Personal Injury Lawyer in Arden-Arcade, CA
If you have been injured due to someone else’s carelessness in Arden-Arcade, you know how frustrating and stressful the situation can be. You’re likely in a lot of pain, and you may be wondering how you’re going to pay your medical bills and other expenses. If you’ve had to miss work because of your injuries, you’re probably feeling even more pressure.
Your best chance at getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries and moving on from the painful chapter of your life is to hire an experienced Arden-Arcade personal injury lawyer.
The personal injury attorneys at Demas Law Group have been helping clients in Arden-Arcade and throughout the Sacramento area for more than 25 years. Our firm has helped accident victims recover millions of dollars in compensation, and we have a “preeminent” rating from the rating agency Martindale-Hubbell, the agency’s highest possible rating.
To get your free initial consultation, call us today or visit our contact page.
Personal Injury Accidents in Arden-Arcade, CA
Personal injury claims involve some element of negligence, which basically means that someone didn’t live up to their legal responsibilities to avoid causing you harm. If you were injured because another driver hit your car after they had been drinking and driving, that would be an example of negligence.
Businesses can also be held liable for certain kinds of accidents. For example, if you were shopping in a store and tripped on an unmarked cord that ran across the aisle, you could have a claim against the business owner because they should have known that someone could hurt themselves.
There are four key points to prove in a negligence claim after a personal injury. These are:
- The person or business owed you a duty of care. This means that they had a legal responsibility to make sure you weren’t injured.
- The person or business breached that duty with their negligence or reckless behavior.
- The person or business’ negligent actions led to your injuries.
- You sustained some kind of measurable harm from the negligent party or parties’ actions.
Types of Accidents in Arden-Arcade
There is a wide range of accidents for which you can file a personal injury claim against the liable party or parties. Some of the accident cases we handle at our firm include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Defective products
- Dog bites
- Premises liability claims (slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, etc.)
- Boating accidents
- Bus accidents
- Construction accidents
- Elder abuse and neglect
- Farm accidents
- Train accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Job-related injuries/workers’ compensation
- Burn injuries
- Electric scooter accidents
- Ridesharing accidents
- Wrongful death cases
If you don’t see the type of accident that happened to you on this list, don’t worry. You may still have a viable claim. Contact our office to learn more.
Types of Injuries in Arden-Arcade
No matter where they occur, personal injury accidents often result in serious, long-term injuries. Some of the most common injuries we see at our practice include:
- Bruises and lacerations
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries (damage to muscles, internal organs, ligaments and tendons, etc.)
- Severe burns
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Full or partial paralysis
- Crushed or severed limbs
- Death
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim?
While you are not required to have a lawyer to file a personal injury claim, it’s a good idea to have one. If you want to win your claim and recover any compensation, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. There is evidence to gather, motions to file, court hearings to attend, negotiations with the liable parties and their insurance companies, and other legal legwork that you’d need to do on your own if you do not have help from an attorney. If you’re in a lot of pain from your accident, all this work becomes that much harder and time-consuming without a lawyer’s help.
There are also time considerations to keep in mind if you want to file a personal injury claim. Under California state law, there’s a statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against someone after an accident. In most cases, this time limit is two years from the date of injury. If you do not file a lawsuit by this time, you will likely lose your chance to recover any compensation for your injuries.
Two years sounds like a long time, but with the amount of evidence you’ll need to gather and the complex negotiations that will need to take place, it will be difficult to get a lawsuit filed in time without some help from a personal injury attorney.
A personal injury will also have a better understanding of the relevant laws and regulations that pertain to your case. This knowledge, along with their legal training, will help them pursue all the money you’re entitled to for your injuries. Without a lawyer’s help, you may miss out on some of the compensation you might have otherwise recovered – or you might not get anything at all due to a technicality.
Types of Compensation for Personal Injury
There are three kinds of compensation, also referred to as damages, that you can receive from a personal injury claim. They are:
- Economic damages – This is compensation for the quantifiable financial losses that someone sustains in an injury. They are also sometimes referred to as “special damages.” Economic damages include things like:
- Your past medical bills (doctors’ visits, hospital stays, physical therapy, prescription medications, surgeries, lab work, diagnostic imaging, the cost of transportation to and from appointments, etc.)
- The cost of any future medical care you may need
- Any lost wages if you had to miss work due to your injuries
- Reduced capacity to earn a living if you’ve sustained a permanent disability from your accident
- Non-economic damages – This is compensation for your losses and injuries that don’t have a specific dollar amount attached. You may also hear them referred to as “general damages.” They include things like:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental or emotional anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages – Punitive damages are not directly related to your injuries. Instead, they’re aimed at punishing bad actors in instances of, especially egregious or reckless conduct. Punitive damages are very rare and awarded at the discretion of the judge.
How Can an Arden-Arcade, CA Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
You might be wondering what exactly a personal injury lawyer does in a case like this. Here are some of the ways we can help you after an accident:
- Investigating your case to find all potentially liable parties – There may be more than one entity who’s responsible for your injuries in an accident. For instance, if you’re injured by a drunk driver, the driver will likely bear the majority of fault for the accident. However, it may be that your vehicle had a mechanical defect that made it harder for you to avoid the crash, in which case the company that made the vehicle can also be held liable for your injuries.
- Saving and gathering evidence – Like any legal matter, personal injury claims and lawsuits require evidence. While the burden of proof is lower in civil trials than in criminal trials, you’ll still need to present a strong case if you want to recover any compensation. You’ll need to show how the liable party or parties were at fault for your injuries. The stronger your case, the more likely the judge or jury will rule in your favor.
- Handling all your communication and paperwork needs – During the course of your personal injury claim, you’ll likely need to make a statement to the opposing insurance company and the other party’s lawyers. You don’t want to say anything to them without having a lawyer review it first to make sure it doesn’t jeopardize your claim. An attorney can handle all your other communication and paperwork as well, letting you focus on getting better.
- Negotiating for the maximum possible settlement – A lawyer can present medical records and other documentation to make sure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you’re entitled to. In particular, damages for your pain and suffering are hard to demonstrate and quantify, but an attorney can help you in this regard.
- Preparing your case for trial and representing you in court – While most injury claims do not go to trial, sometimes it’s necessary to file a lawsuit if the opposing party refuses to offer a fair settlement. A lawyer can help you get your case ready for trial and then fight in court on your behalf.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Arden-Arcade, CA
The sooner you get started on your personal injury claim, the more likely it is that you’ll get the compensation you deserve. At Demas Law Group, you don’t owe us any fees unless we collect compensation on your behalf, so there’s no reason not to begin the claims process as soon as possible. To speak with a member of our team, call us or visit our contact page to schedule a free initial consultation.
Visit our personal injury lawyer offices nearby Arden-Arcade, CA