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How do You Know if You Need a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer? Hint: If You Have Been in an Automobile Accident

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 17:15:02 GMT

If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, you may find yourself asking the question of “do I need a San Diego car accident attorney?” Cutting to the bottom line, if you’ve been in a car accident , you need to give very serious consideration to hiring a San Diego car accident lawyer immediately.

In the aftermath of a car accident, you very well may hear an injured person make any number of statements along the lines of:

“I don’t need an attorney. I can file a claim myself.”

“I’ve not been injured badly or if at all and I don’t need a lawyer.”

“Lawyers cost too much money.”

The fact is there are a number of significant reasons why you need to seriously consider retaining a San Diego car accident attorney immediately following a car accident. These include:

There is no such thing as a “small” car accident case
Deadlines are looming
Insurance claim complications can be avoided with legal counsel
Medical documentation of a case needs to be careful and precise
Importance of an initial consultation

No Such Thing as a “Small” Car Accident Case

In fact, there may be an occasional situation in which the results of a car accident are not at all significant. In most cases involving a car accident there likely are injuries, damages, and losses that warrant the pursuit of compensation.

With these points noted, if you are involved in a car accident, you are wise to not only tend to medical considerations promptly but you are also prudent to schedule an initial consultation with a qualified, capable San Diego car accident attorney. As is discussed further in a moment, an experienced lawyer can provide you with a meaningful evaluation of your case. A personal injury lawyer can determine whether and how you should proceed with a claim.

Deadlines Loom

Deadlines loom and they do so not long after a car accident occurs. There can be deadlines associated with an insurance claim. Missing such a milestone can make the pursuit of a claim for compensation more problematic.

In California, there is a law known as the statute of limitations . This law establishes what fairly can be called an absolute deadline by which a car accident lawsuit must be filed in court. Missing this substantial deadline can result in you being prevented from ever pursuing your case again. You may forever be precluded from obtaining compensation you deserve for injuries and losses associated with a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence.

Deadlines associated with automobile accident claims and lawsuits underscore who you need a San Diego automobile accident lawyer. Legal counsel is both familiar with the timeframes associated with pursuing a car accident claim as well as with important statutory provisions that must be complied with in order to pursue litigation.

Insurance Claim Complications

Insurance claims complications can arise following a car accident. Certain complications can be quite complex and difficult for an injured claimant to maneuver through on his or her own. The general complexity of insurance claims in the 21 ^st century, coupled with the fact that problems and complications can and do arise, underscore the need to retain legal counsel following a car accident.

Moreover, the potential for insurance claim complications underscores the need for retaining a San Diego motor vehicle accident attorney sooner rather than later. The idea of “I’ll hire a lawyer if my claim doesn’t settle in a certain period of time” would be a decision fraught with peril and could have dire consequences for a valid claim for compensation following a car accident.

Promptly Get a Medical Evaluation … Even After a “Fender Bender”

One important fact to absolutely bear in mind when involved in any type of car accident – even a so-called “fender bender.” You must always obtain a medical evaluation promptly (promptly means immediately) following any kind of automobile accident. There are two very important reasons why you must obtain a prompt medical evaluation following any type of automobile accident, including one that you do not perceive as being serious. And this includes a car accident in which you do not detect any injuries whatsoever. These two crucial reasons for seeking prompt medical attention are:

1. There are a number of different injuries that can and do occur in car accidents that are not immediately detected, according to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. These include whiplash and associated damage as well as traumatic brain injuries. For example, there are cases in which a person suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a car accident and did not think anything was wrong. In fact, the individual suffered a serious but treatable traumatic brain injury. Failing to seek prompt medical attention in such a situation has resulted in people experiencing serious and even fatal consequences

2. If you are involved in a San Diego car accident caused by someone else, you will want to make a claim for your injuries, damages, and losses. As part of making such a claim, you need to be able to document the nature and extent of your injuries. That process starts immediately after an accident. As a result, protecting your legal interests is another paramount reason why you need to seek a medical evaluation directly after an automobile accident.

