If you get injured in a car accident in San Mateo, you may understandably feel stressed and overwhelmed.
You may not fully understand the claims process or how to protect yourself from tactics used by car insurance companies to reduce payouts.
Luckily, you don’t have to face the future alone.
The San Mateo car accident lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers can guide you through every step of the claims process to ensure the protection of your rights and best interests.
As your advocates, we will help you recover physically and financially from a harmful collision. Start your case with a free consultation.
No Fees Unless We Win
50+ Years of Fighting for People Just Like You
Why Choose Jacoby & Meyers
- We’ve been voted #1 Personal Injury Firm six years in a row. We have won awards and recognition from SuperLawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Attorney and Practice Magazine Top 10, and the Consumer Attorney Association of Los Angeles.
- Our San Mateo car accident lawyers provide a top-tier client experience. We have earned the trust of tens of thousands of clients with high-quality legal advocacy and real compassion. Your satisfaction, healthy recovery and success are our goals.
- No law firm has won as much for its clients for as long as Jacoby & Meyers. Our team has been representing car accident victims and their families for over 50 years, with more than $2 billion in settlements won for our clients.
- We take car accident cases in San Mateo on a contingency fee basis, meaning it won’t cost you anything out of pocket to hire us. We only charge a fee if we win, and then we take it out of the settlement or judgment award rather than billing you directly.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in San Mateo
In 2022, the City of San Mateo reported 98 victims injured and killed in automobile accidents, with 3,172 in all of San Mateo County. Avoidable driver errors are behind the majority of these accidents. Common examples include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting and driving
- Speeding and reckless driving
- Driving while impaired
- Drowsy driving
- Tailgating
- Weaving between multiple lanes
- Inexperienced drivers
- Poor road conditions
- Vehicle defects
Jacoby & Meyers can conduct a comprehensive investigation of your crash to determine the cause and identify the liable or financially responsible parties.
From there, we can initiate the claims process for you.
Determining Liability in Your Car Accident Case
In California, a fault-based insurance law determines who is legally required to pay for an automobile accident.
This law holds the at-fault driver or party liable for the victim’s medical bills, property repairs and other damages.
It is up to the injured victim to prove liability using evidence of fault or negligence.
Negligence is the legal foundation for most car accident cases in California.
It refers to the failure to act with a normal or appropriate amount of care, resulting in harm to others.
Negligence requires proof that the other driver owed you a duty of care, breached this duty and caused your collision.
The liable party in an automobile accident case is often the driver who violated a traffic law, such as a driver who ran a red light and caused a T-bone accident at an intersection.
Evidence of a careless or reckless driver mistake to support a claim may take the form of police reports, traffic citations, eyewitness statements, photographs and videos, and expert testimonies.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a San Mateo Car Accident?
If you suffered losses in a preventable car accident in San Mateo, the other driver or a different liable party may be responsible for making you financially whole again.
Through an insurance settlement or jury verdict, you could recover compensation from the defendant for various economic and non-economic damages:
- Past and future medical costs
- Lost wages and future earning capacity
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages
- Punitive damages, in some cases
The potential value of your car accident claim is something that you should discuss with an attorney at Jacoby & Meyers before you accept a settlement from an insurance company.
Lowball settlement offers are a common strategy used by insurance companies to protect their own profits.
Tips for Dealing With Car Insurance Companies
One of the key benefits of hiring a car accident attorney in San Mateo to handle your claim is to prevent a car insurance carrier from taking advantage of you.
If you handle your case on your own, you may fall prey to many strategies insurance adjusters use to minimize claim payouts.
At Jacoby & Meyers, our attorneys can guide you through each step of the insurance process and take over negotiations with insurance adjusters for you.
In the meantime, here are a few basic suggestions:
- Don’t give the insurance adjuster a recorded statement about your crash or injuries.
- Don’t discuss your injuries until you’ve been to a doctor and received an official diagnosis.
- If you are asked questions about the accident, keep your answers as short as possible.
- Don’t post on social media while your case is pending, as the insurance company may be monitoring your activity to look for reasons to deny your claim.
- Don’t fall for pressure tactics, such as an insurer claiming a “best” or “final” settlement offer.
- Don’t agree to a settlement before speaking to a car accident attorney near you.
The main thing to keep in mind is that an insurance company is not on your side.
Unlike an attorney, the insurance company does not want what is best for you.
The most effective way to navigate the claims process – especially if you have a complex case with severe injuries or a liability dispute – is by hiring an attorney.
Contact Our San Mateo Car Accident Lawyers Today
You may be faced with many challenges after a harmful car accident in San Mateo, California, but you don’t have to handle them alone.
The car accident lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers will stand by your side to fight for justice and the financial compensation you need to move forward with peace of mind.
The clock is ticking – California’s statute of limitations gives you no more than two years from the date of your car accident to file a claim.
Don’t wait. Call Jacoby & Meyers today at (415) 855-4289 for your free consultation so that we can start building your case.