Car Accidents

How to Handle Medical Expenses Due to Injuries

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, a dog attack, or in some other preventable way, the most important thing to do is to get the proper medical care. However, you may find that the bills are starting to pile up. Maybe the injuries were more extensive than you thought at first, or perhaps you were taken to a facility that this not covered by your insurance due to the location of the accident.

So how can you handle the medical expenses? The number one thing is to track all of the expenses closely. These bills prove that you experienced damages as the result of the accident. Now, it is time to hire a personal injury attorney in the state where the injuries occurred. This is vital because you will most likely be dealing with an insurance company.

Insurance companies hire people who are very friendly and charismatic as their adjusters. This gives you the sense that they are working for you and trying to get you the best payout possible to cover your losses. But remember: the adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to pay out as little as possible, so you should have someone who knows the law helping you to get what you truly deserve.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

At Petrov Law Firm, we are committed to helping our clients receive the proper compensation for their losses. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to have an experienced attorney handle your settlement.

Health Concerns Following a Motor Vehicle Accident

If you have walked away from a motor vehicle accident without any major injuries, you are very lucky. However, you should still see a doctor just to get checked out. This is true even after an accident that didn’t seem so bad. The fact is that you can end up with whiplash from a minor fender bender, and that neck soreness may be your only symptom for now, but things can change in the days, weeks, or even months after an accident.

You should be especially alert to changing symptoms if you hit your head or if your neck got whipped around fast enough to have caused a concussion. Go back to the doctor immediately if you begin to experience any of these symptoms:

• Chronic daily headaches or migraines
• Vertigo, dizziness, or lightheadedness
• Mood changes such as sudden irritability
• Concentration or memory issues
• Difficulty sleeping
• Blurry vision
• Ringing in the ears
• New sensitivity to light or sound

Fortunately, California allows you to file a case up to two years after most personal injuries, so you don’t have to worry your medical bills will pile up without compensation. You should, however, start your case as soon as you can by hiring a personal injury attorney in the state.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

Contact Petrov Law Firm today to get your case started if you have been injured in southern California. Just call 619.344.0360, and one of our experienced lawyers will help you to maximize the settlement you receive from the car insurance company.

Safe Driving Practices to Protect Your Family

In the state of California, you never want to be the one at fault in a motor vehicle accident because this is a tort state. However, you have an even better reason to drive as safely as possible. You want to protect your family and others both in your vehicle and in others on the road. Here are a few safe driving tips.

• Follow the laws of the road – These laws are in place to protect drivers and passengers. One of the most vital laws to obey is the speed limit. The worst accidents and injuries occur when one or more drivers are moving at high speeds.
• Don’t drive angry – Road rage is responsible for many unsafe driving behaviors. Even if another driver cuts you off, drives too close, or flies by at high speeds, you need to think about what is best for the people in your car. That means remaining calm and continuing following the traffic laws to the best of your ability.
• Remove distractions – There are so many things that can distract a driver. The fewer distractions you allow for yourself, the more you can stay focused on the road. While your phone is the worst distraction, but there are many other things to avoid doing while driving.

When You Have Been Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident

Petrov Law Firm is here to help car accident injury victims in southern California. Contact our San Diego office today at 619.344.0360 and get in touch with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.

3 Things to Know After a Car Accident in California

If you have experienced a car accident in the state of California, you need to understand the rules that apply. This is true whether you are a resident or were on vacation. Here are three essentials when it comes to receiving proper compensation after a car accident in California.

• California is a tort state – This means that the insurance of the at-fault driver is on the hook for the settlement. If you are from out of state, this may be new to you since many US states are no-fault states (meaning that each driver’s insurance covers their own liability regardless of who was at fault).
• Any lawsuits filed must be in the state of California – Again, this means that all California state laws apply. You need to know what the statute of limitations is for your type of accident so that you don’t wait too long to make a claim.
• You need a California attorney – This is true in any state. You need an attorney who can practice in the state where your case is. And that makes sense because laws are different from state to state, so a local attorney is going to know best anyway.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego

For experienced attorneys in southern California, car accident victims choose Petrov Law Firm. Our lawyers can help you to get what you really deserve from the insurance company. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started right away!

Three Myths About Car Accidents Settlements

Car accidents are one of the most common reasons to begin a personal injury case. After all, injuries can lead to medical debt, missed work, or even long-term health issues. Here are a few myths you should know are untrue so that the settlement you receive adequately compensates you for your losses.

• Myth 1: You only can receive compensation for medical bills – Compensatory damages should include any tangible and intangible losses. For example, you may have had to use some sick days or vacation days while recovering from the accident, or you may have had to change your job due to the extent of the injuries. Lost benefits and future wages also count.
• Myth 2: The insurance company will make sure I am fairly compensated – The insurance company’s business is based on paying out as little as possible. If you just wait for a settlement and take what they give you, there is no way you received what you truly deserve.
• Myth 3: It is too expensive to hire a lawyer – Actually, the reverse is true. Without a lawyer, the insurance company may take advantage of you. The fee for an attorney is nothing compared to getting the settlement you actually deserve.

Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm has experienced personal injury attorneys to help maximize your settlement. Don’t let the insurance company decide what you deserve for your injuries. Let our team of experts help you get what you truly deserve. Call 619.344.0360 to get started.

A Few Crucial Considerations for Drivers

Before anyone gets behind the wheel of a car, there are certain things they need to know. However, when someone has been driving for a long time, they may become overconfident and forget just how quickly things can become dangerous. For example, a man may be overconfident behind the wheel because of the myth that men are safer drivers. But simple logic refutes that claim. Why would insurance premiums be cheaper for women if men were safer drivers?

