Whittier Personal Injury Attorney

Whittier is a beautiful city, but unfortunately, accidents still happen here. The vast majority of accidents are caused by negligence. Negligence is a legal term that refers to the failure to act in a reasonable manner that keeps other people safe. After an accident, injured individuals can file a claim against the negligent party to claim compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, and more. Personal injury claims always have the potential to become complex. A Whittier personal injury lawyer can advise on your case and help you obtain the full damages you are entitled to.

Areas of Personal Injury Law

There are many ways an accident can happen. The laws that govern an accident will depend on the type of accident that occurred. Our Whittier personal injury lawyers have the necessary experience in all areas of personal injury law, including:

Steps to Take After an Accident

The steps you take after any accident are crucial. Not only will they help protect your safety and well-being, but they can also strengthen any injury claim you may file in the future. The most important steps to take after any accident are as follows:

Seek medical attention: An accident can leave you with many injuries. You should seek medical attention for them immediately to ensure that they do not become worse, so you can start your recovery as quickly as possible. If you do not seek medical attention, the insurance company will also argue that you were not hurt because you did not see a physician after the accident.
Exchange information with the liable party: The information you should exchange with the liable party will depend on the type of accident you were in. For example, if you were in a car crash, you should exchange your driver’s license number, insurance information, and contact information. If you were hurt in a slip and fall, you should obtain the property owner’s name and contact information.
File a report: Like the information, you will gather after an accident, the report you file will also depend on the type of accident you were in. If you were hurt on someone else’s property, they may ask you to fill out an incident report. On the other hand, if you were injured in a car crash, you should call the police so they can file a report. In any case, you should always obtain a copy of any report filed after an accident.
Document the accident: Often, the best evidence to strengthen your injury claim is at the scene of the accident. As such, you should take pictures and video footage of the entire accident scene. Take photos of any vehicles involved, your injuries, and anything that contributed to your accident, such as the defective product that caused your injuries.
Speak to a Whittier personal injury lawyer: The aftermath of an accident is very stressful. A personal injury lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, advise you of your rights, and help you obtain the maximum damages you deserve.

Just as there are many steps you should take after an accident, there are also some things you should never do. Of them all, the most important is that you do not admit fault. Even apologizing that the accident happened at all can hurt your case, as the insurance company will use it against you. They will claim that you apologized, which is an admission of fault, to reduce or deny the full settlement you deserve.

Comparative Fault in Whittier

The law in Whittier and throughout California recognizes that multiple people may be to blame for an accident. The state follows a pure model of comparative fault, which means that even if you are 99% to blame for an accident, you can still file a claim for compensation. However, the amount of damages you are awarded will then be reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example, you may have been hurt by a driver who ran a red light. If you were on your phone at the time and did not see the driver was not going to stop, you would likely be found partly at fault. The insurance company may assign you 20% of the fault, while the other driver may be found 80 percent at fault. If you were awarded $100,000 in damages, you would receive $80,000 because the original award would be reduced by 20%.

It is not uncommon for liable parties to claim an accident victim was partly or totally at fault for an accident. They do this to reduce the total amount of damages they are liable for paying. This is just one reason it is so important to work with a Whittier personal injury lawyer who can refute these arguments so you do not suffer an unnecessary loss of damages.

Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Whittier for a Free Consultation

If you or someone you love has been hurt, our Whittier personal injury lawyers at Personal Injury Legal Group can help you claim the full and fair damages you deserve. Call us now at 310-388-4306 or reach out to us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.

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