It is often difficult to imagine how an accident can greatly alter your life. The repercussions could leave you with life altering injuries and expensive medical bills that can be devastating to your finances. Additionally, those that are recovering from accidents often are unable to work for a substantial period of time. This can impact the financial stability of their families. Many times, taking your case to court is the best way to receive compensation. Compensation for both the physical and financial damages you have suffered.
It is highly recommended that you reach out to a qualified California law firm with attorneys that you can trust. Doing so will be critical to determine what potential settlement you can receive. Get compensation for your injuries and costly medical bills. The sooner that you act, the better chance you will have at recovering what you are legally entitled to.
Given that suffering an accident can be quite traumatic, it is possible for accident victims to wonder what options they have available to them for recovery. This article has compiled the most common questions concerning accident victims. Consider consulting an accident lawyer within the State of California. Finding the right injury lawyer for you is essential for the ultimate success of your case. The time that you take to research the ideal lawyer for your case is vital for the results that you desire. Consider the conversation below when trying to resolve your accident settlement in the best manner possible:
One of the most important aspects to consider when filing a formal lawsuit is the statute of limitations. Hopefully the date of the accident is within the statute of limitations. For the State of California, an individual has up to two years from the date of the accident to file their claim. This is regardless of whether they hire an accident attorney to represent their claim. Failing to file your case before the two-year period can cause you to lose all right to compensation. In the event that a government entity is responsible for the injury the time frame is shorter. In this scenario it is important to note that the individual has only six months to file within the State of California.
Personal injury lawsuits can take many different forms within the State of California. It is wise to contact an attorney if you have been a victim of any of the following:
Even though these cases have different facts and circumstances, they have elements in common. Victims are potentially eligible for damages if the injuries suffered were due to negligence of another individual.
If you have suffered a car accident, truck accident or motorcycle accident, it is essential to reach out to a firm that has a motorcycle accident lawyer, car accident lawyer or a truck wreck lawyer on staff. Finding the best car accident lawyer, 18-wheeler accident law firm or motorcycle attorney will provide you with the best possible results for your case.
If you are struggling with how to obtain viable recommendations, it is best to reach out to personal contacts. Perhaps someone you know can recommend the right attorney for your upcoming case. Should you not have contacts with relevant attorney referrals, then it is important to conduct a thorough search. The internet is a great resource. For example, if you need a car accident injury lawyer or a truck accident injury lawyer, conducting an Internet search will provide you with reviews of attorneys and their success rates. From this search, you will be able to narrow down the results.
Once you have compiled a list of under five different law firms to contact, it is important to schedule a consultation. A Consultation appointment will have law firms examine the facts of your case. They can help decide whether you have the potential to recover damages for your injuries. The consultation appointment will be detailed and the law firms will examine the facts, and ascertain whether they will be able to take on your case. Once the law firms get back to you, you will be able to enter into an attorney-client relationship. Do business with the ideal attorney at the firm you decide to hire.
Upon retaining counsel, you will then be guided through the necessary steps to file your case. Hopefully soon you can seek relief for the injuries that you have suffered. Within the State of California, the judge will determine which individual is at fault for the accident. In some cases, what percentage each individual was at fault for the accident will decide the payout. Upon making this determination, the judge will state the compensation requirements of both the Plaintiff and Defendant.
California is unique in that it has shared fault statutes that can cause both the Plaintiff and Defendant to be liable in an accident. If you do have some level of liability in the accident where you suffered injury, California will apply their “pure comparative negligence” rule where the amount of compensation that you were entitled to receive will be reduced minus the percentage of fault that you have in the accident.
The judge will also take into account damages to your property, physical person, and time missed from work. So much is taken into account when determining the amount of damages that will be awarded to you. The idea for the judge is to find the best possible way to make you be compensated for the harm that you have suffered. This calculation, combined with the percentage of fault that you have in the accident, will produce a final determination of the financial damages that you will receive.
An example of this rule can be seen where a judge determines that you have sustained $10,000 worth of damages; however, the judge also determined that you had 10% of the fault of the accident. In this case, the judge would reduce your compensation to $9,000 in total due to your 10% fault in the accident. This example is important to understand as it is the State of California’s effort to protect Defendants who do not necessarily carry all the blame from unfair and excessive legal compensation settlements.
Typically, law firms within the State of California take on personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. What this means is that there is not a retainer that is due up front like in other legal cases. The attorney will collect their fee on your case upon the successful completion of your case. The Professional Responsibility Statutes protect accident victims from excessive contingency fees from attorneys. Typically, the attorney will take a percentage that represents the amount of work they will have to complete to have a successful outcome of the case.
Depending on the kind of personal injury case, the percentage will vary due to what evidence the attorney will have to gather or the potential length of the trial if the accident victim is taking on a major corporation, for example. Personal injury cases are designed this way to protect accident victims who may not have the financial capability of retaining the kind of qualified attorney to successfully settle their case. Contingency fees also provide attorneys motivation to diligently represent their client to receive their fee upon the successful resolution of their client’s case.
When trying to find the ideal attorney for your case, it is wise to consider the type of accident that you suffered and which prospective law firm has the most qualified attorney for your case. Our firm specializes in lawyers for car accidents, truck accident injury lawyers, and motorcycle accident attorney expertise. If you have suffered an accident in connection with these areas, it is highly recommended that you reach out to our firm for a consultation appointment.
Upon scheduling your consultation appointment, our firm will determine whether the facts of your case are an ideal for our expertise within the State of California. Upon deciding to take on your case, we will present several different options to you. You decide how to potentially successfully resolve your case. Thus, if you have suffered a life altering accident, please do not hesitate to reach out to us today. We would be elated to assist you in having the best possible results during this difficult time in your life.
