Glendale Personal Injury Attorney
A car crash, slip and fall, or an accident caused by a defective product can happen in a second. The injuries sustained during an accident may stay with you for the rest of your life. Amputations, paralysis, and traumatic brain injuries are just a few of the most serious ways in which you can become hurt in an accident. Afterward, you can file a claim against any negligent party that caused your injuries, but different laws apply to different areas of personal injury law. Below, our Glendale personal injury lawyer explains more.
Car Accidents
Unlike no-fault auto insurance states, all car accidents in California are governed by tort law. This means that after a crash, you must file a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company. Dealing with an insurance company is never easy. Insurance is a big business, and these companies prioritize their own profits over the safety and well-being of accident victims. A Glendale personal injury lawyer can negotiate with the insurer on your behalf so you obtain the full and fair settlement you deserve.
Uber and Lyft Accidents
It is easy to assume that Uber and Lyft accidents are similar to other crashes on the road. This is not true, though. An accident claim may involve the at-fault driver’s insurance company, as well as Uber’s and Lyft’s insurance. Additionally, the amount of insurance available and the insurer involved will depend on what the Uber or Lyft driver was doing at the time, such as whether they were logged into the app or carrying a passenger.
Bicycle Accidents
With so little protection while on the roads, cyclists will sustain some of the most serious injuries during an accident. Like car accidents, injured cyclists can file a claim with the at-fault party who crashed into them, which is usually a motorist. These claims are also filed with the insurance company representing the liable party.
Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents
18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, and other commercial vehicle accidents will usually result in catastrophic injuries. These vehicles are extremely large and heavy, particularly when they are fully loaded. Contrary to what many people think, truck accidents are vastly different from other crashes on the road.
Due to the severity of the injuries, the insurance company will likely be even more reluctant to pay a fair settlement. Identifying the liable party is also much more difficult, as there could be multiple liable parties and they are not all at the scene of the accident. Although it is always important to work with a Glendale personal injury lawyer after a crash, this is even more important after a truck accident.
Pedestrian Accidents
Like cyclists, pedestrians will sustain some of the most serious injuries after an accident because they have absolutely no protection. These collisions are also most often caused by negligent drivers. Injured individuals can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to claim the compensation they need.
Slip and Falls
Slip and fall accidents are very common and form the basis of many personal injury claims. These accidents fall into an area of personal injury law known as premises liability. Premises liability law states that all property owners must keep their premises in a safe condition at all times. When property owners are negligent and fail to meet this duty, they can be held liable. The duty of care owed to visitors on a property depends on the classification of visitors. The classifications, and the associated duty of care of each, are as follows:
- Invitees: Invitees are people who are on a property for the benefit of the owner, such as customers at a retail store. Invitees are owed the highest duty of care.
- Licensees: Licensees are also owed a duty of care, but it does not rise to the level of invitees.
- Trespassers: Property owners do not owe trespassers any duty of care, but they cannot intentionally harm people who are unlawfully on their property.
Product Liability
The area of product liability law allows accident victims to file a personal injury claim after they have been hurt by a defective product. There are many ways a product can be defective, including manufacturing defects, defective design, and failure to warn. Unlike many other personal injury claims, product liability is governed by strict liability. This means injured individuals do not need to prove another party was negligent but instead must only show that a product was defective and that they became hurt as a result.
Wrongful Death
Sometimes, accidents are so severe, victims do not survive them. In these cases, family members can file a wrongful death claim to recover their own losses, such as funeral and burial expenses. At the same time, family members can also file a survival action. As its name suggests, a survival action is meant to compensate the deceased’s estate for their losses. Essentially, a survival action can be filed if the deceased could have filed a personal injury claim if they had survived the accident. For example, if someone was in a car crash and succumbed to their injuries one week later, a survival action could recover their medical expenses, lost income, and other losses.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Glendale Can Help with Your Case
At Personal Injury Legal Group, our Glendale personal injury lawyers have helped many clients successfully obtain the compensation they deserve and we can put our experience to work for you, too. Call us now at 310-388-4306 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
