Car Accidents

California roadways are the busiest in the country. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol make our roadways even more dangerous.

When a car accident happens, choosing the right lawyer to help you with your case can make all of the difference. Rist Law Office has a track record of successfully helping clients throughout San Diego, California with serious car, truck and motorcycle accident cases. Our office fights the insurance companies so you don’t have to.

Our lawyers handle the following types of roadway accidents throughout California:

Dealing with a Car Accident Case

Most accident victims are completely overwhelmed after a car accident happens. Insurance claims adjusters call very quickly after the accident and ask to take recorded statements. They will also start to try to settle the case before the accident victim even has a chance to finish completing medical treatment. Make no mistake about it, these companies are not interested in working on the highest possible settlement on your behalf.

When an accident involves a substantial impact, victims can be left with serious injuries and quickly mounting medical bills. Just a single visit to an emergency room where several CAT scans and x-rays are performed can lead to a medical bill in excess of $10,000. To make matters worse, many people have to miss work for a period of time due to the injuries.

Our office helps with this entire process. From dealing with overzealous claim representatives to assisting clients with finding the right treatment, we are here to help so you don’t have to do it alone.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyer

The statistics on fatal accidents in California in 2014 are staggering:

3,074 deaths
882 alcohol involved fatalities
519 motorcycle accident fatalities
697 pedestrian fatalities
128 bicycle fatalities

When someone is killed in a car accident their family can be left searching for answers about what to do to move forward and how to recover from such a significant loss. Medical expenses and funeral costs are left to be paid. Drivers who are clearly at fault and sometimes suffered little to no injuries in the accident will challenge their liability through their insurance company and their lawyers. Wrongful death cases are some of the hardest types of cases to handle and sometimes can become quite contentious all the way through trial.

Rist Law Office has handled a number of complex cases including cases that involve fatalities. Our attorneys have successfully tried a number of accident cases to verdicts. Our attorneys will not back down from the insurance companies or their lawyers. We fight hard every day for our clients and their families. All of our cases are prepared to go to trial as opposed to prepared to just settle the case.

San Diego Car Accident FAQ

When a car accident happens, clients and their families have a number of common questions about how a car accident case works and the best way to get help. A few of those are below:

How long after a car accident do I have to file a case?

California law provides a two year “statute of limitations.” This means that any claim for damages from a car accident has to be filed within two years of the accident itself.

When should I talk to a car accident lawyer about my case?

We recommend immediately speaking to the best car accident lawyer that you can immediately after the accident occurs. We give completely free consultations, so there is no charge to discuss the case. Speaking to a car accident lawyer quickly after the accident happens can prevent mistakes from being made that could hurt your case in the eyes of the insurance company. Precautions such as preserving evidence of the car accident, documenting injuries, and seeking medical treatment are all issues that we will run through during a free consultation.

Do I need a car accident lawyer for my case?

Absolutely not! To the surprise of many clients, we do not always believe that a client needs a lawyer to handle their case. Even other lawyers challenge us on this proposition! In small impact cases with minimal damages, clients can sometimes get a reasonable settlement offer on the table from an insurance company without our help. However, in any case where there are significant injuries and damages, it usually is a good idea to hire an attorney to help you. The example we give people on whether to hire a car accident lawyer is – most people are OK with painting a room in their home without hiring a contractor. However, not many of us should try to rewire a house because it is just too complicated. A small car accident case can be like painting a room. A large car accident case can be like rewiring a house – complicated. It is just a matter of knowing when to seek help and we will advise a potential car accident client of that without charging them anything.

A Record of Fighting Insurance Companies

Our office has represented thousands of individuals. For over 11 years Tom Rist has worked for injury victims on some of the most difficult cases in multiple jurisdictions. In every case we work to serve the client and help them put their life back together after an accident happens.

Our attorneys have years of experience dealing with insurance companies. Immediately after an accident the insurance company will attempt to quickly resolve a case and to minimize what they have to pay. When we are hired, our first step is to let the insurance company know that you have a lawyer and that they have to back off. Then, we help our clients to work through their injuries and get the medical treatment that is necessary.

Rist Law Office Named One of the 22 Best Car Accident Law Firms in San Diego
Expertise.com recently named Rist Law Office as one of the 22 Best Car Accident Law Firms in San Diego. Our office received an “A+” score for both Reputation and Professionalism. We received this score based on our online reputation, reviews received and our responsiveness to a mystery client that anonymously evaluated us. Following this mystery call we received a grade of “A+” for our responsiveness, friendliness, helpfulness and detail. A link to the Expertise.com rating is here.

Call Us Today for a Free Consultation

We never charge a potential client to fully discuss their case. We will take the time to fully examine all of the facts of a case and give you our honest opinion of how we can help you. For more information or to set up a consultation, call a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer from Rist Law Office today at (619) 377-4660.

Client Reviews

“Tom Rist embodies all of the attributes a person would look for in an attorney. He is honest, trustworthy, competent, genuine, and personable. He is a natural at putting his clients at ease.”

Google Review by a Client

“I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I really appreciate all you did for my case. Awesome job.”

Employment Case Client

“Thank you so much for what you did in this case. My husband and I had nowhere to turn until we found you. Your work on this case made all of the difference for us and our family. We are so very grateful for your help and will send all of our family and friends to you if they need a lawyer for...

Fraud Litigation Client

“Thank you so much for what you did in this case. We will refer everyone that we know to your office for help with any legal matter. Thank you for your hard work.”

Wrongful Death Client Representative

“You did excellent work in this case to get not only the attorneys for the defendants to understand your client’s strong position, but also to get their insurance claim representatives to put real value on what was a hard case.”

Mediator in a crime victim case

Submit a Law Firm Client Review