Interstate highways like I-680 are notorious for being busy which makes it difficult for traffic wishing to merge into the highway or in lanes on it without incident.
It’s not the duty for vehicles already on I-680 to give way to merging traffic so if an accident takes place it’s invariably caused by poor judgment on behalf of the merging vehicle’s driver.
If you have been hit in an accident caused by a merging vehicle you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim. However, despite the fact you may be entitled to damages it’s in your interest to hire a personal injury attorney to negotiate a favorable claim on your behalf.
Interstate I-680 in California
Interstate 680 is a north–south highway located in Northern California. It carries traffic around the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area which is from San Jose to Interstate 80 at Fairfield.
It bypasses cities situated on San Francisco Bay’s eastern shores such as Richmond and Oakland but it does provide access to the inland cities of Concord and Pleasanton.
What to Do If Hit While Merging On I-680
If a car collided with your vehicle while merging on I-680 and you were involved in a serious accident which caused you to be injured as well as inflicting damage on your vehicle, you can only collect personal injury compensation if the evidence you provide is indisputable.
However, California is quite liberal in the way it handles accidents as it has in place a pure comparative negligence rule. This means it’s possible for you to recover some compensation even if the other party provides proof that you were partially to blame for the occurrence of the accident.
When a merging accident takes place on I-680 apportioning blame is typically done by the police officers who have been sent to attend the scene of the accident. They write a report and describe what they saw and who or what they believe caused the accident.
Your personal injury lawyer can step in here and argue on your behalf if he or she thinks that the decision offered by the police was not sound evidence.
Evidence to Gather If Hit While Merging On I-680
It’s rare that an insurer will front up without question with the true value of your personal injury claim. You will need to provide a number of bits of evidence which allows a true calculation of the financial hardship the accident has caused to you.
Eye witness reports come at the top of the list, followed by a report from your physician.
You can provide receipts for money you have already paid for medical treatment and for repairs to your car. A statement indicating your salary or wages amount will be needed before your loss of wages can be fully calculated as this will make up part of your personal injury compensation claim.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
First and foremost you must ensure your personal injury lawyer helps you to get the full value of your financial hardship including any medical costs you are likely to be faced with in, the future and the value of your loss in income.
