Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer
Suffering a serious injury can have a devastating effect on your life, impacting your physical, financial, and mental health. Fortunately, you might be able to secure compensation by filing a claim against the at-fault party. However, various circumstances and factors can significantly complicate that process.
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, please contact the Ryan Law Group today to discuss your case. Our personal injury lawyers from Los Angeles can help get to the bottom of your case, filing a claim on your behalf to secure the compensation you need during this difficult time.
Los Angeles Injury Resources
- California Personal Injury Laws
- What Damages Can You Recover?
- How Do You Prove Negligence?
- Statute of Limitations on Injury Claims
Why Choose The Ryan Law Group As Your Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer to Handle Your Injury Claim?
The Ryan Law Group is committed to offering exceptional representation to those who have been injured due to others’ negligence in Los Angeles County and throughout Southern California.
- We are a full-service personal injury law firm that can help you with any and all matters regarding personal injury law.
- We have a proven record of results, securing numerous multi-million dollar verdicts for our clients. This includes one of the largest medical malpractice settlements ever secured in Orange County.
- We offer a comprehensive approach to your case, retaining industry experts to evaluate your accident and your injuries to get an accurate estimate of the full extent of compensation you can secure.
- Our lawyers are aggressive in our negotiations, preparing every case as if it is going to trial so that we are fully prepared for everything thrown our way.
- We operate on a contingency fee basis – there are no upfront costs for our clients, and you don’t pay any legal expenses if we don’t win.
Our Los Angeles injury attorneys make sure to put your needs first throughout the duration of your case.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in LA
At the Ryan Law Group, our trial lawyers specialize in personal injury law and only personal injury law. This gives us the specialized knowledge and experience to help you navigate your case to the fullest extent. We assist victims in all types of personal injury, including:
- Car accidents. Car accidents are one of the most common reasons for personal injury claims in Los Angeles. When a careless or negligent driver causes a crash, that driver’s insurance company is liable for a victim’s injuries and property damage.
- Pedestrian accidents. If a driver makes a mistake or breaks a law, and this causes him or her to hit a pedestrian, the victim can suffer serious injuries. The driver’s insurance company will be liable for medical bills and other expenses if the driver caused the crash.
- Truck accidents. If a trucking company or a truck driver causes a commercial truck accident, such as by breaking a federal safety law, the company’s insurance carrier may be responsible for related losses.
- Premises liability. Premises liability refers to a property owner’s legal obligation to keep his or her premises safe. Failing to do this, resulting in harm or injury to a visitor, will make the property owner liable for damages.
- Slip and falls. Slip and fall accidents are often preventable. If someone gets injured in a slip and fall accident from a property hazard, such as wet floors or a broken staircase, the property owner may have to pay for related bills.
- Spinal cord injuries. A spinal cord injury is a serious type of back injury that could lead to permanent paralysis for a victim. It may not be possible for someone with a spinal cord injury to regain any function or feeling below the point of injury.
- Brain injuries. A brain injury describes any damage to the brain, such as blunt force trauma from an impact in an auto accident or fall. Brain injuries can cause temporary or permanent symptoms, as well as require expensive medical care.
- Catastrophic injuries. A catastrophic injury is a legal term for an injury that will impact the victim for the foreseeable future, such as long-term or permanent disability. Examples of catastrophic injuries include loss of limb and the loss of an important bodily function.
- Dog bite injuries. When a dog attacks and bites someone in California, state law holds the pet owner strictly liable without needing proof of negligence. The pet owner’s homeowners insurance company will be liable for a victim’s losses, in most cases.
- Product liability. Product liability is the area of law involved with defective products that cause consumer injuries and deaths. If an item contained a defect, and the item caused an injury, the manufacturer of the item will be strictly liable. It may also be possible to hold a manufacturer liable based on negligence.
- Wrongful death. State law in California defines wrongful death as the loss of one person’s life as a result of someone else’s wrongful act, such as negligence, recklessness or intentional wrongdoing. Surviving family members may be eligible for compensation for wrongful death in California.
Our attorneys have experience with all of these types of personal injury cases, plus a wide range of injuries, including broken bones, burns, lacerations and catastrophic injuries. If you have been seriously injured due to the negligent actions of another party, we can help you secure the compensation you deserve.
Los Angeles Personal Injury Laws
One of the many benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles to represent you is having insider knowledge of how personal injury laws in California work. You need at least a basic understanding of key personal injury laws to have a valid claim for damages. If you fail to correctly navigate the state’s personal injury laws, you could be at risk of accidentally losing the opportunity to hold someone accountable for your injuries and losses.
