Moreno Valley Personal Injury Lawyer

Everyone faces the risk of sustaining various injuries every day. Some personal injuries happen in the home, and others occur in California workplaces. Many happen in shared publicly accessible areas like roads, shopping centers, and commercial properties open to the public. Some of the most common injuries that lead to personal injury claims in California include:

• Motor vehicle crashes. Throughout the United States, car accidents continue to be a chief cause of accidental injuries and deaths each year. Easton & Easton can assist a client in filing their auto insurance claim against an at-fault driver. When this isn’t enough to fully compensate for their losses, they have the right to start a personal injury claim.
• Premises liability. Property owners must ensure their properties are safe for all lawful visitors. This applies to private residential property owners and owners of commercial properties open for business with the public. If a property owner failed to address a foreseeable safety issue on their property and a lawful guest or visitor suffered a slip and fall, the property owner bears fault under California’s premises liability statutes.
• Defective products. The manufacturer bears fault under California’s product liability law when an unreasonably dangerous and/or defective consumer product causes an injury. Your Moreno Valley personal injury attorney will assist you in proving how the product in question is defective and how it’s responsible for your damages.
• Dog attacks. Dogs are popular pets in California, but they can also inflict severe injuries to people, often unexpectedly. If another person’s dog bites or otherwise hurts you in Moreno Valley, the strict liability statute applies, and the dog’s owner is responsible for your damages.

These are only a few examples of how personal injury cases can arise in southern California. It is also possible for civil claims for damages to unfold in tandem with criminal proceedings filed by the state. If a defendant caused your personal injury through illegal and/or intentionally harmful misconduct, they are likely to face prosecution from the state in addition to civil liability for your damages.

For example, if a drunk driver hurt you in a car accident, they would face criminal prosecution for violation of California’s law against driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. You would have the right to file an insurance claim against them for some initial recovery, and you can proceed with a personal injury claim to recover any losses insurance can’t compensate. The criminal court may also award restitution, or you may receive punitive damages at the discretion of the judge handling your civil case. Ultimately, a personal injury claim can very easily escalate into a complex series of legal proceedings depending on how and why the injury happened.

It is also possible for liability for a personal injury to be a hotly contested issue, and California’s pure comparative negligence law could come into play. Liability for some personal injuries is clear. For example, a traffic camera recording could clearly show a defendant speeding and causing a negligent collision with your vehicle. However, liability isn’t as easy to discern in other cases, and it is also possible for a defendant to claim a plaintiff bears partial responsibility for their own damages.

Under the pure comparative negligence rule, a plaintiff may still receive compensation for their damages if they bear partial fault for causing those damages. However, they lose a part of their final compensation equal to their percentage of fault. For example, if a judge finds a plaintiff 10% at fault in a $100,000 civil suit, they will lose $10,000 or 10% of the case award to reflect their shared liability. If you have any concerns about bearing partial fault for your recent personal injury, it is crucial to speak with an attorney you can trust as quickly as possible.

Most personal injury claims revolve around acts of negligence. The term “negligence” can apply to a lack of reasonable care in a specific situation or a failure to uphold a specific duty of care. Your Moreno Valley personal injury attorney will be instrumental in gathering the evidence needed to accurately identify the defendant and prove their actions directly resulted in your damages.

If your recent injury happened in a motor vehicle accident, auto insurance is likely to be your first recovery option. California enforces a fault-based system for resolving vehicle accidents, and an at-fault driver absorbs liability for all damages they cause to other drivers. As a result, your auto insurance claim could offer expedient compensation for some of your immediate damages, such as hospital bills and vehicle repair costs.

Unfortunately, dealing with insurance companies can be very frustrating. Insurance company representatives typically look for all reasons they can find to reduce claim settlements or outright deny claims for coverage. Working with an experienced Moreno Valley personal injury attorney will make any insurance claims you must file after a personal injury much easier. In addition, your attorney can correspond with insurance company representatives on your behalf and ensure you receive a fair settlement.

Once you have exhausted available insurance coverage, your attorney can calculate your remaining losses to include in a personal injury suit against the at-fault driver. However, if an at-fault driver has no auto insurance, or if the insurance coverage does not apply to the personal injury you experienced, a personal injury lawsuit may be your only viable option for recovering compensation for your damages.

