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$111.7 million for victims of unnecessary heart surgeries at Redding Medical Center.

$10.8 Million recovered in a case involving the wrongful death of a four-year-old girl.

$10.65 Million for the family of a construction foreman killed in a pipeline explosion.

$6.5 Million recovered for a teenager injured in a solo car rollover.

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Car Accident FAQ's

What’s the first thing I should do in a car accident?

Your first concern should always be safety. Get away from traffic and call 911 for anyone who appears seriously injured. If you feel fine, you should still consider seeing a doctor later to make sure you haven’t sustained a more subtle injury. In California, drivers must also report the accident to the DMV if anyone was hurt or killed, or there was property damage totaling more than $750.

After that, you should exchange insurance information with the other drivers involved. You should be polite, but never accept or assign blame for the accident; let the police and insurance companies decide. Instead, take down the following information:

• name, contact information, driver’s license number and insurance contact for all the other drivers involved
• make, model and year of the autos involved
• contact information for witnesses, including names and badge numbers of any emergency personnel
• notes on the damage to vehicles and people and the conditions of the accident -- time of day, weather, pedestrians or animals involved, any unusual road conditions like construction or severe potholes
• if you have a camera, take pictures of the scene, particularly the damage to the vehicles

Do I need an auto accident attorney?

It depends on the circumstances. While minor accidents can often be resolved through insurance companies, an accident with injuries or significant property damage often generates disputes, between the drivers and between drivers and insurance companies. If you were hurt, these can come at a time when you simply can’t give them your full attention, due to physical or financial worries. For insurance disputes, there is also research showing that an attorney will be able to get more money for you than you would have been able to recover on your own. In either case, we can step in to negotiate for you and represent you in court, if necessary.

What does a car accident lawyer cost?

At Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis & Larsen, we work on contingency. That means we don’t get paid unless and until we win your case. When we do, we take a percentage of your winnings. The exact amount will be outlined in a contract both of us sign when we agree to be your attorneys.

Contingency work allows us to represent people who can’t afford sky-high legal fees -- the majority of Americans. We can start working for you as soon as we hear about your case.

Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis & Larsen has represented vehicle accident victims in Northern California for more than 30 years. We are committed to providing the personal touch -- answering calls promptly and helping our clients navigate the legal system with clear explanations of how your case is progressing. Contact us at any of our 18 Northern California offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation.