If you are seriously injured in a collision due to the reckless actions of another driver, you may need the help of a Fresno reckless driving accident lawyer to get the compensation you need to recover. The car accident attorneys at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers are always available to provide a free consultation.
Work With a Fresno Reckless Driving Accident Lawyer You Can Trust
It can be difficult to determine whom you can trust after a reckless driving accident in California. The insurance company may act like your friend, but its biggest concern is minimizing its costs. Paying you fair compensation for your injuries rarely coincides with that goal.
Just about the only one you can trust is your lawyer for reckless driving accidents from Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers. We put the needs of our clients above everything else. Our lawyers for reckless driving accidents understand the type of help you need after getting seriously injured in a car crash.
Immediately after the accident, your injuries will probably keep you restricted to your home or a hospital bed. A person in that situation will have difficulty communicating with the insurance company and gathering the documentation it requires.
Our reckless driving lawyers will take charge of your case so you can focus on your recovery. We swiftly gather evidence by interviewing witnesses and preserving any physical evidence associated with the accident. We also help you preserve medical bills and documents that will be important for your claim.
Our reckless driving attorneys can handle all aspects of your insurance claim, too. We will communicate with the insurance company and ensure that the claims process goes smoothly. Before you accept an insurance settlement, we will negotiate with the insurance company to get you the highest settlement possible.
Other Ways Our Reckless Driving Lawyers Help
Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers is a trusted law firm, and not just because we know how to deal with insurance companies. We also know how to help our clients recover from one of the most difficult situations they will ever encounter.
Our legal team will help you find the right doctors to treat your injuries. Through the decades that our law firm has been serving the Fresno community, we have cultivated relationships with many amazing doctors. We can guide you to a doctor who has the right skills and experience to best help you recover.
Finally, we understand the difficult financial situation you are in after a reckless driving accident. You are unable to work while bills are piling up. We help your financial situation in many ways.
At Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we charge nothing for the initial consultation. Furthermore, our reckless driving attorney cost is a contingency fee. This means that we don’t charge you anything until your case is complete, and we only take a fee if we successfully obtain money for you.
Do you need a lawyer for reckless driving accidents after getting hurt in a collision? We encourage you to take advantage of our free consultation to determine the answer to that question for yourself.
Reckless Driving Criminal Charges vs. a Personal Injury Claim
One of the common questions we get from potential clients is, “What is the difference between a reckless driving personal injury claim and reckless driving criminal charges?”
If you are injured due to the recklessness of another party, state civil laws allow you to get compensation from the responsible party for any costs or losses incurred due to those injuries. This is known as a personal injury claim.
A personal injury claim can be decided by a jury in a civil trial or by negotiating a settlement outside of trial. Most personal injury claims do not involve the courts.
Additionally, when another person drives recklessly, they are violating California state laws. The state has a penal interest in enforcing its laws. It does this by charging reckless drivers with a crime.
While the results of a criminal prosecution can potentially help you succeed at a personal injury claim, you won’t receive any compensation at the end of a criminal trial. Furthermore, you can pursue a civil case even if the state doesn’t decide to pursue criminal charges.
California Laws and Regulations Regarding Reckless Driving
California driving laws are meant to make driving safer for everyone. If you violate the rules of the road, you can be charged with a crime, and points will be added to your driver’s record. Reckless driving is typically worth two points on your record. If you are convicted of reckless driving twice within 12 months, your license will be suspended.
California Vehicle Code [CVC] §23103(a) – Reckless Driving
Under California state law, a person is guilty of reckless driving if they drive a vehicle on a highway with wanton disregard for the safety of others. The penalty for reckless driving is between 5 and 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000 or both.
Note that the statute doesn’t mention accidents. You can be charged with reckless driving even if your behavior doesn’t result in an accident.
What Are Some Behaviors and Examples of Reckless Driving?
Reckless driving is severely punished because it is highly likely to result in serious car accidents. The following are common examples of reckless driving that result in collisions in California.
Excessive Speed
Speed limits exist for a reason other than putting money into the coffers of the state government. Typically, the speed limit of a road is slightly lower than the maximum safe speed that vehicles can drive on it.
When someone is driving much faster than the speed limit, they are putting others on the road at risk. At those speeds, they can’t avoid some dangers, like a vehicle suddenly braking in front of them.
