If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness, it is within your rights to file a personal injury claim to cover the losses you have suffered, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. An experienced personal injury lawyer can guide you through the entire legal process and work to maximize the compensation you receive, whether you were injured in a car accident, by a dog bite, or because of medical malpractice.
The Sacramento personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw have been successfully representing cases just like yours for almost 20 years. During that time, we’ve recovered over $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients. Our approach is simple. We’ll listen to your story and take the time to understand the challenges you’re facing. And from that point on, our entire focus will be on meeting your goals and needs.
Following an injury, your first priority should be your recovery. A skilled personal injury attorney can handle every detail of your case, from the investigation of the accident to the aggressive negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company. We care about our clients, and we’ll work tirelessly to get the results you deserve.
Let our team take the stress of managing a complicated legal case off your plate. Contact us online or call us for a no-cost consultation to learn how we can help you through this challenging time.
If you suffered an injury as a result of someone’s careless or reckless actions, you may be struggling with pain and expensive medical bills. At the same time, your injuries may prevent you from going to work to earn an income. It can be difficult to know how to move forward after a serious accident, but a qualified personal injury lawyer can help you do just that.
It is important to understand that insurance companies are for-profit companies and, as a result, it’s always in their best interest to minimize their payout or deny claims, when they can. It’s not uncommon for an insurance adjuster to ask you to make a recorded statement in hopes that you might say something they can use to refute your claim.
When you work with an experienced personal injury attorney, you’ll have a staunch advocate by your side who can protect you from the tactics insurance companies use to minimize claims. Your attorney will handle all of the communication with the insurance representatives, and they’ll have the skills to negotiate aggressively and strategically for the compensation you need.
When you decide to hire an attorney, one of the first things they’ll do is launch an investigation into the accident that injured you. They’ll work meticulously to gather compelling evidence to support your case, such as video footage from security or traffic cameras, statements from eyewitnesses, and opinions from expert witnesses, including accident reconstruction experts.
Building a strong case is not the only thing your law firm will do. An established, dedicated law firm will work to help you recover in other ways, too. For example, at OnderLaw, our legal team can help you find the best medical specialists for your needs, help you find transportation options if you’re unable to drive, and help protect you from debt collectors seeking medical bill payments.
The attorneys at OnderLaw have helped clients with many different types of personal injury cases in Sacramento. Examples include:
Accidents are frightening events. When you’ve just suffered an injury, it can be difficult to know what to do first. There are a few steps you can take, however, to protect both your health and your legal options for recovering compensation. We suggest the following:
Following the accident, your law firm will conduct a thorough investigation of the case in order to gather evidence that proves fault and also shows the extent of the injuries and losses you have suffered as a result of the accident. Following are some of the steps attorneys will take to conduct an exhaustive investigation:
Investigators will take statements from the parties involved in the accident as well as any witnesses who were present to create a detailed account of the accident.
Investigators will gather photos and videos of the accident scene, which may help to indicate the cause of the accident. They will also gather documentation related to the accident, such as the driving records and cell phone records of anyone involved in the accident, medical records to show the extent of your injuries, pay stubs and tax forms to demonstrate the loss of income, and more.
Investigators will sometimes reach out to a specialist in accident reconstruction to recreate the scene of the accident to help determine fault.
Investigators will leverage their detailed knowledge of the law to determine if any local, state, or federal laws were broken.
Investigators will look at the whole sum of their findings to help determine who was at fault.
Your attorney will help you determine the value of the compensation you’re owed based on the extent of the damages, or losses, you suffered as a result of the accident. Damages are divided into three categories. There are economic damages, non-economic damages, and in rare cases, punitive damages.
Economic damages are the monetary losses you suffered due to the accident and your injuries. These may include:
Non-economic damages include intangible losses that are subjective and more challenging to measure. These may include:
Non-economic damages are less clear-cut in terms of their costs. However, that does not mean they are any less important. An effective way to show the extent of your pain and suffering and other non-economic damages is to keep a running record of your feelings and pain in a journal or notebook. Doing so will document how your injuries have affected you and changed your life.