Three important California personal injury laws to know are:
- Filing deadline (statute of limitations). California has a deadline of two years for most personal injury claims, with some exceptions. If you wish to file a personal injury lawsuit in California, you must do so within at least two years of your accident or the courts will most likely refuse to hear your case.
- Shared fault law. If you and the defendant both share fault for your accident, don’t be discouraged. Under California’s shared fault law, also known as the pure comparative negligence rule, your own percentage of fault for an accident will not bar you from recovery. It may, however, reduce your compensation, making it important to have a lawyer represent you.
- Damage cap. You may encounter a damage cap, or a limit on how much financial compensation you can receive, if you are pursuing a claim as an uninsured driver in California. Most uninsured drivers cannot receive noneconomic damages. There is also a cap on noneconomic damages of $250,000 in medical malpractice cases.
California’s personal injury laws can be difficult to navigate and change often. The best way to navigate them while protecting your legal rights is by hiring an attorney for help. Your attorney can help you better understand the laws that will apply to your specific case based on the facts of your accident and injury. Then, your lawyer can help you negotiate for fair compensation. Hiring a lawyer has many other benefits that can ultimately help your case succeed.
Why Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles?
A personal injury claim may seem like a straightforward process, but there can be several circumstances and factors that complicate things considerably. The most common of which are uncooperative insurance providers. Many providers will often try to offer quick settlements with the intent of closing out the claim as soon as possible. However, these offers are often far below what may be considered acceptable compensation. An attorney negotiating on your behalf can prevent any low-ball offers, maximizing your chances of a fair settlement.
Additionally, it can be excruciatingly difficult to navigate the claims process if you are seriously hurt and recovering from your injuries. A Los Angeles personal injury attorney can help assist in the claims process, taking over all the required paperwork and duties on your behalf so that you can focus on healing and recovery.
What Damages Can You Recover?
Although the exact amount of compensation you may recover is dependent on the circumstances of your case, generally you may be able to secure the following damages:
- Any medical bills as a direct result of injuries
- Any future medical costs, such as rehabilitation, prescriptions, and follow-up appointments
- Lost wages from not being able to work due to the accident
- Lost earning potential: any future income you may have lost due to your significant injuries
- Pain and suffering
If gross negligence played a part in your injuries, you may also be able to recover punitive damages.
How Much Is Your Personal Injury Case In Los Angeles Worth?
Although you may wish to bring a personal injury case with the goal of holding a wrongdoer accountable for your injuries, one of the main purposes of filing a claim is typically to seek financial recovery. You may be eligible for a settlement award or jury verdict from the defendant’s insurance company for causing the accident. The value of your lawsuit will depend on factors unique to your case, such as:
- The gravity of your injuries
- How long it will take you to reach your point of maximum medical improvement
- The cost of your medical bills
- Whether your injuries will impact you in the future
- The extent of your property damage, if any
- How much pain and suffering the injury has caused
- If you have a permanent disability
- Your age and overall health
- Your income before the accident
An accident and injury in Los Angeles can affect you in many ways, making it extremely important to make sure you obtain a fair award for your past and future losses. A fair award can ensure your family has the resources to not only pay for existing bills but future costs as well, such as treatments or physical therapy for a long-term injury. The right lawyer can help you fight for maximum financial compensation for both economic and noneconomic losses.
How Do You Prove Negligence?
Failing to establish the four elements of negligence will prevent you from recovering compensation for your injuries. To succeed in a personal injury case, the plaintiff must prove the 4 following elements to indicate that the party allegedly at fault had acted negligently:
- Damages: The plaintiff was injured and suffered losses as a result of the defendant’s actions.
- Causation: The defendant’s breach of duty was the cause of the plaintiff’s injury; and
- Breach: The defendant breached that legal duty by failing to act or acting in a particular way;
- Duty: The defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff;
What’s the Statute of Limitations on Los Angeles Personal Injury Claims?
It’s important to note that California, like other states, has a strict statute of limitations on all personal injury claims. This is a window of time mandated by the states in which you are allowed to file a personal injury claim.
In California, the statute of limitations on all personal injury claims is two years from the date the injury occurred. However, the state follows a “discovery rule” as well: if your injury was not found until a later date, you have one year from the date of discovery of the injury to file a claim (Council of California Civil Jury Instructions 455).
Contact a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to the negligence of another party in Los Angeles, please contact our firm today. The personal injury lawyers at The Ryan Law Group are dedicated to providing injured clients the representation they need to secure the compensation they deserve. Schedule a free consultation today and see how our team can help.
Client Testimonial: 5/5
I would have been completely lost without Andrew. He helped me navigate what would otherwise have been a difficult and confusing legal landscape and made sure I understood everything along the way. And I couldn’t be happier with the results.
-Jimmy J.