Orange County Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

You might wonder whether you really need a lawyer. The insurance company might tell you that it will take longer or be more difficult to resolve your claim with an attorney because claimants who have lawyers consistently receive higher settlements than those who handle their own claims.

There are many things an injury lawyer does to protect your legal rights. What follows are just a few of the most important things we do to ensure that our clients get the compensation they deserve.

1. We will protect you from being harassed by the driver’s insurance company.

As soon as the insurance company is notified that you have a lawyer, they may no longer contact you directly about your claim. All communications must go through your attorney’s office, which protects your legal rights in several ways. First, it ensures that you will not accidentally say anything that could hurt your case.

Insurance companies are experienced in twisting a victim’s words around. They might make it sound like you made your own injuries worse, that you contributed to the accident in some way, or even that you are entirely to blame. We do not allow such mischaracterization to happen to our clients.

Second, having a lawyer protects you from being harassed by insurance companies. Often a claims adjuster will push victims to settle their claims as quickly as possible. They might promise you “fast cash” or use other tactics to get you to sign away your rights immediately.

You have the right to consult with your own attorney. It is important to give your attorney the time they need to investigate your case and learn what your claim is truly worth. Insurance companies know that they can pay less when they settle claims quickly before the victim has a chance to investigate their claim or learn about their legal rights.

For this reason, it is best to have no contact with the other driver’s insurance company. Let us handle all communications to protect you from harassment and other common tactics.

2. We will thoroughly investigate your case to find all potential defendants, legal claims, and insurance policies.

Even if an injury case seems simple or straightforward, there are many legal issues that must be examined. You have the right to be fairly compensated for your injuries. In order to protect this right, an experienced lawyer must investigate the case to find all potential legal claims that you have. Our skilled injury attorneys also look for all potential defendants and any additional insurance policies that may cover your accident.

This process will ensure that you have access to all the compensation to which you are lawfully entitled. It also ensures that no one gets out of paying what they owe and holds negligent drivers accountable when they injure pedestrians. Accountability helps make the roads of California safer for all pedestrians.

3. We will help you document all the losses you have suffered.

Injury victims are entitled to compensation for their financial losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. They are also entitled to compensation for their emotional losses. These intangible losses are collectively referred to as “pain and suffering,” which is often the largest component of a personal injury award. It can also be the most difficult to prove.

Unlike medical bills, there are no receipts for your pain and suffering. It is so important to work with a skilled accident attorney who knows how to prove the value of your intangible losses. Our legal team works with injury victims to help them document all the pain and suffering they endure.

If you have cuts, bruises, stitches, or other visible signs of your injuries, we will ensure that we have high-quality photographs that can be introduced into evidence at trial. You might also keep a journal to document the specific ways in which you are affected by your injuries. For example, you might be kept awake at night by your pain.

The lost sleep can, in turn, cause you to be stressed about your job performance at work the next day or even miss work altogether. The stress of your job and the pain of your injuries could lead you to have a fight with your spouse or partner.

All of this added stress and emotional strain is part of your pain and suffering. Our lawyers help clients document these specific losses so we can prove the full value of compensation you are owed for your injuries. 

4. We can help you find medical providers who will wait for payment.

For many injury victims, the most pressing concern is how they will pay for costly medical bills at a time when they are unable to work. It is important to get the medical care you need without delay. Delayed treatment can make your pain and suffering worse, and it can even make your overall prognosis worse, as well.

In these circumstances, an insurance company can reduce the value of your claim. (Defendants are only liable for the injuries they cause, not for any added suffering caused by delays in treatment.) Talk with our injury lawyers about any financial questions you have. We will help you find the best way to get the treatment you need.

First, your health insurance carrier must pay for any medical treatment that is covered under your plan. Health insurance includes Medicare, Medicaid, and marketplace health plans. (If you are paid for the same bills later in a personal injury settlement, the carrier can seek reimbursement, but our lawyers will handle that at the end of your case.)

These plans will usually cover emergency care, like ambulance services and ER visits. If you do not have health insurance, there are still options for getting ongoing care and treatment. Some chiropractors will accept patients with no upfront payment. Instead, they work “on lien,” which means they have a loan against your personal injury settlement for the cost of their services.

Our office then pays them after your case is settled. This option is just one possibility. Our injury lawyers will help you make the financial arrangements that are right for your unique situation. The important thing is not to delay any medical treatment that you need.

5. We will determine the actual fair value of your case.

It is incredibly important for injury victims to get independent legal advice about the value of their claims. An insurance company might try to tell you that your injuries weren’t “that bad,” that your case isn’t worth “that much,” or that a jury wouldn’t think the case was worth very much. These statements are legal advice about the value of your case.

You should never take legal advice from someone who is working for the other side. (Remember, the insurance company represents their insured driver, and their job is to pay you as little as possible.) Injury victims have the legal right to get advice from a legal professional who is actually on their side.

Our skilled Orange County pedestrian accident lawyers will fight hard to get you all the compensation you are owed. We will investigate all potential legal claims, defendants, and insurance policies to make sure that none of your money is left on the table. Most importantly, we will give you a fair assessment of your case so that you don’t have to take the insurance company’s word for it.

6. We will advise you on whether you should accept a settlement or take your case to court.

There comes a point in settlement negotiations where an insurance company either cannot or will not go any higher. At this point, you must decide whether to accept the settlement offer or take your chances in court. Our lawyers will help advise you on this matter.

We will make sure you understand all the risks and benefits of taking your case to court. We can even make a recommendation about whether to accept a settlement offer. Ultimately, however, it is your decision to make. We will make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision about your legal right to have a trial by jury.

7. If necessary, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf and begin litigating your case.

Your injury lawyer will handle the complex task of filing a lawsuit for you. We prepare the necessary paperwork, file it at the court, and ensure that all defendants are properly served as required by law. Sometimes the very act of filing a lawsuit is enough to get the insurance company to make a fair settlement offer.

If not, our skilled lawyers will continue the litigation process to prepare your case for trial. This process consists of both discovery of evidence and disclosing of all evidence to the other side. Discovery is conducted through document requests, written questions, and depositions.

Sometimes the court will have to rule on motions about this evidence. Throughout the litigation process, we will continue settlement negotiations if the insurance company is willing to negotiate in good faith. If they do not, we will be sure that your case is ready for trial.

8. If necessary, we will litigate your case at trial.

Very few injury cases in the United States make it all the way to trial. The vast majority of personal injury claims are settled out of court, but if your case is one of the few that must go to trial, we will be ready to fight for your rights. Our experienced litigators know how to present a compelling case to a jury.

We know how to find persuasive expert witnesses and show a jury exactly how much pain and suffering you have endured. We are prepared to fight back if the defense lawyer tries to claim that you made your own injuries worse or that you were partly to blame for the accident, or they try any other trick to try to convince the jury that you don’t deserve fair compensation.

Not every injury lawyer is prepared to go to trial. It takes an experienced litigator to know how to present a compelling case to judge or jury. Our skilled litigation team is experienced in handling injury claims at all stages of the court process.