Prompt medical attention does not necessarily mean you need to be transported in an ambulance to a hospital emergency department. If you have a primary care physician and that doctor can see you on the day of an accident, that can be a suitable course.

While you must tend to medical issues first following an automobile accident, once you have taken these initial steps, it is not to early to make initial contact with at San Diego car accident attorney . Legal counsel will be invaluable in ensuring that your case is properly documented, including from a medical perspective. Therefore, having a lawyer on board sooner rather than later is important, including when it comes to developing a useful medical record associated with the injuries you sustained in a California car accident.

Importance of Initial Consultation

San Diego car accident lawyers provide prospective clients with the opportunity for an initial consultation. As a matter of general practice in San Diego (and elsewhere in California), car accident lawyers charge no fee for an initial consultation.

Through an initial consultation you can obtain an evaluation of your case, as has been discussed a moment ago. You can also obtain answers to your questions and learn more about both the insurance claim process and the procedures associated with a lawsuit in California.

The initial consultation and associated case evaluation is the juncture at which a lawyer may become your legal counsel, if you do elect to retain those professional services. In California, most personal injury attorneys do not charge a fee upfront for their professional assistance. They utilize what is known as a contingency fee agreement .

A contingency fee agreement is one in which you pay not attorney fee at the start of a case. Rather, a reasonable and agreed attorney fee is deducted from proceeds from a settlement or judgment if your case is successful.

How an Experienced San Diego Bicycle Accident Lawyer Will Benefit You in Your Case

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:15:03 GMT

Every year, a significant number of bicyclists are injured in accidents involving collisions with motor vehicles . While there is some variance in the number of bicyclists involved in injury accidents with motor vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that somewhere in the neighborhood of 45,000 bicyclists are injured in motor vehicle collisions. Of that number, approximately 800 bicyclists are killed in these accidents. If you’ve been injured in a bike accident caused by the negligence of a motor vehicle driver, you best protect your legal interests by retaining the services of a San Diego bicycle accident lawyer. There are a number of ways in which legal counsel can benefit your case:

Taking on insurance company
Optimize chances of a favorable settlement
Enhance compensation
Access to experts
Knowledge and understanding of applicable law
Effective navigation of judicial process
Saving time in reaching a resolution of a personal injury case

Taking on Insurance Company

Insurance companies market themselves as being in business to provide people with compensation in their hour of need. For example, they maintain that when an accident occurs, an insurance company is going to be on hand to provide an injured person the compensation the need and deserve.

While this type of rhetoric makes for good marketing copy, the stark reality is that insurance companies in California and across the United States are in business for one primary reason. Insurers are in business like all other enterprises. They exist to make money for their stakeholders – shareholders, corporate executives, and the like.

Insurance companies are always on the hunt for ways in which they can boost their bottom lines. One way in which insurance company revenues and profits can be increased is by limiting the amount of money paid out in claims by accident victims, including people injured in bicycle accidents.

An experienced San Diego bicycle accident lawyer is able to take on an insurance company, battle an insurer as necessary in order to obtain the compensation an accident victim deserves in a particular case. The bottom line is that a Sand Diego bike accident attorney understands the tactics used by insurance companies and has the skill set necessary to combat and counter those tactics in the quest to obtain justice for an injured client.

Optimize Chances of a Favorable Settlement

An attorney on your side also enhances or optimizes your odds for a more favorable settlement. Experienced legal counsel develops effective negotiation skills and tactics by being in the proverbial trenches.

While some bike accident victims might have a bit of experience in the realm of negotiating, a layperson typically just does not have the type of background that a bike accident attorney San Diego brings to the table.

There typically are two phases of negotiation in a typical bike accident injury case . Negotiations occur during the initial claims settlement process. Negotiations then carry forward if a case ends up being litigated in court. These two different courses of negotiating a resolution to a bike accident case necessitate the skillset exemplified by an experienced, tenacious California bike accident injury lawyer.

