Riverside Personal Injury Lawyers
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Riverside Personal Injury Attorneys Helping Injured Victims Seek Compensation
There are many ways you can get injured in Riverside. Maybe you were on Magnolia when a car ran a red light and hit you. Perhaps you were hiking Mount Rubidoux, and another hiker’s dog bit you. Or maybe that car you bought at a dealership downtown had a factory recall you should have been told about, and the defect caused you to get in a wreck on the 91 to 60 interchange on your way to Moreno Valley.
These and other accidents are often the result of someone else’s negligence. Whether it is a driver, a dog owner, or a motor vehicle manufacturer, you may have the legal right to seek compensation for injuries caused by another person’s negligence.
Our experienced Riverside accident lawyers can help you seek just compensation for your losses. We have helped many accident victims sue for damages after auto accidents, dog bites, workplace accidents, slip and fall incidents, nursing home abuse and neglect, truck crashes, and many other types of accidents. Contact us at (888) 488-1391 to schedule your free initial consultation.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Riverside County gained nearly three 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 these factors may increase the risk of getting involved in an accident and sustaining a personal injury.
Verdict in a mild traumatic brain injury case involving a motor vehicle collision
– Judd Ross Allen
What Types Of Personal Injury Cases Do We Handle In Riverside County?
There are many ways a person can be injured. Our firm handles a wide range of injury cases, including:
Car Accidents
Because Riverside County is so close to Los Angeles and has such a large population, it experiences a significant number of car accidents. There are many ways in which a driver can be found at fault for causing a car accident. Texting and driving is one of the most common offenses. Sometimes the other driver is simply not paying attention as traffic comes to an abrupt stop.
Other times, the driver was intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, and the negligence is evident from the blood tests. When another driver causes personal injuries or damage to your vehicle, they may have a legal obligation to compensate you. This is why California (like other states) requires drivers to carry minimum amounts of liability coverage on their auto insurance policies.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users here in Riverside. They are slower and harder to see than motor vehicles and bicycles. They do not have the protection of a steel vehicle frame or even a helmet. It is all too easy for a pedestrian to be seriously injured by a car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to injuries sustained in a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Pedestrian accidents occur regularly in Riverside County. The California Department of Public Health reported 267pedestrian fatalities between 2007 and 2013. When a pedestrian is killed as a result of a driver’s negligence, the surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim against the driver. It is essential for loved ones to consult with an attorney after any accident in order to protect their legal rights.
Truck Accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2016 saw an increase in fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses. Fatalities increased 5%, while the number of fatal crashes increased by 6%. Accidents involving large vehicles — such as a commercial truck — tend to cause more severe injuries than accidents involving smaller passenger vehicles.
This is because the added weight of the vehicle increases the momentum created by a collision between two vehicles. Truck accidents can cause serious injuries that lead to permanent disabilities, paralysis, brain damage, or even death. When truck drivers or transportation companies are found negligent, they may be held responsible for the resulting serious injuries.
Motorcycle Accidents
Collisions between a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle almost always result in worse injuries to the motorcycle rider. Unlike the occupants of the vehicle, a motorcyclist does not have the benefit of seatbelts or airbags. The rider also does not have the steel frame of a vehicle to protect his or her body from the force of the collision. In contrast to passengers in cars, motorcycle riders are not protected by steel frames, airbags, or seatbelts. When accidents happen, this vulnerability could result in severe injuries.
The severity of injuries is one factor that may influence the amount of compensation in a personal injury case, though many variables affect final settlements. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers can represent your interests.
Ridesharing Accidents
As Uber and Lyft have become more popular, they have also become involved in more accidents. Legal responsibility (“liability”) for an accident can become complicated when there is a rideshare company involved. These companies carry auto insurance policies that cover injuries caused by their drivers, but they do not always apply. Given the complicated legal scenarios involving rideshare drivers, injury victims should consider consulting with experienced car accident lawyers to understand their options.
Slip-And-Fall Accidents
Slip and fall injuries can occur almost anywhere, including in your home, at your workplace, at a store, or even on a stairwell. Anything you walk on can pose a slipping hazard. Owners have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to maintain safe conditions on their property.
For store owners, this could mean posting warning signs around a mopped floor in a busy retail location, or regularly inspecting the frozen foods section to be sure there are no leaks from the freezers. For a private homeowner, this might mean simply warning guests about uneven walkways, leaking roofs, or other known hazards.
In some cases, the landowner has a duty to use even more care. This is common in daycare centers, assisted living facilities, and other places where the owner or manager accepts money to care for people who need assistance. In this case, the property owner must use particular care to protect these vulnerable guests. Owners who fail to do so can be found liable and have a legal obligation to compensate injury victims for a slip-and-fall accident.
Work Injuries
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that almost four hundred Californians died in the workplace in 2016. Nearly half of these deaths (145 of 376) were caused by transportation accidents. There are many ways in which an employer can be held liable for injuries sustained in the workplace. Employers may be held responsible for employee negligence committed on the job, though liability depends on specific circumstances and applicable legal principles.
