High-Speed Accident Lawyer California

California High Speed Accident Lawyers

Speeding is a factor in almost one-third of all traffic accidents and is the #1 cause of fatal crashes. When someone drives too fast for the road conditions, a catastrophic accident can happen in the blink of an eye.

What would you do if someone hurt you in a California high-speed car accident? Now you have medical bills, months of recovery time, car damages, lost wages, and more. Everyone in your family is shaken up from the trauma of the crash and its enormous impact on your daily lives.

You can seek compensation from a driver who hurts you in a California high-speed traffic crash.

Under the law, you’re entitled to pursue full and fair compensation for your damages. High-speed crashes create huge costs and represent some of California’s costliest accident claims.

You shouldn’t have to bear the burden alone. Put the responsibility where it belongs – on the high-speed driver who hurt you. The car accident team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers can help you acquire the compensation you deserve.

We help injured Californians recover from high-speed accidents by pursuing valuable accident claims. This is the route to covering your medical bills and other costs with the maximum possible settlement. Most cases never need to go to court.

Receive more information about your specific situation by requesting a free case evaluation from our team. In the meantime, please take a look at the information below about high-speed accidents in California.

Facts About High-Speed Accidents

You might be surprised to learn that high-speed accidents are considered to be accidents that happen at speeds of anything over 30 miles per hour. While that may seem low, the complex physical forces of a car accident can easily multiply the destructive force.

Very high speed crashes of 50 or more miles per hour are even likelier than other crashes to involve fatalities. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, exceeding the speed limit/racing accounts for about 8,700 driver deaths per year, which is much higher than top causes like alcohol (5,100) and failure to yield (3,700).

Even exceeding the speed limit by 5 miles per hour is driving dangerously enough to kill someone. One study found that pedestrians hit at 30 mph were twice as likely to die as those hit at 25 mph, which led to a New York City-wide speed limit of 25 mph.

What California Law Says About Speeding

Under Section 22350 of the California Code, a driver should never exceed the speed that’s “reasonable and prudent” for the current driving conditions. This means even if the posted speed limit is 55 mph, a reasonable and prudent driver wouldn’t blast through standing floodwaters at a full 55 mph. You’re expected to exercise caution according to the conditions.

Although you might not always see a speed limit sign, no road completely lacks a speed limit here in California. We also have a basic speed law that sets speed limits in the name of public safety. Under this law, there are two types of California speed limits:

Absolute Speed Limit

An absolute speed limit is set on any road posted with a maximum speed limit. Anyone who exceeds the speed limit on this marked stretch of road is clearly breaking the law.

Prima Facie Speed Limit

The prima facie speed limit is the maximum speed allowed on a road that’s not clearly marked with a posted speed limit. In California, this speed limit might be 55, 65, or 75 mph on a freeway, depending on the area.

In a residential zone, business district, or school zone, the prima facie speed limit is 25 mph. It’s even lower at 15 mph in certain areas like railroad crossings, in alleys, and within intersections that have less than 100 feet of clear visibility.

As you can imagine, there’s plenty of confusion among drivers about the difference between the absolute speed limit and the prima facie speed limit. If you passed a speed limit sign a few miles back, does it still apply? What if you’re not sure whether you’re in a business district? Car accident lawyers help answer questions like these.

Generally speaking, it’s wise to slow down and drive cautiously in areas like:

School zones, playgrounds, and daycare facilities
Business districts
Neighborhoods
Hospitals
Police and fire stations
Train crossings
Construction zones
Highway entrance ramps
Heavily congested areas with slowed and stopped traffic
Accident scenes
In narrow canyons and mountain roads with winding curves
Anywhere with a loose or rocky road surface

Steps to Take After a High-Speed Accident

After a high-speed crash, having a car accident lawyer helps you protect your rights and prevent making mistakes that could harm your case. They also help you get to the bottom of what happened in the accident and who was speeding.

Your next steps have a huge impact on how successful your claim might be. Here are some important things you can do to preserve the integrity of your claim.

Seek Proper Medical Care

After your high-speed accident, make it your top priority to acquire medical care even if you’re not sure about the full extent of your injuries. Don’t turn down help from emergency responders. Follow your doctor’s instructions about healing from your injuries.

If you don’t seek medical care now, you could regret it later because your injuries could worsen and impact your life even more strongly. Plus, medical bills usually form the basis of a car accident compensation case. Your bills are establishing exactly when your accident happened and showing the speeding driver contributed directly to causing your injuries.

Gathering Evidence of a High-Speed Crash

Whenever you’re able after the high-speed crash, start gathering car accident evidence that shows what happened. Focus on anything that involves speeding.

Take accident scene videos and photos that show things like car damage, debris lying in the road, and relevant road signs and speed limit signs that help clarify the location and posted speed limit. If you’re in a school zone or residential area, make sure this is shown in the photos.

Your injuries should be documented in photos and videos too. As soon as you can after the accident, capture your injuries and continue documenting them until you’re fully recovered.

Plus, your photos should show wrappings, crutches, medications, or scarring you have from your crash, because this connects to your medical bills and emotional suffering. Start a daily journal that documents your emotional state, your daily struggles, and the huge impact the accident is having on your life.

You’ll also need to reach out to the police department for a copy of the police report. In a high-speed accident case, this is a key piece of evidence, but don’t worry if the speeding isn’t clear in the report. Your lawyer can help much-needed context and clarify issues like local speed limits and laws that apply to your case.

Watch What You Say and Where You Say It

It’s tempting to discuss what happened in your accident and share information with your friends and family. Unfortunately, this could come back to bite you in an accident claim. The other side could twist your words and use them against you.

Avoid making statements about your accident to anyone but your car accident lawyer. Don’t allow a recording of your conversation without your permission and keep your social security number private, which is within your rights in California.

Also, don’t talk about your crash on social media. Insurance companies go through social media accounts to find details they can use to make decisions about what they’re willing to offer people after car accidents. Lawyers also use online searches to find revealing information.

Contributors to High-Speed Crashes in California

While speeding is often the direct cause of a high-speed crash, other factors could be at play too. To learn more about your case’s contributing factors, request a free case evaluation with a qualified car accident lawyer from the Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers team. Below are common contributors to high-speed accidents

Poorly-Marked Roads Lead to High-Speed Driving

Was the road missing its speed limit sign due to vandalism or construction? Was it confusing to figure out the legal speed due to other factors? Talk to your lawyer about your concerns.

Drunk and Drugged High-Speed Drivers

Fully 50% of all drivers who die in California road collisions test positive for intoxicating substances after the fact. These drivers add danger to the roads and because they’re too intoxicated to safely regulate their own driving, they cause thousands of high-speed crashes.

Distracted Driving Contributes High-Speed Crashes

More than 2,800 deaths and 400,000 injuries can be attributed to distracted driving, according to the CDC. When someone is distracted, they’re more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors like exceeding the speed limit.

Other Causes of High-Speed Crashes

Was someone speeding for another reason and caused your crash? Talk to your lawyer about a high-speed accident that involves issues like:

A health problem that led them to speed, like a mobility issue
Street racing or joyriding
Driving under extreme emotional stress
Driving while drowsy for falling asleep at the wheel
Having passengers in the car who interfered with the driver

Common Injuries in High-Speed Accidents

High-speed accidents have high rates of severe injuries. Here are some of the most common injuries from high-speed collisions.

High-impact head injuries like traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Broken bones
Torn muscles and ligaments
Spinal cord injuries with or without paralysis
Crushing injuries including internal organ damage
Chronic pain
Numbness or tingling in the extremities from nerve damage
Skin and organ damage from fires, explosions, and chemical burns
Emotional damage
Severe damage to the face and eyes
Dental injuries including lost teeth
Hand, arm, foot, and ankle injuries
Whiplash

How Insurance Works After a High-Speed Crash

When someone injures you in a high-speed crash, it might seem obvious that they should shoulder the blame. But your case could rest on what you’re able to prove about the circumstances of the crash.

A successful insurance claim could cover some or all of your costs, but it’s also possible that the insurance company will dig in their heels and refuse to pay what you deserve. Contact us for a free online evaluation of your case and learn more about what you can expect from insurance.

The police aren’t the only ones who do investigations into high-speed crashes. Lawyers and insurance companies investigate too. Get ready for the insurance company to interview you, ask probing questions about the accident, and put you on the defensive about what happened.

Eventually, with your lawyer’s help, you’ll reach the offer consideration stage of the process where you decide whether to accept what the insurance is offering. In most cases, the first offer is too low to adequately compensate you, so try to have patience as the negotiations continue. Your lawyer’s priority is to maximize the value of your case.

Assigning Fault in California High-Speed Accidents

Determining fault is important in California because your monetary award depends on your share of the blame. Our state uses the comparative fault rule for car accidents. After your accident, your goal will be to work with your lawyer to show you hold minimal blame and the speeding driver holds most of the blame.

The monetary award you receive will be reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault in the accident. If you were found to be 20% at fault while the speeding driver was 80% at fault, you can still collect 80% of the monetary award.

Keep in mind that there could be multiple parties to your case. Did the other driver work for a commercial trucking company? Were they a delivery driver for a food company? Did they have Uber passengers on board? These could be positives or negatives for your case, so discuss the possibilities with your lawyer.

Factors in Determining Liability for High-Speed Crashes

Numerous factors come together to paint the full picture of your case. It’s probably not as simple as it seems. In high-speed crashes, California judges, juries, insurance companies, lawyers, and other parties typically look at factors like:

Nearby road signs that show speed limits
Whether the applicable speed limit was absolute or prima facie, as described above
The damage to each vehicle from the high-speed crash
Whether the high-speed crash involved drunk, drugged, or distracted driving
Any available video footage from vehicles, homes, businesses, or traffic cameras
Police report details and officer testimony
The federal, state, and local laws and ordinances that apply to your accident
Eyewitness testimony
Road construction that involves temporary speed limit signs
Location conditions like the weather and time of day

The Deadline for Claims in High-Speed Accidents

Don’t wait too long to start your claim! Every state including California has a deadline, or statute of limitations, that impacts how long you have to make an accident claim. Here in California, you must file a lawsuit within two years of the date of the rollover accident. If your crash involves a city, county, or state government, you have just six months from the date of the accident.

Choosing a Lawyer for Your High-Speed Accident Claim

When it comes to high-speed accident cases in California, your choice of attorney makes all the difference. Proving that another driver was speeding before a collision is one of the most technically demanding challenges in personal injury law — requiring accident reconstruction experts, traffic camera footage, black box data, and a female high-speed accident lawyer in San Francisco who knows exactly how to present that evidence to maximum effect.

At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, our all-female San Francisco high-speed accident law firm brings a uniquely aggressive yet compassionate approach to every case. We don’t just listen to your story — we investigate every detail, identify every liable party, and calculate the full value of your claim across every category of damages California law allows:

Medical expenses — emergency care, surgeries, ongoing treatment, and future medical costs
Lost wages — income lost during recovery and reduced long-term earning capacity
Emotional damages — anxiety, PTSD, and psychological trauma following a traumatic high-speed collision
Family impact damages — the devastating effect your injuries have had on your spouse, children, and household
Property damage — full vehicle replacement or repair costs and personal property losses

As San Francisco’s trusted female high-speed accident lawyer team, we serve seriously injured clients across San Francisco, the Bay Area, Marin County, Alameda County, and all of Northern California. Whether your high-speed accident happened on Highway 101, I-280, I-80, or anywhere across the Bay Area freeway network, our team moves quickly to preserve critical evidence before it disappears.

We Handle Your High-Speed Accident Claim So You Can Focus on Your Life

After your accident, contact the car accident attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of the law, including head-on collisions. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering while we handle the legal details.

We truly care about California’s injured people. Contact us today for a free online case evaluation or call 877-380-8852.

Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers

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Karen johnson

2 years ago

When I got into my accident I was really not looking for an attorney, however I became frustrated with the other parties insurance company. I then went online and found Sally Morin Law and called for a free courtesy consult. Annie quickly called me back and spent 30 minutes explaining the attorney process. This made my decision easy,,, an All female attorney group certainly did not disappoint. Annie and her team (Amber) were on the case immediately, making calls, sending emails and dealing with the other party insured (or lack of insured). I’m so pleased to have had this incredible team of ladies to help me through this process. They did all their professional expertise, none of which I was capable of. They advocated for me in every way from medical bills, insurance liens, med pay, demand letters, phone calls, emails etc. All I needed to do was send receipts, and most importantly focus on getting better. Thank u team for all u have done. I am grateful for so much,,, and I can say that making that first phone call was the best decision. Keep up the great work and helping others Sincerely KJJ

Michael Basti

2 years ago

I unfortunately got injured in an auto accident and called a bunch of different attorneys with little to no help. I called Sally Morin Law and got help from Rebecca who was absolutely fantastic. She was there every step of the way to help and Isn’t just trying to make a quick buck. She took her time with me and went out of her way to help out. Thanks for all the help Rebecca!!

Reba Roseberry

2 years ago

I was t-boned by someone who ran a red light, totaling my car and sending me to the hospital with multiple breaks to my pelvis, among other smaller injuries. Once released from the hospital, I was confused, angry, and extremely anxious about what to do next. A friend encouraged me to seek legal help, and I found the team at Sally Morin. I was drawn to their all-women team, and immediately felt assured that I was in good hands. They took the reigns on handling everything, leaving me significantly more relieved to rest and heal like my body needed. With their help, the case was settled within four months of the accident, and I can now move forward with my life and leave this behind me. I would absolutely recommend the team at Sally Morin to anyone in a similar situation!

John Zientek

2 years ago

I was injured while riding my bicycle and a friend recommended Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. In my experience, they made the process transparent and smooth, allowing me to focus on recovery — they were professional, empathetic, and effective! Rebecca and Carmen made a difficult time much less stressful.

Jimmy Lu

2 years ago

My mom was in a car accident and was badly injured. We wanted her to focus on her recovery without the worries of medical bills and dealing with multiple insurance companies so we hired Sally Morin Lawyers. Fortunately we received Annie Heller who showed strong ownership of the case, dealing with all communications from medical to slow moving insurance companies. Annie and team helped us settle the case with money in my mom’s pocket, but more importantly helped all of us not worry about anything besides my mom’s recovery. thank you!

Shannon Yu

2 years ago

Carmen and team at Sally Morin are the best. Having Carmen and her team for my personal injury case is one of the lucky thing for me in 2024 Carmen is a very capable law professional. she is expert in her domain, also she is very skillful in finding the key information. Carmen is also a compassionate and kind person, she listened and also put my interests in priority. At the same time she patiently explained to me the law information. Carmen is also very good with execution, the whole process she is proactively driving it towards the satisfactory result What more can you ask for a lawyer who is capable, professional, kind, effective and efficient.

Dee49ful

2 years ago

I was very fortunate that, by pure luck, I found Sally Morin’s firm online. It wasn’t recommended to me by anyone, but I now want to recommend them to EVERYONE, especially my fantastic attorney, Annie Heller. Annie was compassionate, honest, attentive, and responsive to my calls and emails. Throughout the entire process of my claim, I felt completely supported by her, and even after my case was successfully settled, she followed up with me. Thank you Annie, for your exceptional legal service!!

Lew Jabro (Havasu Lew)

3 years ago

Amazing! After months and months of going it alone and getting nowhere with our sons accident, and struggling...badly, we were lucky enough to get refered to Sally and Rebecca. They took over the whole case and handled everything. The whole team was very personable, professional, keeped us in the loop the entire time and cared about what was going on. They also set us up with all the right people to make sure the settlement funds were properly handled in the most efficient way for us. I just dont think we could have done all of this without them. It was a terrible time for our family, and we are very gratefull for everything they did for us! Thank you guys! ~HavasuLew

Kyle Osborn

3 years ago

Rebecca and the Sally Morin team provided invaluable support during a challenging period after our daughter was involved in a car accident. Their care, expertise, and dedication resulted in an outcome that exceeded our highest expectations. Working with them was a great experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone, without hesitation!

