Long Beach, CA Personal Injury Lawyer

Accidents can happen at almost any time and place, and someone is always responsible. Once we determine who caused your accident, you may take legal action to get financial compensation. After you get medical treatment, call a lawyer for legal help.

Damages in personal injury cases vary based on the type of accident and the severity of injuries and losses. Common damages include medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering. We may need to wait for the police to complete a formal investigation before we know who is to blame, and we can investigate on our own. Once we know, we can draft and file a formal legal complaint to begin the lawsuit.

Request a free, confidential legal evaluation by calling our personal injury attorneys with the Law Office of John J. Perlstein at (213) 252-1070.

What Damages Are Available in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Damages should reflect your injuries and losses from the accident. While many damages reflect economic losses, non-economic damages should also be accounted for.

Medical Costs

Medical care is notoriously expensive. Even minor injuries from smaller accidents can lead to expensive hospital bills. The more severe your injuries are, the greater your medical costs are likely to be.

Lost Income

In many cases, injured victims cannot work while they recover, and they lose income as a result. We should calculate the income you have lost so far and the income you will likely lose in the future as your case moves forward.

Property Damage

Many accidents involve personal property. If your property or belongings are damaged, you can and should claim the cost of repairing or replacing them. This includes larger items, such as vehicles, and smaller items, such as phones, clothing, and anything else that may have been damaged.

Pain and Suffering

Accidents have a way of inflicting significant pain, both mental and physical. Although these damages might not cost money, they still deserve financial compensation. Talk to your attorney about how to calculate damages for pain and suffering, as these damages are unique to each person.

How Can a Long Beach, CA Personal Injury Lawyer Help You?

Plaintiffs may represent themselves in court, but this is not advisable. The legal process is highly complex and requires advanced legal skills and knowledge that a personal injury attorney can provide.

Initial Investigations

Your lawyer can help you at the very beginning of your case by finding evidence to begin your case. If you reported your accident to the police, they may investigate, but not all personal injuries are reported to the authorities.

Your attorney should help you locate witnesses, gather records, and compile other information and evidence related to the accident. They can also communicate with the police if the accident was reported to the authorities.

Drafting a Formal Complaint

When filing a lawsuit, the initial complaint must include highly specific and extensive information. We must have information about all the people involved, how we believe the accident happened, your injuries and damages, and evidence to support your claims.

The complaint may set the tone for the entire lawsuit, so we must take our time and draft the strongest complaint possible.

Communicating with the Defendant

Once we file the complaint, we must serve the defendant with notice of the case right away. There are strict rules regarding how notice must be served. If these rules are not followed, notice may be considered invalid, and the entire case could be thrown out.

Once the defendant is notified of the case, all communication with them should go through your lawyer.

How to Get Fair Financial Compensation for Personal Injuries

You may have several legal options for obtaining compensation, and a lawyer should help you explore them and determine what works best for you.

Insurance Claims

Many accidents and injuries are covered by insurance, especially auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and business liability insurance.

Unfortunately, insurance is often limited by policy terms and covers only up to a specific maximum limit. For many, this limit is insufficient, and other options may need to be explored, such as lawsuits or claims through your own insurance.

Private Settlements

Defendants may offer a private settlement, which involves paying your damages outside of court as part of a private, legally binding agreement. The size of the settlement must be negotiated, but it might not cover the full extent of your damages. If a settlement is not offered or it is too small, you are free to reject it and go to court.

Lawsuits

A lawsuit is one of the best ways to claim the full extent of your damages. If you win your case, the defendant is legally obligated to pay for all your damages.

While lawsuits can be time-consuming compared to other legal options, they often yield the largest damages awards.

How Do Personal Injuries Often Occur in Long Beach, CA?

Personal injuries may stem from a myriad of accidents, including, but not limited to…

  • Car accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Truck accidents
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Defective goods and products
  • Fire Accidents
  • Catastrophic injuries (e.g., brain damage, spinal cord damage, burns).

Do Personal Injuries Have to Be Severe for You to File a Lawsuit?

Injuries do not have to be severe, life-altering, or debilitating to be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. You may sue for injuries even if they are expected to fully recover by the time of your trial.

How Long After Being Injured Can You File a Lawsuit?

In California, a personal injury claim must be filed in court no later than 2 years after the injuries first occurred. If a case is not filed within this time, the plaintiff may be barred from filing their claims at all.

Do You Have to Sue to Get Compensation for Personal Injuries?

No, you are not required to sue to get compensation for personal injuries. You may have various legal options worth exploring, such as insurance claims. However, the defense might not be willing to pay full damages, and you might have to take them to court.

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Long Beach, CA

Request a free, confidential legal evaluation by calling our personal injury attorneys with the Law Office of John J. Perlstein at (213) 252-1070.