Enhance Compensation

Retaining experienced lawyer bring an important benefit to a case. Because of the skill and experience of seasoned bicycle accident attorneys, people with personal injury claims stemming from bike accidents experience enhanced compensation.

Some people operate under a myth that hiring a lawyer reduces the amount of money you will end up obtaining in a case settlement. In case after case, the reality is that retaining legal counsel actually increases the amount of money a person takes home in an accident case. The amount in compensation is nearly always higher when an attorney is retained. This proves to be a reality even when attorney fees are taken into consideration.

Access to Experts

Another important benefit to retaining the professional services of an experienced lawyer is access to experts. In most personal injury cases , access to experts can be very important. For example, expert testimony and associated may be necessary in a bike accident case to demonstrate the extent of personal injury sustained by a victim of this type of incident. Attorneys have access to quality experts who specialize in an array of different medical and other professions, individuals that can bring significant support to a claim for injuries, damages, and losses.

Knowledge and Understanding of Applicable Law

Experienced bike accident lawyers also bring a keen understanding of applicable statutory, regulatory, and case law to a bike accident claim. From the days a lawyer began studying in law school, such a professional has learned how to stay abreast of the latest developments in the law. Experienced attorneys are able to “make the law work for you,” a fact that can make all the difference when it comes to your own injury claim arising from a bike accident.

Effective Navigation of Judicial Process

Another vital benefit that a San Diego personal injury attorney with a background in representing victim of bike accidents brings to you is the ability to navigate the California court system effectively. The California court system is complex. The same is true of the federal court system as well.

California courts do provide people with some standard forms that can be used in certain types of case. However, California courts cannot advocate for you if you are injured in a bike accident caused by the negligence of someone else.

An experienced California bike accident lawyer has the background and training to effectively navigate the judicial system and process on your behalf. Your attorney is in a position to take on legal counsel put forth by an insurance company intent on sidetracking your bona fide claim for injuries arising from a bicycle accident.

Saving Time in Reaching a Resolution of a Personal Injury Case

Finally, retaining a San Diego bike accident attorney benefits your case because legal counsel is likely to be able to speed up the process of reaching a resolution in a bicycle accident injury case. The reality is that when an injured person pursues a claim for compensation following an injury accident without legal representation, a case oftentimes has a tendency to drag on indefinitely.

Insurance companies employ as a claims settlement practice trying to delay the settlement of a valid injury claim. They take this approach with hopes of being able to wear down an injured person. By wearing a bike accident victim down in this manner, insurance companies oftentimes are able to force unrepresented people into settling a case for what amounts to a significantly lower amount in the way of compensation that a claim really is worth.

If you’ve suffered injuries in a bike accident resulting from an accident caused by someone else, you need to be as proactive as reasonably possible to retain the professional services of a skilled, experienced San Diego bicycle accident lawyer. You begin the process of engaging legal counsel by scheduling an initial consultation with a qualified, capable California bike accident attorney. There is no cost for an initial consultation and case evaluation. In addition, typical California bicycle accident lawyers charge no fee for their professional representation unless the prevail in a case on behalf of a client.

Why Having an Experienced San Diego Trucking Accident Lawyer Represent You Will Make a Difference in a Little and a Lot of Compensation

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 17:00:07 GMT

Each year, a shocking number of San Diego residents are injured in truck accidents. Because of the nature of these types of roadway collisions, victims of truck accidents frequently sustain serious and even fatal injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, or if you’ve lost a family member in this type of collision, an experienced San Diego trucking accident lawyer can make all the different in the pursuit of a claim or lawsuit. By this it is meant retaining the professional services of a San Diego truck accident lawyer can make the different between obtaining a small amount of financial compensation or justice and the recovery you deserve in your case.

