Tuolumne County Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Cases Our Attorneys Typically Handle

Our lawyers have assisted many clients in Tuolumne County with their personal injury lawsuits. The following are some of the injuries that are common in personal injury cases:

Catastrophic Injuries

Some accident victims sustain injuries so catastrophic that most or all aspects of their lives are profoundly and often permanently impaired. For survivors, going back to work may no longer be an option. The following are some common catastrophic injuries:

• Head and brain trauma, from concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
• Spinal cord injuries, potentially leading to paralysis, include paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia.
• Neck and back injuries, including whiplash and herniated discs.
• External injuries, including burns, lacerations, and amputations.
• Internal injuries, including internal bleeding, nerve damage, fractured bones, blindness, and hearing loss.

Catastrophic accident victims sometimes struggle to survive. Survivors and their families may need lifelong medical and rehabilitation care, which can be financially and emotionally demanding.

Amputations

Losing a limb in an accident, be it in the workplace involving heavy machinery, an explosion, or a car accident, is devastating. Surgical amputation is often done as a last resort to save the victim’s life when the limb is too damaged. Traumatic amputation, on the other hand, is the immediate separation of the limb as a result of the accident.

Having a limb amputated due to someone else’s negligence alters a person’s life physically, mentally, and financially. This condition may affect a person’s ability to work and support their family. It can also impact their overall well-being and confidence, making it difficult for them to return to their normal routine.

The compensation that amputation injury victims may pursue depends on various factors, most importantly, the severity of their trauma and its impact on their lives. Initial settlement offers may not reflect the full extent of future medical costs, lost income, or other related expenses. Personal injury lawyers in Tuolumne County can review settlement offers, identify applicable policy limits, and help clients pursue compensation that reflects their actual losses.

Dog Bite & Animal Attack Injuries

Dogs can be beneficial to their owners’ well-being, but they can still exhibit aggressive behavior. California’s strict liability laws hold pet owners fully accountable for dog bites. This means that in personal injury cases, dog owners cannot argue that they were unaware of their dog’s aggressive tendencies or took precautions to prevent the bite attack. The strict liability statute applies even if the dog has never bitten anyone or been violent toward humans.

The dog owner is also strictly liable if the victim is injured:

• Despite the fact that the animal bite did not break the skin.
• Was in public or “lawfully in a private place” when the attack occurred, such as a mail carrier delivering mail on private property.

Dog bite attacks by police or military dogs on duty or defending themselves are exempt from this regulation.

Due to the risk of infection or rabies, dog bite victims may need medical attention and treatment, such as antibiotics and injections. Medical transport and timely treatment may be costly, but a dog bite can necessitate them.

Dog bite victims often suffer from these injuries:

• Scars, deformities, or disfigurement, especially in the face.
• Rabies and other infections.
• Amputation.
• Nerve damage.
• Psychological trauma.

Burn Injuries

The severity of a burn injury depends on how many skin layers are affected:

• First-degree burns affect the skin’s outermost layer, or the epidermis. It appears red and dry but does not have blisters or scars.
• Second-degree burns are when the second layer of the skin, called the dermis, along with the epidermis, is affected. Blisters, scarring, and swelling are apparent.
• Third-degree burns are some of the worst injuries. They burn both the exterior skin layers, pierce through the hypodermis, and reach muscles, fat, tendons, and bones. Ironically, damaged nerve endings make third-degree burns the least painful.

Knowing the different types of burns is equally important since some types, such as chemical burns, require different treatment than, say, thermal burns.

• Thermal burns occur when fire or a very hot object comes into direct contact with the skin. Subcategories of thermal burns include steam burns (caused by vaporized liquid), flame burns (caused by direct contact with fire), contact burns (caused by touching a hot object like iron), and explosion burns (which can cause deformity or death).
• Chemical burns are caused by direct contact with a hard chemical or substance, including acid, bleach, or chlorine. Treating the burn victim requires identifying the chemical. Industrial workers usually get this burn.
• Electrical burns can be thermal, like a burning wire coming in contact with a victim’s skin, or electrocution-related. Aside from the external burns, being electrocuted can lead to internal injuries, as the current affects internal organs and muscles. Seeking medical assistance immediately after the incident is critical, even if the victim looks okay.

Orthopedic Injuries

In the medical field, orthopedics treats the skeleton and its joints. Orthopedic injuries include any damage, fractures, and other injuries to the musculoskeletal system, which comprises the bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Many orthopedic injuries stem from accidents or physical trauma.

Common orthopedic injuries are:

• Carpal tunnel
• Rotator cuff injury/tear
• Ankle sprain
• Foot sprain
• Stress fracture
• Wrist fracture
• Shoulder injury/dislocation
• Knee injury

Orthopedic injuries can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, due to accidents like slip-and-falls and traffic collisions. If you’re injured, do not “wait it out” or treat it on your own. Your injuries can only be accurately diagnosed and treated by a qualified medical professional. Our personal injury lawyers in Tuolumne County can assist you in seeking financial recovery for your medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost income, and other losses resulting from the accident.

Lacerations

A sharp or blunt object with a forceful impact, such as in a road crash, can tear the skin. Minor cuts are relatively harmless, but serious ones can pierce through the skin and into the muscles, internal organs, or even bones, causing infection, severe bleeding, and extreme pain. Lacerations should be treated immediately to reduce scarring.

To prevent infection after a laceration, do the following:

• Continuously apply sterile gauze with pressure to the wound to stop bleeding.
• Assess the injury’s severity and depth.
• If the injury is serious, consult a doctor about closing it, as some cuts are too deep to close without medical assistance. Delays further increase the infection risk.

Lacerations heal differently and require different treatments. Common lacerations are:

• Full-thickness lacerations, which heal more slowly and scar more. Closures may require sutures or stitches.
• Burst or jagged lacerations that require stitches and trimming.
• Simple lacerations that rarely require antibiotics or other oral treatment.
• Major lacerations, which may require prescribed antibiotics and even vaccines in cases of animal and human bites.

Injuries To Children

Accidents that harm or kill children destroy lives and leave friends and family utterly devastated. If your child was injured in an accident, you may be able to seek compensation for certain damages, from hospital bills to pain and suffering. Ask the experienced personal injury attorneys in Tuolumne County about your rights and legal alternatives.

These injuries frequently involve children getting backed over by cars. A vehicle pulling out of a driveway or parking space may accidentally run over a child who is usually just quietly playing around. Both the child and the driver are too focused on what they’re doing to notice changes in their environment.

Child injuries also sometimes result from swimming pool accidents, playground and sports injuries, animal attacks, harmful toys, tripping and falling, choking, and poisoning. A person or party, such as a babysitter or a daycare center, taking care of your child owes you and the child a “duty of care.” This means they are expected to take reasonable steps to protect the child from foreseeable harm. You may be able to claim damages if they breach that responsibility and injure your child.