Item: Edward A Smith Law Offices
Rating: 5
Author: Alex & Dinah M.

Rancho Cordova Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer

Incorporated in 2003 and named after Cordova Vineyard, Rancho Cordova is home to many healthcare and other employers. Over 50,000 people commute to the area just for work.

Unfortunately, drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents often discover that the responsible party has their own best interests in mind. If you suffered serious injuries in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation with one of our injury attorneys today.

Most Dangerous Roads in the Rancho Cordova Area

Motor vehicle collisions of all types occur in the City of Rancho Cordova. Highway 50 passes through this area, and it is a heavily trafficked route for trucks and big rigs. Sometimes auto accidents take place on the on-ramps and off-ramps to U.S. Route 50. These include:

Aerojet Road
Bradshaw Road
Mather Field Road
Sunrise Blvd
Zinfandel Drive

Some of the major roads in Rancho Cordova include:

Coloma Road
Folsom Blvd
International Drive
Mather Field Road
White Rock Road

Types of Personal Injury Cases Our Accident Attorneys Handle

Our personal injury attorneys cover a wide range of injuries and serve clients in Rancho Cordova, CA, with obtaining compensatory damages from sprained ankles to wrongful death. We also work with people who were injured on construction sites, bit by dogs, or need assistance obtaining workers’ compensation.

Suggestions on How to Find the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

Selecting the best attorney to handle your personal injury case is not an easy task. There are thousands of personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers in California, many of whom offer to accept cases in Rancho Cordova. A few things for you to consider:

Select an attorney that cares about you, your family, and your needs.
Choose a lawyer that practices personal injury law exclusively
Make sure the lawyer has a history of taking cases to trial in Sacramento County.
Pick an attorney with a proven history of high verdicts and settlements.

For additional tips on how to select the best personal injury lawyer in Rancho Cordova, CA, to represent you, watch the following video.

About the Law Offices of Edward A Smith

We work for you and your family to get the best outcome. My firm is known as the "personal" personal injury law firm because we take the time to get to know you, your background, hopes, and dreams. We take satisfaction in helping you and your family find positives in what could otherwise be a medical, emotional, and economic disaster. That said, here is a little more information about us.

Our law firm has been handling only personal injury cases since 1982.
We believe in a holistic approach to personal injury cases.
Our staff is like a family here.
The founder of our personal injury law firm, attorney Ed Smith, is a member of Consumer Attorneys of California, The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Brain Injury Association of California, and the Capital City Trial Lawyers Association.
You can see ratings of our law office on Yelp and Avvo.
Attorney, Ed Smith, has also written several books on personal injury law on Amazon, including The Ultimate California Auto Injury Handbook and The California Motorcycle Accident Handbook.
Here are some of our past verdicts and settlements.
To see all of our testimonials, please see our testimonials page.

Rancho Cordova FAQ:

I live in Rancho Cordova, and there has been an abandoned vehicle in front of my house for months. How do I get it removed?

The easiest way to get an abandoned vehicle removed in Rancho Cordova is to go thru the Rancho Cordova Police site. You will find the form to report an abandoned vehicle at the Rancho Cordova Police Department traffic website.

If I'm in a serious accident in Rancho Cordova, will the police always come and make a police report or accident report?

No, they will not. The Rancho Cordova Police Department (Rancho Cordova PD) cuts costs and, unfortunately, leaves individuals in accidents at risk.

Rancho Cordova PD will only make an accident report or police report where:

You are the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
Alcohol or drugs are involved (But how do they know unless they show up?).
City or County property is damaged.
There is an accident-related injury or complaint of pain.

Notice that if the City's property is damaged, they make a report. How about the innocent driver whose brand new car is destroyed by a negligent driver? Sorry, even though that accident report would help you immensely in proving who is at fault, the Rancho Cordova police department doesn't care. It's one standard for City property and another for yours.

Even more damaging is the failure to show up unless someone is in pain. Most people in a severe accident are in shock. Complaints of pain, except in the most severe cases, arise 24-48 hours after the crash when effusion and swelling result. Any doctor knows this.

Nonetheless, the Rancho Cordova police will not come to the scene unless you complain of injury or pain. This can seriously imperil your ability to provide for your family if your ability to work is impaired and the accident documentation is missing.

Note: This has nothing to do with Rancho Cordova officers. They are just following the dictates of the politico's who make the rules. This policy needs to be changed, and only citizens complaining to the Rancho Cordova representatives can change it.

I was struck by a truck in Rancho Cordova and filed a lawsuit. Now I am finding out that the defendant’s attorney has issued a subpoena for all of my past medical records. Can they do that?