A number of important reasons exist as to why an experienced, tenacious San Diego trucking accident lawyer can better ensure you obtain justice and appropriate compensation in your case. These include:

Properly value your claim
Preserve vital evidence
Create a medical record
Ability to forcefully take on insurance company
Ability to negotiate a meaningful settlement
Capacity to appropriately litigate a lawsuit

Properly Value Your Claim

A very important way in which an experienced San Diego trucking accident lawyer can make a difference in your case is counsel’s ability to properly value your claim. When a truck accident victim is left on his or her own, that individual understandably lacks the experience and background necessary to place an appropriate value on the injuries, losses, and damages sustained in a collision.

Absent legal counsel, a trucking accident victim can end up over-valuing his or her case. While it may seem odd to talk about overvaluing a claim, the fact is that laws and prior court cases do establish certain parameters in regard to compensation that can be claimed in a California personal injury case. Moreover, emotions understandably come into play when a person has suffered injuries as the result of the negligence of some other party.

An accident victim can also undervalue a claim. In other words, an injured person pursues an amount in compensation that is below what he or she really is entitled.

With proper legal representation, a truck accident victim is provided with a knowledgeable analysis of an accident claim. This evaluation includes a reasonable assessment of the value of a trucking accident injury claim.

Preserve Vital Evidence

One reason why some truck accident cases end up off course is because necessary evidence goes awry. The reality is that a layperson with no experience litigating legal matters understandably does not understand what steps need to be taken to preserve and protect vital evidence.

Dealing with evidence, and ensuring that it is properly preserved, is something that an experienced San Diego semi-truck accident attorney does understand. With the professional assistance of experienced legal counsel, a person with a claim arising from a big rig accident is placed in a far better position to obtain a favorable resolution of a case.

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Create a Medical Record

A seasoned San Diego truck accident lawyer also provides vital assistance when it comes to creating a necessary medical record. A major consideration in a case arising from an accident involving a semi-truck is the extent of injuries sustained by the individual bringing a claim. This necessitates the creation of a solid medical record.

An element of creating a medical record in a bicycle accident case is accessing the assistance of expert witnesses . Expert witnesses are able to provide what technically is classified as “opinion testimony” in a lawsuit. Other witnesses generally are not permitted to state opinions when testifying in court. Expert witnesses are permitted to do so because of their backgrounds and use of scientifically sound supporting evidence in coming to these conclusions.

Ability to Forcefully Take on Insurance Company

When it comes to a trucking accident, insurance companies tend to fight tooth and nail to limit liability of a big rig operator, semi-truck owner, and other principals. This type of defense must be countered with intelligent force, the type of response that is best mounted by an experienced San Diego trucking accident attorney .

A seasoned semi accident lawyer understands the strategies used by insurance companies designed to delay or derail a valid claim for compensation. Through experience and training, a skilled attorney can effectively take on an insurance company in a way that a layperson cannot. This is not a reflection on the intelligence or abilities of a layperson who is the victim of a trucking accident. Rather, experience and training provide an attorney with the capacity to deal with dilatory actions by even the most aggressive insurance carrier.

Ability to Negotiate a Meaningful Settlement

As is discussed in a bit more detail in a moment, a majority of California personal injury cases are settled short of going to trial. As a consequence, an injured San Diegan enhances the prospects for a favorable resolution of a personal injury claim arising from a truck accident by hiring an experienced trucking accident lawyer .

The negotiation process typically commences when an insurance claim is actively pending. Ultimately, negotiations very well may continue between a victim’s lawyer and legal counsel retained to defend a lawsuit in a truck collision case. As a consequence, the importance of an experienced attorney in a truck accident case really cannot be understated.

Capacity to Appropriately Litigate a Lawsuit

Yet another important reason having an experienced San Diego semi-truck accident lawyer on your side is because legal counsel has the capacity to appropriately and effectively litigate a lawsuit. Most cases involving truck accidents in California are resolved in some sort of resolution before a trial. With that said, settlements do oftentimes occur after a lawsuit is filed.

