Altadena Personal Injury Lawyer

Altadena Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury occurs whenever one party’s actions result in tangible losses or actual harm to another party. Each state in the country has unique laws and statutes pertaining to these incidents, and it is vital to know what to expect if you or a loved one has suffered any type of personal injury in Altadena. A personal injury attorney is the ideal resource to consult, as they can explain the legal mechanisms you will need to navigate to secure the compensation you need to recover.

Helping Altadena Personal Injury Claimants Recover

The Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes has successfully helped many past clients recover compensation for the damages inflicted on them by the negligence and misconduct of others. In every case our firm accepts, we take time to get to know our client to ensure we provide carefully tailored and individualized legal counsel. If you believe you have grounds for a personal injury case, we are ready to assist you with your recovery efforts.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Our Firm Accepts

When you believe you need to file a personal injury case, it’s important to find an Altadena personal injury attorney who has experience with cases similar to yours. The team at the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes has years of professional experience helping our clients through all types of personal injury cases, including:

• Motor vehicle accident cases. Any vehicle accident in Altadena is likely to generate a complex insurance claim process followed by a personal injury case when insurance alone can’t compensate the victim’s losses. If you or a loved one sustained injuries in a car accident someone else caused, we will help you prove liability and navigate all the legal proceedings that follow the accident.
• Premises liability suits. If you suffered a slip and fall or other injury on someone else’s property, they could be liable for damages under California’s premises liability laws. All private property owners are required to address foreseeable safety hazards that might injure lawful visitors, and failure to do so can lead to liability for any and all resulting damages to the victim.
• Construction accident claims. If you suffered injuries while working construction in Altadena, you likely can file a workers’ compensation claim through your employer. However, if a specific party is responsible for the injury and workers’ compensation doesn’t provide full coverage of your damages, we can pursue additional legal recourse to enhance your recovery.
• Claims for catastrophic injuries. A personal injury qualifies as catastrophic when it causes permanent damage to the victim. If you were left paralyzed, permanently disfigured, or disabled in any way due to another party’s actions, we could help you hold them fully accountable for all immediate and future damages resulting from the incident.
• Wrongful death claims. If the personal injury victim dies from the incident, their surviving loved ones may file a wrongful death claim in lieu of the personal injury claim they likely would have filed if they had survived.

In any personal injury case, the plaintiff can only recover compensation for their damages after identifying the party responsible for causing the injury, proving they held some duty of care they failed or refused to fulfill, and in doing so, directly caused the plaintiff’s claimed damages. Therefore, when you select the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes to represent you in a personal injury claim, we will help you gather the evidence and testimony to prove liability for the damages and to prove the full extent of the damages.

Damages You Can Claim in Your Altadena Personal Injury Case

After proving fault for the personal injury you experienced, you must shift your focus to proving the full extent of the losses you incurred from the injury. Under California law, a personal injury victim can seek full compensation for all the financial losses they had due to the defendant’s actions, including those that are immediately recognizable, as well as projected future damages. The plaintiff must also establish causation between their claimed damages and the defendant’s actions, meaning they must prove they did not result from any other cause.

Economic damages available in many personal injury claims include property damage, medical expenses, and lost income. If the defendant inflicted physical injuries on you or a family member, they are liable for all the medical care you need. This includes immediate health care expenses as well as the cost of any ongoing rehabilitative care you require. When it comes to lost income, the defendant must pay for the income you are unable to earn while you get over your damages, but if you can never return to work because of your injuries, they are liable for this lost future income as well.

Beyond claimable financial damages, the plaintiff in an Altadena personal injury case can also seek compensation for the pain and suffering they endured because of the defendant’s actions. This could be a substantial portion of their total case award, in line with the seriousness of their injuries and whether they face long-term or permanent complications because of them. For many personal injury claims filed in the state, there is no limit on how much pain and suffering compensation the plaintiff may claim.

The Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes has the professional experience, skills, and resources you need on your side to approach your personal injury case with peace of mind. We take time to carefully review each client’s situation, help them understand the full breadth of compensation they can seek, and determine the optimal ways of resolving their claims. The sooner you reach out to our team for legal counsel, the sooner we can begin guiding you toward the recovery you legally deserve.

FAQs About Altadena, CA Personal Injury Law

Is It Worth Hiring Altadena Personal Injury Attorneys?

Do not assume that hiring an attorney would be more expensive than what your case is worth. Having legal counsel that you can trust to guide you through your case proceedings not only increases your chances of securing the compensation you legally deserve but also makes all your proceedings much easier to handle. In addition, your Altadena personal injury attorney can handle your legal proceedings on your behalf so you can focus on your recovery.

How Much Time Will I Have to Start a Personal Injury Claim in Altadena?

California enforces a statute of limitations of two years for all personal injury claims. This means the plaintiff must file their claim within two years of the date their injury occurred. In the event the cause of a personal injury can’t be immediately determined, the discovery rule applies, and the plaintiff’s statute of limitations begins on the date they discovered the cause of their injury. Therefore, it’s always advisable for a plaintiff to begin the case filing process right away with the help of an attorney for the greatest chance of success with their claim.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Personal Injury in Altadena?

Personal injury laws enable the plaintiff to seek full repayment of all the financial losses they suffered because of a defendant’s negligence or misconduct. Your Altadena personal injury attorney will be invaluable for calculating these losses, and they may uncover avenues of recovery you didn’t know were available to you. Ultimately, the value of your personal injury case hinges on how severe your damages are and the nature of the defendant’s behavior that caused those damages.

Can I Still Claim Compensation If I’m Partially at Fault for My Personal Injury?

The state upholds the pure comparative negligence rule. This means a plaintiff may still recover compensation for their damages even if they bear partial fault for causing those damages. However, they will lose a percentage of their case award to reflect their shared fault. If a plaintiff bears 25% fault for their personal injury, this will decrease their final case award by 25%. An Altadena personal injury attorney can help their client minimize any shared fault they hold for causing their claimed damages.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Altadena Personal Injury Attorney?

The Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes takes on personal injury clients for a contingency fee, so we charge no legal fees up front. Instead, we will take a portion of the client’s final award for our fee if we win. This billing arrangement eliminates any financial risk of hiring legal counsel for your case, and if we don’t secure compensation on your behalf, there is no charge at all.

The Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes has years of professional experience handling personal injury cases on behalf of clients in Altadena and surrounding areas. We know what kind of legal challenges you might encounter as you seek compensation for the losses another party inflicted on you and your family, and our goal is to help you as much as state law allows. If it’s time to learn more about the legal services we offer, contact us now and set up your free consultation with an Altadena personal injury attorney you can trust.