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Jun 9, 2022
When you’re injured in a Los Angeles, California, accident – whether a car crash, slip and fall, dog bite, etc. – your road to recovery can require financial compensation for various damages, such as hospital or medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. After an accident due to negligence that leads to an injury, you may be wondering where to turn (and if you have a valid claim for a civil lawsuit).
What is a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Below we will review everything you need to know about what a California personal injury lawsuit entails, look at how the litigation process works, outline what types of financial damages may be recovered, and provide information on how to arrange for a free and no obligation consultation with an experienced and trusted lawyer from Dordulian Law Group.
What is a California Personal Injury Civil Lawsuit?
A personal injury lawsuit is a claim often filed after accidents due to negligence or carelessness – such as car crashes, dog bites, premises liability incidents (slip/trip and falls), wrongful deaths, and sexual assaults. When you file a personal injury civil lawsuit, you’re notifying the defendant (at-fault party) of your intention to recover financial compensation for your injuries and any losses. Initially, with the help of an experienced attorney, this step often takes the form of a demand letter rather than a formal claim.
If the defendant fails to respond to the demand letter or rejects the notice, your lawyer will proceed with a formal claim for damages. A formal claim or personal injury lawsuit officially notifies the court of your intent, as an injured victim, to recover financial compensation for damages.
In a formal personal injury claim, your attorney will present the facts of your case through a compelling argument that outlines what happened, how negligence was involved, and why you deserve to be compensated for your injuries.
When a formal personal injury civil claim is filed with the assistance of an experienced Los Angeles-area attorney, the at-fault party (or defendant) is legally required to respond. Failing to respond to such a formal complaint will cause the court to automatically issue a judgment in your favor. Defendants typically contest personal injury claims, but in some cases an immediate cash settlement can be reached.
What Qualifies as a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
The main aspect that determines whether or not you have a valid personal injury claim is negligence. If another driver injured you in a car accident due to his or her negligence, you may have a valid claim for financial compensation. Moreover, if a pet owner failed to keep his dog from attacking you, you may have a valid personal injury claim.
When negligence or carelessness on the part of either an individual or entity causes an accident leading to injury, the victim deserves to be appropriately compensated (or made “whole”).
There are typically four elements that need to be met in a valid personal injury civil lawsuit:
- The at-fault party or defendant owed you a “duty of care”
- The at-fault party or defendant breached that duty of care
- Said breach caused your injury (or injuries)
- Those injuries which resulted from a breached duty of care/negligence led to financial damages/losses
What Steps Should I Take After an Accident Injury?
At Dordulian Law Group (DLG), our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers is led by Sam Dordulian, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County with more than 25 years of experience fighting to recover maximum financial compensation for victims like you.
Dordulian has more than 100 jury trial victories and, together with the DLG team, has helped injured victims secure more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts.
When you’re injured in an accident, our Personal Injury Division of attorneys recommends that you take the following steps:
- Seek medical attention immediately: Your health and well-being should be the first priority after any type of accident – whether a car crash, dog bite, slip and fall, etc. Furthermore, obtaining an immediate medical exam ensures that your injuries are properly documented. This is a key aspect of personal injury lawsuits, and those victims who receive medical care often secure greater financial compensation for their claims.
- Gather any evidence: If possible, taking videos, pictures, etc. of the accident scene can be useful in an eventual civil lawsuit. However, it’s important to remember not to ever overlook step number one (seeking medical attention) in an effort to gather such evidence.
- File an official police report: It’s always a good idea to make an official report with your local law enforcement agency after an accident that was caused by negligence. Establishing an official record of the incident can be helpful when attempting to recover maximum financial compensation.
- Contact an experienced and proven lawyer: Having an experienced and proven personal injury lawyer fighting in you corner can be a wise and beneficial decision after an accident. But choosing the best attorney who will protect your interests is paramount, and experience and past results should always be considered.
Why Should I Hire a DLG Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident?
Hiring a DLG personal injury lawyer to handle your accident claim can be in your overall best interest for a number of reasons. Our attorneys have vast jury trial experience, which means that if a maximum financial damages award can’t be obtained through a settlement, we’re always ready to take your case to trial and win on your behalf before a jury. And hiring the best personal injury lawyer can help ensure you secure the compensation you need to make a complete recovery – physically, emotionally, and financially.
Personal injury victims who hire private attorneys often secure greater financial compensation for their claims. For example, the Insurance Research Council (IRC) recently conducted a study which confirmed the following personal injury claim statistics:
- Settlements for injured claimants were 40% higher when they had secured private legal representation.
- The average insurance payout was 3.5 times higher for injured victims who hired private attorneys (when compared to those representing themselves).
- 85% of all money paid by insurance companies for bodily injuries is received by victims who have secured representation from a private personal injury attorney.
Reaching out to a member of the DLG personal injury team for a free consultation will ensure you have a full understanding of the legal process. During your free California personal injury consultation, a DLG lawyer will:
- Review the facts of your case and determine whether negligence was involved
- Discuss all available legal options for your personal injury claim
- Provide an estimate for how long your personal injury lawsuit might take to settle
- Provide an estimate for how much your personal injury claim/lawsuit may be worth
With DLG, your accident injury consultation is always confidential and without any obligation. We’ll review the facts of your case and provide you with all available legal options to ensure your rights are protected and the maximum financial damages award you deserve is pursued. We serve accident injury clients throughout California as well as the United States.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims?
Most California personal injury claims are bound to a two-year statute of limitations. This means that you typically have two years from the date of an accident to file a claim seeking to recover financial compensation.
However, it’s important to note that some claims – such as those filed against government or public entities – may have a much shorter deadline (sometimes only six months).
Accordingly, DLG’s personal injury lawyers recommend that victims file their claims as soon as possible to ensure evidence it preserved and the chance of recovering maximum financial compensation is greater.
What Damages are Recoverable in a Personal Injury Claim?
The most common examples of personal injury accident damages in civil lawsuits are broken down below according to type.
Common California Personal Injury Accident Economic Damages:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Emergency department treatment
- Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost Wages
- Lost Earning Capacity
Common California Personal Injury Accident Non-Economic Damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Reduced quality of life
- Scarring or other serious injury
- Compensation for loss of a limb or disfigurement
To learn more about how important it can be to have an experienced DLG California personal injury lawyer handling your case, please visit our recent blog on how pain and suffering damages are calculated in personal injury civil claims.
Free Los Angeles, California, Personal Injury Lawyer Consultation
Contact a DLG personal injury lawyer today at 818-322-4056 to arrange for a free consultation.
Don’t miss the deadline for filing your personal injury lawsuit – whether a car crash, truck accident, slip and fall, motorcycle wreck, or dog bite. Personal injury victims who fail to file claims within the standard two-year statute of limitations typically waive their right to seek much-needed financial compensation for damages.
Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.
When you’re in need of justice after an accident injury due to someone else’s negligence, our team of trusted, dedicated, and proven Los Angeles attorneys is here for you 24/7.
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