Here are a couple of other things you need to know:

• Driving under the influence includes driving under the influence of anything – Most people equate this with drinking alcohol. However, you can also receive a DUI for driving under the influence of marijuana (even if it is legal in your state) and certain prescription medications. So always be careful with anything that impacts your reaction time and could lead to an accident or a traffic violation.
• If you are under 18 and driving in California, don’t use your phone – Drivers in California who are 18 and over can use their phone in a hands-free manner. However, if you are under 18, you can’t use your phone at all. This is essential because using your phones hands-free still adds an element of distraction, and a new driver really doesn’t need that.

Car Accident Injuries in The San Diego Area

Contact Petrov Law Firm today if you have been injured in a car accident in southern California. We’re here to help you get the settlement you deserve from the insurance company, so call 619.344.0360 to learn what we can do for you.

Changing Teen Driving Culture to Save Lives

About 4,000 teenagers are killed on US roadways every year due to distracted driving. This makes the number one cause of death for teens completely preventable. It’s not enough to create more laws about distracted driving. There are laws in place nationwide, and it keeps happening. This is about changing the culture of teenage drivers in the United States.

California realizes this and has signaled out young teenage drivers with heavier laws and penalties for phone use. However, it is not enough of a deterrent just to pass laws against distracted driving. Teen passengers need to advocate for themselves.

• Tell the driver if you believe they are taking risks while driving
• Don’t get in the car with a driver who uses their phone or allows other distractions

This is essential because half of the deaths due to distracted adolescent drivers are their passengers. Don’t become the next victim!

Injuries Are Also Common Among Distracted Teen Drivers

There are about 400,000 injuries caused each year by distract adolescent drivers. If you or a loved one has experienced such an injury, you need the help of a personal injury attorney. California is a tort state. The at-fault driver’s insurance should cover all of your medical expenses and other damages. You need an experienced California attorney to help maximize your settlement.

Petrov Law Firm in San Diego can provide you with the assistance you need at this difficult time. Call 619.344.0360 today and get what you really deserve from the insurance company.

4 Tips to Keep You from Getting Sleepy Behind the Wheel

Whether you are taking a summer road trip or you just have a long commute back and forth to work each day, spending a lot of time behind the wheel is never fun. However, if you are tired while driving, it can become downright dangerous. Here are a few tips to ensure you don’t fall into the dangers of being a drowsy driver.

• Avoid getting behind the wheel during your usual bedtime hours – If you consistently sleep the same hours every night (as we should), then your body is trained to sleep at that time. Driving during your sleep hours is dangerous.
• Take a break if you start to feel tired – If you do start to feel tired while driving, find a place to pull over rather than trying to make it.
• Carpool – If you have someone else in the car with you, switch drivers when one of you becomes sleepy.
• Be careful with medications – Especially if you are starting a new prescription and don’t know how it will affect you yet, it is important to be cautious when driving. However, any prescription that comes with a warning about drowsiness can make it dangerous (or perhaps even illegal, depending on the medication and its effect on you) to drive.

When Another Driver Is to Blame for Your Injuries

If you have been in an accident, whether the other driver was drowsy or at fault for some other reason, you deserve compensation for medical bills and other related expenses. Contact Petrov Law Firm today to get the help you need when dealing with an insurance company. Call 619.344.0360 to get your case started.

Symptoms That May Occur Weeks or Months After a Car Accident

You should always see a doctor in the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident, even if you don’t feel seriously hurt at the time. There are also symptoms to watch out for in the weeks or months after the accident that could indicate your doctor missed something in the initial examination. Here are possible symptoms that could arise and what they may mean.

• Headache – This is one of the most common and persistent problems that can follow an injury. Headaches often indicate whiplash or a concussion.
• Pain in the Neck, Shoulders, or Back – Pain in the neck, shoulders, or back likely indicates a spinal injury. A misalignment could have occurred in the neck or somewhere else along the spine. Whiplash is common after car accidents.
• Numbness and tingling – If you feel numbness and tingling in your extremities, this could indicate nerve damage or a pinched nerve. There may be damage to the spine, misalignments, or even a herniated disk.
• Emotional Trauma – If you discover new or worsening anxiety, depression, irritability, or insomnia following an accident, it may indicate post-concussion syndrome, a brain or neck injury, or PTSD.

Head back to the doctor as soon as possible to ensure the symptoms are linked to the accident.

Get Help Paying Your Medical Bills

The medical bills can rack up, especially if you experience long-term symptoms. Contact Petrov Law Firm to recoup your losses by maximizing the settlement you receive from the insurance company. Call 619.344.0360 to get your case started right away.

Who Has Jurisdiction If You Get Into a Car Accident on Vacation?

One of the worst things that can happen while traveling is a car accident. It can ruin your entire vacation, even more so if you experience injuries as a result of the accident. If you are on vacation, which court has jurisdiction over the accident? You need to know how to recoup your medical expenses and other losses.

As a general rule, you will need to settle the case in the state where the accident occurred. You will also be subject to the laws of that state regarding things like compensation. If you have been injured in a car accident while vacationing in California, the first thing to know is that this is a tort state. What does that mean?

It means that the driver who is at fault covers the damages (or it is split if both drivers share fault). So this means that if the other driver was at fault, you are in luck because their insurance should cover everything. However, you will want the help of a local personal injury attorney who can handle the settlement for you and make sure you are not taken advantage of by the insurance company.

California Car Accident Attorneys

Petrov Law Firm has the personal injury attorneys that you want in your corner if you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in California. Call 619.344.0360 today to get your case started and to learn how our experienced lawyers can help to maximize your settlement.