Arnold Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer

Arnold is known as the “Heart of the Sierra,” and for a good reason. Any visitor can’t help but admire the towering trees that can measure more than 300 feet tall and breath-taking scenic views over Cherry Lake. Arnold is where people come to get away from hectic city life—and more than a few stays!

Located 4,000 feet above sea level in the Stanislaus National Forest, Arnold is a hidden jewel in Northern California. Locals enjoy playing outdoor activities and watersports year-round, including skiing or snowboarding in the snow during winter. In the summer months, visitors can enjoy playing a round of golf at the Sequoia Woods Country Club before grabbing a bite to eat at Bolin Barbeque & Baking company. The low-stress lifestyle and abundant natural resources make Arnold a haven for young families and even senior citizens who want to remain active.

Car Accidents in Arnold, CA

We don’t see as many car accidents in Arnold as other Californians do. But Arnold’s rural roads tempt drivers to engage in risky behavior just the same, including speeding, tailgating, and illegally passing.

Calaveras County has quite a few accidents, particularly for a county that only has around 45,000 people. According to state statistics, Calaveras County saw the following in 2016:

• 337 fatalities and injuries
• 62 injuries that were alcohol involved
• 26 motorcycle injuries and deaths
• 3 pedestrian injuries and fatalities

Over 50 accidents were speed-related, and we even saw six hit-and-runs.

Personal Injury Cases My Law Firm Handles

If you were injured in an accident, chances are you might have a good personal injury case. Personal injury is a broad area of law, covering bodily injuries such as broken bones, concussions, spinal cord injuries, and soft-tissue damage. My firm has built its practice by helping people injured in all types of cases, such as:

• Pedestrian Accidents
• Car Accidents
• Commercial Truck Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Defective Products
• Defective Medical Device
• Premises Liability
• Dog Bites
• Medical Malpractice

Most of our clients are injured when someone else has been negligent, which is the legal term for using inadequate care. Every case is different, but in 30+ years I have seen just about everything.

Hiring an Arnold, CA Car Accident Lawyer

Most lawyers have websites where they can introduce themselves to you, but it’s up to the client to perform the research necessary to find a personal injury lawyer right for them. Knowing what to look for is half the battle.

Check to see whether the lawyer focuses primarily on personal injury law as I do. The more experience a lawyer has, the more efficiently he can handle your case and the easier time he will have identifying roadblocks and finding ways around them.

Look for an attorney who isn’t afraid to talk about his past cases. No lawyer can make a promise about how your case will turn out, but past performance is as good an indicator of any as to the lawyer’s skill. An Arnold personal injury attorney who has many large settlements or jury verdicts probably knows his stuff and is dedicated to his clients.

Also, check around to find out the lawyer’s personal style. Websites like Yelp and Avvo have reviews of an Arnold car accident lawyer, which gives a good idea about the lawyer’s standing in the community. I’m proud of each and every client I have served and am happy to talk about my experience if you have questions.

Putting the “Personal” in Personal Injury

Accidents are scary events. I should know—I’ve suffered four near-death experiences in my lifetime. But the cumulative emotional, physical, and psychological fallout from an accident dwarfs the temporary fear you feel as the accident is happening.

I’ve known what being in constant pain feels like, having suffered several injuries in my life. And I know that painkillers are only a temporary solution, often leaving us feeling groggy and not really ourselves.

On top of everything else, the financial stress from an accident can be almost overwhelming. Medical bills and prescription drug expenses consume most people’s budgets, even if they do have insurance. When paying for a bottle of painkillers begins to crowd out buying groceries or paying your light bill, then it’s normal to feel like our world is ending.

As a personal injury lawyer, I take a holistic approach to my clients’ wellbeing. This means I focus on more than the legal aspects of obtaining a favorable result. I also focus on your mental and spiritual health so that you come out of this experience in the best shape possible. Many of my clients say that I treated them like family, and that’s how I think of them!

Find out more about my holistic approach in this video below:

Serious Personal Injury Cases

When I started out, I realized that there was a need for a lawyer who focused on serious personal injuries. Insurance companies fight these types of cases with everything that they’ve got, and too many victims were ending up with peanuts in compensation. At my firm, we focus mostly on the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries: Anything that shakes the head can impair a person’s mobility, speech, memory, and personality. TBIs, as they’re called, are very hard to treat and can dramatically change a person’s life.
• Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can disrupt a person’s coordination, balance, movement, and sensation. Some spinal cord injuries improve with rehabilitation, but others never do.
• Burns: When a burn covers a large portion of the body, a person can die. Even smaller burns permanently disfigure and disable many people, leading to a lifetime of emotional distress and medical expenses.
• Fractures: Any bone in the body can break from the forces generated in a car accident. When bones shatter into multiple pieces, patients need rounds of surgery to insert a plate or pin to hold the bone together. Complications can develop.
• Death: Unfortunately, some people die in a terrible accident, leaving behind family members grieving and trying to move on. California allows family members to bring a wrongful death lawsuit.

If your injuries are less severe, we can help you find a good Arnold auto accident attorney who can help you.

Car Accident Lawyers in Arnold, California

I’m Ed Smith, an Arnold personal injury lawyer. If you have been hurt after a crash in Arnold, CA, call my law firm at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400. I am available anytime to provide free, friendly legal advice on how to proceed with a personal injury claim.

Since 1982, I’ve helped people in Arnold or surrounding areas get the compensation they need for their injuries and damages. I am a leading member of the California bar who has numerous seven-figure settlements and verdicts for my clients.

Proud members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See our past verdicts and settlements and our reviews on Avvo, Yelp, Google.

Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 9.18.20]