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495+Top Rated Downey Personal Injury Attorneys
If someone else’s actions have harmed you, the law makes them legally responsible to pay you for what they have done. First, you need to take action to hold them accountable. In California, the personal injury claims system does not always make it easy for you to get the money that is coming to you. In fact, nothing comes to you unless you go out and get it. Our Downey personal injury attorneys at The JLF Firm can represent you in a personal injury case. Call us today to schedule a free initial consultation.
What Is a Personal Injury Claim?
A personal injury is exactly that — it is some type of injury to your person. Most often, a personal injury is a physical one, but there could also be harm to your reputation or emotions.
You could be hurt in many ways, practically every time that you leave your home (and sometimes even in your own home). Although personal injury law covers a variety of diverse situations, the legal concepts across cases are largely the same.
Personal Injury Cases that We Handle
At The JLF Firm, we represent clients in the following types of personal injury cases:
- Auto accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dog bites
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Wrongful death
- Slip and fall
The Role of Negligence in Your Personal Injury Case
Negligence is not just shorthand for someone doing something wrong. Whether someone is in the wrong actually depends on a comparison to what someone else would have done. Negligence is a legal term of art, which requires that you prove each element of a four-part test. The elements are as follows:
- Someone else owed you the duty of care.
- They failed to uphold their duty by doing something that would be unreasonable under the circumstances.
- You suffered an injury.
- You would not have been injured had it not been for the actions of the other party.
The main question in a personal injury case is often what the other party actually did. Then, you would need to show how it fell short of what was expected of them under the circumstances.
For example, a driver acts reasonably when they pay attention and follow all traffic laws. Failing to check a blindspot before changing lanes is not something the reasonable driver would do behind the wheel.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Helps Your Case
In every personal injury case, you have two main tasks:
- Proving that someone else was to blame for what happened
- Quantifying your damages and getting enough to compensate you for the harm that you suffered
Your attorney’s work is vital for both of those purposes. To the first end, they will gather the evidence that you need to prove that you are entitled to personal injury damages after they have fully investigated your case. They may interview witnesses and obtain other proof that can demonstrate that someone else was negligent.
Then, your attorney would calculate the value of your case, so you know how much to seek.
The crucial work that your lawyer does is in dealing with the insurance company. No matter what type of personal injury that you have suffered, chances are that there is an insurance company involved. They all operate in the same manner. They are not out for you — they lined up against you. An attorney needs to communicate with and pressure the insurance company to pay you what you deserve. At the same time, a lawyer will handle all the details of your case, so you do not have to get involved.
Damages in a Personal Injury Case
When it comes to compensation, you have the legal right to be fully paid back for all that you have lost. While you are compensated for the money that you have lost, your losses are more than just financial. Your life is not the same as it was at the minute before your personal injury. You can be paid for every way that your life has changed.
Personal injury damages can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Embarrassment and humiliation
In addition, a family who has lost a loved one can be paid back for their own damages in a wrongful death lawsuit.
In the end, your case is worth what you are able to get, either from the insurance company or from a jury. It is up to you to get what you deserve because the insurance company is not going to simply give it to you.
The Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
There is little that you can do that would persuade the insurance company to do the right thing. Simply stated, they are not afraid of you. They have adjusters and lawyers whose job it is to keep you from getting top dollar for your claim. You need both a guide to the legal process and a protector when the insurance company tries to trample on your legal right to full and fair compensation.
Your personal injury lawyer’s job is to maximize the value of your claim. They work in your interests to get you the best possible settlement or win the most amount of money possible in a court case. Studies consistently show that people who hire lawyers end up with more money than those who handle their own claim, even after paying the lawyer their fee — and it is not even close.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Downey Today
The JLF Firm operates under the core belief that personal injury victims are entitled to tough and dedicated legal representation as they pursue full and fair financial compensation for their injuries. Justice is our guiding principle, as we devote all of our efforts to fighting for you when the insurance company tries to do you wrong. You can speak with a personal injury lawyer today by sending us a message through our website or calling us at 888-341-3071.