Even though a trucking accident claim oftentimes does settle or otherwise end up resolved short of s trial, because these resolutions occur after the judicial process commences, you are best served having legal counsel that understands that process. The reality is that trucking accident lawsuits are complex legal matters. Even getting such a case properly filed in the first instance is not a simple process.

If you’ve been injured in a San Diego truck accident, you need to take a proactive stance in retaining the services of a skilled, experienced San Diego trucking accident lawyer. As has been noted, you best and more fully protect your vital legal interests by retaining the professional assistance of a San Diego truck accident lawyer as soon after a collision as reasonable possible. You should take this step before you answer questions put to you by a representative of an insurance company.

The first step in retaining legal counsel is scheduling an initial consultation and case evaluation with a San Diego truck accident attorney. The standard practice in California is for a personal injury lawyer to arrange for an initial consultation with a potential client at no cost and no obligation. In addition, a California truck accident lawyer usually utilizes a contingency fee agreement. Through a contingency fee agreement, a client pays no attorney fee unless legal counsel obtains a successful resolution of a case via a favorable settlement or judgment in a lawsuit.

Why San Diego Injury Attorneys are Important to Your Accident Case

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 16:50:06 GMT

If you’re the victim of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, experienced San Diego injury attorneys can best protect your vital legal interests. Indeed, representation by skilled and tenacious San Diego injury attorneys can make all the difference in obtaining the justice you deserve in your case, including appropriate compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses. There are a number of reasons why retaining the services of a capable personal injury lawyer enhances the prospects that you will be able to obtain justice in the aftermath of an accident:

San Diego injury lawyers know how to take on insurance companies
Personal injury attorneys know how to effectively negotiate with insurers and other lawyers
San Diego accident attorneys understand the judicial process
An accident injury lawyer best ensures optimizing compensation

Taking on an Insurance Company

A key reason San Diego injury attorneys are important to your accident case is found in their ability to take on insurance companies. If you have been injured in an accident, you need to bear in mind that insurance companies have a primary objective of enhancing the bottom line, of making as much money as possible for their shareholders and other stakeholders. One way in which insurance companies up their revenues is to limit the amount of money that they pay out to injured claimants.

Insurance companies use a wide range of aggressive tactics to block an accident victim’s ability to obtain the compensation they deserve. This can include what truly are unfair claims settlement practices.

By hiring experienced San Diego insurance attorneys , victims of injury accidents have fighters on their side that understand the tactics used by insurance companies when it comes to claims and lawsuits. In simple terms, San Diego injury lawyers have the experience, skills, and tenacity to take on even the most obstinate insurance companies effectively.

An experienced accident injury lawyer is in the best position to be able to ensure that a client’s interests are not derailed even when an insurance company demonstrates no willingness to attempt to resolve a case in a manner that is appropriate to obtaining justice and suitable compensation. The training and experience of a personal injury attorney place that professional in a truly unique position to aid a person in obtaining justice even when an insurance company is attempting to ever thing in the book to prevent an injured person from obtaining appropriate financial recovery in a personal injury case.

Effective Negotiation with Insurance Companies and Other Attorneys

More personal San Diego personal injury cases end up settled and never see a courtroom for the purposes of a trial. Settlement of personal injury cases can happen during the insurance claim settlement process or after a lawsuit is filed. This necessitates negotiation with insurance company representatives as well as attorneys.

Another reason why San Diego injury lawyers are important, indeed vital, to your case is the fact that they have the skill and dexterity to effectively negotiate with insurance company representatives as well as fellow members of the bar. Because of the well-tuned ability of San Diego injury lawyers to negotiate effectively, their clients have enhanced opportunities for more favorable resolution of their cases. In other words, people injured in accidents are able to obtain more appropriate financial compensation for their injuries, damages, and losses because of the ability of legal counsel to skillfully negotiate with the proverbial opposition.

