$100,000
Drunk-Driving Car Accident
A car accident involving a drunk driver. The case settled before litigation for the insurance policy limit.
San Diego Car Accident Lawyers
Injured in a crash? Phillips & Pelly helps people throughout San Diego County with car accident claims—from investigating fault to dealing with insurance companies.
Free Case EvaluationHelping San Diego Crash Victims Since 1997
A car accident can leave you facing medical bills, missed work, and insurance calls while you’re still recovering. Phillips & Pelly represents injured drivers, passengers, and families throughout San Diego County, including people hurt in rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, drunk-driving accidents, and Uber or Lyft accidents.
Since 1997, our firm has helped injured clients pursue compensation. Our attorneys bring more than 90 years of combined experience, and Phillips & Pelly has recovered over $200 million across personal injury cases.
We investigate how the crash happened, gather evidence, review medical records, and identify available insurance coverage. Our team handles insurance communications and settlement negotiations, preparing cases for litigation when needed. Whether fault is disputed or your injuries require ongoing treatment, we work to document how the accident has affected your health, income, and daily life.
Contact Phillips & Pelly today for a free case evaluation. We can review the circumstances of your accident, answer your questions, and explain your options.
Since 1997 Representing injured clients
90+ Years Combined attorney experience
$200 Million+ Recovered across personal injury cases
Car Accident Case Results
Every car accident claim has its own circumstances. These Phillips & Pelly results include recoveries for neck and back injuries, rear-end collisions, drunk-driving crashes, and accidents requiring surgery.
Scroll or swipe to explore all six results →
$3,400,000
Freeway Car Accident
A high-speed freeway car accident involving injuries that required back surgery.
$300,000
T-Bone Car Accident
An unsafe turn caused a T-bone collision. The injured person sustained neck and back injuries that did not require surgery.
$250,000
Drunk-Driving Crash With Neck Injury
A collision between two vehicles involving a drunk driver and a neck injury. Recovery reached the $250,000 insurance policy limit.
$1,350,000
Rear-End Crash With Head Injury
A rear-end car accident involving a head injury. The insurance company’s initial offer was under $200,000.
$500,000
Rear-End Auto Accident
A rear-end auto accident recovery. The initial offer was less than $30,000.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in San Diego?
You may benefit from speaking with a car accident lawyer if you were injured, fault is disputed, or the insurance company’s offer does not account for your losses. You don’t need to know what your claim is worth before asking for help.
After a crash, it can be difficult to understand the full impact of your injuries while you’re still receiving treatment. Medical expenses, time away from work, and changes to your daily life all deserve attention when evaluating a claim.
Consider speaking with an attorney if:
- Your injuries require ongoing care. You need surgery, physical therapy, specialist appointments, or additional treatment.
- You’re missing work. Your injuries have affected your income or your ability to return to your job.
- The other driver disputes responsibility. There are conflicting accounts of the crash or questions about who caused it.
- The insurance company denies or questions your claim. The insurer challenges your injuries, treatment, or account of the accident.
- You’ve received a settlement offer. You want to understand what the offer covers before signing a release.
- Several parties are involved. The crash involves multiple vehicles, a commercial driver, or an Uber or Lyft.
- A loved one suffered a serious or fatal injury. Your family needs help understanding the next steps.
Phillips & Pelly offers a free case evaluation to discuss what happened, answer your questions, and explain how our attorneys may be able to help.
Meet Our San Diego Car Accident Lawyers
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in San Diego
How a crash happened shapes the investigation. A rear-end collision, an intersection accident, and a rideshare crash can involve different evidence and insurance questions. Phillips & Pelly represents injured drivers and passengers in a range of car accident cases throughout San Diego County.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end crashes can happen in freeway traffic, at stoplights, or when a driver fails to notice slowing vehicles. We review the circumstances of the collision, vehicle damage, witness accounts, and medical records to build a clear picture of what happened and how you were injured.
T-Bone and Intersection Accidents
Side-impact collisions often involve questions about traffic signals, unsafe turns, and who had the right of way. Our team looks for evidence such as witness statements, available camera footage, and crash reports to help establish how the accident occurred.
Uber and Lyft Accidents
Whether you were a rideshare passenger or someone struck by an Uber or Lyft driver, the driver’s activity at the time of the crash can raise insurance questions. We investigate the circumstances and identify the coverage that may apply. Learn more about our Uber accident representation.
