Orange County Personal Injury Lawyers
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
$22,000,000.00
December 2016: $22M+ verdict in a mild traumatic brain injury case. The entire details of the case can be found in the public record filings by the defendant entity that sued its defense.– BRIAN BEECHER
What Are The Common Causes of Personal Injuries in Orange County
There is something for nearly anyone, but with these luxuries and activities come significant injury risks. Tourists and residents alike can be injured while taking part in these activities as well as on our busy roads and in foot traffic. As such, the most common personal injury clients we represent are those who have experienced:
Award-winning Injury Lawyers in Orange County with Decades of Experience
According to the United States Census Bureau, Orange County gained nearly two hundred thousand residents between 2010 and 2018. This is an increase of 11.9 percent of the population in less than a decade. More residents mean more traffic, more jobs, more houses, more construction, more pets, and more long-term care facilities for both children and older adults. All of this increases the risk of being involved in an accident and sustaining a personal injury.
Orange County's beautiful coastline and perfect weather are some of the reasons why cyclists love this place. Orange County offers a unique travel experience for cyclists. Sadly, California provides less protection for the motorcycle riders. In 2015 alone, there are 1,400 motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities in Orange County alone. Motorcycle riders report that the most common motorcycle injuries are road rash and broken bones. Even with the mandatory helmet use, motorcycle riders are at a higher risk for traumatic brain or spinal cord injury than 4-wheel vehicle drivers.
Dog bites are often violent and hectic events, sometimes with more than one dog attacking the victim. If the victim survives the attack, he or she will likely have puncture wounds, scratches, or crush injuries. If the dog’s vaccinations were not up-to-date, the Orange County dog bite victim may have to receive a rabies shot or other treatments to avoid infection. Puncture wounds from dog bites can be very painful and take weeks to heal.
Types of Compensation Available for Personal Injury
There are three main categories where the compensation will be made available to a personal injury victim.
Special or Compensatory Damages
All of the unexpected expenses of the victim due to the accident falls under this category. When calculating damages, it is relatively easy to estimate a dollar amount, and it’s just a matter of collating records of the following:
- Medical care and treatment – Inclusion for this would be reimbursement for hospital/doctor bills, ongoing treatment, and long-term care and rehabilitation costs.
- Lost income/lost future income – For severe injury cases where the victim won’t be able to work because of the accident, compensation for the time they are absent from their job is entitled to the personal injury victim. In unfortunate cases where the victim succumbs to injuries that cause long-term or permanent disability, a lost future income may be entitled to them. It is also possible that this compensation is given for the rest of the victim’s life.
- Property Damage – This entails compensation for the damaged vehicle in an accident, be it repair or replacement.
- Burial and Funeral Expenses – A compensation for the funeral and burial expenses might be entitled to the next of kin if the accident resulted in the victim’s death.
General Damages
Some aspects of the damage of an accident can be harder to quantify and put a price on. It takes care of the emotional toll the victim has to go through due to the accident. The following can be included in this category:
- Pain and Suffering – This category typically compensates for the physical pain of the personal injury victim. It provides compensation for the following: anxiety, mental anguish, anger, and depression; the victim may be experiencing related to the accident.
- Mental Anguish – Damages for mental anguish may be entitled to the personal injury victim for cases where the accident was particularly traumatic, including compensation for life-changing injuries (i.e., witnessing the death of a loved one in the accident, paralysis, disfigurement).
- Loss of Consortium – This category covers compensation for the spouse if the victim was killed in the accident. The surviving spouse is entitled to compensation for the inevitable emotional, physical, and financial loss of their loved one in this category.
- Loss of Companionship – Same as loss of consortium, compensation for the sudden emotional, physical, and financial (in some cases) loss entitled to the nearest family member falls under this category.
Punitive Damages
The victim may be entitled to this kind of damage in specific situations wherein the person liable to the accident acted in an especially negligent or reckless manner. In addition to the special and general damages, punitive damages may also be rewarded in cases like this.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
$11,779,154.00
Verdict in a mild traumatic brain injury case involving a motor vehicle collision.– JUDD ROSS ALLEN
The Statute of Limitations in Orange County
Residents of California, including Orange County, have the right to file a personal injury claim against the entity or person who caused an accident due to their negligence within two years from the date of the accident. This applies to injury claims, be it a slip or fall, motorcycle, or car accident.
A notable exception is given for the above statute of limitations. For minor victims (under the age of 18), the two-year limit for filing a case only starts when the injury victim turns 18.
