San Jose Car Accident Attorney

Suffering a car crash is the last thing anyone expects when leaving home each day — but accidents happen, and far more often than we realize. If you or a loved one ever face that situation, having a skilled, local San Jose car accident attorney by your side can make the difference between receiving full compensation or only a small portion of it — or in some cases, nothing at all.

Remember: insurance companies are not on your side. They will almost never offer a fair settlement upfront. Their experience and legal teams exist to minimize your claim. Facing them alone, without legal representation, is essentially throwing your case in the trash. You need an experienced, aggressive San Jose car accident lawyer who knows exactly how to take them on.

Call Megeredchian Law at (408) 944-5230. Schedule a free consultation and speak directly with an attorney — no call center, no virtual assistant. We can evaluate your case in minutes and determine whether you qualify for compensation. If you do, we’ll assign you a dedicated San Jose car accident lawyer to begin building a strong strategy on your behalf.

Reasons to Hire a Local San Jose Car Accident Attorney

The first thing to understand about hiring an attorney is that they can help you identify the three essential elements of any car accident claim:

How your accident happened
What caused your injuries and property damage
How much compensation you are legally entitled to

An attorney is also prepared to take your case to court if the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer. This is critical because only a licensed attorney can represent you in a trial. Many victims, unaware of this, hire someone who can only handle part of the process — not the entire journey. A qualified San Jose car accident attorney ensures you are protected from start to finish.

A good, skilled San Jose car accident attorney can also:

Know the real value of your claim: Insurance companies hope you don’t understand how much your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future damages are worth. An attorney calculates the full value — not just what the insurer wants to pay.
Gather and preserve essential evidence: they collect police reports, camera footage, witness statements, medical records, and expert evaluations to build a strong case. This prevents evidence from disappearing or being misinterpreted.
Negotiate aggressively with insurance adjusters: Attorneys handle all communication so you don’t get tricked, pressured, or manipulated into accepting a low offer.
Protect you from insurance company tactics: Adjusters may ask misleading questions, push for recorded statements, or twist your words. An attorney shields you from these strategies.
Identify ALL liable parties: Some accidents involve multiple responsible parties (another driver, a company, a rideshare service, a government entity). An attorney ensures no one escapes accountability.
Prevent costly legal mistakes: Missed deadlines, incomplete forms, and incorrect statements can ruin a claim. A lawyer makes sure everything is filed correctly and on time.
Reduce your stress so you can focus on recovery: Instead of dealing with paperwork, phone calls, and insurance disputes, you can concentrate on healing while your attorney handles everything.

The Megeredchian Law Advantage

What we listed above covers the basic services you would expect from any San Jose car accident attorney. When you hire Megeredchian Law, you also gain additional advantages, including:

Direct communication with Alex Megeredchian, Managing Attorney and owner of Megeredchian Law — including his personal phone number.
Access to a trusted local physician to treat your injuries if you don’t have medical coverage.
A rental car while your vehicle is being repaired or replaced.
Personalized, family-like treatment — we take fewer cases so we can devote more time and energy to securing maximum compensation for you.
Spanish-speaking attorneys, offering real language fluency to avoid misunderstandings.
Cash advances available before your case is settled.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Work With

Find a Car Accident Lawyer in San Jose and Nearby Areas

Megeredchian Law has multiple locations in Northern California and throughout the state. You’re more than welcome to visit our San Jose office at:

111 N Market St Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95113

Phone: (408) 944-5230

Other locations near San Jose:

What to Do After a Car Accident

Check for injuries, call 911, and move to safety.

Your first priority is safety. Check yourself and others for injuries, call 911 if anyone is hurt, and move your vehicle out of traffic if possible. Turn on hazard lights to prevent additional collisions.

Call the police and document the scene.

Request an official police report — it’s one of the strongest pieces of evidence for your claim. While waiting, take photos and videos of the vehicles, damage, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. Collect witness information if possible.

Exchange information without discussing fault.

Get the other driver’s name, phone number, insurance details, license number, and vehicle information. Do not admit fault or apologize; anything you say can be used against you.

Seek immediate medical attention.

Even if you feel fine, visit a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries appear hours or days later, and early medical documentation helps prove your case.

Keep all accident-related documents.

Save medical bills, repair estimates, receipts, wage-loss documentation, and any paperwork related to the crash. These records are essential when calculating the full value of your claim.

Contact a car accident attorney ASAP

Call (408) 944-5230 to hire a San Jose car accident attorney immediately. Your attorney will handle all insurance communication, protect your rights, gather evidence, negotiate your settlement, and fight for maximum compensation on your behalf. Insurance adjusters use tactics to minimize payouts, push quick lowball offers, or twist your statements. Delegate all communications with them to your attorney.

