Personal Injury FAQ Orange County CA
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Personal Injury Cases and Personal Injury Law for Orange County, CA
Many victims of personal injury feel isolated. The emotional distress that follows after an accident happens can make one feel like they are alone. Accident victims face lost wages, medical bills, time off work, physical pain, and the mental anguish that comes when you’ve been injured in a Southern California personal injury accident. If you've been injured, know that you are not alone. You may have many questions about the process involved with a personal injury case. What can you do, and who can help you? At Beckerman Anderson, we value the attorney-client relationship as a transaction. We believe in helping you heal your recovery process by helping you obtain the compensation you deserve. We also believe in making the process simple and understandable. Each personal injury claim is different, but many injury victims come to us with similar questions.
Personal Injury FAQs
Personal injuries are wide-ranging in how and why they occurred, how damaging they are, and how their subsequent cases may result. Many personal injury cases, however, field similar questions. While working on your legal claim, learning more about personal injury law and the lawsuit process may help clear your mind and ease your anxiety
Personal injury when someone a physical or emotional injury as a result of the actions of someone else. It imposes civil liability for injuries caused due to the negligent or intentional behavior of another party. Personal injury lawsuits can also be filed against parties who failed to act if they had a duty to act.
But what does this mean?
A personal injury claim seeks financial compensation for the injured person to help them with their medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
To tell if you have a case, you can contact our law firm to set up a free consultation. In a free consultation, our lawyers can look review your case and discuss your options.
Some questions you can ask yourself before your free consultation are:
- Who was involved in the incident that caused my injuries? Who was responsible and who was a witness?
- Was the person or persons responsible for my injury acting in a reckless, negligent, or intentional way?
- What harm did this incident cause? What are my physical injuries? Do I have medical records of these injuries?
- How have my injuries affected my life?
Whether you’ve suffered severe injuries or minor injuries, most personal injury claims hinge on the actions of the other party. An experienced personal injury attorney at Beckerman Anderson will be able to look at your case and may be able to help you get the justice you deserve.
A personal injury claim can arise from a wide variety of situations. Any accident that occurs because of another person’s carelessness, recklessness, negligent, or deliberate actions is considered a personal injury accident. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses, so talk with a lawyer to protect your rights as soon as you get medical treatment.
Here are some of the most common types of personal injury claims filed in Southern California:
- Auto Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Commercial Vehicle Accidents
- Wrongful death Accidents
- Defective products Accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Scooter Accidents
- Premise Liability Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- Aviation Accidents
- Boating Accidents
- Dog Bite Attacks
- Train Accidents
- Rideshare Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Burn and Fire Accidents
Every year, many different incidents lead to claims in Costa Mesa, CA. Each kind may have particular considerations. These considerations may change personal injury lawyers’ approaches.
Every personal injury case is different. But all cases seek to achieve fair compensation for personal injury victims.
Usually, there are one or more responsible parties when an accident occurs. Sometimes even the injured victim may share partial responsibility. For example, in a car accident, two drivers can contribute to the cause or overall damage of the accident.
It’s extremely important that you do not admit any blame (however small) until you speak to a personal injury lawyer. Do not speak to an insurance company until you get a personal injury lawyer who can argue your case.
California follows the rule of pure comparative negligence. That means a victim’s total compensation is deemed by the percentage of responsibility they have for an accident.
For example, a victim may suffer $100,000 in damages due to an auto accident. If the victim is found to be five percent responsible for the accident, instead of being awarded $100,000, the victim will be awarded $95,000. It means that more people are able to seek financial justice for their serious injuries and other damages while remaining fair to all parties.
If you’re still concerned over whether you can file a personal injury claim, contact our Beckerman Anderson attorneys today to discuss your particular accident to help you determine if you have the right to pursue financial compensation for your injuries and losses.
When you file a personal injury claim, you seek compensation. Compensation is awarded for both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include:
- Cost of the immediate medical treatment following an accident, like an ER visit or emergency surgery
- Other medical costs, like necessary at-home equipment and medication
- On-going medical treatment like physical therapy or chiropractic treatments
- Lost wages, earnings, and benefits.
Non-economic damages include:
- Physical disfigurement
- Pain, suffering, and mental distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
Contacting a Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer will help you recover from medical expenses and other damages. If you’ve been harmed, contact Beckerman Anderson today to seek the compensation you deserve.
Deadlines to file a personal injury claim can be strict and may pass sooner than you expect, and they vary depending on your specific situation. Because waiting can cost you the right to recover, it’s best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident so your claim is protected.
Personal injury claims are built upon four essential questions. Your personal injury attorney will work with you to answer them and gather evidence to support your answers.
1. Was there “duty of care” between the victim and the defendant(s)?
“Duty of care” refers to the legal responsibility someone has to another’s safety and well-being. We all have a responsibility to one another to avoid car accidents and other incidents that could harm someone else. Some relationships have a higher degree of duty of care, like a doctor-patient relationship.
2. Was there a breach in “duty of care?”
Once it is shown that duty of care existed between a victim and defendant, they must then prove that the care was breached. The breach is the negligent or intentional behavior that resulted in the victim’s injuries.
For example, rearending a car stopped at a red light. That would likely be negligent. Or, a grocery store leaving grapes on the floor for an unreasonable period of time. That would also likely be negligent.
3. What are the damages?
Medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, are all common forms of damages.
4. Did the breach in duty of care cause these damages?
You must prove that your damages were caused by the defendant’s breach of duty. For example, did the car accident cause your pain or did you already have that pain because of some other condition or incident?
These four questions are essential to any personal injury case. They essentially boil down to proving that negligence caused an injury. Keeping records and evidence of your accident and subsequent injuries will help your lawyer build a strong case.
Getting help from a lawyer will help increase your chances of a successful result. Insurance companies are not on your side and are looking after their bottom line.
From the day of the accident onward, a personal injury lawyer can help guide you through the process of seeking compensation for your injury.
The personal injury attorneys at Beckerman Anderson serve the greater Costa Mesa and Orange County area. We believe in seeking justice for every client we can.
Have you been injured because of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional behavior? If so, call us to find out if you have a claim. We provide aggressive yet compassionate legal representation to all of our clients. Call to schedule your free consultation with Beckerman Anderson at (949) 409-4299 or visit our contact page. We will put your needs first and get you the compensation and justice you deserve.