Drunk-Driving Accidents
A crash involving an impaired driver can leave victims facing serious injuries and a difficult recovery. Our attorneys investigate the collision and pursue the injury claim, including reviewing available evidence of impairment. Learn more about our drunk-driving accident representation.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
When a driver leaves the scene, identifying them and finding a path to compensation can be challenging. We review available evidence, including witness information and camera footage, and examine your insurance policy for potential coverage.
Multi-Vehicle and Freeway Crashes
Chain-reaction collisions and freeway accidents can involve several drivers, conflicting accounts, and multiple insurance companies. Our team examines the sequence of impacts, gathers evidence, and investigates each party’s role in the crash.
What to Do After a Car Accident in San Diego
After a crash, focus first on safety and medical care. Once immediate needs are addressed, documenting what happened and keeping organized records can help when you’re dealing with insurance companies.
1. Stop and Check for Injuries
Stop at the scene and call 911 if anyone is injured. Follow emergency responders’ instructions. If no one is hurt and you can safely move your vehicle out of traffic, do so.
2. Exchange Information and Document the Scene
Exchange contact, driver’s license, vehicle, and insurance information with the other drivers. If it is safe, photograph vehicle damage, license plates, road conditions, traffic signals, and the surrounding scene. Collect contact information from witnesses and save any dashcam footage.
3. Get Medical Care and Keep Your Records
Seek medical attention for injuries or symptoms after the collision. Tell your healthcare provider what happened and follow their treatment instructions. Keep copies of medical records, bills, prescriptions, and appointment information.
4. Complete Required Accident Reports
California requires a report to law enforcement within 24 hours when a collision causes injury or death. A separate DMV SR-1 report is required within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or property damage exceeded $1,000. Reporting the crash to police or your insurance company does not replace the SR-1 requirement. Visit the California DMV accident reporting page for the form and instructions.
5. Notify Your Insurance Company and Track Your Losses
Report the accident promptly under your policy’s requirements. Provide accurate information and avoid guessing about details you don’t know. Save insurance correspondence, repair estimates, receipts, and records of missed work. Keep notes about how your injuries affect your daily activities.
6. Understand an Offer Before Signing
Before accepting a settlement or signing a release, make sure you understand what it covers and which claims you are giving up. If you’re still receiving treatment, responsibility is disputed, or you have questions about an offer, consider speaking with a car accident attorney.
Phillips & Pelly offers a free case evaluation to review your accident, answer your questions, and explain your options.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a San Diego Car Accident?
A car accident can affect your finances, health, and daily life. Depending on the circumstances, your claim may include financial losses and compensation for the personal impact of your injuries. The categories below explain what may be considered.
Medical Expenses
Reasonable costs of necessary care for your accident injuries, including emergency treatment, surgery, physical therapy, and medication.
Lost Income
Income lost while your injuries keep you from working, along with supported future earnings losses caused by the accident.
Future Medical Care
Reasonably necessary treatment you are reasonably certain to need in the future, supported by medical evidence about your injuries and recovery.
Pain and Suffering
The physical pain and discomfort caused by your injuries, including their ongoing effects during treatment and recovery.
Emotional Distress
The emotional impact of the accident and your injuries, which may include anxiety, fear, and mental suffering.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
How your injuries limit your ability to participate in hobbies, recreation, and other activities you previously enjoyed.
What Affects the Value of Your Car Accident Claim?
There is no single settlement amount that applies to every car accident. Evaluating a claim involves looking at your injuries, necessary treatment, lost earnings, and how the accident has affected your life. Medical records, income documentation, and evidence of your limitations help support those losses.
Responsibility for the crash and available insurance coverage also need to be examined. The case results shown above are individual examples, rather than a prediction of what another claim will recover.
Phillips & Pelly can review the circumstances of your accident and explain which losses may be part of your claim during a free case evaluation.
Fault, Insurance, and Deadlines After a San Diego Car Accident
What if I Was Partly at Fault for the Accident?
Being partly responsible does not automatically prevent you from recovering compensation. California’s comparative fault rules reduce your damages by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if your damages total $100,000 and you are found 20% responsible, the amount after that reduction would be $80,000.
Fault should be evaluated using the evidence. Phillips & Pelly can review crash reports, witness accounts, photographs, and other available information when responsibility is disputed.
