If you have been injured by someone else’s negligence, obtaining just compensation that covers your complete losses is important to your ability to fully recover, and personal injury is the branch of law that applies. The road toward recovery after accidents of this nature is often long, but with the compensation to which you are entitled, it becomes far more doable. If you are the victim of someone else’s negligence, don’t delay consulting with an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.
What Does Negligence Look Like?
When it comes to personal injury law, negligence relates to the at-fault party’s failure to live up to the duty of care he or she owed the injured party.
Traffic Accidents
Every motorist owes a duty of care to everyone else who shares the road with him or her. This duty of care relates to driving safely and allowing the safe passage of others on the road. When a motorist ignores the rules of the road or otherwise engages in negligent driving practices, he or she puts the rest of us at increased risk of being injured in a traffic accident. Such negligence can come in any of the following varieties:
- Distraction – Distracted drivers aren’t capable of paying adequate attention to the road ahead, and drivers who text behind the wheel elevate the danger involved considerably.
- Impairment – Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs suffer cognitive, physical, and even visual impairments that greatly decrease their ability to drive safely.
- Exhaustion – Drowsy drivers suffer some of the same impairments that drunk drivers do, and they are dangerous behind the wheel.
- Excess Speed – Drivers with lead feet make deadly accidents far more likely.
- Aggression – Aggressive drivers barrel forward with no care for others on the road, making them some of the most dangerous drivers.
Premises Liability Claims
Premises liability claims relate to accidents, such as slip and falls, that are precipitated by the negligence of commercial property owners or managers. Commercial property owners and managers who fail to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for their guests can be found legally responsible for accidents that ensue. Common causes of premises liability claims include:
- Property damage, such as if your car is totaled in a traffic accident
- Medical expenses, which can be astronomical
- Lost earnings, which can evolve into lost earning potential
- Pain and suffering, which can be one of the most difficult hurdles to clear
Ensuring that your personal injury claim includes your full array of damages can play a critical role in your ability to heal.
Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit
If the insurance company involved in your claim refuses to negotiate a reasonable settlement in good faith, you’ll need to move forward by filing a lawsuit against them. If this is your situation, it’s important to keep in mind that, in California, there is a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases, which means that you have two years from the date of your injury-causing accident to file your case (in most situations). These two years can pass in the blink of an eye when you’re busy recovering from serious injuries and dealing with the insurance company’s stalling tactics, which can make blowing through this statute of limitations easier than you probably recognize.
- Spills that are left unchecked
- Uneven walkways
- Bunched, buckled, torn, or otherwise dangerously worn floor coverings
- Inadequate lighting
- Slippery debris that is tracked into entryways
- Tripping hazards, such as electrical cords, left in aisles, hallways, or corridors
- Poorly designed, built, or maintained staircases
- Poorly maintained elevators or escalators
Dog Bites
Dog owners are negligent when they allow their animals to get near and attack innocent bystanders. Dog bites are far too serious for dog owners to stand idly by and allow their dogs to do whatever. These owners have a duty of care that requires them to protect others from being bitten, and when they fail to do so, personal injury law can effectively address the matter.
Drownings
Pool owners understand that their pools are very inviting to others – especially small children who are incapable of understanding the danger involved and who are incapable of protecting themselves from that danger. Pool owners are responsible not only for ensuring that they post adequate warnings regarding safe practices for adult guests but also for erecting barriers that ensure children don’t wander into pool areas alone.
Your Damages
The damages you face as a result of someone else’s negligence can be immense, including:
- Property damage (such as to your vehicle in a traffic accident)
- Medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
Ultimately, it’s important to include your full array of damages in your personal injury claim, but doing so is not always straightforward. For example, your physical injuries can develop over time into something even more serious and can lead to the need for ongoing medical attention and care. Further, if your lost earnings segue into a loss in earning potential, it represents an even more significant financial loss. Finally, failing to address your emotional pain and suffering head-on can leave you at a serious disadvantage when it comes to recovering your health and well-being.
Taking on the Insurance Company
Ultimately, your personal injury settlement (or court award) will very likely come from the at-fault party’s insurance provider, and this insurance company has a lot of weight behind it. Further, this insurance company is heavily invested in keeping its profits high and its settlements as low as possible (for obvious financial reasons), and it is very likely willing to employ heavy artillery toward this end. In other words, you – as an injured accident victim of the company’s client’s negligence – are not in a good position to take them on of your own accord. Your dedicated personal injury attorney, however, has the experience, drive, and legal insight to skillfully negotiate for a settlement that covers your damages in their entirety and that allows you to move forward on the path toward healing.
Some of the weapons in the insurance company’s arsenal include:
- Coaxing statements out of claimants that go on to damage their own claims
- Shutting down claims at the outset (hoping to scare claimants off)
- Offering early settlements that aren’t even close in terms of covering
- claimants’ complete damages (hoping claimants will accept out of desperation)
- Prolonging and/or overly complicating the claims process (hoping vulnerable claimants will lose hope)
- Casting blame on the claimants themselves (hoping to wiggle out of claims)
Casting doubt on the extent of claimants’ damages
Call an Award Winning Los Angeles Personal Injury Law Firm
If someone else’s negligence causes you to be injured, the trusted Los Angeles personal injury attorneys at Los Angeles City Law have a wealth of experience successfully guiding claims like yours toward beneficial resolutions, and we’re here to help you, too. Our well-respected legal team takes great pride in faithfully serving the City of Los Angeles, so please don’t wait to contact or call us at 866-522-4895 for more information about how we can help you today.
