Irvine Personal Injury Attorney
Irvine Personal Injury Lawyer
The term “personal injury” can define any incident in which one party’s actions result in harm to another party. Whether accidental or intentional, the at-fault party is responsible for the resulting losses, and the victim may have grounds to claim more compensation than they initially expected. If you have been injured by another party’s actions, an Irvine personal injury attorney is the ideal resource to consult as soon as possible.
California state law allows victims who have been seriously injured by the careless, negligent, or wrongful acts of others to recover compensation for the various damages that resulted from these injuries. Unfortunately, many accident victims are left with mounting medical bills on top of their daily living expenses, and lost income from days off work can prevent them from meeting their financial obligations while they are recovering.
If you have been wrongfully injured due to another party’s actions or lack thereof, a personal injury claim gives you the legal power to take civil action against the individuals, businesses, or government agencies responsible for your injury. However, state laws are incredibly complex. Navigating the legal system on your own can be confusing, intimidating, and downright frightening. The only way to ensure you can protect your rights and obtain fair compensation is to hire legal representation from an Irvine personal injury attorney.
At Easton Law Firm, our compassionate, dedicated, and award-winning attorneys have over a century of combined experience handling personal injury claims. Our experts have successfully represented thousands of clients throughout Southern California, securing over $100,000,000 in settlements and verdicts in the past five years alone. We bring extensive legal knowledge, vast resources, and trial-tested litigation skills to our cases—as well as a fierce commitment to helping our clients achieve justice and fair compensation for their injuries.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law refers to the field of civil law in which victims who sustain physical, mental, or emotional injury due to the wrongful or negligent actions of an individual, business, or other entity can file claims against the responsible party. In contrast with criminal law, personal injury law is not meant to prosecute a wrongdoer but to obtain compensation for the victim based on the harm they experienced from the defendant’s actions.
Personal injury claims focus on identifying a responsible party who intentionally acted in a specific manner that could pose a danger to others or knowingly ignored a specific risk that caused injury. A defendant in a personal injury case can be a drunk driver whose impairment caused a car accident, a physician who fails to provide proper medical treatment, an apartment owner who neglects to perform maintenance on their property to keep it free from hazards, or even a dog owner who permits their pet to remain off-leash.
Achieving success with a personal injury claim typically depends on establishing that the defendant’s actions were negligent. Your Irvine personal injury attorney must establish the following four elements to prove negligence in a personal injury case:
- Duty of care—the defendant owed you a duty of care.Duty of care refers to the legal responsibility imposed on the defendant that requires they adhere to a standard of “reasonable care” when interacting with others. Duty of care arises when some sort of relationship exists between two parties, and one party is obligated to exercise a level of reasonable care while they are performing any actions that could potentially cause harm to the other party. For example, a driver has a duty of care to other motorists to obey all state traffic codes, adhere to all posted traffic signs and signals, and operate their vehicle safely to avoid causing an accident.
- Breach of duty—the defendant violated their duty of care.Proving that the defendant breached the duty of care they owe to the victim means the attorney must show that the defendant behaved in a knowingly dangerous manner that caused a “foreseeable” injury. An attorney proves an injury is foreseeable by establishing that a reasonably cautious person would have been aware that their conduct could potentially cause an injury to someone else. Moreover, a reasonably cautious person would have acted differently than the defendant did in the situation in question to avoid a risk of harm. In the drunk driving example above, choosing to get behind the wheel while intoxicated is breaching the established duty of care.
- Causation—the victim’s injuries resulted from the defendant breaching duty of care.Establishing causation refers to proving that the victim sustained specific injuries in the incident and that these injuries directly resulted from the defendant violating the duty of care they owed the victim. To establish causation, an Irvine personal injury attorney will gather evidence to demonstrate the full extent of the injuries experienced by the victim and confirm that these injuries occurred as a direct result of the defendant’s breach of duty of care. Proving causation usually involves evaluating medical records, hospital bills, police reports, and other documentation related to the incident and subsequent injuries.
