Need A California Personal Injury Lawyer?

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

Personal injury attorneys help injured people recover compensation from responsible parties. This often involves negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company, but occasionally, a personal injury case must be decided at trial.

Personal injury trials are civil trials, so the defendant won’t be guilty of a crime if they are responsible for your injuries. However, the court will likely order them to pay you a certain amount of money.

Although criminal and civil trials are different, personal injury lawyers build cases against defendants much like prosecutors do. Generally, personal injury cases follow these steps:

• The attorney researches the incident and gathers evidence
• They use that evidence to build a strong case
• They file an insurance claim with the at-fault party
• They attempt to negotiate a fair settlement
• If the insurer won’t offer fair compensation, the attorney files a lawsuit
• If no lawsuit settlement is reached, the case is tried in court

Sadly, many people don’t seek out legal help because they believe they can’t afford it. That’s why you should know that most California personal injury lawyers work on contingency.

With most contingency fee agreements, you pay nothing upfront. If the lawyer wins your case, you pay them a percentage of your total compensation. If they lose your case, you pay nothing.

What to Look for When Choosing California Personal Injury Attorneys

Most people know that if they want to recover compensation after an accident, they need to get a lawyer. However, not everyone realizes that the lawyer you choose will have a major impact on whether you win your case or not. These are some of the things to look for:

• Experience with cases similar to yours
• A track record of successful cases
• A communication style that suits you
• Positive client reviews
• A fee structure acceptable to you
• A commitment to treating each client as an individual

Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, so there’s nothing wrong with discussing your case with a few lawyers before you make your decision.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Filed in California

You can file a personal injury lawsuit when someone else’s negligence (or even intentional conduct) causes you harm. However, some types of personal injury lawsuits are more common than others:

Car Accidents

For most personal injury law firms, lawsuits involving car accidents make up a significant portion of their cases. That’s because car accidents are fairly frequent compared to most other causes of serious injury. It’s possible to walk away from a car crash completely unhurt, but most accidents involve at least some level of injury.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Pedestrian and bicycle accident injuries are often very severe — especially if the accident also involved a vehicle. Car insurance companies will often try to pin the blame on the cyclist or pedestrian, so it’s important to have the help of a lawyer if you seek compensation.

Truck Accidents

Most commercial trucks are many times the size of most commercial vehicles. Commercial drivers are trained to avoid accidents, but when truck accidents do occur, the damage they cause can be devastating.

Truck accident cases are also uniquely complex because there are many potentially liable parties. A truck accident lawsuit might name the trucking company, truck driver, loading company, and/or repair shop.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents pose different challenges than car accidents and truck accidents. When you’re on a motorcycle, you’re already more susceptible to harm. However, because some insurers and courts regard motorcyclists as being reckless by default, it’s sometimes harder than it should be to recover damages.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Many California personal injury lawyers have handled slip and fall accidents. Slip and fall accidents are just one kind of premises liability case. These cases arise when property owners fail to protect visitors from hazards. If a visitor encounters an unmarked hazard and is injured as a result, they might be able to pursue legal action.

Medical Malpractice

Not all personal injury lawyers are also medical malpractice lawyers. Medical malpractice cases are technically a type of personal injury case, but a lawyer should have extensive medical knowledge to effectively litigate them. It’s not unusual to see law firms that exclusively focus on medical malpractice cases.

Dog Bites

Most people hear “dog bite” and think of a little nip. However, most dog bite lawsuits would more accurately be described as dog attack lawsuits. Victims may be left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost income, and permanent scarring and disfigurement.

Workplace Accidents

Workplace accidents can cause major injuries — and they can also lead to serious legal questions. A work injury lawyer can tell you whether your situation would be best resolved by a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

This is a question many people ask after suffering a major injury. In an ideal world, there would be a way to instantly determine whether you could win a personal injury lawsuit or not.

