Recover Compensation After Suffering an Injury
An accident can come entirely out of nowhere and not only ruin your day, but potentially put your entire life on hold. If you’ve suffered an injury due to the negligence of another, you need the help of our San Francisco, CA personal injury lawyer. When someone else was irresponsible and caused you to become injured, we want to help you get compensated for those injuries. To do this, we must prove that it was the defendant’s fault—not yours—that you got into this accident and that it caused your injuries. To set up a free consultation with the Morales Law Firm, please call our firm today.
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What To Know About Your Personal Injury Claim
Being the victim of personal injury can be complicated. In many situations, the person who is the victim may be embarrassed over how they got their injuries (perhaps because of a slip and fall) and they may think they are undeserving of any compensation from the accident. However, our personal injury lawyer at the Morales Law Firm know that when you are the victim in a personal injury accident you deserve compensation. This can provide you with the opportunity to fully recover from the incident.
Although it can seem complicated, we want to make the claim process as smooth as possible for you, which is why we have answered many of the most frequently asked questions we receive from our clients. If you have more urgent questions or would like to set up a consultation with our personal injury lawyers, please call our office now.
Different Types Of Personal Injuries
There are many different ways that someone may have received a personal injury. Some of those include car accidents, truck accidents, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, product defects, slip and fall accidents, birth injuries, construction accidents, elevator and escalator incidents, workplace injuries, nursing home abuse, and more.
Recovering Damages For Your Losses
Damages refer to any sort of loss that an individual suffers as a result of another person’s actions. In the context of a claim or lawsuit, damages are a compensatory amount of money that is meant to make up for the financial losses incurred from the incident. For example, if you sustained a head injury in a slip and fall and had a total of $20,000 in medical bills, as well as $10,000 in lost wages, and $5,000 in non-economic damages, your personal injury lawyer might seek $35,000 in damages.
Types Of Damages
There are three kinds of damage. In general, what you would likely be compensated for by the defendant would fall into one of these three categories. The types of damages are:
- Special Compensatory Damages
- General Compensatory Damages
- Punitive Damages
Special compensatory damages refer to damages that have a specific monetary value. If your hospital bill is $20,000, then it is a special compensatory damage because it has an objective value of $20,000. Other examples of special compensatory damages may include missed paychecks and the purchase of medicine.
General compensatory damages are any damages without an objective value. If you had to endure a very painful medical procedure, that may qualify as general compensatory damages and you may be compensated for that unpleasant experience. A personal injury lawyer can help you to determine what you are owed in terms of general damages – which are subjective (more or less). The amount to be awarded will be decided upon through negotiations with your personal injury lawyer or a judge – in the event your case goes to trial.
Punitive damages are assigned exclusively to punish the defendant and deter them from making the same mistake again. Punitive damages are very rare in personal injury cases. Usually, the defendant must have acted especially irresponsibly to be assigned punitive damages, such as driving while drunk or ignoring many explicit safety warnings.
What To Look For In A Personal Injury Attorney
Not all personal injury lawyers are created equal. Some may be better equipped to handle your case than others. Ideally, your lawyer should also be passionate about the field. The more passionate an attorney is, the harder they will fight for you. If the lawyer you speak to seems uninterested and is just going through the motions, you will want to look elsewhere.
If you suffered an injury in an accident that was someone else’s fault, one of the next things you should do is consult our San Francisco personal injury lawyer. We can help you pursue a timely claim against the negligent party and protect your legal rights. However, with so many different lawyers out there, selecting the right one can be tricky. Here are a few more important qualities to look for in a personal injury lawyer.
- Specific experience. Before you decide to work with a personal injury lawyer, make sure that he or she has the right experience. Ideally, a lawyer should have experience handling personal injury cases similar to yours. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, you will want to hire someone who has extensive experience with car accident claims. Lawyers who primarily handle slip and fall or dog bite cases may not have the specific experience you’re looking for.
- Honest. It is also important to choose a personal injury lawyer who is completely truthful with you. He or she should not just make big promises or tell you what you want to hear to get you as a client. A lawyer should give you an honest assessment of your case and inform you about what you should expect. If a lawyer believes that you don’t have a good chance of winning your case, he or she should tell you that.
- Available. The most experienced and skilled personal injury lawyer won’t be much of a use to you if he or she is too busy. Avoid working with a lawyer who already has a heavy caseload, as he or she might not be able to give your case the attention it deserves.
- Compassionate. Suffering an injury due to someone else’s negligence can be very traumatic. Your life has changed in many ways and you may have trouble coping some days. That’s why it’s important to hire a personal injury lawyer who has compassion for your situation. He or she should understand that you’re having a difficult time and offer words of encouragement.
- Detail oriented. There are many details involved in a personal injury case, so it is essential to find a lawyer who is detail oriented. He or she should always double-check paperwork to avoid missing something important.
5 Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
If you have been injured and another party is at fault, our San Francisco personal injury lawyer can help you determine if you have a case for compensation. Here are some common types of personal injury cases that occur in California and across the U.S. every year.
