If a speeding driver causes a crash, you may face injuries, medical bills, and disputes over who was responsible. The other driver or their insurer may challenge your account of what happened. At Sweet James, a speeding accident lawyer in Los Angeles can help you assess fault, insurance coverage, and potential compensation.
Our attorneys have been selected for Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists and belong to professional organizations such as the American Association for Justice. We can review the evidence and explain your options after a collision in a free consultation. Contact our Los Angeles car accident lawyer today to learn about your next steps.
How Speeding Affects Collision Claims in Los Angeles
Speeding does not always mean exceeding the posted limit. Under California Vehicle Code section 22350, drivers must travel at a reasonable speed for current conditions. Rain, poor visibility, heavy traffic, and pedestrians may make a speed unsafe even below the posted limit.
On Los Angeles roads, excessive speed can leave drivers with less time to react and more distance to stop. It can contribute to rear-end crashes, intersection collisions, and serious injuries, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Proving that a driver was speeding is only part of a claim. A California car accident lawyer at Sweet James can help assess whether the driver’s conduct contributed to the collision and your injuries. The evidence must connect the unsafe speed to the harm you suffered.
Evidence That Can Help Establish Unsafe Speed
A police report may document driver statements, roadway conditions, and the officer’s observations. Witness accounts, dashcam recordings, and available surveillance footage may help clarify what happened. Whether a report or its contents can be used in court depends on the applicable evidence rules.
Vehicle damage, tire marks, and final vehicle positions may help explain how a collision occurred. Some vehicles also record limited crash data, potentially including speed or braking information. Access depends on the vehicle and circumstances, and obtaining records may require consent or a formal legal process.
You do not always need to prove an exact speed to show that driving was unsafe. Evidence may establish that a driver failed to slow for traffic or road conditions. At Sweet James, our car accident lawyer can assess available evidence and consider how to preserve recordings before they are overwritten.
Who May Be Responsible for Your Injuries?
The speeding driver may be responsible for your injuries, but other parties could share liability as well. An employer may be liable for an employee’s conduct within the scope of employment. Another driver may also bear responsibility if distracted driving or an unsafe lane change contributed to the crash.
California follows pure comparative negligence. If you share responsibility, your recoverable damages are generally reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% responsible, your otherwise recoverable damages would generally be reduced by 20%.
A speeding citation does not automatically establish liability, and no ticket is required to bring a claim. A qualifying violation of a safety law may create a rebuttable presumption of negligence if California’s legal requirements are met. Our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers can assess the evidence and applicable law.
What to Do After a Suspected Speeding Crash in Los Angeles
Prioritize safety and medical attention after a collision. Call emergency services when necessary and follow your healthcare provider’s advice. Some injuries, including whiplash and concussions, may become apparent later, so seek medical evaluation when symptoms arise.
If it is safe, photograph vehicle damage, road conditions, traffic signals, and visible skid marks. Exchange required driver and insurance details, collect witness contact information, and keep the police report number. Describe what you observed without guessing about the other driver’s speed or accepting someone else’s account under pressure.
Keep medical records, receipts, repair estimates, and insurer correspondence. Report the crash as your policy requires and check applicable California reporting duties. A police report does not replace a required DMV filing. You can also record missed work and changes to your daily activities.
Compensation Available After a Speeding Accident
Depending on your injuries and supporting evidence, you may seek economic damages for medical expenses, lost income, and vehicle repair or replacement costs. Future treatment expenses and reduced earning capacity may also be recoverable when supported by appropriate evidence.
You may also seek non-economic damages for physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced enjoyment of life. Medical records and a clear account of your daily limitations can help demonstrate the effects of your injuries. California law restricts recovery of these damages for certain claimants, including some uninsured vehicle owners and drivers, subject to exceptions.
There is no standard settlement amount for a speeding accident. A Los Angeles speeding accident lawyer can assess how injury severity, disputed fault, insurance coverage, and the ability to collect payment may affect your claim. Under California law, punitive damages require clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud; speeding alone is not enough.
Filing Deadlines for Speeding Claims
California generally gives you two years from the injury date to file a personal injury lawsuit. Exceptions may apply, and other claims arising from the same collision may have different deadlines. Filing an insurance claim does not, by itself, preserve your right to sue.
Claims against a California public entity generally require an administrative claim within six months of accrual. Exceptions and additional deadlines may apply. If a government vehicle or an allegedly dangerous public roadway contributed to your crash, seek prompt advice about the applicable requirements.
Insurance negotiations generally do not pause the lawsuit deadline. Delays can also make it harder to locate witnesses or preserve electronic records. At Sweet James, our Los Angeles speeding accident attorneys can review your circumstances to help identify the relevant parties, evidence, and deadlines.
Our Track Record in Injury Claims
Our attorneys have over 25 years of experience helping injury victims. Sweet James has recovered over $1 billion for clients and taken more than 500 cases to trial. Our founding attorney, James Bergener, previously represented insurance carriers in personal injury matters, giving us insight into how insurers assess and defend claims.
Discuss Your Next Steps With Our Los Angeles Speeding Accident Lawyers
You do not have to accept an insurer’s initial assessment of fault without reviewing the evidence. Understanding how speed contributed to the collision and documenting your injuries can help you make informed decisions about your claim.
We consider your medical treatment, lost income, daily limitations, and potential future needs when assessing a claim. Our team can also review disputed liability and available insurance coverage.
You do not need every record before contacting us. Reach out to us at Sweet James for a free consultation about your speeding accident. Bring any crash report, photographs, medical records, or insurance correspondence you already have.
