The hardships created by an unexpected accident are overwhelming. As you struggle to make sense of your change in circumstances, you may feel like you’ll never get ahead of the overburden.
The overburden of mounting medical expenses, having a difficult physical recovery, and possibly being unable to work.
An accident flips your life and the lives of your loved ones upside down. Holding the right person responsible for your harm is crucial to your recovery.
Personal injury lawyers in Pasadena can assist injured victims through these difficult times and pursue the compensation they deserve after such an event. Read on to learn more about examples of personal injury cases and how Pasadena personal injury lawyers can help you.
If you believe that you have a personal injury claim, reach out to our team today to share your story.
Examples of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury cases define a myriad of situations where injuries commonly occur. From car accidents to traumatic brain injuries, these unfortunate events cause many victims to suffer severe and sometimes catastrophic injuries and harm.
Car Accidents
Car accidents happen daily and occur for any number of reasons. The most common reasons are distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving, or driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.
Slip and Fall/Premises Liability
Premises liability and slip and fall cases are accidents that occur on someone else’s property. In premises liability actions, property owners or operators are liable for someone else’s injuries occurring on their property due to dangerous conditions.
Product Liability
Product liability cases occur when defective products cause injury to a user. Product defects can occur during manufacturing and design, or when manufacturers provide insufficient instructions or safety warnings. Multiple parties may be responsible for a victim’s injuries and harm.
Dog Bites
In California, owners of dogs are liable if their dog bites someone while in a public place or lawfully in a private place. The law does not consider the dog’s prior history of aggressiveness or the dog owner’s knowledge of a dog’s aggressiveness when determining an owner’s liability.
Pedestrian Accidents
When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the result can be severe and sometimes fatal. Establishing a driver’s negligence in causing your injuries is vital to recovering the compensation you deserve.
Bicycle Accidents
Distracted driving, poor road conditions, nighttime driving, and other situations can lead to bicycle accidents. As with pedestrian accidents, bicycle collisions can be severe and sometimes fatal.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders can suffer catastrophic injuries when motorcycles and cars collide. When a vehicle driver is negligent, they are responsible for the injuries they caused in a motorcycle accident.
Wrongful Death
When the unthinkable happens, and a loved one dies due to another person’s negligent conduct, the surviving family members may pursue a lawsuit against the negligent party. Wrongful death lawsuits provide compensation to surviving dependents or beneficiaries and help them find justice for the person they lost.
Construction Accidents
Construction sites are dangerous areas. Accidents may occur despite the safety procedures and protocols found at these locations. Construction site cases may result from falls, machinery accidents, electrocutions, exposure to toxic chemicals, or catastrophic injuries.
How to Prove Your Case
Most personal injury lawsuits are successful when the victim proves that the wrongdoer was negligent and caused their injuries. Proving negligence requires the help of Pasadena personal injury lawyers to establish the four main elements of a negligence claim.
Duty
First, a victim must show that the wrongdoer owed them a duty to act reasonably for the care and safety of others. For example, a driver who caused a devastating accident owes a duty to other drivers on the road to operate their car in a reasonable manner.
Breach
The alleged wrongdoer must have breached this legal duty by failing to act in a reasonable manner. In the prior example, the driver breaches this duty if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.
Causation
The breach must have caused the victim’s injuries. For example, negligent conduct was the reason for the accident, and, as a result, the victim suffered severe injuries.
Damages
The negligent conduct caused the victim to suffer losses, such as those from their injuries and property damage.
The elements of a negligence claim appear straightforward. However, failing to prove these elements could mean you lose out on the compensation you need and deserve. Contact a Pasadena personal injury attorney today to ensure your claim succeeds.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me?
A personal injury attorney helps their clients in numerous ways at one of the most difficult times of their lives. As you focus on your recovery, a Pasadena personal injury attorney undertakes the following actions to build a strong case on your behalf:
- Gather evidence. Your attorney interviews witnesses, speaks with insurance adjusters, reviews photographs and video, and gets copies of any police accident reports.
- Calculate. Through careful review of medical records and other evidence, your attorney calculates the value of your case so that negotiates can proceed.
- Negotiate. Your attorney works hard to negotiate a just settlement on your behalf so you and your family get the compensation you need.
- Litigate. If negotiations fail, a skilled personal injury attorney prepares your case for trial and works tirelessly to get you a favorable judgment.
Attempting to understand the complexities of personal injury law without the support of a personal injury attorney could spell disaster for your case. Getting less than you deserve in financial compensation makes it harder for you and your family to move forward in a positive direction.
What Can I Recover?
In California, victims in personal injury cases may recover compensatory damages, known as economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages represent direct financial losses resulting from your injuries. Examples include:
- Past, present, and future medical expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Loss of future earnings due to your injuries, and
- Property damage.
Your attorney compiles the information needed to calculate the value of these losses through evidence like invoices, receipts, pay stubs, tax returns, and other similar documents.
Noneconomic damages are more difficult to prove due to their subjective nature. Examples of these damages include:
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress,
- Loss of consortium,
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Permanent disability and disfigurement.
For many victims, a crucial part of their recovery is getting compensation for the intangible harm they have suffered and continue to suffer due to their injuries.
Proving noneconomic loss is difficult without an attorney. Don’t miss out on much-needed compensation that helps you and your family get back on their feet.
At Peerali Law, we craft innovative and creative solutions for wrongful death and personal injury matters. Persistence, passion, and creativity can bring outstanding results to our clients.
We fight hard for our clients and have obtained millions of dollars in judgments and settlements when they need it most.
Contact us by phone or email for a free consultation and learn how the legal team at Peerali Law can help you.