Costa Mesa Personal Injury Lawyer
Costa Mesa Personal Injury Attorney
Every day, thousands of people throughout California suffer personal injuries due to the actions of others. Some personal injuries result from intentional acts of harm and disregard for the safety of others. Others occur from negligent mistakes or a lack of reasonable care in a given situation. If you or a loved one recently sustained any kind of physical harm or economic loss due to another party’s actions, you likely have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Representing Victims of Personal Injuries in Costa Mesa, CA
Easton & Easton is an experienced team of attorneys dedicated to providing excellent personal injury representation to our clients in Costa Mesa, CA. If you are unsure whether recent events constitute grounds for a personal injury claim, we can help you evaluate the situation and explain your options for legal recourse. If another party is responsible for your damages, you should not be left to handle the aftermath out of your own pocket.
Why Should I Hire a Costa Mesa Personal Injury Lawyer?
Your recent personal injury may seem to have a precise cause. Perhaps you were hit by a drunk driver on your way home from work or suffered a slip and fall injury due to an unmarked wet floor in a local retail store. Many people who experience incidents like these believe they can easily hold the at-fault parties accountable for their losses. The reality is that even seemingly straightforward personal injury claims can pose very difficult legal questions, and the average person with no professional legal experience would likely have significant problems handling their claim unassisted.
If you try to represent yourself in a personal injury claim, you will need to do so while managing the effects of your personal injury. For example, you could face a difficult recovery that entails ongoing medical treatment, and your household may be struggling due to lost income from the victim’s inability to work. Ultimately, there are numerous risks to handling your personal injury claim. Hiring an experienced Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer lets you approach your case with peace of mind. You can rely on your attorney to handle your legal affairs while you and your family focus on your household and your recovery.
For more than 25 years, attorney Douglas Easton has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV Preeminent* peer review rating for ethical standards and legal ability.
What Qualifies as a Personal Injury in California?
“Personal injury” is a broad legal term that applies to any situation in which one party bears responsibility for harming another party. Easton & Easton has years of experience helping our clients in Costa Mesa, CA, and surrounding areas with a wide range of personal injury claims, including:
- Car accident claims. Car accidents are some of the most commonly reported causes of personal injuries throughout the United States. For example, suppose another driver hit your vehicle and caused injuries and economic losses. In that case, California state law allows you to file a personal injury claim to recover all damages their actions caused. A Costa Mesa personal injury attorney can not only help you navigate an auto insurance claim after a car accident but also assist you in exploring further legal action against the at-fault driver to ensure a complete recovery.
- Commercial truck accident lawsuits. While large trucks can have accidents for many of the same reasons that passenger vehicle accidents occur, truck accidents are typically far more damaging. Victims of truck accidents in Costa Mesa, CA, are more likely to sustain severe injuries from these incidents and often face more difficulties in establishing liability for their damages. An experienced attorney is the best asset you can have when you need to sort through complex issues of vicarious liability for substantial damages.
- Product liability claims. Product manufacturers that release unreasonably dangerous or defective products are liable for any injuries their products cause to consumers. If you believe your recent personal injury occurred due to a defective consumer product, our team can help you determine your best legal options for holding the manufacturer accountable.
- Premises liability claims. All property owners must ensure their properties are free from any safety hazards that could foreseeably cause injuries to lawful guests and visitors. For example, suppose you sustained an injury on someone else’s property due to their failure to properly maintain the premises. In that case, you likely have grounds for a personal injury claim against them under California’s premises liability laws.
- Dog attack lawsuits. Dogs are popular pets throughout California, but they are also capable of causing painful and sometimes life-threatening injuries. California upholds a strict liability statute for dog bites, meaning a dog’s owner is liable for any damages their pet causes to others. If you recently suffered a dog bite or any other injury from a dog in Costa Mesa, Easton & Easton can represent you in a personal injury claim against the dog owner.
- Catastrophic injury claims. Some personal injuries will eventually heal, but serious injuries can result in long-term medical complications, disabilities, and substantial pain and suffering. A “catastrophic” injury is any injury resulting in permanent harm. If you or a loved one suffered a personal injury that resulted in permanent disability or disfigurement, your claim could be worth substantially more than you initially anticipated.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of all the types of personal injury claims our firm handles. Suppose you believe another party is responsible for your recent personal injury. In that case, it is vital to consult an experienced Costa Mesa personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options for legal recourse.
Proving Fault in a Personal Injury Case
Success with any personal injury claim requires identifying the party responsible for causing the injury. Once the plaintiff and their Costa Mesa personal injury attorney have accurately identified the defendant or defendants responsible for the plaintiff’s claimed damages, they must prove the full extent of those damages. Additionally, the plaintiff and their attorney must provide clear proof that the claimed damages directly resulted from the defendant’s negligence, failure to exercise reasonable care, or intentional misconduct in the situation in question.
