Car Accidents
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Every Collision Tells Two Stories—One About the Vehicle. One About the People Inside.
Get answers before the insurance company gets your statement.
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After a car accident, many people wonder why their neck, back, or shoulders hurt—even when the vehicle damage doesn't appear severe. The answer begins with Newton's Second Law of Motion.
Even a Low-Speed Collision Can Cause Injury
Many people assume that if a vehicle doesn't look badly damaged, no one could have been seriously hurt. Physics tells us that's not always true.
Newton's Second Law helps explain why. When a vehicle changes speed suddenly, forces are transferred to the occupants inside. Even at relatively low speeds, those forces can place stress on the neck, spine, muscles, ligaments, joints, and other soft tissues. The amount of visible vehicle damage alone does not determine whether someone was injured.
No one can tell you what you are feeling.
Your health comes first. Only a qualified medical professional can determine whether your injuries are related to the accident, what treatment you may need, and how long your recovery may take.
Visible Damage vs. Hidden Damage
After a collision, the damage you can see is not always the full extent of what actually occurred. When a repair shop begins disassembling a vehicle, hidden structural damage that wasn't visible during the initial inspection is often discovered.
The human body can be much the same. Some injuries are immediately obvious, while others may not become apparent until hours or even days after an accident. Pain, stiffness, headaches, numbness, dizziness, and other symptoms can develop over time as the body responds to the forces of the collision.
Just as a vehicle cannot be fully evaluated until all of the damage has been identified, your injuries should not be judged before you understand their full extent.
Before speaking with the insurance company, make sure you understand the full extent of the damage—not just to your vehicle, but to your health. The decisions you make early in your claim may affect your medical treatment, your recovery, and your legal rights.
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Some Symptoms Are Easy to Overlook
Not every injury is visible immediately after a collision. In fact, many common car accident symptoms don't look like injuries at all.
When an Injury Doesn't Feel Like an Injury
After a car accident, many people expect pain to be immediate and obvious. But that's not always how the body responds to a sudden collision. What feels like "just soreness" today may be your body's response to the crash.
🔘 Neck stiffness
Difficulty turning your head comfortably after the collision.
🔘 Feeling "off"
Dizziness, brain fog, or difficulty concentrating.
🔘 Shoulder soreness
Often caused by the seat belt restraining your body.
🔘 Headaches
They may begin hours later rather than immediately.
🔘 Tingling
Hands, arms, legs, or feet may feel numb or tingly.
🔘 Nervous about driving
It's common to feel nervous about driving again.
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms after a collision. If something doesn't feel right, don't ignore it simply because you can't see it yet.
How Is Fault Determined After a Car Accident?
California has rules that govern how we drive, but determining fault after a collision isn't always black and white.
People involved in the same accident often remember events differently. Witnesses may have different perspectives, and each person tells the story from where they were standing. That's why the facts, the available evidence, and even how the accident is described can all influence how fault is evaluated.
Why Every Car Accident Is Different
No two car accidents are exactly alike. Two collisions may look similar, yet result in completely different injuries, insurance coverage, liability issues, and financial outcomes.
Factors such as the direction of impact, vehicle size, speed, seat position, seat belt use, airbag deployment, pre-existing medical conditions, available insurance coverage, and California law can all influence how a claim is evaluated.
That's why comparing your accident to someone else's—or relying on stories from friends or information found online—can be misleading.
Understanding Your Auto Insurance Coverage
After a Car Accident
Liability Coverage
If you are at fault for an accident, your liability coverage helps pay for injuries and property damage you cause to others. It does not pay for your own injuries or damage to your own vehicle.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage may help pay for your injuries if you're hit by a driver who has no auto insurance or in certain hit-and-run accidents. Depending on your policy, it may also help pay for damage to your vehicle when the at-fault driver has no insurance.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Underinsured motorist coverage may help if the at-fault driver's insurance isn't enough to fully compensate you for your injuries. It may provide additional coverage up to the limits of your own policy.
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage helps pay to repair or replace your own vehicle after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. It generally applies after your deductible is paid.
MedPay Coverage
MedPay helps pay for reasonable medical expenses after a car accident, regardless of who caused the collision. Many people don't realize that these benefits may need to be reimbursed if they later recover compensation from the at-fault party.
California Minimum Auto Policy Limits
As of January 1, 2025, California law requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of:
$30,000 per injured person
$60,000 per accident
$15,000 for property damage
These limits are often inadequate in serious injury cases, which is why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can be critical.
California's Low Cost Auto Insurance Program
CLCA is California's low-cost auto insurance program for eligible low-income California drivers.
$10,000 per injured person
$20,000 per accident
$3,000 for property damage
The amount of available insurance coverage can play a significant role in the outcome of a personal injury claim.
Why Sherman Oaks Car Accidents Are Unique
Sherman Oaks is one of the busiest transportation corridors in the San Fernando Valley. Major freeways, busy commercial streets, Metro routes, and constant commuter traffic create a wide variety of driving conditions every day.
101 Freeway
Heavy traffic, sudden slowdowns, and frequent lane changes often contribute to rear-end and multi-vehicle collisions.
405 Freeway
Congestion, merging traffic, and higher speeds increase the risk of serious crashes.
Ventura Boulevard
Frequent turns, pedestrians, and vehicles entering and exiting businesses create constant traffic conflicts.
Sepulveda & Van Nuys Boulevards
Heavy traffic, multiple intersections, buses, and left-turn movements require drivers to remain alert.
Left Turns & Freeway Merges
Many collisions occur when drivers misjudge oncoming traffic, fail to yield, or merge into changing traffic conditions.
Rideshare Traffic
Frequent pickups, drop-offs, sudden stops, and lane changes can increase the risk of collisions.
Whether your accident happened on the 101, 405, Ventura Boulevard, or a neighborhood street, every collision has its own unique facts. The location is only one part of the story. The direction of impact, traffic conditions, available insurance coverage, and many other factors all influence how a claim is evaluated.
If you've been injured in a car accident, get the answers you need before speaking with the insurance company.
It doesn't cost to talk. No pressure
Choose a convenient time to speak directly with Yana. There's no obligation to move forward.
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