Tailgating
Tailgating creates a danger that is similar to driving at excessive speeds. When you tailgate someone, you are driving close enough that if they slow down or stop, you can safely slow down before a collision.
You don’t need to be speeding to be tailgating. However, speeding and tailgating will likely result in even more serious accidents.
Weaving Through Traffic
When traveling on a highway, you are supposed to stay in a single lane as much as possible. If you are regularly switching lanes to maintain speed, you are probably moving faster than the speed of the rest of the traffic, and that creates a significant danger of getting into a collision.
Sudden Lane Changes
Another dangerous activity is sudden lane changes. When you shift lanes quickly, even if you use your turn signal, other drivers may not be able to respond quickly enough to avoid an accident. If an accident happened, you would usually be responsible for cutting off the other driver.
Ignoring Traffic Signals
This is one of the most clear-cut examples of reckless driving. When a driver runs a red light or otherwise ignores a traffic signal, they are putting everyone else on the road in danger. Drivers rely on traffic signals to control the right-of-way. When someone ignores a traffic signal, other drivers have no way of knowing where that vehicle will be.
Impaired Driving
Driving under the influence is also reckless driving. However, this only meaningfully matters in personal injury claims. A person who is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will typically be subject to much more serious penalties than those for reckless driving.
Distracted Driving
Finally, distracted driving is an increasingly common type of reckless driving in the U.S., due to the prevalence of portable electronic devices like smartphones. When a driver takes their eyes off the road, they are much more likely to get into an accident. On the highway, if you look at a text for even just a few seconds, you are likely to drive the distance of a football field or more during that time.
What Is the Importance of Seeking Legal Advice in California?
The insurance claim process is complicated and almost entirely controlled by the insurance company. This puts you at a significant disadvantage when you file an insurance claim after a reckless driving accident.
By getting legal advice, you even the playing field. The experienced Fresno reckless driving accident lawyers at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers are familiar with insurance laws and the processes of all major auto insurers. This increases your likelihood of getting fair compensation from your claim.
Testimonials and Successful Cases From a Local Personal Injury Law Firm
We don’t expect potential clients to take us at our word without any proof. At our law firm, we encourage you to read the testimonials of our past clients. After receiving our help, dozens of clients took the time to write reviews or give a video review. These are clients that we helped get fair compensation after they were seriously injured in a car accident.
What Are the Risks and Consequences of Reckless Driving in California?
If you were charged with reckless driving, you might ask, “Should I get a lawyer for a careless driving ticket?” First offense reckless driving is unlikely to result in significant consequences, as long as you didn’t get into an accident. Driving offense lawyers can usually convince the prosecution to offer minimal penalties or reduced charges.
However, if you got into an accident, both the civil and criminal consequences are likely to be much more serious. While we don’t handle criminal defense cases, we will help connect you with the right attorneys if you need assistance with criminal charges.
Call Us to Speak With a Fresno Reckless Driving Lawyer Today — Free Legal Consultations!
Were you seriously injured due to the actions of someone driving recklessly in Fresno? You have the right to get compensation for your injuries. However, getting fair compensation isn’t always easy.
If you want to improve your chances of getting the compensation that you need to fully recover from your injuries, you should trust the personal injury attorneys at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers. We act quickly and always put the interests of our clients first.
Don’t wait to act after getting hurt in a car accident in Fresno. Contact our law firm right away to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Fresno reckless driving accident attorney.
Fresno Reckless Driving Accident Lawyer Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Get a Lawyer for Reckless Driving Accidents?
Typically, car accident victims who hire a lawyer get more compensation from their personal injury claims than those who don’t. This is even true once you take into account the cost of attorney’s fees. Take advantage of a free consultation at our law firm to determine the approximate value of your case before you decide whether to pursue it.
Do I Need to Prove the Other Driver Was Reckless if They Were Convicted of Reckless Driving?
Yes, but that conviction goes a long way toward proving your case. Furthermore, you also need to prove that their reckless actions resulted in your injuries.
What Type of Evidence Do I Need to Win a Reckless Driving Accident Claim?
Typically, our legal team will collect the testimony of anyone who witnessed the accident along with physical evidence, like video recordings of the accident. The latter may be available from dashcams, traffic cams, or cameras on nearby buildings.