- Damages—the victim incurred certain damages due to their injuries.The fourth and final element of proving negligence is showing that the damages listed in the victim’s personal injury claim did, in fact, result from the injuries they sustained due to the defendant’s negligence and not from another cause. Damages often include hospital or medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Even if the defendant admits to negligent conduct, disputes can arise regarding the extent of the damages in the case, and defendants are motivated to minimize these damages as much as possible to reduce the compensation amount they are responsible for paying.
Any personal injury claim has the potential to evolve into a very complex legal battle, and an experienced Irvine personal injury attorney can be an invaluable asset for every step of your impending case. They will be especially important if you are worried about bearing partial liability for your claimed damages.
What Is Comparative Negligence?
California is a comparative negligence state, meaning plaintiffs can still recover damages for injuries even if they are partially responsible for the circumstances that caused the incident. The court will investigate the incident to determine the percentage of fault the victim shares for the injury, then adjust the value of the case to reflect this degree of fault.
For example, if a plaintiff is found to be 10% at fault for a $100,000 personal injury claim, they will lose 10% of the case’s value and receive $10,000 less for a compensation award. If the plaintiff is 50% at fault for a case of the same value, they lose 50% of the compensation award and receive only $50,000 for their injuries. While other states put limits on plaintiff recovery, in California, a plaintiff can be 99% at fault for causing the injury and still obtain 1% of the available compensation.
What Kind of Injuries Cases Do Irvine Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
An Irvine personal injury lawyer frequently handles the following types of cases:
- Motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of personal injury in the nation, resulting in millions of serious injuries to motorists, passengers, and pedestrians every year. These collisions can involve all forms of transportation, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, bicycles, large commercial vehicles, boats, public transportation, and rideshare services.
- Catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries are serious injuries or illnesses that have long-term, life-altering consequences. They can consist of injuries to the neck, back, or spine (such as radiculopathy, herniated discs, or whiplash), paralysis, traumatic brain injuries (including concussions, contusions, skull fractures, or anoxic brain damage), internal organ damage, burns, severe scarring, loss of vision, loss of limb, and amputation.
- Premises liability. Premises liability accidents occur when a property owner, manager, or someone else in possession of a property fails to prevent unreasonably dangerous property conditions, resulting in someone sustaining an injury.These incidents can include slip and fall accidents, retail store or restaurant accidents, construction site or industrial accidents, swimming pool accidents, dog bites, fires, explosions, collapsing structures, falling tree limbs, and accidents that result from inadequate security or protection.
- Product liability. Manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of products are liable for any injuries that victims sustain due to design flaws, manufacturing defects or errors, insufficient instructions for safety, and lack of appropriate warnings about potential safety hazards.Any type of consumer product can cause injuries that entitle victims to file a product liability claim. However, the most common claims involve automobile parts and components, machines, medical devices, medications, household appliances, children’s toys, and e-cigarette or vape devices.
- Medical malpractice. Healthcare providers are expected to adhere to an established standard of care when treating their patients to ensure the best outcome in each case. Failure to treat a patient with the level of care that would be expected from another healthcare provider of similar background and skill is considered a violation of the standard of care.Medical malpractice typically takes the form of prescription errors, failure to properly recognize, diagnose, and/or treat a health condition, delayed or inaccurate diagnosis or treatment, surgical or procedural errors, and childbirth injuries.
- Wrongful death. This occurs when someone dies due to the wrongful or negligent conduct of another person or entity. Dependent family members can file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for their losses, including economic damages like medical expenses, burial expenses, or lost income, and non-economic damages, which encompass loss of care, comfort, society, love, protection, and companionship.
Taking time to find the right Irvine personal injury attorney can pay off tremendously. When searching for legal counsel, it is important to evaluate not only overall legal experience but also specific experience handling cases similar to yours.
Is It Worth Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney in Irvine, CA?
When faced with a personal injury claim in Irvine, CA, some victims are hesitant to hire a personal injury lawyer, typically due to the cost of attorney fees. However, while it is possible to represent yourself in a personal injury case, it is rarely recommended. The average person does not possess sufficient legal knowledge or training to understand the procedural rules of the court system or to appropriately navigate them to obtain the best outcome. Personal injury claims that seem straightforward at first can quickly become extremely complicated. For that reason, there are many simple errors you can make that significantly reduce the chances of obtaining the maximum compensation award.
