Were you injured in an accident in La Jolla, CA? A La Jolla personal injury lawyer can review the facts of your claim and help you navigate the next steps to financial recovery. Contact Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers today at (858) 585-9031 to schedule your free consultation.
Hiring a skilled La Jolla personal injury attorney can allow you to focus on your physical recovery while we focus on recovering the compensation you deserve. We have 80 years of combined experience and have recovered over $100 million in compensation. We’ll stand by you every step of the way and seek to hold the negligent party accountable.
Why Should I Choose Pines Salomon for Legal Help After an Accident in La Jolla, CA?
An unexpected injury can cost you precious time, money, and emotional stress. We understand you will want to focus on your physical and mental recovery rather than worry about your legal issues. Our experienced lawyers are prepared to provide you with comprehensive legal support during your recovery.
Beyond our experience and significant case results, members of our legal team have been recognized by Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, and other prestigious legal organizations.
Call our law office in La Jolla, California, to schedule a free consultation.
What Is My Accident Worth?
There are many factors that can influence the value of your personal injury claim, such as:
- The severity of your injuries: The more severe your injuries, the more you can recover from your case.
- Your age and health: Older victims with pre-existing conditions and a lower life expectancy will be entitled to less compensation than younger victims who are in good health.
- Whether you are partially responsible for the accident: Your degree of fault for the accident can affect the total amount that you will be able to recover.
- Insurance policy limits: It is common for insurance policies to set limits as to the amount of coverage available in an accident.
- Whether you have a temporary or permanent disability: If you are unable to return to work or can only work in a limited capacity, you will be able to recover more damages to compensate for your condition.
- Whether your case settles or goes to trial: Settling your case can be quicker and less stressful, but may result in less compensation than if your case were to go to trial.
Our attorneys will look at all these factors and others to determine the value of your accident.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Personal Injury Victims?
In California, damages in a personal injury case include economic damages and non-economic damages. You can seek compensation for both types of damages through a settlement or a jury verdict.
Economic damages are the financial losses stemming from your accident, such as:
- Medical costs
- Costs of Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages, meanwhile, address emotional distress and other “unseen” damages after an accident.
Examples of non-economic losses include:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Disfigurement,
- Reduced quality of life
The overall value of your case can vary depending on the type of accident and injuries involved. There is no set dollar value for any type of accident or injury. A knowledgeable La Jolla personal injury lawyer can estimate the value of your claim and work diligently to get what you deserve.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Personal injury lawyers typically represent clients on a contingency fee basis. Under this fee arrangement, you will only owe attorney’s fees if your lawyer wins a settlement or jury verdict on your behalf. You will not be required to pay attorney’s fees if your claim fails for any reason. This shifts the risk of a personal injury case away from you and onto your legal team.
If you do win your case, your personal injury lawyer will receive a percentage of your financial award. This percentage depends on the type of case and the details of your agreement. During your free consultation with our office, you can learn more about how contingency fee arrangements work in a personal injury case.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for an Accident in California?
You can pursue a personal injury claim even if you are partially responsible for your accident. California follows a pure comparative negligence standard in personal injury cases. What this means is that you can collect damages, but your share would be reduced by the percentage of your own liability.
For example, if you were found 25% responsible for a car accident, your payout would be reduced by 25%. Thus, a $100,000 payment would become $75,000 based on your proportion of negligence. Even if you think you shared blame for an accident, do not let that stop you from talking to a lawyer about your potential claim.
What Types of Personal Injury Cases Do Our Lawyers Handle?
At Pines Salomon, we handle a wide range of personal injury cases, including:
- Car Accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Accidents caused by drunk driving
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Slip and fall accidents
- Premises liability
- Dog bites
- Spinal cord injuries
- Children’s injuries
- Wrongful death
These issues and many more can cause losses that require legal help. If you or a loved one was injured in any type of accident, please reach out to us. We will review the facts of your claim and help you plan your next steps to financial recovery.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
A serious accident can lead to devastating injuries impacting your physical and mental health. Injuries can be specific to the type of accident, but some injuries happen more often than others.
Common injuries caused by negligence include:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Infections
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Paralysis
- Internal bleeding
- Soft tissue injuries
- Loss of vision and hearing
- Amputation
- Death
Any of these injuries can diminish your quality of life, limit your ability to return to work, and involve long recoveries. A personal injury claim seeks to restore you financially while you recover physically and emotionally.
What Is Negligence, and How Do I Prove It?
Negligence is the legal theory behind most personal injury cases. To collect monetary damages, you will likely need to prove the elements of negligence.
To do this, your lawyer will aim to prove the following legal elements of negligence in California:
- There was a duty of care owed to you by the other party in the situation.
- The defendant breached their duty of care toward you.
- The defendant directly caused your injuries.
- You suffered damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and other losses.
Your lawyer will typically rely on the following types of evidence to prove your case:
- Medical records
- Photographs
- Video footage, including surveillance cameras and cell phone videos
- Property repair estimates and invoices
- Witness testimony, including eyewitnesses and expert witnesses
- Your own testimony about the accident and what you’ve been through
If you can prove that it is more likely than not that a defendant caused your damages, you have a legal right to demand compensation from the at-fault party. Your lawyer will seek to prove your claim and maximize your financial recovery.
How a La Jolla Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Me
A La Jolla personal injury lawyer will analyze all details of your accident and do the following:
- Investigate the facts involved with your case
- Collect evidence supporting your claim, such as photos, video, police reports, and witness information
- Handle communications with the insurance company
- Aggressively negotiate a fair settlement whenever possible
- Take your case to trial if the other party won’t offer a fair settlement
Your lawyer will be able to assist you from your initial consultation through the resolution of your case.
What Is the Statute of Limitations in California for a Personal Injury Case?
The statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is typically two years.
The statute of limitations will begin tolling on:
- The date of your accident
- The date your injury was discovered, if not immediately apparent
- The date of death in a wrongful death claim
If you don’t file within the deadline, you could lose your right to sue and collect damages from the wrongdoer. Your lawyer will closely monitor the statute of limitations and all other filing deadlines throughout your case.
Contact a La Jolla Personal Injury Lawyer Today for a Free Consultation
If you were hurt in an accident in La Jolla, CA, you have the right to seek financial compensation from a negligent party. The legal team here at Pines Salomon understands what you are going through and will do everything to help.
We’ve recovered over $100 million in compensation and have over 80 years of combined legal experience. Let us put our resources and reputation behind your claim.
To learn more, contact our law office to set up your free consultation today with a La Jolla personal injury lawyer.