Knowledge of Judicial Process

In addition to being able to negotiate effectively and placed their clients in a better position to obtain a favorable settlement of an injury claim, San Diego injury lawyers also have a solid understanding of the judicial process. The stark reality is that when an accident victim in a lawsuit is not represented by legal counsel, that individual literally can get lost in the judicial process. When that occurs, the risk of a lawsuit going off the rails becomes very real. For example, a very dangerous prospect is that an unrepresented plaintiff may end up failing to meet important deadlines in a lawsuit.

The failure to comply with deadlines in a lawsuit can result in the imposition of sanctions. In the worst case scenario, a lawsuit can end up being dismissed with what is called prejudice. When a lawsuit is dismissed with prejudice, the case can never be refiled in court. An injured person can be left completely without any remedy for damages and losses arising from an accident caused by the negligence of someone else.

Justice and Optimization of Compensation

Many people indicate that they have delayed retaining the services of San Diego injury lawyers because they don’t want part of their claim settlement to be lost to attorney fees. In other words, these injured individuals have concluded that they will end up with more money in their pockets in a settlement of their case by not having to pay attorney fees.

The idea that you will lose compensation in an accident case by retaining the services of a seasoned San Diego injury attorney is something of myth or misconception. The reality is that in case after case, injured Californians actually end up with a higher level of compensation in an accident injury matter when they retain legal counsel. Injured people end up with more financial compensation even when attorney fees are taken into consideration. (As will be discussed in greater detail, most San Diego personal injury lawyers use contingency fee agreements. A person pays a reasonable percentage of compensation once it is paid to an injury accident victim.)

There are personal injury cases in San Diego in which the conduct of the negligent party is particularly egregious. In such situations, an experienced San Diego injury law firm may be able to obtain what are known as punitive or exemplary damages for a client. Punitive damages represent additional compensation when the conduct of a person that caused an accident is deemed reckless or (as mentioned a moment ago) egregious.

The reality is that making a case for punitive damages can be a complex, challenging endeavor. There exists only a relatively narrow line of cases that qualify for punitive damages consideration. An experienced injury attorney is in the best possible position to make an effective case for the award of punitive damages or exemplary damages in a lawsuit,

The first step in retaining the services of a capable San Diego injury attorney is having what is known as an initial consultation with legal counsel. There are a number of important elements of an initial consultation with an injury lawyer:

Legal counsel will provide a preliminary evaluation of your case
You will be able to get answers to any questions you have about the accident and your injuries
A lawyer will lay out the process for pursuing an injury claim as well as a lawsuit
An attorney will lay out the specifics regarding attorney fees

As a matter of general practice, San Diego injury attorneys utilized what is known as a contingency fee agreement in a personal injury case. Pursuant to a standard contingency fee agreement, a client in an accident case pays no fee unless and until legal counsel obtains a favorable settlement or decision in a lawsuit.

Legal Aid is available.

Scooter Accident Victims Suffering Increasing Rate of Head and Neck Injuries

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 23:18:03 GMT

Over the past decade, use of motorized scooters has boomed into a travel and recreation industry all its own. According to statistics compiled by tech company Esferasoft :

The global e-scooter market is projected to reach $41.98 billion by 2030
Just under 50 million electronic scooters and bicycles were sold internationally in 2019 but this figure is projected to reach 129 million units sold annually by 2028
If industry projections hold, “By 2023, electric two-wheelers would make up 8% of all two-wheelers on the road. Currently, this number stands at 2.5%”
“The monthly installs of e-scooter sharing apps like Bird and Lime increased by 580% during 2018-2019” alone. This percentage of installs is expected to increase over the next few years as e-scooter sharing services serve as a greater share of the transportation market and gain popularity

Scooters and electric bikes can be great fun and can transport people from “here to there” in efficient, accessible ways. These units are especially popular in Southern California and similar climates, as sight-seers and travelers are not restricted to using these motorized resources during limited times of year.