From missing filing deadlines and undervaluing your damages to allowing insurance companies to rush your settlement, approaching your case without legal representation can leave you vulnerable to mistakes. Unfortunately, these mistakes can interfere with the efficacy of your claim or cause a judge to throw it out before you have the chance to support your case. It is crucial to remember that the defendant’s insurance company is motivated to disprove your injuries, minimize damages, and offer you the lowest possible compensation amount. They regularly take advantage of plaintiffs without legal expertise and are well-known for using manipulative, dishonest tactics to stall cases, reduce compensation awards, or have your claim denied altogether.
A personal injury attorney is worth the cost, as they can help you by:
- Investigating the incident to gather evidence that supports your claim.
- Proving negligence by establishing the four elements described above.
- Establishing the extent of your injuries.
- Calculating compensatory damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future earning potential, property damage, and pain and suffering.
- Arguing for punitive damages if the defendant’s behavior was excessively negligent, showed a willful disregard for others’ safety, or involved criminal activity.
- Handling communication with insurance companies.
- Ensuring negotiations proceed in a fair, reasonable, and timely direction.
- Litigating your case in court if the other party refuses to offer a fair settlement award.
- Recovering compensation for you.
Secure Dedicated and Reliable Personal Injury Representation Today
If you were injured due to the negligence of another party, it is critical that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney immediately to protect your rights and achieve the best outcome in your case. The attorneys at the Easton Law Firm provide comprehensive, client-focused legal services. We have a long record of impressive results helping clients throughout Southern California obtain compensation in their personal injury claims. After we establish that your rights have been violated and you are entitled to pursue compensation, we can file a personal injury claim for you, fiercely advocate on your behalf in negotiations with insurance companies and take your claim to court if necessary to litigate your case and secure the maximum compensation award.
FAQs
Q: What Damages Can I Claim From a Defendant in a Personal Injury Case?
A: California’s personal injury laws allow the plaintiff in a personal injury suit to seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. They must prove fault for their damages before recovering any compensation, and the total case award for a personal injury claim may include compensation for medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering. The plaintiff can also seek compensation for projected future damages.
Q: How Much Pain and Suffering Compensation Can I Claim?
A: California’s personal injury laws do not impose a limit or cap on pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury claims. The only exception to this is medical malpractice. As long as your personal injury suit falls outside the extent of medical malpractice, there is no limit to how much pain and suffering compensation you can seek from a defendant. However, the amount sought should reasonably reflect the scope of your damages.
Q: How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Personal Injury Suit in Irvine?
A: The time your case could take to complete largely depends on whether the defendant accepts liability and is willing to negotiate a settlement. The settlement negotiation process may only take a few weeks to complete as long as all parties are willing to compromise. However, if settlement is not an option, the case will need to be resolved at trial, and litigation may take several months to conclude.
Q: Will I Win More Money if I Hire an Irvine Personal Injury Attorney?
A: Even if you believe you have a firm understanding of the extent of damages you can seek from a defendant in a personal injury claim, an experienced Irvine personal injury attorney is your most valuable asset if you want to maximize your final case award. They can help accurately assess immediate and long-term economic damages and assist you in arguing for as much pain and suffering compensation as possible.
Q: How Much Will It Cost to Hire an Irvine Personal Injury Attorney?
A: The attorneys at Easton & Easton do not charge upfront or ongoing attorneys’ fees for personal injury claims. Instead, our fee will be a percentage of our client’s final case award, and we only collect this fee if we win their case. This contingency fee policy ensures that you do not pay anything if we are unable to secure compensation for you and that the legal counsel you need is accessible when you need it most.
Contact the Easton Law Firm today to benefit from our decades of experience. We have a formidable reputation for aggressively defending our clients and have been chosen by the LA Times Reader’s Choice Poll as the “Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County” every year since 2018. Let us put our knowledge and skills to work for you, so you can achieve justice and obtain fair compensation for your injuries.
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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!
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