a legal claim and seeking recovery for your losses in court.

When a government entity is named a defendant, you will have a shorter time to file a claim. There are also a few situations where the two-year deadline may be tolled or extended.

How to Prove a Car Accident Case

Under California law, the party seeking recovery generally must prove that another party’s negligence caused the accident.

The burden of proof is a “preponderance of the evidence,” meaning that it must be more likely than not that the other party was legally responsible.

Evidence that may be used includes:

• Police report describing the accident
• Photographs of the crash scene
• Video footage of the automotive accident
• Eyewitness statements
• Expert testimony from medical or crash reconstruction specialists
• Accident reconstruction reports
• Medical records

Our lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers can return to where your car accident took place, interview witnesses, hire experts, and take other steps to gather evidence to help you prove your claim. We understand what is necessary to prove negligence and liability in an Oakland car accident case.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire Jacoby & Meyers’ Car Accident Attorneys?

Jacoby & Meyers represents clients on a contingency fee basis, ensuring that legal advocacy is accessible regardless of financial standing. Under this arrangement, attorney fees are earned only if a recovery is secured, with the fee calculated as a percentage of the total recovery as specified in your written agreement.

Important Cost Disclosure: While attorney fees are contingent upon a recovery, clients may remain responsible for certain advanced case costs—such as filing fees, expert witness fees, and medical record retrieval—regardless of the outcome of the matter.

Contact an Oakland Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you have been injured in a car accident, you may wish to consult an Oakland car accident lawyer to discuss your legal options. At Jacoby & Meyers, we have been representing California accident victims for more than 50 years.

Call us at (866) 387-8009 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free consultation. We will evaluate your case, answer your questions, explain your options, and help you proceed.

Our Oakland Office

66 Franklin St Suite 300,
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 616-9169