Be Careful with Insurance Companies: They’re Not on Your Side

After a car accident, it’s almost guaranteed that an insurance adjuster will contact you quickly. They often sound compassionate, patient, and genuinely concerned — but this friendliness is strategic, not sincere. Their goal is to gather information that can reduce the value of your claim.

Adjusters routinely ask questions designed to trap victims, such as whether you had prior injuries, whether you “might” share any responsibility for the crash, or whether you feel “okay” after the accident. Any casual comment can later be twisted to weaken your case. They may also discourage you from hiring an attorney, knowing that represented victims receive far higher settlements.

Insurance companies frequently delay claims, request unnecessary paperwork, dispute medical care, or deny liability altogether. When they finally make an offer, it is usually far below the true value of your medical bills, future treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering. These companies rely on the fact that victims may feel overwhelmed or uninformed — hoping you will accept a quick payout before understanding what your case is really worth.

One important fact many victims don’t realize is that accepting a settlement permanently closes your claim. Once you sign, you cannot return later and ask for more, even if your injuries worsen or you discover additional damages.

To protect yourself, do not discuss the accident with any insurance representative and do not provide recorded statements. A car accident attorney should handle all communication to prevent costly mistakes, ensure you receive proper medical documentation, and fight for the full compensation you are legally entitled to.

Tips for Filing a Car Accident Claim

Gather and preserve all important details: Photograph the scene, collect witness information, document vehicle damage, and keep all medical records. Strong evidence makes it harder for insurers to challenge your claim.
Seek medical treatment right away and follow your care plan: Immediate medical attention creates a documented link between the crash and your injuries. Follow-up visits help prove the seriousness and long-term impact of those injuries.
Keep a personal record of how the accident affects your daily life: Track physical pain, emotional stress, missed work, and activities you can no longer perform. These notes help demonstrate non-economic damages that don’t appear in invoices.
Avoid discussing the accident publicly or on social media: Even harmless posts can be taken out of context and used to argue that you’re less injured than you claim. Limiting online activity protects your case.
Track all financial losses connected to the accident: Keep receipts and records for medical care, medications, transportation to appointments, reduced work hours, home assistance, and any other out-of-pocket costs. This helps establish the full monetary value of your damages.

How Much is My Car Accident Worth?

The value of a car accident claim depends on factors such as the severity of your injuries, the cost of medical treatment, lost income, property damage, and how the crash impacts your daily life.

Minor injuries may settle anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, while moderate injuries such as fractures or significant soft-tissue damage can range from $50,000 to $250,000. Severe or long-term injuries — including spinal damage, traumatic brain injuries, or permanent disability — may reach $250,000 to well over $1,000,000, depending on lifetime care needs and loss of earning capacity.

Disclaimer: Every case is unique, and these are general estimates. Your actual compensation may vary based on evidence, liability, insurance limits, and the specific details of your accident.

Time Limit to File Your Claim

In California, the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim is generally two years from the date of the accident if you were injured. For property damage only, you have three years to file. These deadlines apply to most cases, but there are important exceptions depending on who is at fault and the type of claim you’re bringing.

If a government entity is involved — such as a city vehicle, a public employee, or unsafe public property — you must file an administrative claim within just six months, or you lose the right to sue. Because missing a deadline can permanently bar you from receiving compensation, it’s critical to understand which timeline applies to your specific situation.

How to Prove Liability in a Car Accident in San Jose

Proving liability in a car accident requires demonstrating that another party acted negligently and that their conduct directly caused your injuries and damages.

This often involves collecting the police report, scene photographs, dash-cam footage, witness statements, medical records, and any surveillance video available. Factors like road conditions, traffic laws, and driver behavior all help establish fault. In certain cases, accident reconstruction experts may also be used to build a clearer picture of what happened.

Because California uses a comparative negligence system, each party’s share of fault affects how much compensation they must pay or can receive.

Common parties who may be found liable (and therefore responsible for paying compensation) include:

The other driver (speeding, distracted driving, DUI, unsafe turns, tailgating, etc.)
Multiple drivers in multi-vehicle or chain-reaction crashes
Vehicle owners who lend their car to someone negligent
Employers if the at-fault driver was working at the time (commercial drivers, delivery drivers, contractors, etc.)
Rideshare companies (Uber/Lyft) depending on the driver’s status during the ride
Vehicle manufacturers for defective parts, brakes, tires, or airbags
Auto repair shops for negligent repairs that contributed to the crash
Government entities responsible for dangerous road conditions, missing signs, or poor roadway maintenance
Bicycle or scooter companies if a mechanical defect contributed to a collision

A local San Jose car accident attorney can investigate each of these possibilities, determine every source of liability, and pursue all available compensation under California law.