When someone files a lawsuit for personal injury, to a certain extent, they may waive the ability to keep private past medical records which would generally be protected from discovery by HIPPA. Usually, the defense is allowed to ask for previous medical records for a reasonable period (typically five years) for any medical condition that you are claiming injury for in the accident.

So, if you suffered a knee injury in an accident, they would usually be entitled to subpoena medical records for five years or so before the accident dealing with any knee conditions. This is fair because the defense does not feel it needs to compensate you if the medical records show you claimed knee problems for many years before the current accident. (Notwithstanding this, you may well have a claim for aggravation of a prior knee injury.

The defense is NOT allowed (over objection) to subpoena “any and all past medical records.” Actually, though, notice I said: “over objection.” Almost always, the defense attorney will subpoena any and all past medical records and will not even specify whether the documents about the injury you are claiming. Insurance companies like to go on fishing expeditions to see if they can find anything detrimental or embarrassing in your past medical records and then try to use that against you.

An experienced attorney will immediately object to the production and seek to limit the subpoena to the areas you are claiming injury and going back only 5 years or so. If the defense does not agree to limit its subpoena, the attorney will seek a protective order from the court to limit the subpoena.

The California case of Britt v Superior Court holds that consumers have a reasonable expectation of privacy of their past medical records even if they file suit for injuries. If you have any questions about the privacy of your California medical records, contact our Rancho Cordova personal injury attorneys anytime.

After a personal injury lawsuit, what type of accounting is my personal injury attorney supposed to give?

At the end of the lawsuit and before the attorney has you sign the settlement check from the other party’s insurance, the attorney should give you a Settlement Statement that fully explains the settlement amount and any deductions from such amount. Amongst the deductions are the following:

As specified in the contract with your lawyer, attorney fees are typically deducted from the settlement first.
Court Costs or, in other words, a listing of all expenses prepaid by your lawyer to move your case forward. Amongst such costs can be filing fees, fees for depositions, expert fees, and exhibit preparation fees.
Reimbursement amounts are deducted next. Frequently, also, the attorney will be reimbursed for the interest incurred on the expenses he advanced.
Medical liens or government liens, or reimbursement liens are to be itemized. Government agencies such as Medicare and Medi-Cal pay bills upfront for clients in an accident, but by statute must be repaid out of the settlement. Most of the time, your attorney should be able to reduce these liens somewhat. If there is a medical lien from a Doctor or chiropractor, that also must be paid.

After all of the above expenses, the remainder is paid to the client. If your Rancho Cordova personal injury lawyer does not itemize the expenses above, you do not need to sign the check from the insurance company until he or she does.

Contact a Rancho Cordova Personal Injury Attorney Today

You might be entitled to financial compensation if you suffered traumatic injuries in a car accident that was not your fault. To learn more, call our law firm today to receive free, friendly advice from one of our Rancho Cordova personal injury lawyers at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.

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

See a list of our past cases on our verdicts and settlements page and our client reviews on Avvo, Yelp, Google.

Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 3.25.21]

Photo by FilterGrade on Unsplash

Additional Resources:

★★★★★

"Me and my wife; had a car accident. We were amazed how easy, professional, friendly attorney Ed Smith is along with his staff. Everybody is amazing. Thank you so much, we are very impressed!" Alex & Dinah M.

"Ed Smith and his office team took on a difficult personal injury case on my behalf and for the passenger in my car. Ed is a top- notch attorney. His staff couldn't have been more helpful and kind. No need to look elsewhere. I give Ed Smith my highest recommendation." Beverly

"Ed and Robert have been taking great care of my husband and I for the past 5+ years. They are always there when you have a problem and a quick resolution! Even when the issues have nothing to do with them. They are willing to help ease the pain off your shoulders. They are as good as it gets! Thank you again for everything." Annie T.

"Very professional. Great team, staff and service all around. Mr Smith was very honest, straight forward with his advice. He gives the word "attorney" an honest reputation. I will seek his council anytime, and would recommend him at the drop of a dime." Jeremy M.

"I would highly recommend Ed Smith to any friends or family in need of a personal injury attorney. Ed, and his staff, are very caring on top of being very experienced in this field. The staff always keeps you informed of the status of your case and they are always easy to reach by phone." Shannon D.

"Edward Smith law offices provide competent, thorough, and personable help for victims of personal injury. When you first meet the staff you know you contacted the right office. This law office treats clients like people. I recommend this office to anyone seeking representation regarding personal injury." David M.

Submit a Law Firm Client Review