- Car Accidents
Car accidents are a leading cause of personal injury cases. A reckless driver can cause you pain and suffering not only on the day of the accident but perhaps for weeks, months or years afterward. If another driver is at fault for your injuries, the Morales Law Firm works diligently to prove it so that you might receive compensation for your medical expenses. - Dog Bites
Dog owners are financially liable for injuries when their dogs bite and cause injuries in many cases. The laws for dog bite injuries are specific to each state, varying from “one bite” to “strict” liability rules. California utilizes the strict liability rule, meaning that dog owners are liable for any bite injuries regardless of their dogs’ previous history. - Medical Malpractice
Patients must place a high level of trust in medical practitioners, but unfortunately, this trust is not always rewarded. Hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other practitioners are legally responsible for providing competent and complete care to patients. However, if you are injured due to a medical mistake, negligence or misdiagnosis, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in San Francisco, CA right away who is experienced in these high-stakes cases. - Slip & Fall
When you enter another party’s property such as a grocery store, you are entitled to basic safety measures while you are on the premises. If the location’s owner has not fulfilled their legal duty to provide this safety and injuries are sustained as a result, you may be eligible to receive compensation. In fact, slip and fall injuries lead to over one million emergency room visits each year. This type of injury case falls under what is known as premises liability. - Product Injuries
When used according to their instructions, all products are legally mandated to be safe for users. Manufacturers, marketers and other responsible parties may be financially liable for injuries caused by dangerous and defective products, such as children’s toys or medical devices.
San Francisco Personal Injury Infographic
California Personal Injury Statistics
California recorded almost 4K motor vehicle deaths, increasing from 2019. In 2021 there was an even more significant increase in car accidents in the Bay Area, due to the lifting of restrictions and shutdowns.
According to the latest California Highway Patrol Annual Report:
- 198,230 fatal and injury traffic accidents happened on California roads in a recent year (3,595 were fatal, and 201,564 resulted in injury)
- 4,104 occupants of the vehicles and trucks that were involved in the crashes were killed in the 3,833 fatal crashes.
Personal Injury FAQs
Personal injury cases are common and come up in many different situations. Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of action for personal injury lawsuits, but they can arise from slip and fall accidents, workplace mishaps, medical malpractice, defective products, and more. Often, victims do not fully understand how personal injury law works. The best way to clear up confusion is to consult with a personal injury lawyer in San Francisco, CA; in the meantime, here are some frequently asked questions about the process.
What is a personal injury?
In legal terms, a personal injury is an injury that occurs from the negligent actions of an individual or from an organization that has failed to meet its standard of care or awareness of potential hazards on its property. These injuries also may have the basis for a claim against another person or company.
What are the steps of a personal injury claim?
When you are filing a personal injury claim, our San Francisco, CA-based personal injury lawyer will tell you that there are usually a few things that must happen for a claim to be successful. First, the defendant must have done something to injure you (the plaintiff). They might have injured you in a car accident or hit you in the arm with a baseball bat. Next, you will need to show that the defendant breached their duty of care. If you slipped and fell in a restaurant, you must show that it was the restaurant owner’s job to make sure their premises were safe for you to be in. If you and your personal injury lawyer can prove that the defendant is responsible for your injuries, then it is possible to settle outside of court. They may wish to make you an offer of compensation instead of you pursuing a lawsuit. However, if that compensation is not satisfactory, you and your lawyer can take them to court. If, on the other hand, you do agree to the settlement offer, then the case ends there.
How does compensation work if I am partially responsible?
Our personal injury lawyer will tell you that compensation can vary based on the state that you live in. If you are partially responsible for the accident then it is likely you will receive part of the compensation. For example, if you are found to be 20% responsible for the accident and the other party is 80% responsible, you may find that out of 100% of the compensation, the total amount awarded to you is reduced by 20%.
How do I start a personal injury lawsuit?
Your first step is to file the complaint with the court and pay the appropriate fee. The court clerk will provide you with a copy so that you can serve notice to the defendant. Note: legally, you cannot do this yourself; it is necessary to either hire a process server or have the county sheriff do the job.
An easier alternative is to consult with a personal injury lawyer and have them file the paperwork on your behalf.
How can I maximize my chances of receiving a settlement?
The case begins the moment you are injured. Steps to take include documenting evidence of the accident, writing down the events to the best of your ability, receiving names and contact information of witnesses, and receiving an examination by a medical professional. In addition, your attorney may give you specific instructions; be sure to follow them carefully.
What are the benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer?
If you suffered an injury in an accident, your medical bills may be piling up and you might not know when you can return to work. You deserve to be compensated for that. A skilled personal injury lawyer will know the true value of your case and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
A personal injury attorney will handle all communication with the negligent party’s insurance company. Insurance companies are notorious for offering accident victims as little compensation as they can. An experienced lawyer won’t let them take advantage of you.
Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit can also be very time-consuming. When you’re trying to recover from an injury, the added stress of handling a lawsuit can be too much. Our lawyer can handle all the legwork so that you can focus on getting better.
The Morales Law Firm
1388 Sutter Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94109
Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you have been injured as a result of another’s negligence, intentionally dangerous conduct, or recklessness, it is critically important that you connect with our experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your injury-related recovery and do not yet feel “up to the task” of exploring your legal options at this time, that is certainly understandable. However, investing an hour or two of your time now could save you significant time, money, and stress down the road.
Our experienced team at the Morales Law Firm will do our utmost to make the process of exploring your legal options as low-stress as possible. Once you’ve spoken with our firm, you’ll be empowered to make informed decisions about your options, whenever you’re feeling ready to act upon them. We look forward to assisting you with your legal needs during this challenging time.
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“Chris Morales is an outstanding attorney. He helped me understand everything going on and all of my options at the time. I was more then happy with the results of his actions and wouldn’t hesitate to call him again if I ever needed him.” – Sebastian
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“I wish I hired Chris for my case. Good attorney’s are hard to find and Chris advised me and was honest about best next steps in my challenging situation.”
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