What if the Other Driver Has No Insurance or Not Enough Coverage?
You may have options through your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, if it applies. Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage can help when an at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage may apply when that driver’s insurance is insufficient, subject to your policy’s terms and limits.
Our team can review the available policies and explain potential sources of compensation. Don’t assume that an uninsured driver means there is no path forward.
How a Car Accident Claim Works
A car accident claim involves more than submitting medical bills to an insurance company. It requires investigating responsibility, documenting your injuries and losses, and evaluating the available coverage. The steps can overlap, and the approach depends on the circumstances of your case.
1. Investigating the Crash
We review how the accident happened and gather available evidence, including crash reports, photographs, witness statements, and video footage. We also identify potentially responsible parties and examine insurance coverage. When accounts conflict, the investigation helps clarify what the evidence supports.
2. Documenting Your Injuries and Losses
We review medical records, treatment recommendations, expenses, and income information to understand how the accident has affected you. This includes documenting missed work and limitations on your daily activities. If your injuries require ongoing care, evaluating future needs is part of understanding the claim.
3. Presenting the Claim and Negotiating
We present the supporting evidence to the insurance company and handle settlement negotiations. Our team reviews offers with you, explains what they cover, and discusses unresolved issues. You can ask questions and understand the proposed terms before deciding whether to accept a settlement.
4. Filing a Lawsuit When Necessary
If negotiations do not resolve the claim, we discuss whether filing a lawsuit is appropriate. Litigation may involve exchanging evidence, taking depositions, consulting experts, and preparing for trial. Settlement discussions can continue during this process, so filing a lawsuit does not necessarily mean your case will go to trial.
Throughout your case, Phillips & Pelly explains the next steps and helps you understand the decisions ahead. To discuss your accident and how the process may apply to you, contact our team for a free case evaluation.
Review our case results or contact Phillips & Pelly for a free case evaluation.
Common Questions About Car Accidents
How Much Does a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
Phillips & Pelly handles car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no attorney fees unless compensation is recovered for your case.
How Long Will My San Diego Car Accident Case Take?
Every car accident case is different. The timeline can depend on the severity of your injuries, the length of medical treatment, insurance negotiations, and whether a lawsuit needs to be filed.
When Should I Contact a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer After a Crash?
It is generally best to speak with a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Early legal guidance can help preserve evidence, address insurance issues, and protect your rights while you focus on your recovery.
What Compensation Can a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Pursue?
Depending on your case, compensation may include medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by the accident.
Can a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Help If I Delayed Medical Treatment?
Yes. Delayed medical treatment does not automatically prevent you from pursuing a car accident claim, although insurers may question whether your injuries were caused by the crash. A lawyer can review your medical history and other evidence related to your injuries.
Should I Give a Recorded Statement Before Talking to a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer?
It is wise to be cautious about giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. What you say may be considered when the insurer evaluates your car accident claim, so speaking with a lawyer first can help you understand your rights.
What Should I Bring to a Consultation With a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer?
Bring any information you have related to the accident, such as the police report, photos or videos, insurance information, medical records, bills, witness information, and correspondence from insurance companies. Do not worry if you do not have everything yet; an attorney can help identify what else may be needed.
Can a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Help If a Road Hazard Caused My Accident?
Potentially. Potholes, debris, poor road conditions, defective traffic signals, and other hazards can contribute to crashes. Determining who may be responsible requires investigating how the accident occurred and who was responsible for the roadway or hazard.
Can a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Help If the Other Driver Is Uninsured?
Potential sources of compensation may still be available when an at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage. A car accident lawyer can review the available insurance policies and determine what options may apply.
Request a Free Case Evaluation
Do I have a case? Find out now, it costs nothing.
Tell us about your accident and your injuries. An injury lawyer from our team will call and provide you with a Free Evaluation of your Case. If we can help, and you are unable to travel, we will come to your home, office or hospital. It’s easy – let’s get started.
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Let’s Talk…
Give us a call. We welcome discussing your case. 858-794-1700.
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Email Us Anytime
Email us at contact@sdinjury.com.
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We’ll Come To You
Looking for convenience? We can come to your home, office or hospital and work around YOUR schedule.
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Accessible
We are available after hours, weekends and holidays. We worked hard. And it shows!