Unfortunately, American roads were not built with these hybrid “active transportation/motorized unit” hybrid models in mind. Streets designed primarily for cars, lanes designed primarily for cyclists, and sidewalks designed primarily for pedestrians all lack adequate safety features targeted at scooter users. Additionally, there are few Americans who truly understand what protections are afforded scooter riders under the law and therefore there are many misconceptions about how they should be treated while they are sharing the nation’s roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. It is partially due to these gaps in practical accessibility and protocol-related awareness for scooter riders that is driving up their accident rates and the rates at which these riders are suffering significant head and neck injuries .

Scooter Riders Increasingly Suffering Significant Accident-Related Trauma

Recent analysis of scooter-related accidents has led the Henry Ford Health System to draw some startling conclusions that should concern scooter riders in Southern California and throughout the nation. Since scooter-based rideshare systems were introduced widely in 2017, emergency room visit rates stemming from the use of these units have been skyrocketing. According to data published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission , head and neck injuries account for just under one-third of the injuries reported in the aftermath of motorized scooter accidents.

In the wake of the Henry Ford Health System study, many healthcare providers are calling for national standards related to scooter safety. As popularity for this form of transportation grows, such standards will become an increasingly urgent necessity – especially given how many riders are being injured while traveling unguarded against potentially catastrophic impact in re: cars, trucks, motorcycles, and fixed objects. Similarly, pedestrians and traditional cyclists remain vulnerable to being hit by scooter operators and motorized bike riders. Seeking national safety regulations concerning these vehicles is – at this point – a commonsense approach that should be taken seriously.

Until national safety regulations are put into place for these vehicles, riders should take note that the most common head and neck injuries identified by the study can largely be prevented with proper helmet use. The most common injury types suffered by scooter riders (to the neck and the head) include:

Internal organs, including brain injuries, 32.5%
Lacerations, 24.9%
Contusions and abrasions, 15.6%
Concussions, 11.1%
Fractures, 7.8%

Who Is Responsible When Scooter Accidents Occur?

The answer to this question isn’t straightforward because no two scooter accidents ever unfold under exactly the same circumstances. Generally speaking, if a motor vehicle strikes a scooter rider, chances are good that the motorist involves bears at least some of the blame for the collision. Similarly, when a scooter rider strikes a pedestrian, chances are good that the rider bears at least some of the blame for the accident. Why? The individual operating the more destructive machine (or the only machine) involved in an accident generally has a greater responsibility under the law to drive safely and to look out for more vulnerable travelers .

However, there are so many factors that tend to come into play when a scooter accident is analyzed that it is important to refrain from making assumptions until you speak with an experienced attorney about any accidents you may have been involved in. Depending on your circumstances, the scooter manufacturer or even the state agency in charge of safe road maintenance may be held accountable for harm caused by scooter accidents .

Legal Aid Is Available

If you have been injured in a scooter accident – whether you were riding the scooter or were struck by one at the time you sustained harm – please contact our firm today to schedule a risk-free, confidential consultation appointment at no cost. Our firm offers free consultations because the protections afforded to injury victims by state law should be understood by everyone who has need to exercise them. No one should be kept from understanding their rights and options under the law simply because they are not in a financial position to pay for legal guidance.

Even if you’re unsure of whether you have grounds to file a legal claim and even if you believe that your conduct may have contributed to the cause of your injuries, it remains important to explore your legal options as soon as you possibly can. California boasts some of the most generous protections for injury victims in the nation, due to its status as a “pure comparative negligence” state. Due to this designation, you remain entitled to hold others legally and financially responsible for contributing to the cause(s) of your injurious circumstances in negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous ways, regardless of whether you also were partially at fault for your collision. In short, don’t wait – schedule a free consultation today. You may be entitled to significant financial compensation and to justice for the harm you have suffered. We look forward to speaking with you and to clarifying your rights and options under the circumstances.

Preparing for a Personal Injury Consultation? Here’s What You Should Know

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:54:16 GMT

If you’ve been injured in an accident, been made ill as a result of your working conditions, or otherwise suffered harm as a result of another’s choices, you are entitled to schedule a free personal injury consultation with our firm. All too often, when businesses offer free services, there is a “catch” involved. If you take advantage of these services, you’ll be pressured to pay for additional services, you’ll discover hidden fees to the supposedly “no-cost” experience, or you’ll otherwise end up feeling like you’ve been taken advantage of. It’s important to understand that when you schedule a no-cost case evaluation with our firm, there is no “catch.”

