Orange Personal Injury Attorney
Have you suffered serious injuries from an accident? Find out if you are entitled to compensation.
Award-Winning Orange Personal Injury Lawyers
Injuries can happen for any number of reasons. When someone is liable for causing an injury, you deserve to get compensated for your medical expenses, loss of wages and future earning capabilities, and any emotional distress that often comes along from being in a severe accident.
An experienced California personal injury lawyer will walk you through the entire process of filing a personal injury claim and use their expertise to provide you with the best legal strategy possible when it comes to moving forward with your case. They will not only help you through court proceedings but negotiate with your insurance company to make sure you’re not deemed at fault for an accident that led to your injury.
In a situation like this, you need a personal injury lawyer in Orange to fight for you. Our professional legal team at Santiago Accident Lawyers handles a variety of personal injury cases including major automobile accidents. Seek compensation for your accident and serious injuries today by scheduling a free consultation.
Determining Liability in a Personal Injury Claim
California is an at-fault state, meaning that the person who caused the accident or injury is liable for subsequent damages. However, California is also a pure comparative negligence state. That means that while one person may be deemed liable for damages, both parties are financially responsible for their percentage of fault.
For example, you’re in a car accident. While the other car may have run a red light and hit you, you were unable to brake in time because you were texting on your cell phone. So, if you were to receive a compensation award of $100,000 but were found to be 20% responsible for the crash, your award would be reduced to $80,000.
Regardless of the situation, the court will determine the percentage that each party is liable for based on the evidence presented. To prove the liability of the defendant in a case such as this, you’ll need strong supporting evidence, such as:
- Expert testimonies who can support your claim
- Crash reconstruction
- Eye witnesses who present during the accident
- Medical records proving sustained injuries
- Photographs of the accident and scene of the accident
- Police report
- Surveillance footage, if applicable
Common Causes of Personal Injury Claims
A personal injury involves any negligent action that can cause bodily harm or property damage to a victim or victims. The nature and causation of each case will vary, but the most common explanations for personal injury accidents in California are:
- Premise liability – If a property is not maintained, the property owner can be held liable for causing harm to another individual in a personal injury case.
- Intentional torts – These are physical crimes including assault, battery, false imprisonment, trespassing, and even intentionally inflicting emotional distress on someone.
- Negligence – If someone failed to follow through with their duty of care, resulting in damages, that party can be found liable for causing the accident.
- Strict liability – In California, this means one of two things: Either the defendant has made or sold a defective product that causes harm to the victim, or if the victim is harmed by a domestic animal with known dangerous tendencies.
- Breach of warranty or contract – If someone sells a product where an expectation is promised and then that expectation is not met to a point where it can cause harm, a claim may be filed.
What Should I Do After Suffering a Personal Injury?
Some personal injuries may take longer to uncover than others. However, once you sustain an injury or discover the effects of an injury, there are a few crucial steps you should take:
- First, if you’re injured in an accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. When you do, be sure to keep a copy of all your medical records, bills, and co-pays as you’ll need these to serve as evidence in your accident claim. These records will also make it easier to determine how much you should be reimbursed for your expenses.
- Collect evidence relevant to your claim, like all medical-related documentation, a copy of the police report, photos and/or videos of your injuries or property damage, and contact information of anyone involved in your accident. You should also keep a record of your injuries and how they progress over time. For example, if you suffered a spinal cord injury from a crash, document your symptoms and how it changes over time.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer: After suffering a personal injury, you need to consult an experienced Orange accident and injury lawyer who can explain your rights and negotiate with the negligent party and their insurance company to get you the money you deserve. They can also conduct a thorough investigation to help determine who is liable for your injuries.
How Can I Benefit From Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in Orange, CA?
The first thing you should consider when hiring an Orange personal injury attorney is that you have a better chance of getting compensation when you file a claim with one. While compensation isn’t always guaranteed, you have a better shot at getting compensated with a personal injury lawyer than you do if you were to file the claim yourself.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will do everything possible to help you overcome this devastating accident, including advocating for your best interests against the defendant and their insurance company.
An attorney will sit down with you and explain the rules and regulations as they relate to your case so you have a better understanding of the upcoming proceedings. They can also negotiate with insurance adjusters to make sure you get properly compensated. This is key, as negotiations can be the difference between minimal and maximum compensation.
Because the law firm will take over all of the complicated legal aspects, you will have the time to recover and focus on putting your life back together.
How Much Is a Personal Injury Claim Worth?
Every case is different and several factors determine the amount your claim is worth. These factors include:
- Medical expenses
- Severity of injury
- Type of accident
- Recovery time
- Long term effects of the injury
- If the victim contributed to the injury
There is also the matter of awarding economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages include such things as your ability to work, loss of pay, medical bills, and property damage (among other things). These all have specific money values attached to them and are easy to define.
Non-economic damages are where things become a bit more difficult. These include suffering and emotional distress. These kinds of damages are more abstract and don’t have a defined monetary value to them. Your attorney should be able to calculate the total amount of your damages when you’re filing your claim.
What to Do After a Personal Injury in Orange, CA
After you’ve been in an incident where you have suffered a personal injury, first and foremost, you need to seek medical attention. Whether you sustained a cut/laceration, fractures/broken bones, TBI (traumatic brain injury), burns, or some other form of harm, you should still get checked out by a medical professional.
While at the moment, you may feel fine, even minor injuries can lead to more long-term injuries that can be taken care of by seeking the advice of a doctor. This also provides a medical record that can be provided later on if you decide to pursue an accident claim.
Next, once you have your injuries looked after by a medical professional and you’ve decided to pursue an accident claim, you need to prepare your claim. Here are a few tips to keep in mind after you sustained a personal injury:
- Before you leave the accident, you should try to get as much information as you possibly can. Names, contact information, insurance information, even the badge number of the officer who’s arrived on the scene. All of these factors can help you with building your case down the line.
- Call 911 and wait at the accident scene until the authorities arrive. While waiting, take photos of the accident scene, the hazard that caused your injury, weather conditions (if applicable), and any damage to yourself or your property. Also, collect a copy of the police report that is written up on site. The more documentation you have, the better.
- Seek advice from a skilled injury attorney who can help you file an injury claim. They will not only walk you through the steps of filing a claim but they will also deal with your insurance company to ensure you get proper compensation. A personal accident and injury attorney will be able to provide you with advice and use their expertise to build the best legal strategy for your case.
Why Santiago Accident Lawyers is the Optimal Choice
Our Orange personal injury lawyers have years of experience handling the most complex personal injury claims around California. If you’ve been injured, our team can help. We have the knowledge and experience to handle any type of personal injury claim presented to us.
But what sets us apart from other law firms is our commitment and dedication to every one of our clients. It isn’t lost on us that our clients may be suffering long-term trauma from a serious accident, which is why we treat our clients with the utmost compassion.
Our reputation for success has earned our personal injury lawyers numerous legal accolades, setting us apart from the competition. To schedule a consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers, call us today at 714-912-6901.
Contact Santiago Accident Lawyers
Santiago Accident Lawyers have years of experience with handling several different types of accident and injury claims. Our personal injury law firm has received several legal accolades for our work representing accident victims and we won’t rest until you get the compensation you deserve.
We offer free 24/7 consultations and can help you with filing a claim, determining liability, and negotiating with your insurance company to ensure the compensation you deserve. Call 714-912-6901 today to have a top-rated Orange County personal injury lawyer fight for you.