Palm Desert Personal Injury Lawyer

Palm Desert Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury can happen to anyone at any time. When someone’s negligence or misconduct causes you bodily harm or emotional distress, you can work with a Palm Desert personal injury lawyer. They can take steps to compel that at-fault party to fairly compensate you for your injuries. Without legal representation, you may miss out on important avenues of compensation.

What Qualifies for a Personal Injury Case?

Not every accident qualifies for a personal injury case. A completely random accident does not provide legal grounds for a personal injury claim because there is no clear defendant.

When someone’s negligence or misconduct causes your injury, you can hire a personal injury attorney who can pursue compensation from the at-fault party. In most cases, compensation comes in the form of money paid directly to you.

Business owners, drivers, and people you generally interact with in public have what is known as a duty of care. Simply put, they have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to not harm you and others. When someone fails to take this duty of care seriously, they can cause severe bodily harm and emotional injury to innocent victims.

Before taking on your case, a personal injury lawyer carefully reviews your case to see if it meets the legal standards needed to file a claim in court. In certain cases, the claim can be settled outside of court when the at-fault party or their insurance company agrees to pay fair compensation for your injuries.

What Can I Be Compensated For?

Compensation can include payments for your past, present, and future medical treatments. Following a personal injury, plaintiffs are often primarily concerned about how they will pay for their medical bills.

Other forms of compensation can pay for pain and suffering, lost wages, and punitive damages in cases where the defendant committed acts of egregious misconduct.

When a wrongful death is involved, an attorney can calculate the future lost wages of the deceased and include those figures in the settlement. Surviving loved ones can seek compensation on behalf of the estate of the decedent.

Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were recently injured due to someone else’s actions, you are probably dealing with several challenges at once. You may not have the time and resources to deal with insurance companies or the at-fault party if they are unwilling to voluntarily pay for your injuries.

A personal injury attorney understands the legal mechanisms for compelling the at-fault party to pay for the injury they caused you. Without legal representation, the defendant or their insurance carrier may not take your demands seriously.

It is not uncommon for the at-fault party to falsely portray you as being at fault or partly at fault for causing the injury. An attorney can defend you against false allegations.

A personal injury lawyer also understands how to gather evidence to strengthen your claim. If you are working on your own, you may miss key pieces of evidence that can increase the size of your settlement.

FAQs

Q: How Much Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge in California?

A: Personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they are not paid until you are paid. The payment structure is based on a percentage that the attorney deducts when the case is settled. The contingency fee structure is beneficial for clients because they do not have to worry about paying out-of-pocket for legal representation.

Q: What Are Reasonable Attorney Fees in California?

A: Reasonable attorney’s fees are the fair amount awarded for an attorney’s legal services. This fee is determined by factors such as the:

• Case’s complexity
• Attorney’s experience and skill
• Time and effort invested
• Standard rates for similar services in the region

If you believe that your attorney’s contingency fee is unfairly high, you can search for other attorneys who offer a more reasonable fee. Just keep in mind that personal injury cases require the investment of vast resources by any law firm.

Q: What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury in California?

A: If you are planning on hiring an attorney to file a personal injury claim, you have a limited period of time to do so. The legal deadline for most personal injury cases in California is two years. With few exceptions, missing this statute of limitations will mean that you are unable to use the civil courts to find relief for your injuries.

Q: How Do You File a Personal Injury Claim in California?

A: Filing a personal injury claim in California often requires the help of a personal injury attorney. Beyond knowing which court has jurisdiction over your case, you will have to clearly document the facts of your situation and the legal basis for your claim. An attorney has significant experience filing personal injury claims.

Q: Should I Accept a Settlement Offer Without an Attorney?

A: You can accept a settlement offer without an attorney, but you may be settling for far less than you are owed. Once you accept any settlement offer, you may not be able to go back and ask for more.

A personal injury attorney can review the settlement carefully to make sure that the compensation accounts for all the financial losses (including future expenses) tied to your injury. Having legal representation throughout the settlement negotiation process can greatly increase the chances that you maximize the funds you are lawfully eligible for.

Schedule Your Personal Injury Consultation Today

A personal injury can leave you feeling uncertain about the future. Mounting medical bills and concerns about how you can return to work can create stress in your personal and professional lives. Hiring an attorney can completely change that dynamic by placing you in control of your future.

By working with an experienced personal injury law firm, you can hold the at-fault party accountable for their actions. Corrales Law Group has helped many clients facing similar challenges to yours. We can review your case to ensure that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries. To schedule your consultation, please contact our office today.