Your Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer can help you determine what evidence you need to establish liability for your damages. Suppose you secure legal representation as soon as possible after a personal injury. In that case, your legal team will have an easier time securing physical evidence and verifying witness statements that may support your case. When a personal injury claim involves very technical or complex details, your attorney may consult with expert witnesses who can provide understandable insights into the matter, such as engineers, medical professionals, accident reconstruction experts, and more.
Damages and Compensation Available in Successful Personal Injury Claims
It’s crucial for the plaintiff in any personal injury claim to provide a complete, detailed, and accurate accounting of all the damages they intend to claim in their lawsuit. In addition, California’s personal injury statutes are generally quite flexible regarding the damages an injured plaintiff can claim. Therefore, when you hire an experienced Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer to represent you, you are more likely to maximize your compensation for economic damages, including:
- Medical expenses. When one party causes physical harm to another and the victim requires medical treatment, California law states that the at-fault party is liable for all medical expenses the victim incurs. You can hold a defendant accountable for immediate medical expenses like your hospital bills, and your attorney can help you secure compensation for anticipated future medical costs when your injury poses long-term medical complications.
- Lost income. Your personal injury could prevent you from working for an extended time, during which your household will struggle because of your lost income. If you are left unable to work due to a defendant’s actions, the defendant is responsible for your lost wages. In addition, when a personal injury causes permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work at all in the future, the defendant is liable for your lost future earning potential as well.
- Property damage. Suppose the defendant’s actions also involved damage to your property, such as a car accident claim or product liability claim for an incident that damaged your home. In that case, you can also claim these losses. Again, your attorney can help you add repair or replacement costs for property the defendant damaged or destroyed.
Depending on the nature of your personal injury, these economic damages may not form the bulk of your recovery. California state law allows personal injury plaintiffs to recover financial compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological anguish caused by a defendant’s actions. There is no limit to the amount a plaintiff can claim in non-economic damages except for medical malpractice claims, which California state law limits to $250,000.
Suppose you intend to seek compensation for your pain and suffering. In that case, your Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer will help you determine a reasonable amount to include to reflect the severity of your injuries. For example, suppose you suffered a permanently disabling injury that incurred $300,000 in immediate medical costs and are expected to face long-term diminished ability to live independently. In that case, your attorney could seek several times the amount of your medical expenses in pain and suffering compensation to reflect the severity of your condition.
FAQs
Is It Worth Hiring a Costa Mesa Personal Injury Attorney?
You are not only more likely to succeed with your personal injury case when you have an experienced attorney handling it but also more likely to maximize your recovery. Ultimately, plaintiffs in personal injury cases can manage these legal proceedings more easily when they have experienced legal representation on their side.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Most personal injury attorneys will offer their clients contingency fee billing, a billing arrangement that requires no upfront legal fees from the client. The client only pays legal fees once their attorney wins their case, paying the attorney a predetermined percentage of the case award. Before agreeing to their representation, make sure you fully understand a potential attorney’s billing policy.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take to Conclude?
Most personal injury claims filed in California settle relatively quickly outside of court. As long as the defendant’s liability is clear and the plaintiff secures legal representation as soon as possible, it’s possible for a case to only require several weeks or a few months to complete. However, when a defendant contests liability and a trial ensues or settlement negotiations are complex due to the nature of the damages in play, a personal injury claim can take several months to complete.
What Happens If I’m Partially Responsible for My Accident?
California enforces a pure comparative negligence statute. This law ensures a plaintiff can still recover damages even if they are partially responsible for causing those damages. However, the plaintiff loses a percentage of their case award equal to their fault for causing their damages. For example, if a plaintiff is 10% at fault in a million-dollar personal injury claim, they lose $100,000 of their case award.
What to Expect From Your Costa Mesa Personal Injury Attorney
The attorneys at Easton & Easton understand the distress and apprehension of personal injury victims when securing legal counsel for their civil claims in Costa Mesa. When you choose our firm to represent you in any personal injury claim, you can expect compassionate, individualized legal counsel through every phase of your case. We’ll help you gather evidence and testimony to establish liability, assist you in proving the full scope of your damages, and guide you through every stage of the personal injury claim process.
If you are ready to discuss a recent personal injury with us, contact Easton & Easton today to schedule a consultation with an experienced and reliable Costa Mesa personal injury attorney.
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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…
The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…
I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…
Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…
What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…
I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!
-Allee
Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.
I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!
They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.
Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.
They are the BEST!
I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.
I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way
The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!