Accident attorneys at Sette Law Office look forward to the many pleasures that our summer brings to Sacramento . Our personal injury lawyer and their families, like many families, enjoy local getaways and weekend trips. However, as Sacramento accident attorneys we are keenly aware of the dangers of car crashes with so many drivers on the roads. After all, summer is vacation season – with kids out of school and parents planning family journeys – from camping to day trips. Sacramento , our personal injury attorney knows, offers abundant recreational choices and people can head for the mountains or the coast from our valley home.

Unfortunately, our personal injury lawyer also knows that preventable accidents – like those caused by drunk drivers – present heightened threat to motorists in Sacramento . As personal injury attorney we must pay close attention to the details of accidents – lawyers need to know all the circumstances leading up any car accident. Our attorneys remind motorists of a recent spate of crashes caused by intoxicated, wrong-way drivers on local freeways. With summer parties, barbeques and picnics – many involving alcohol – our Sacramento accident lawyers fear more such tragedies might occur. Constant awareness of the potential for alcohol impaired drivers is certainly called for on freeways surrounding Sacramento .

Personal injury attorneys recall an accident in early June in which an alleged DUI driver caused a fatal crash on I-5 in Sacramento . Our accident lawyers say the driver’s actions resulted in a six-car chain reaction with three hospitalizations and one death.

But, our Sacramento accident lawyers add that common, everyday lapses in driver behavior can also cause very serious car crashes. Inattention and distracted driving, particularly at freeway speeds, is a constant threat to all motorists in Sacramento . Personal injury lawyers deal with numerous cases in which accidents happened just because a driver took a moment to check a cell phone text and caused a serious accident. Attorneys know well that nothing is more important than rapt attention to driving – not messages, news, phone calls or a careless glance away from traffic.

Lawyers at Sette Law Office urge motorists to drive responsibly, but when accidents happen, it’s good to know something about state laws. People harmed in a car accident who wish to gain just compensation for injury need attorneys to help them prove that “negligence” contributed to their accident. Our injury lawyers in Sacramento must establish that four legal principles are satisfied. Let’s briefly examine each principle:

1. Negligence must involve ‘Harm.’ Our Sacramento accident attorney will need to show that the offending driver’s actions caused the plaintiff physical harm or harm to his or her property. In court, the defendant’s personal injury lawyer may claim the plaintiff’s injury preceded the accident or is unrelated to the Sacramento accident. The attorney for the plaintiff will compile clear evidence to counter such allegations.
   
   
2. Negligence must involve ‘Breach.’ Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys will work to show the defendant driver did not fulfill his or her ‘legal obligation.’ It may be the defendant was driving recklessly, didn’t comply with traffic laws or was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Lawyers may look for supporting evidence such as alcohol bottles or drug paraphernalia, or the statements of witnesses to show Breach.
   
   
3. Negligence must involve ‘Causation.’ Our Sacramento accident lawyer will establish a clear link between the accident and the personal injury. Attorneys may summon expert medical testimony from physicians and others to attest to the direct causal relationship.
   
   
4. Negligence must involve ‘Duty.’ Our Sacramento accident attorneys explain this is a fundamental principle in accident law. It’s agreed that motorists must, by law, adhere to all traffic laws such as speed limits and other traffic regulations. To support the claims of a plaintiff, a personal injury lawyer will seek to show the defendant breached this essential duty as a motorist.

A first instinct after a car accident is naturally to check for injuries. Unfortunately, the second, according to accident lawyers, is to engage in dialogue with the other driver or witnesses. Our injury attorney suggests that victims fight this instinct. Too often our Sacramento accident lawyers find words spoken in the height of the moment come back to haunt people in court. For example, a comment as innocent as “I’m sorry” might be construed by a defendant’s accident attorney as an admission of responsibility for the accident. Lawyers say it’s best to limit any verbal exchange to only the necessary information – driver licenses and insurance carriers, for example. Our Sacramento personal injury attorney also cautions to not engage in conversation with bystanders or potential witnesses to the accident. Lawyers may want to call upon such people later in court and it’s best that witnesses do not become biased or change their recollection of the circumstances of the Sacramento accident.

Attorneys say that it could be very helpful if accident victims document the scene with cell phone photos or videos. Photos of damage as well as the traffic environment may help a personal injury attorney in court.

Seeking prompt medical attention is also very important to accident lawyers as they seek to represent a client. Too often people involved in car crashes do a self-assessment and decide they have not been injured in the accident. Attorneys know that some injuries, such as muscle bruising and damage to the neck and back, might not show up for hours or even days. But, lacking a prompt medical examination, our Sacramento accident lawyer may be challenged to prove the accident was the direct cause of the personal injury.

Attorneys are well acquainted with the complexities of accident law. We are also members of the community and care about families in Sacramento . Personal injury lawyer at Sette Law Office hope for a safe and enjoyable Sacramento summer.