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Are you the victim of a serious injury in Monterey, CA (93940)? Then you need to hire a good personal injury lawyer immediately.
Ultimate Guide to Compensation for a Monterey County Personal Injury
As noble as it may seem to try and take down a big insurance company by yourself, you risk losing out on the compensation you deserve without the required knowledge of the legal process in a personal injury case.
At Ehline Law, we have helped thousands of personal injury victims to recover millions of dollars in compensation in the aftermath of a preventable accident. If you or a loved one requires the services of an experienced personal injury attorney’s services, call us at (833) LETS-SUE, and schedule a free consultation.
Claims Handled by Monterey Personal Injury Lawyers
Victims of personal injuries can call one of our Monterey personal injury attorneys for assistance in any legal aspects regarding the following cases:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Animal attacks, such as dog bites
- Accidents that result in catastrophic injuries, such as spinal cord injuries
- Airplane accidents
- Slip and falls
- Boating accidents
- Other personal injuries
- Wrongful death.
Common Injuries Handled by Personal Injury Lawyers
After years of serving the residents of Monterey, CA, we have come across a wide range of injuries that usually result in victims seeking compensation, such as:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Minor cuts and bruises
- Back and neck injuries
- Burns
- Internal injuries
Our Personal Injury Team Is Here To Help
If you want to have any chance of being awarded the highest compensation in personal injury cases, then you need a lawyer with knowledge of the Monterey, CA legal system.
After years of practicing personal injury law and related practice areas, we have acquired a proven track record in many places across California, such as Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Northern California.
Our reputation is largely based on offering the following services:
- An Unrivalled Attorney-client Relationship
In our quest to recover compensation for our clients, we strive by all means to show compassion to personal injury victims because maintaining a great attorney-client relationship is what puts us ahead of the pack among other Monterey personal injury lawyers.
A good personal injury lawyer has to be able to look at an individual case and provide clients with options on how best to navigate the Monterey County legal process.
- Legal Representation by an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Often, when faced with a particularly stubborn insurance company, for example, after a car accident, our personal injury lawyers have no choice but to begin the process of litigation. Winning these personal injury cases can be very difficult and it will take all the skills of a dedicated lawyer to defend your legal rights.
- Fighting for Maximum Compensation
Unlike most law firms, our legal representation goes beyond simply winning the lawsuit. Our personal injury lawyers will fight tooth and nail to win you the maximum compensation possible to cover all your expenses, such as medical treatment and the like.
How Long Does it Take to Resolve a Personal Injury Claim?
Each personal injury case offers a unique legal situation that makes it different from other lawsuits. The time it will take for a Monterey personal injury lawyer to achieve the ideal outcome depends on the following legal aspects:
Number of Responsible Parties Involved
The issue of liability can be made difficult for a personal injury lawyer to resolve if their client is going against multiple parties.
A good example is a car accident in which the at-fault party has inadequate insurance cover. Disputes may arise between the defendants and their insurance company regarding how much each is supposed to contribute towards the settlement.
In such cases, the court has to make sure this issue is resolved before awarding the damages the plaintiff is seeking, which will delay the process further.
How Prepared You Are for the Lawsuit
A good personal injury lawyer knows that a thorough investigation is always needed before setting foot into the courtroom. However, at times, clients make mistakes in judgment that the attorney may miss which may result in important evidence being unavailable, lost, or judged to be inadmissible in court.
Situations like this will mean the personal injury attorney will have to find another way of helping clients to receive fair compensation. This is why it’s in the clients’ best interests to thoroughly discuss each aspect of the case during the free consultation.
Monetary Compensation You Are Seeking
In most cases, insurance companies will present a settlement offer that personal injury victims can accept without needing a long lawsuit. However, if the settlement offer is deemed to be less than what the victim is entitled to, then litigation may follow.
If both parties fail to agree on an out-of-court settlement, it may take a long time before the plaintiff can recover damages. The more the compensation being asked for, the greater the incentive is for the insurance company to avoid paying.
How Long It Takes To Reach Maximum Medical Improvement
In cases of catastrophic injuries that require a long time to heal, personal injury attorneys may advise their clients to wait until they reach maximum medical improvement.
This is the point whereby the victim’s doctor no longer expects any further recovery, meaning a clearer picture of the medical bills will be available. Only when this is achieved will a personal injury attorney be able to estimate how much compensation to ask for.
Whether Litigation Is Needed To Receive Fair Compensation
It is usually in the best interests of both parties to reach a settlement quickly without the need for litigation. However, if disputes cannot be settled amicably, for example, regarding the extent of injuries suffered, your personal injury attorney will have no other options other than to file a lawsuit.
What Damages Are Available in California Personal Injury Claims?
Victims of personal injuries in Monterey County are entitled to a wide range of damages that may include any of the following:
Economic Damages
These are monetary damages that are awarded to the victim to recover various costs such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of employment
- Reduced earning potential
Non-economic Damages
Damages may be awarded for pain and suffering at the discretion of the judge. This usually happens when a personal injury attorney can successfully that their client suffered greatly due to the severity of their injuries.
Punitive Damages
California statutes allow the victim to be awarded punitive damages in cases where the actions of the defendant are deemed to be particularly harmful or malicious to warrant a more severe form of punishment.
Factors To Consider During Settlement Calculations
Being awarded the highest compensation depends a lot on how well your personal injury lawyer can calculate what would constitute a fair settlement and their ability to present it in court. The following are the important factors to consider:
Medical Expenses
The first order of business for an experienced personal injury attorney is to determine how much their client paid for any medical treatment directly related to the accident. This is usually the biggest expense the victim has to cover, and it provides an early picture of how much the final settlement offer is likely to be.
Medical bills, medication, doctor’s visits, physiotherapy, and any form of surgery caused by the injury are usually calculated as part of these expenses.
Value of Lost Income
If an employee is unable to return to work for a specified period due to the injuries they have sustained, they are entitled to be compensated for lost income. The exact amount the employee was earning needs to be disclosed and used to factor in how much the insurance companies are liable to pay.
Other Damages
Various expenses may arise as a result of being injured in an accident. A family member, for example, may need to deal with funeral expenses following the wrongful death of a loved one. In other cases, a victim may be permanently disabled following an accident, which means they may need to make some house and vehicle modifications to be able to get around like they used to.
These are examples of some of the circumstances that will create extra costs for the victims, which need to be addressed by Monterey’s personal injury attorneys during the lawsuit.
Shared Liability
In situations such as a car accident, it is not always the fault of one person. Usually, after all the facts have been considered, both individuals may be assigned a portion of the blame, resulting in a case of shared liability.
An experienced personal injury attorney can anticipate that their clients may end up with a fair share of the blame, making room for this possibility in their calculations.
Whether You Were Severely Injured
Usually, the severity of the injuries suffered by the victim is one of the most contested issues in personal injury cases. Insurance companies may try to downplay how much the victim was injured in an attempt to avoid paying millions of dollars in compensation.
This is why it is very important to have a detailed medical report that clearly shows the nature of the injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney should also be able to factor in their client’s pain and suffering to win a better settlement offer.
Many personal injury attorneys are scattered throughout California, but if you are looking for a lawyer with a proven track record of winning cases and helping clients walk away after having recovered millions in settlements, visit Michael Ehline at the offices of Ehline Law Firm.
Our team of experienced Monterey personal injury lawyers will not rest until you receive the settlement you deserve. Do not let insurance companies bully you into accepting anything less than the highest compensation possible for your injuries.
Help from one of the top personal injury lawyers in Monterey County is just one call away!
