Your personal injury is much more than just a bad day in your life. It is something that can affect the rest of your life. Even if you do not suffer permanent consequences, your life will be altered for at least a period of time.
You can hold the person or company responsible for your injuries legally liable. While your health and life cannot be restored to what they were before the accident, you can at least get financial compensation for your injuries. Your first move should be to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Santa Clarita.
Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Santa Clarita
A personal injury is one to your:
- Body
- Emotions
- Reputation
While personal injury does not include damage to your property, your settlement will also cover these losses.
A personal injury can happen at any point of your day, whether at home or on the road. It can even occur over time when you suffer an injury from a product or exposure to a substance.
Personal Injury Cases Involve Negligence
The common theme among all personal injury cases is that someone acted wrongfully. They may have done something that they should not have. Alternatively, they may have failed to act when they should have. It does not matter whether they acted on purpose or were just careless. The result is the same.
There is no one set statute in California’s books that governs personal injury cases. Instead, the law developed over time in individual courtrooms in the state. The body of case law goes back as far as California does.
The common law doctrine at the heart of all personal injury cases is negligence. The word has a precise meaning in the law. Negligence means that the defendant has not upheld the duty of care that was expected of them under the circumstances. Something about their actions fell short of what the average person would have done.
Examples of Personal Injury Cases in Santa Clarita
What follows are some examples of negligence in a personal injury case:
- A driver sideswipes your car and runs you off the road because they did not check their blind spot before changing lanes.
- A truck driver rear-ends your car because the driver was fatigued and did not stop the vehicle in time.
- Your bicycle was struck by a driver who did not yield the right of way when you legally had it.
- You suffered severe stomach pains and intestinal damage because a food manufacturer sold contaminated food.
- You were struck when crossing a street because a driver did not see the crosswalk.
How Your Personal Injury Case Works
Anyone who is involved in an accident is not automatically negligent. As the injured party, you have the burden of proof to show that the person was negligent. It is not always easy to show what someone did.
There are two things working in your favor:
- Your burden of proof is lower than the prosecutor has in a criminal case, where it must be shown that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, you must prove that your allegations were more likely than not to have happened.
- You can hire a personal injury lawyer in Santa Clarita who can get to work quickly to investigate your accident and gather the evidence available to you. This call must be made promptly because the evidence is only available for a limited amount of time.
Damages in Your Personal Injury Claim
Proving liability is the first part of your case. It is the gateway to discussing how much money you should get in financial compensation. One bedrock principle of personal injury damages is that you should be paid in full based on your suffering.
At One Law Group, we understand that no two personal injury victims are the same — everyone has different circumstances before the accident and responds to their injuries differently.
Your personal injury damages use money to restore you to the position you were in at the moment before your injury. There are two halves of the equation in your personal injury case:
- Economic damages pay you for the actual financial losses that you suffered, whether it is bills that you need to pay or money that you cannot earn
- Non-economic damages pay you for the subjective experience that you have had and will continue to have because of the accident
You may think that something like lost wages is straightforward to calculate, but an insurance company will have its own view. They may underestimate your future earnings power or claim you can still work. You can imagine how difficult and self-serving they will be when the damages are subjective and rely on your description of your experience.
How Insurance Companies Misbehave and Threaten Your Legal Rights
Besides negligence, the other common theme in personal injury cases is the insurance company’s conduct (or misconduct). Regardless of the type of personal injury involved, you almost always deal with an insurance company, car insurance, or homeowners insurance.
No matter the type of insurance, we can say with confidence that they all use the same tactics. The good insurance company that promptly pays you everything you deserve is virtually non-existent. Instead, you can expect a lengthy process that becomes a fight to get what you deserve.
Insurance companies will take liberties with your legal rights but are also rational businesses. They are always calculating their potential liability and the possible check they must write. Litigation is a significant expense they do not want to incur. Therefore, the threat of litigation is one tool you have at your disposal. You have the experience of an attorney who is not afraid to go to court on your behalf when you hire One Law Group as your personal injury lawyer in Santa Clarita.
Contact Our Santa Clarita Personal Injury Lawyers Today
You do not have to sit idly by while the person responsible for your injury gets away with it. Instead, you can contact One Law Group, and we can aggressively help you take decisive legal action against the responsible party. To schedule your free initial consultation, you can send us a message online or call us today at (844) 626-1529. The call is free, and you owe us nothing unless we help you win.
Personal Injury FAQs
Can I sue a company for my personal injury?
If someone was on the job at the time of the injury, you could hold the company responsible. A worker is an agent of the company.
Do I have to deal with the insurance company?
They are legally obligated to defend their policyholder, and you will deal with them at some point. Even if you file a lawsuit, it will be the insurance defense lawyer on the other side of the case.
When will I need to pay a personal injury attorney?
You only have a legal obligation to pay if you get a settlement or win your case in front of the jury. You do not need to pay anything upfront, and you owe nothing unless you win.