Thus, if another employee negligently fails to use safety equipment or follow office safety procedures, and this causes an injury to you, your employer could be held liable for the coworker’s negligence. Workers’ compensation coverage may also be available to provide benefits for many workplace injuries. Consulting an attorney can help you assess whether workers’ compensation is available to you, and if so, whether the award is fair. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand your options and potential course of action.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
TBIs are some of the most complex injuries a person can experience. Victims are often left unable to work, enjoy their hobbies, or live anything like the life they had before. Some victims cannot even remember their own family members and friends.
These painful losses may not be easy to value, but they can be compensable. TBIs often incur a lifetime of costly medical expenses. The most severe TBIs require full-time nursing care. Between the intangible losses and the expensive medical expenses, traumatic brain injury cases may involve significant compensation depending on the severity of injuries and circumstances.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that there are approximately 17,700 new cases of spinal cord injury in the United States every year. Males are more likely to be injured, as roughly 78 percent of these cases involve a male victim. There are many ways a person can sustain a spinal cord injury.
Horseback riding, sports injuries, auto accidents, and even medical malpractice can injure a person’s spinal cord. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are expensive conditions. A victim may require not only expensive medical equipment but also costly renovations to make their home wheelchair accessible. Victims might also require in-home nursing care for years to come. This, too, is expensive.
Amputation Injuries
Like spinal cord injuries, there are many ways in which a limb can become amputated. Perhaps the arm or leg was misdiagnosed by a doctor, and the advancing disease left the limb unsalvageable. Limbs can get crushed in car crashes or workplace accidents. This is especially likely to occur if you work with heavy machinery or dangerous equipment, like a baler or steel beams.
An amputation will leave you with many intangible losses. Perhaps you will never play the piano again or be able to play ball with your child. You might not even be able to pick your child up. These represent significant losses that could potentially be addressed through a personal injury claim. The skilled amputation lawyers at Arash Law can help you prepare your case, negotiate with insurers, and seek compensation that reflects your losses.
Burn Injuries
Burns often cause many secondary medical complications. Smoke inhalation, bacterial infections, bloodstream infection (sepsis), and dehydration are just some of the conditions that can develop as a result of burn injuries. Often, these conditions are life-threatening.
Aviation Accidents
Plane accidents can occur in large or small aircraft. Small aircraft owners usually carry small liability policies to cover injuries that happen to them and their guests. Large commercial airlines carry extensive commercial policies that often provide far more coverage. These policies are available to compensate victims for injuries they sustain in an air accident caused by the pilot’s negligence. If the aviation accident proves fatal, surviving family members often retain a case for wrongful death.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death can occur in many ways. All too often, accidents prove fatal. The negligent person or company that caused the accident does not get off the hook just because the victim died. Surviving family members (or sometimes, the estate of the person who died) are allowed to pursue a case for wrongful death. This may help hold negligent drivers, employers, nursing homes, and others accountable for the injuries they cause.
Elder Neglect And Abuse
Older adults are some of the most vulnerable residents we have here in Riverside County. California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act was enacted to establish strict penalties for elder abuse. Mandated reporters must submit all evidence of suspected physical abuse, abandonment, abduction, isolation, financial exploitation, or neglect to local law enforcement officials.
If the abuse involves serious bodily injury, it must be reported no later than two hours after the reporter becomes aware. Other abuse must be reported within twenty-four hours. A nursing home or care facility that fails to protect residents from abuse can be held liable for compensating their injuries and losses.
Products Liability
Manufacturers of consumer goods are held to a standard of “strict liability.” This means that an injury victim does not have to prove that the manufacturer was negligent. If a defective product caused an injury while being used as intended, the manufacturer may be held liable.
What To Do After You Are Injured
An accident can be a chaotic, terrifying experience. It is difficult to know what to do. Follow these steps to protect your health and your legal rights:
Get Medical Attention Right Away
It is absolutely critical that you see a medical professional as soon as possible after an accident. If you do not feel that you need an ambulance, go to an urgent care facility or hospital emergency department as quickly as possible. If nothing else, you need to get checked by your primary care doctor. Some latent injuries do not show up right away. It is essential to let a qualified medical professional either diagnose your injuries or give you a clean bill of health.
Document Your Injuries And Losses
It can be challenging to remember all the ways in which you have been affected by your injuries. It can be helpful to document this information in a journal or diary. Include every detail, including lost hours of sleep, any missed social events, and even days you could not complete your regular exercise routine. These issues represent potential compensable losses that may be included in a settlement or award.
Let Your Attorney Communicate With Insurance Companies
After an accident, it’s common to file an insurance claim soon after the incident, and insurers often reach out quickly for statements. What you say during these early conversations can affect your claim later on. Your attorney can handle communications and help you avoid missteps.
Schedule A Free Case Review With Our Riverside Personal Injury Attorneys
Our Riverside personal injury lawyer can help you understand the legal options available to you. We can walk you through your legal rights and what we can do to protect them. Let our experienced attorneys help you pursue compensation while you focus on getting better. Reach out to us via phone at (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation.
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