Law firms like ours choose to offer free consultations to prospective clients because we understand that injury victims can’t make informed choices about whether to enter into an attorney-client relationship until they know whether they have a case in the first place. If you haven’t earned a legal degree, it is unreasonable to expect that you spend your days reading about the evolution and nuances of federal, state, and local laws that may now be impacting your life. Spending all day learning and practically applying the ins and outs of personal injury law is our job. Offering you an hour or two of our firm’s time to better ensure that you understand your rights under the law and to clarify your legal options is the only reasonable way that we can expect that you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether pursuing legal action is the best course of action for you and your family at this time.

Gathering Your Thoughts

The most important thing you can do when preparing for your case evaluation involves jotting down any and all questions and concerns you can think of. Your questions and concerns may relate to your legal options, your rights as an accident victim, and/or our firm’s approach to representing our clients. The last thing you want is to spend your consultation distracted by questions and concerns that you know you have but can’t remember in the moment. Your consultation is the best opportunity you have to get the information you need to make decisions related to your case and your insurance situation moving forward. Take time to make sure that you have your questions and concerns written down to reference while you’re meeting with our team. If you have loved ones who are invested in your case and/or will be affected by it, you may want to ask them to write down their questions and concerns as well.

Gathering Information

Asking questions allows you to make informed decisions about your legal situation. Similarly, our team will be asking you questions to better understand your case, as we won’t be able to provide you with personalized guidance if we don’t have access to information about what makes your situation unique. To help us better understand your legal situation, please bring in any documents, photographs, video, and/or contact information that will help us to evaluate your case in the most informed ways possible. Examples of potentially helpful information include: photos and/or video taken at the scene of your accident, discharge papers from the emergency department or a hospitalization necessitated by your injuries, accident reports filed by the police or your employer, insurance information for you and/or others involved in your accident, contact information and the names of anyone who witnessed your accident, etc. All of this information will help us to perceive a clearer “bigger picture” of your situation and whether you may have strong grounds upon which to file legal action at this time.

A Word About Insurance Representatives

During the time leading up to your consultation appointment, you may be contacted by insurance representatives. These insurance representatives may be employed by the company with which you hold a policy or they may be employed by a company that insures others who were involved in your accident. These insurance representatives may try to ask you questions about your accident, may ask you to give them a statement about what happened, and may even offer you a settlement. It is important to understand that you could potentially damage the strength of your case by speaking to these insurance representatives before you’ve spoken with our legal team.

Insurance companies aren’t loyal to policyholders or injury victims. They are for-profit enterprises and are therefore ultimately loyal to their bottom line. Therefore, no matter how kind or well-meaning an insurance representative might be, they are employed by a company that teaches them to – when possible – reject claims and to save as much money as possible on those that they pay out. Anything you say right now could be used as an excuse to devalue or reject your insurance claim. Additionally, accepting a settlement offer before you learn about whether it is fairly valued (which initial settlement offers very rarely are) could limit your legal options and limit your ability to collect the compensation amount you may be otherwise entitled to. In short, please avoid speaking with insurance representatives until after your consultation.

Free Legal Consultations Are Available

If you haven’t yet picked up the phone or reached out to our firm online to schedule an obligation-free, confidential personal injury consultation with our experienced legal team, please take a few minutes to do so now. The bottom line when it comes to scheduling a free case evaluation is that you can only benefit from better understanding your legal options and the only investment that you need to make in order to receive personalized legal guidance at no cost is time. This is a risk-free setting that will allow you to ask questions and receive professional legal answers to every one of those questions. Why take the time to explore your legal options and potentially learn that you’re entitled to compensation? Why not? We look forward to speaking with you.