The personal injury statutes of California uphold that the plaintiff in a personal injury suit has the right to seek full repayment of all economic losses suffered because of a defendant’s negligence or misconduct. Additionally, a plaintiff may claim pain and suffering compensation that reflects the severity of their experience. The claimable damages in your upcoming personal injury case may include:

• Medical treatment costs. If the defendant in your case caused you to develop an illness or inflicted a physical injury on you or a loved one, they bear responsibility for all medical expenses your family incurs because of their actions. This includes medical expenses immediately following a personal injury and any ongoing medical treatment costs necessary for managing severe injuries.
• Lost income. If your personal injury prevents you from working until you recover, you can hold the defendant accountable for your lost income and/or any accrued paid time off you were forced to use after your injury.
• Lost future income. When a plaintiff develops a permanent disability or medical condition from a personal injury, they may not be able to return to their previous job or return to work at all. In this situation, the defendant is liable for the future income the victim would have reasonably expected to earn if their injury had not occurred.

Economic damages like these are generally proven with the appropriate documentation. However, non-economic damages like pain and suffering are more difficult to calculate. The amount a plaintiff can recover in pain and suffering compensation depends on the severity of their injury and what long-term or permanent effects they face from it. Your Moreno Valley personal injury attorney is the best resource to consult to determine appropriate pain and suffering compensation in your civil suit.

It’s important to remember that legal counsel you can trust is especially important if you or someone you love has suffered any type of catastrophic injury. A “catastrophic” injury is any injury resulting in permanent harm, such as a cognitive impairment or physical disability. When a defendant is responsible for causing severe damages like these, the plaintiff must have legal counsel who can help them fully explore every available channel of compensation. Catastrophic injuries often require extensive ongoing medical treatment, painful recovery, and a need for daily in-home medical supervision and assistance with everyday household tasks. These injuries also take a heavy psychological toll on victims.

Time is a crucial concern for anyone who intends to pursue a personal injury claim in California. The state imposes a two-year statute of limitations or time limit for filing your personal injury suit. This may seem like more than enough time to initiate your legal proceedings, but it is always best to work quickly for the best chances of success in your recovery efforts.

Connecting with a reliable Moreno Valley personal injury attorney as quickly as possible after an injury significantly improves your chances of recovering as fully as state law allows. When you choose Easton & Easton to handle your personal injury suit in Moreno Valley, you can expect personalized legal counsel through all stages of your case. We’ll help you gather the evidence needed to firmly establish liability for your damages. We may also uncover channels of recovery you may have overlooked, enhancing your final case award substantially.

Our goal in every personal injury case we accept is to help our clients fully understand all of their rights and legal options under California law and to guide them efficiently to satisfying conclusions in their cases. Of course, we’ll strive to settle your personal injury claim as quickly as possible, but if your case must be resolved through litigation, you can count on our team to represent you in court.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Receive for My Recent Personal Injury?

A: California state law provides broad flexibility for plaintiffs to recover their damages in personal injury claims, and there are many possible variables that may influence your final recovery. An experienced Moreno Valley personal injury attorney will provide an estimate of your case’s total potential value.

Q: Is It Worth Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Moreno Valley?

A: You may wonder if the time and expense required to pursue a personal injury case would justify the cost of hiring an attorney and filing it. If you’re unsure whether you should proceed with a personal injury claim, it’s a good idea to consult an experienced Moreno Valley personal injury attorney. Easton & Easton can review the details of your case, determine the potential compensation you could recover, and help you understand the challenges you are likely to face in your recovery efforts.

Q: Will I Need to Go to Court for a Personal Injury Case?

A: Most civil claims for damages filed in California are settled privately outside of court. When the parties involved in a civil dispute are willing to negotiate and compromise, they can reach mutually agreeable settlements much faster than litigation would take to conclude. They also both have more control over the final terms of their settlement, whereas a judge has the final say on every aspect of the case in litigation. Your Moreno Valley personal injury attorney will help you streamline your case and avoid protracted litigation as much as possible.

Q: How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost in California?

A: It’s natural to worry about the potential legal fees you face when you are already struggling with medical expenses and the inability to work after a personal injury. When you choose Easton & Easton to represent your claim, we will not charge any upfront legal fees for our representation, and you will only be responsible for a legal fee once we win your case. Our contingency fee comes out of your final case award as a percentage, ensuring you have the legal counsel you need to secure the compensation you deserve.

Q: Do I Really Need to Hire a Moreno Valley Personal Injury Attorney?

A: While there is no formal requirement to hire legal counsel for a civil suit in California, doing so dramatically increases your chances of success with the claim. You are also more likely to maximize the compensation you secure from the defendant with an attorney’s help. In addition, Easton & Easton can thoroughly review the details of how your recent personal injury happened and uncover every channel of compensation available in your claim.

Easton & Easton has a team of experienced Moreno Valley personal injury attorneys ready to provide the comprehensive legal representation you need to confidently navigate your impending personal injury case. If you believe another party is responsible for your recent injury and need legal counsel to help you hold them accountable, contact our firm to schedule a free consultation with a Moreno Valley personal injury attorney.