However, personal injury cases are far more nuanced than they appear from the outside. Many factors go into determining your case’s possible value, so the only reliable way to find out whether you have a strong case is to talk to a California personal injury lawyer.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm?

If you’re looking for someone to draft a contract or update your will, you can often call or visit a law firm and hire an attorney on the spot. Personal injury cases work differently. Lawyers who work on contingency take on all the risk of a case, so they will only accept cases they think they are likely to win.

Generally speaking, personal injury firms are more likely to take on cases where the following is true:

• Your injuries are serious
• Another party’s negligence is the proximate cause of your injuries
• You have monetary losses (like medical bills and property damage) to collect

Not all personal injury lawyers think alike. If one attorney turns down your case, that doesn’t necessarily mean another won’t accept it.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in California?

Typically, California gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This gives you time to seek medical care and see how much your injuries are likely to improve.

However, it’s unwise to wait until those two years have almost passed to talk to a California personal injury lawyer. If an attorney takes your case, they don’t file a lawsuit the moment you leave the consultation room. It takes significant time to build a case, and ideally, you should give your lawyer as much time as possible.

Common Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Most people who file personal injury lawsuits aren’t doing so to see how much money they can collect. Expenses add up quickly when you’re trying to heal from a life-altering injury, and because most injured people are unable to work, covering these expenses is often next to impossible.

If you win your case, the compensation you receive for your losses is referred to as “damages.” These are some of the most common damages recovered in personal injury cases.

Medical Bills

Most people decide to contact a California personal injury lawyer once they realize the extent of the medical bills they’re facing. If someone else caused your injury, you shouldn’t be left to handle the enormous financial fallout.

Property Damage

Not all personal injury cases involve significant property damage. If yours does, you may be compensated for that damage as part of your settlement.

For instance, many personal injury cases involving auto accidents also involve serious damage to vehicles. Given the value of modern vehicles, you may be owed tens of thousands of dollars for property damage alone.

Lost Income

Along with medical bills, this is another major reason why many people pursue legal action. If you are your family’s breadwinner or working to support yourself, lost income can plunge you into financial uncertainty. A settlement may be able to make up for the earnings you lost.

Lost Earning Capacity

Personal injury settlements don’t only deal with the income you’ve already lost. If your injuries have permanently diminished your ability to earn money, you might be compensated for that loss.

For example, imagine you were making $100,000 per year before your injury. Now, your maximum earning capacity is $50,000. In this case, you could be compensated for the $50,000 difference for each remaining year of your working life.

Pain and Suffering

Not all personal injury compensation is meant to replace monetary losses. “Pain and suffering” compensation refers to payment for losses you can’t quantify. For instance, if you have severe and permanent scarring from a burn injury, you might receive compensation for the immense psychological impact disfigurement can cause.

Loss of Consortium

If your injuries are so severe that they have permanently damaged your relationship with your spouse, you may be able to recover compensation for loss of consortium as well. It can be difficult to put a monetary value on losses like these, but your lawyer will be able to look at your case and give you a rough estimate.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Across California

We partner with thousands of attorneys across California (and the country), so if you need a personal injury attorney, there’s almost certainly one close by. These are some of the many cities we serve:

• Chula Vista
• Fremont
• Fresno
• Glendale
• Huntington Beach
• Irvine
• Los Angeles
• Modesto
• Oakland
• Oxnard
• Riverside
• Sacramento
• San Bernardino
• San Diego
• San Jose
• San Francisco
• Santa Ana
• Santa Clarita

At ConsumerShield, we believe that everyone deserves access to capable legal help. Whether you’re in a major metro or a quiet suburb, we’re here to help you find a California personal injury lawyer.

Connect With Experienced California Personal Injury Lawyers

Trying to heal from a life-altering injury can feel isolating, but you’re far from alone. When you have the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands so that you can continue to focus on healing.

Not sure how to start your search for an attorney? No need to worry — we can help! ConsumerShield matches people in need of legal help with pre-vetted, capable attorneys nearby. Fill out our form below and get started with a free case review!