What to Do After a Serious Collision on the Pacific Coast Highway

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What to Do After a Serious Collision on the Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) has a reputation that cuts two ways. It is one of the most recognizable and scenic roads in the country, yet it is also one of the most unforgiving. Hazardous blind spots, tight curves, and little room to swerve mean that when collisions occur on the PCH, the results are far from the postcard views the roadway is typically associated with.

If you’ve been in such an accident, everything you do now should be geared towards resurrecting your health and pursuing a fair financial recovery. Getting medical attention and hiring a car accident lawyer in Riverside, CA, from Bentley & More LLP are the two primary steps you can take in pursuit of health and financial security.

We represent individuals throughout Southern California who have suffered catastrophic and serious injuries in high-impact collisions, including those that occur on the Pacific Coast Highway. Call us today or contact us online to complete your free consultation, which is the first step in retaining the law firm you can lean on after your collision.

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The Pacific Coast Highway Contains the Makings of Serious Auto Accidents

The Pacific Coast Highway accounts for a disproportionate share of severe accidents, and the valuations of resulting cases can be higher than the peaks of the Santa Lucia Mountains.

So what about the PCH makes it common ground for severe crashes?

• Speed differentials between commuters, tourists, and commercial vehicles
• Sharp curves and elevation changes
• Limited shoulders and escape routes
• Pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcycle traffic in close proximity to vehicles
• Construction zones and temporary lane shifts
• Coastal weather conditions that affect visibility and traction

The total number of crashes on California’s highways can fluctuate year over year. However, the dangers that produce accidents on the PCH are constant. Those dangers become particularly imminent and hazardous when drivers, elected officials, and others fail to prioritize the safety of motorists, passengers, and pedestrians who might be injured in a collision.

We know, more than most, how devastating collisions on the PCH can be. We regularly see victims with traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, multiple fractures, internal organ injuries, and other conditions that can cause long-term impairment.

Injured parties rarely receive the compensation they need after a couple of conversations with insurance representatives. Cases like yours can be a veritable fight, and our firm is filled with heavyweight fighters.

What Must Matter to You After You Leave the Accident Scene

Once you leave the stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway where your accident happened, your focus should narrow. Distractions will be ever-present, but your focus must be singular.

There are two particular areas in which you must focus your action and attention following a motor vehicle collision on the PCH.

Getting Medical Care Must Be Non-Negotiable After Any Traffic Accident in California

Gaps in your post-accident care, insufficient evaluations, and incomplete treatment records can hamper even the strongest auto accident claim. Even worse, failing to get the treatment you need can increase the risk of long-term (and potentially permanent) health issues.

After a serious collision on PCH, it is essential to:

• Find a doctor who truly cares about your recovery and is willing to assist with your case (Bentley & More LLP knows many such physicians).
• Receive comprehensive diagnostic testing.
• Follow through with specialists and referrals.
• Be honest about pain, physical limitations, and cognitive issues (rather than thinking you’re a burden or trying to appear tough).
• Hold onto all accident-related medical records and bills (we will put them to use in your case).
• Understand that recovery requires consistency.

Our California auto accident lawyers and support staff work closely with respected medical professionals throughout Southern California. That coordination is not incidental.

The doctors we work with ensure our clients’ injuries are correctly diagnosed, their future care needs are accounted for, and treatment plans reflect reality rather than false assumptions that play into insurers’ agendas.

Getting Effective Guidance Has to Be an Urgent Priority

Many people wait to call a lawyer for several reasons. None of those reasons is good.

Insurance carriers begin evaluating their financial exposure immediately after receiving notice of an accident. These companies may also take immediate steps to limit that exposure. Those steps almost always come at the expense of claimants like you.

Since insurers are immediately working against you, it’s only right that you take immediate steps to protect yourself. Speaking with an experienced car accident attorney from our team will allow you (or allow us) to:

• Avoid making any misstatements that hurt your claim
• Secure all beneficial evidence
• Identify at-fault and liable parties
• Get you the medical care you need (and document injuries and medical care from square one)
• Set the tone with insurers that we demand a fair, good-faith resolution of your claim

Most auto insurance providers serving Southern California know Bentley & More LLP. They know that we demand more than the lowball offers that too many accident victims settle for. Don’t wait to have us fight for every dollar you are entitled to.

Common Post-Crash Mistakes That Undermine Strong Cases

It doesn’t matter how intelligent or cautious you are. Most accident survivors are unfamiliar with auto accident claims, even if they’ve filed multiple claims in their lifetimes. Insurers have the upper hand and work hard to disguise their bad-faith strategies.

When you have our firm on your side, we help you avoid:

• Agreeing to give recorded insurance statements that you don’t have to provide (and which can seriously harm your claim)
• Accepting any lowball settlement offers
• Posting damaging posts online
• Skipping appointments and making other recovery-related missteps that might be used against you
• Doing anything else that might have financial consequences

Insurance companies are savvy, and they will put their own financial interests ahead of yours. Mistakes are easy to make, but not if you have Bentley & More LLP watching your back.