Car Accident Statistics in San Jose

In 2022, San Jose recorded 65 traffic fatalities, the highest number on record for the city.
Of those, 32 were pedestrian deaths in 2022.
In 2023, the city reported at least 48 traffic-related fatalities.
Early 2024 figures also indicate approximately 48 or more traffic-related deaths.
One rising concern: fatalities involving unsheltered (homeless) individuals have increased; for example, in recent years this group has seen more traffic deaths despite not always being reflected in broad annual totals.

Areas, Roads and Intersection With Most Car Accidents

High-Risk Roads and Corridors in San Jose

Monterey Road (Monterey Highway)
Known as one of the deadliest roads in San Jose, with the highest number of fatalities and severe-injury crashes in recent years.

Story Road
Frequently identified as part of several dangerous corridors, especially where it connects to King Road, White Road, Monterey Road, and McLaughlin Avenue.

McLaughlin Avenue
Appears consistently in high-injury corridor data, especially near Story Road and Capitol Expressway.

Capitol Expressway
Involved in multiple high-collision intersections, including Capitol & Story, Capitol & Tully, Capitol & McLaughlin, and East Capitol & Senter.

Senter Road
Officially recognized as a Vision Zero Priority Safety Corridor due to high fatal and severe-injury crash numbers.

Curtner Avenue (between Canoas Gardens and Highway 87)
Formally identified as a dangerous section receiving safety funding due to frequent and severe crashes.

Tully Road
A high-collision road appearing repeatedly in dangerous-intersection lists, including Tully & King, Tully & Capitol, and Tully & Senter.

White Road
A major risk corridor, especially at Story Road, with repeated crash patterns and pedestrian conflicts.

Jackson Avenue (North Jackson area)
Connected to several dangerous intersections, most notably Alum Rock Avenue & Jackson Avenue.

Lawrence Expressway (within San Jose limits)
A high-speed expressway with a history of fatal collisions, especially near Mitty Way and key interchanges.

US Highway 101 (San Jose segments)
One of the deadliest highway stretches in Northern California, with high crash and fatality counts along the San Jose corridor.

Most Dangerous Intersections in San Jose

Capitol Expressway & Story Road
Repeatedly ranked among the top crash locations in San Jose, with dozens of collisions in multi-year periods.

Curtner/Tully Road & Monterey Road
A high-risk junction cluster consistently appearing near the top of dangerous-intersection rankings.

Capitol Avenue & McKee Road
A major arterial intersection with a high rate of reported crashes.

King Road & Story Road
One of the city’s most collision-heavy intersections due to congestion, quick turns, and heavy pedestrian presence.

Capitol Expressway & Tully Road
Another top-ranked crash location with significant injury collisions over several years.

Tully Road & King Road
Known for frequent T-bone and pedestrian-related crashes due to congestion and turning conflicts.

Story Road & White Road
Regularly identified as a dangerous intersection with rear-end and side-impact collisions.

Capitol Expressway & McLaughlin Avenue
High-speed through traffic combined with turning movements make it a consistent crash point.

Tully Road & Senter Road
Repeatedly listed among San Jose’s most dangerous intersections and located within multiple Priority Safety Corridors.

McLaughlin Avenue & Story Road
Listed in city analyses as one of the intersections with the highest number of injuries in recent years.

East Capitol Expressway & Senter Road
Identified in 2025 data as one of the most dangerous intersections in San Jose.

Almaden Expressway & Blossom Hill Road
Appears in multiple dangerous-intersection lists due to high speeds and complex traffic patterns.

Alum Rock Avenue & Jackson Avenue
A known high-risk intersection with concerns involving pedestrian safety, seniors, and speeding.

Useful Articles and Resources for Car Accident Victims

Car Accident Settlements & Compensation

Insurance Coverage, Denials & Issues

Lawyer-Related Questions & Legal Strategy

Accident Types & Fault Determination

Evidence, Tools & Claim Support

How a Car Accident Dash Cam Can Help Your Accident Claim

Hire a Winner, Local San Jose Car Accident Attorney

Don’t let time pass and don’t risk losing your chance to obtain maximum compensation — you only get one. Hiring an experienced, local San Jose car accident attorney is the safest and smartest decision you can make. Call Megeredchian Law today at (408) 944-5230 or visit our office at 111 N Market St Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95113.

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Megeredchian Law San Jose

111 N Market St Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95113

San Jose Car Accident Attorney