Auto Accidents in California: Drivers' Victims Ask Why

Auto Accidents in California: Drivers’ Victims Ask Why www.michaelwaks.com

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AUTO ACCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA

DRIVERS’ VICTIMS ASK WHY

“It is important that the ongoing effects of the accident be carefully determined so victims can be appropriately

compensated for suffering that may never go away.”

MICHAEL D. WAKS LONG BEACH PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY


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In a car collision case, victims are compensated not only for medical expenditures

and wage and income losses, but also for physical pain and emotional damage. The

physical and emotional ramifications of a car accident can be far-reaching and can

stay with a person for years, if

not for the rest of his life.

When victims negotiate a

settlement with an insurance

company or present their case

in court, it is important that the

ongoing effects of the accident

be carefully determined so

victims can be appropriately

compensated for suffering that may never go away.

VICTIMS SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE AFTERMATH OF AN AUTO ACCIDENT

The Los Angeles Times recently reported on victims who spoke at the sentencing

hearing of the driver who hit them. In this case, the driver was a man named Nathan

Louis Campbell. He had been found guilty of second-degree murder along with

multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon and hit-and-run charges.

The driver’s convictions arose from an incident that occurred on August 3, 2013.

Angry that he was unable to purchase drugs, Campbell drove his Dodge Avenger

over a curb, around barriers intended to protect pedestrians, and purposefully onto

a packed boardwalk in Venice Beach. He killed a newlywed couple from Italy, and

http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-0806-venice-boardwalk-killer-20150806-story.html


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injured 17others. At the time of his sentencing, he was facing the potential of life in

prison.

This case was an unusual one because most drivers do not intentionally aim for

pedestrians. Nonetheless, the lasting impact his victims spoke about is not unlike

the lasting effects victims involved in other auto accidents experience.

Whether a driver intentionally inflicts pain or does so accidentally by speeding,

distracted driving, driving while impaired, or other negligence, the effect on victims

is the same. Victims often lose their lives or their loved ones. They lose their good

health and their economic future. They lose their mobility and their clarity of

thought. They lose their peace of mind.


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When a negligent or careless motorist inflicts pain, intended or not, victims suffer,

and deserve compensation.

UNDERSTANDING THE AFTERMATH OF AN AUTO ACCIDENT

The devastating testimony from the victims in Campbell’s sentencing trial

illuminated what collision victims may be forced to endure after a car crash.

One witness, a 28-year-old woman, spoke about how an evening walk with a date on

Venice Beach changed her life forever. She was one of three victims who spoke to

the court about her experience. She was walking leisurely on the boardwalk when

Campbell struck her and shattered her vertebrae. The young woman, who used to

love to run and dance, can now barely walk. In court she said, “If only I could

understand why… There is no logical reason why someone would drive that fast and

try to kill people.”

The young woman’s boyfriend, who is 36, also spoke about the ordeal. He said he

struggles on many days to be able to lift himself out of his bed due to his injuries. He

also indicated he is unable to hold a job as a result of what he endured in the crash.

A third victim, a woman who was out on a walk with family, described her horror as

she saw Campbell’s vehicle speeding towards her. She wept as she addressed the

court, saying she is now terrified whenever she is in a large crowd or in a crosswalk.

She also said she is very fearful of cars, describing her symptoms as a pounding

heart, sweating, nervousness, and a ringing in the ears. Her question was: “why

would someone rob so many people of so much?”


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A LONG BEACH CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER CAN HELP

Your Injuries are Personal to Me

The testimony of these victims illustrates just how far-reaching the effects of a car

accident can be on people’s lives. Pedestrians and other motor vehicle accident

victims should speak with an experienced Long Beach car accident attorney about

holding the driver who hurt them accountable. Victims should get full

compensation for the physical and emotional suffering resulting from the accident,

as well as for their financial losses. The Law Office of Michael D. Waks is here to

help victims obtain the money they deserve.

Call the Law Office of Michael D. Waks at 888-394-1174 or use the convenient

online contact form to schedule a free consultation. You are under no obligation and

tel:888-394-1174

http://www.michaelwaks.com/contact/


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you will never pay any money unless you recover damages for your injuries. I offer

bilingual services as part of my comprehensive approach to legal representation and

I am available 24/7 to talk to you about your case.


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About the Author

Michael D. Waks

Personal injury victims need someone who understands their pain, who is invested in them and will guide them through the complicated maze of their medical and legal worries. They need an attorney who cares about them and their families.

My name is Michael Waks and I am a personal injury attorney in the Los Angeles Area focused on the needs of people who have suffered because of someone else’s actions.

While still attending Southwestern University School of Law, I clerked for a big defense law firm that represented manufacturers of asbestos. I read the files and met the people whose lives were ruined by asbestos and I knew, for the rest of my career, I wanted to help people like them: the victims, not the perpetrators.

I have been doing just that for over 30 years. As soon as I passed the Bar I opened the Law Office of Michael D. Waks in Long Beach and began exclusively representing seriously injured accident victims. I decided to be a sole practitioner so I could handle every case personally. I understand clients are different and that in the wake of an accident their suffering will be unique, ranging from physical and financial to emotional.

I tell my clients from the start, “I want you to only worry about one thing, and that is to do exactly what your doctor tells you in order to get better. Leave the rest to me.”

300 East San Antonio Drive Long Beach, CA 90807

Phone: (562) 326-5002 Website: www.michaelwaks.com

tel:562-326-5002

http://www.michaelwaks.com/