What Happens Once You Retain Serious Injury Counsel

When a client retains Bentley & More LLP, our focus on justice is immediate and deliberate. We do not wait to “see how things go.” We establish the financial target and move forward with urgency, and our process typically involves:

• Investigating the collision independently (as opposed to relying solely on information provided by law enforcement officers or insurance reps)
• Consulting accident reconstruction experts
• Reviewing data from vehicles involved in the crash
• Documenting the client’s damages
• Calculating the case value
• Negotiating a settlement
• Filing a lawsuit, if necessary
• Going to court when we need to

We intentionally limit our caseload to ensure that each client’s case receives the attention and resources it requires.

We Will Determine Who Is Liable for the Cost of Your Collision on the PCH

Determining who is at fault for your accident, and who should therefore pay for your damages, is a vitally important step. Pacific Coast Highway collisions frequently involve more than one responsible party, which may include:

• At-fault drivers
• Employers whose vehicles or employees were involved in a crash
• Contractors working near the roadway
• Government entities responsible for road design or maintenance
• Manufacturers of defective vehicles or components
• Insurance companies whose policyholders caused the collision

Matters of fault and liability can get complicated quickly. Our lawyers have the legal knowledge and experience to untangle such complex issues.

We Protect Your Rights From the Moment You Hire Us

California law provides injured individuals with robust rights, but those rights are only as strong as those who uphold them. Our team will stand up for you and enforce your rights from the moment you hire us.

Pressure from insurers, attempts to deceive you, and other threats to your case will be no match for your advocates at Bentley & More LLP. This protection becomes especially important when you’re severely injured after a serious collision, as you may be as vulnerable as you’ve ever been.

Recovery Extends Beyond Finances

Since at least 2010, thousands of accident victims have died every year because of crashes on California’s highways. Even more victims have been severely injured, with their lives forever changed by the physical symptoms, trauma, and financial burdens that result from serious traffic accidents.

We find this reality of innocent people being killed and seriously injured to be unacceptable, and we have seen firsthand victims’:

• Chronic pain
• Anxiety (and, in some cases, even post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the collision)
• Sleep disruption
• Emotional distress
• Dependence on others to complete even basic tasks
• Family members affected by the effects of injuries (meaning there are almost always more than one victim when someone is seriously hurt in an accident)

Our role is not limited to securing compensation. It includes supporting clients through the injuries, trauma, and financial uncertainty that often follow auto accidents on the PCH.

Recoverable Damages in Car Accident Cases Involving Severe Injury

We do everything we can to secure fair compensation for victims like you, which often means pursuing substantial settlements and judgments to cover:

• Emergency and long-term medical treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Lost income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Physical pain
• Emotional and psychological distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent disability
• Disfigurement
• Property expenses

When collisions occur in the course of employment, workers’ compensation benefits may also apply. Our experience allows us to coordinate these systems without compromising third-party claims.

What Drives Case Value in High-Stakes Collisions?

Not all severe injury cases have the same value. Factors that often increase recovery include:

• The specific symptoms the victim suffers
• The relative permanence of the injury
• The degree to which someone is disabled (totally, partially, or not at all)
• The dollar value of financial losses related to the accident
• The nature and severity of the victim’s emotional and psychological distress
• The strength of documentation proving damages
• The clarity of who is at fault and liable

We are always confident because, by the time we are negotiating, we have put in the work to be prepared. You should share this confidence when you choose a California car accident lawyer from Bentley & More LLP.

Questions Frequently Asked by Victims of Serious Collisions on the Pacific Coast Highway

We have helped many clients injured in serious collisions on the PCH and throughout California, and they often ask:

How long do I have to bring a claim after a PCH collision?

Most personal injury cases in California must be filed within two years of an accident, but shorter deadlines may apply in cases involving public entities.

What if my injuries worsen over time?

Delayed and worsening symptoms are common in cases of severe trauma. We will work closely with your doctors, document changes in your symptoms, and adjust our financial demands accordingly.

Will my case automatically go to trial?

No, but we will prepare as if a trial is going to happen. This approach means we won’t be “bluffing” when we refuse insurers’ lowball offers.

Call Bentley & More LLP Today for Your Free Consultation About Working with Your California Auto Accident Attorney

If you are dealing with the aftermath of a severe collision on the Pacific Coast Highway, the choices you make now can shape your recovery and quality of life for years to come.

You pay no upfront or out-of-pocket legal fees when you retain your personal injury lawyer in Riverside, CA, from our firm. We take on the pressure for you, as we only receive a fee if you receive a settlement or judgment.

Contact Bentley & More LLP today for a free consultation about your collision on the Pacific Coast Highway, and what we plan to do about it.

Schedule a Free Consultation