Making the wrong decision to merge on a busy interstate like I-10 is not uncommon, as the traffic already on the interstate is likely to be driving up to the designated speed limit. This means a small error of judgement could cause a merging car to crash into a car already on the highway. The speed of the vehicles typically determines the nature of the injuries.
If you are sure that the accident and injuries you received in an accident that involved a merging vehicle was caused by an error of judgement of the merging driver you may be eligible to file a claim for personal injury compensation. This sort of compensation includes the medical expenses to ensure you get the best available treatment and any loss in earnings while you stay at home to recover from the accident.
You may need the assistance of a personal injury attorney to file a lawsuit against the driver found to have caused the merging accident.
Interstate I-10 in California
Interstate I-10, or “The 10” is a major east to west interstate highway, which runs through California east from the city of Santa Monica, along the Pacific Ocean side of the country, through to Los Angeles and San Bernardino and to the Arizona border. In greater Los Angeles it is commonly referred to as the Santa Monica Freeway or the San Bernardino Freeway.
These are connected by a short overlap on I- 5 (the Golden State Freeway) at the interchange at East Los Angeles. I-10 also has parts that are designated as the Rosa Parks Freeway, or the Redlands Freeway, as well as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway.
What to Do If Hit While Merging On I-10
If a driver hit your car while he or she was merging on I-10 and you were injured and your vehicle damaged, you are only able to recover damages if you have solid indisputable evidence that proves who should be designated responsibility for the merging incident.
California has what is often referred to as a pure comparative negligence ruling. This typically means it’s possible to recover some form of compensation even if it was found you were partly to blame. Basically, it will be decided who was to blame for the merging accident and whether your actions contributed to your personal injuries.
The decision about who is to blame in a merging accident on I-10 is usually made by the police officers attending the scene of the accident. They compile a report based on what they see as their version of what happened. Your own personal injury attorney can play a role in helping to decide how much the other party to the accident was at fault.
Evidence to Gather If Hit While Merging On I-10
If you finally decide to lodge a personal injury claim following a merging accident, you will improve your chances of being successful if you have some hard, indisputable evidence of who was to blame. This means you need to show exactly what happened which includes how your injuries occurred. You can back this up by providing a detailed medical report that outlines the seriousness of your injuries and the likely recovery time.
You can further back up your evidence by providing photos taken by you or a witness or family member of the scene of the merging accident. If your vehicle is towed to a vehicle-repairer, get a receipt for repairs. Make sure that you keep all medical reports and costs of treatment as these help when calculating the claim for compensation.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
A personal injury attorney can be of great assistance once you have decided to file a personal injury claim against somebody who you believe hit you and your car when merging on I-10. Your attorney will have handled many claims similar to yours and will know exactly how to negotiate with the insurer, who if possible will attempt to deny a claim.