Punitive damages – Punitive damages are awarded in rare instances when there is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with “oppression, fraud, or malice.” Punitive damages aren’t meant to compensate the victim but are rather intended to punish the defendant for their egregious behavior and to deter others from engaging in similar actions.
We have seen accidents that are caused by any number of reasons at our law firm. Following are some of the most common causes of accidents that we see in Sacramento:
Accidents happen every day, and they all have their unique characteristics. However, these are the types of accidents our Sacramento attorneys see most frequently:
Accidents cause injuries, and while sometimes they are minor, quite frequently, they are life-changing. These are the injuries that we most often see as a result of the accidents or incidents that occur in Sacramento:
We respect and understand that some people are hesitant to work with an attorney because they are worried about costs. They are already paying exorbitant medical bills and potentially struggling with lost wages. How can they pay for an attorney on top of that?
We strongly believe that the size of someone’s wallet shouldn’t affect the quality of the representation they receive. Our attorneys at OnderLaw work on a contingency-fee-basis, which means we don’t get paid unless you get paid. Once we secure a settlement or award for you, we’ll take a percentage of the compensation as our payment. This means you never have to pay out-of-pocket fees.
That also means you can expect to get our absolute best effort because our success is tied to yours.
Unfortunately, statistics underscore just how common certain types of personal injury accidents and incidents are in California, such as motor vehicle accidents, dog bites, and falls.
It’s important to take note of specific laws in California that could affect your personal injury claim or lawsuit. These laws include:
All California dog owners carry full liability if their dog is found to be responsible for a dog bite accident.
The comparative negligence rule can affect the amount of compensation a victim can recover. Comparative negligence says that the victim’s compensation can be reduced in proportion to their percentage of fault in the accident. So, for example, if the victim of an accident is found by a jury to be ten percent at fault for the accident that injured them, their compensation would be reduced by ten percent.
The statute of limitations determines the amount of time a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit in a court of law. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the statute of limitations for your case, you may lose the right to pursue compensation for your losses. The statute of limitations in a given state may vary depending on the type of case that’s being pursued. In California, the following statutes of limitations are in place:
Uninsured drivers are ineligible to collect non-economic damages, such as “pain and suffering.” An exception to this is if the uninsured driver’s accident was caused by a driver driving under the influence.
Non-economic damages awarded in a medical malpractice case cannot exceed $250,000.
Every personal injury case will have its own unique set of circumstances that distinguishes it from other cases. However, most personal injury cases will generally follow the basic steps below:
If your case goes to court, it’s helpful to be familiar with the general process involved in a lawsuit. The steps of a lawsuit include:
Filing – Confirm which court you will need to file in and do so accordingly. If your injury occurred on the job, you will be advised to file with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. If the claim is less than $10,000, you will be able to file in small claims court. If the claim is more than $10,000, you will be able to file in civil court.
Summons – Your lawyer will help you draft a formal declaration of the lawsuit to be sent to the at-fault parties and file it with the court. This will outline the facts of the accident, the damages you have suffered, and the amount you believe you are owed.
Discovery – The summons will trigger follow-up investigations where both your lawyer and the opposing parties’ lawyer(s) will be allowed to review the evidence and take statements. Both parties may also attempt to resolve the case through mediation outside of court. In cases where an agreement cannot be met, the case then goes to trial.
Trial – Your lawyer will present your case before a judge and possibly a jury of your peers. At the closure of arguments, the judge or jury will deliver a judgment or verdict and determine the outcome of your case.
If you or someone close to you are recovering from a serious accident, you may be hurt, mad, scared, and uncertain about the future. The attorneys at OnderLaw have served countless cases just like yours, and our warm, caring, and committed staff are standing by, waiting to take your call.
You have a limited time to take legal action, so don’t waste another minute. Call us today or visit our contact page to begin your free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll help you understand your legal options and help you move forward.