Alysia Lyons

3 years ago

I worked with Annie on my case and had such a pleasant experience! I felt supported and understood throughout the whole process. I highly recommend Sally Morin firm. Being injured isn't pleasant, so having a team behind you that's got your back makes the experience that much better.

Ariana D

3 years ago

I just spent the last 8 months working with a team of caring, compassionate, relatable women for my personal injury claim. Brief background: I was hit by a car while riding my bike to work. The driver pulled out of a parallel parking space without looking and was completely at fault. Initially, he and the others in the car were very concerned, but ghosted us afterwards and made up a story in order to not take on the blame. I ended up needing surgery and costs mounted, so I sought legal advice. After much research, I settled on Sally Morin Law. The team at this law firm is invested and responsive in a very personable way. I specifically worked with Carmen and Annie. Carmen took the lead and she answered every email, text, and annoying question my husband and I sent her way. She wrote a detailed demand letter that personalized my case and thoroughly explained the impact the accident had on my life, my children's lives, and my husband's life. In the end, our own insurance policy covered the claim to the fullest amount. Additionally, Carmen was able to negotiate the medical lien to $0, and my husband received a separate smaller amount for loss of consortium. We are more than happy with the results as it’s way beyond what we expected, and completely life changing. We didn't proceed with the case thinking we would have the outcome we did, and almost didn't pursue the case. However, after spending my own money on copays, days off from work, take out, uber rides, babysitters, and special equipment, it just didn't feel right not to seek help and I am so glad that I did! I highly recommend Sally Morin Law!

Simon Unge

3 years ago

Last year me and my partner was in a MC/Car accident. I was clueless on what rights we had and how to proceed with insurance claims etc. I contacted Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, who guided us through the year long process in a very pedagogical manner, a lot of support, expertise and professionalism - answering any questions we had in a timely manner. Highly recommended, they made a painful experience very manageable. Thank you, Rebecca, Carmen, and Amber!

    
 
 
       Posted on Yelp  
   
   Amy R. 
 
 
 
 Verified I can't recommend Rebecca at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers more highly. Rebecca is transparent, honest, and client-centered in a way that was completely different from the other firms I considered. Rebecca broke down what can feel like a very opaque process, and helped me understand my options in an approachable way. It was immediately clear that Rebecca's advice and guidance centered around my personal best interest, not what would make her firm the most money. Thanks Rebecca and team!
  
 
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   Mike B. 
 
 
 
 Verified I unfortunately got injured in an auto accident and called a bunch of different attorneys with little to no help. I called Sally Morin Law and got help from Rebecca who was absolutely fantastic. She was there every step of the way to help and Isn't just trying to make a quick buck. She took her time with me and went out of her way to help out. Thanks for all the help Rebecca!!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Shannon Y. 
 
 
 
 Verified Carmen and team at Sally Morin are the best. Having Carmen and her team for my personal injury case is one of the lucky thing for me in 2024
Carmen is a very capable law professional. she is expert in her domain, also she is very skillful in finding the key information. 
Carmen is also a compassionate and kind person, she listened and also put my interests in priority. At the same time she patiently explained to me the law information.
Carmen is also very good with execution, the whole process she is proactively driving it towards the satisfactory result

What more can you ask for a lawyer who is capable, professional, kind, effective and efficient.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Dinora G. 
 
 
 
 Verified I was very fortunate, and  by pure luck, I found Sally Morin's firm on YELP.  The firm wasn't recommended to me by anyone, but I now want to recommend them to EVERYONE, especially my fantastic attorney, Annie Heller.  Annie was compassionate, honest, attentive and very responsive to my calls and emails. Throughout the entire process of my claim, I felt completely supported and even after my case successfully settled, she followed up with me. Thank you Annie for your exceptional legal service.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Phil M. 
 
 
 
 Verified Rebecca and the team at Sally Morin are awesome, plain and simple! Honestly, they were the only legal representation that didn't make me feel slimy after the first conversation. I was thrilled to work with them on my injury case after realizing it was more than I could handle dealing directly with the other party's insurance myself. They advocated for me and my family, going into incredible detail and crafting a great strategy for what to do next. The end result was a pleasant surprise, far exceeding my expectations.

Rebecca and the team definitely earn their share by providing amazing value. They're also no-pressure, which was refreshing compared to other lawyers I contacted before choosing Sally Morin. Their priority was making sure I was always informed and knew exactly what was going on, every step of the way.

If something happens again, Rebecca and Sally Morin will be my first call--and I'm sure there will be a multitude of emails to follow! :P
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Steve M. 
 
 
 
 Verified Attorneys Annie Levitt Heller and Carmen from Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers are the absolute best! They are dedicated, approachable and thorough in all their work. They provided the best possible outcome for my case (I was a pedestrian hit by a car in a crosswalk) and supportive every step of the way. I would absolutely recommend Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers to anyone Forever grateful to them!
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   James Minh N. 
 
 
 
 Verified My sister got in a car accident, was hit badly by another driver, became unconscious, and was immediately taken to hospital emergency with an internal brain bleeding thus could not defend herself. As a result, the police report had false information from the other driver and concluded my sister at fault. While other legal firms purposed disappeared after seeing at the police report and other driver's cheap insurance policy (not easy win), Sally Morin team with great heart and "no win, no pay" written clause took on the case and successfully reversed both insurance + police reports and won the case. My family is grateful to find Sally Morin firm and great team with legal expertise, experience, and most important great heart. Thank you very much.
  
 
      Posted on Yelp  
   
   Tim K. 
 
 
 
 Verified Unfortunately me and my mom were hit by another driver on the freeway. We ended up with hospital bills and a long road to recovery especially for my 85 yr old mother. This was such a tragedy and uncertain times for us not knowing where to turn and what to do about mounting bills while trying to get our lives in order. I contacted Sally and her wonderful team. Carmen one of her associates worked with me and my mom and handled everything. Carmen was awesome and such a caring lawyer as well. She keeps
It real and we loved that about her. When you need a personal injury attorney that will work on handling your case in every aspect, insurance claims, potential health liens and negotiating on your behalf then Sally Morin Personal Injury law firm is the one to contact. You can count on them. Carmen explained everything so we knew what we were in for and was trustworthy and honest. There is no way to state how invaluable and priceless it is knowing the law firm you hired has your back and can be trusted. I hope no one ever needs a personal Injury attorney because being injured is one of the worst things that can happen to you; your life changes in an instant after a bad accident. But having a law firm like Sally Morin with lawyers like Carmen make that terrible experience much better knowing they are there to handle every aspect of your case and do it so well. Thanks Carmen and team. Much appreciated!
  
 
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   Stephan B. 
 
 
 
 Verified I originally reached out to a different law firm to handle my personal injury case, but Sally Morin's team (Rebecca Taylor in particular) left such a good impression on me that I switched to them--and I'm glad I did! They were empathetic and professional, communicated early and often, and patiently walked me through every option. They did thorough research and handled so much on their end that I was able to focus on my recovery/work/life with minimal disruption. So I highly recommend this firm.
  
 
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   Michele H. 
 
 
 
 Verified Word cannot express the honesty from Annie at Sally Morin law . She is honest kind and to the point . If you want to get ripped off by shady humans don't hire Annie . If you want honest kind and attentive go with Annie at Sally Morin law . You will feel good about your choice  . She is a firm advocate with insurance and health care .  Annie and her team will be available to explain things all the way through . Her integrity is not matched in this field . I would hire again and again 
Thanks Annie   You made one of the most difficult times in my families life tolerable !  
Your kindness and integrity are not matched in everyday life . Much less with  personal injury lawyers thank you thank you 
Michele Hargrove