Illustrated Medical Conditions
Common Personal Injuries
A Back Injury Can Be Extremely Painful and Cause Your Vertebrae to be Permanently Weakened. In Extreme Cases, It May Cause Neurological Damage or Disability. If You Have Been Hurt, Get Medical Assistance Immediately and Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer to Get the Recover You Need.
An injury in the back section of the spinal cord can cause the back vertebrae to be fractured or dislocated. However, if the injury causes damage to the spinal cord, it may result in neurological problems or paralysis. Auto accidents and falls are the most common forms of trauma leading to fractured vertebrae.
For instance, if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle when trying to walk through a crosswalk, he may be thrown into the air and lands on his back. The victim may immediately feel pain and stiffness after the impact, making him unable to move.
The extent of the back injury varies depending on the location and severity. Broken vertebrae can be extremely painful and require intensive care, medications, and possible physical therapy.
Which are the Top Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America and Are You Insured by One of Them? Read this Article to Find Out!
Ever wonder how your insurance company stacks up against others? Ever wonder how the insurance company for the other driver or property owner will act following an auto accident or slip and fall accident? Will they treat you fair or will they lowball you and play hardball?
In a free report issued by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) entitled, “The Top Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America”, the AAJ reveals how insurance companies put profits over people and policyholders. As the report reads, the insurance companies’ strategy is to “deny, delay, defend–do anything, in fact, to avoid paying claims.”
According to the report, the worst insurance companies in America are:
These insurance companies insure and compensate for auto accidents, slip, and fall accidents, life insurance claims, and health insurance claims. Allstate was named the worst insurance company in America–again–in a dubious honor that seems to repeat each and every single year. According to the report, Allstate heads the list because of “a combination of lowball offers and hardball litigation.” It is even reported that insurance adjustors are instructed by their supervisors to deceive claimants by lying.
If you are insured by one of these companies you should consider switching to a more reputable insurance carrier. If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence and find one of these companies as the insurance company for the negligent person or company, hiring the best California personal injury attorney you can find may be your best strategy.
No.
If insurance companies were as giving and helpful as they sound, they would be out of business. Insurance companies train their adjusters to settle claims for as little money as possible while making you think you are getting a fair amount.
Unfortunately, many insurance companies routinely delay claims, knowing fully well that many policyholders will simply give up. In addition to this, they use several other tactics to make you settle with the lesser claim or even deny you. The bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims and they will do anything to keep their profits high.
The role of a personal injury attorney is to get you the money you need to get back on your feet, whether it is from your insurance company, your employer, etc.
If you or someone you love has been a victim of an accident in San Diego that was not your fault, you deserve to get compensation for your injuries. Our Attorneys has the resources and experience to take on large corporations and insurance companies. Contact our law office to set up a free consultation.
If you fall due to a “dangerous condition” (e.g., ice, trip hazard, standing water, etc.) on someone else’s property and are left with an injury that is long-lasting or interferes with your daily routine, the premise owner may be liable for the injuries you suffered.
But how do you know whether you have a personal injury case in the first place? How should it be handled? Do you need a personal injury lawyer to help you?
Here are some facts about slip and fall liability.
First, you are not alone. Thousands of people are injured in slip and fall accidents every year, some of which are very serious. The causes of these injury accidents range from dangerous flooring, tricky stairs, an unexpected change in elevation that leads you to trip, or an uneven area of ground. These are known as dangerous conditions.
Keep in mind that although you may be injured due to these dangerous conditions, property owners may not be held liable unless they had “notice” of the dangerous condition and (1) either had an opportunity to fix it, or (2) had an opportunity to warn you and others of the dangerous condition. To be legally responsible for the injuries you suffered from slipping and falling on someone else’s property, at least one of the following must be true:
Some tricky wording (you may have noticed “should have” quite often) often leaves room for debate between attorneys for property owners and injury victims. Liability relies heavily on whether the property owner followed its’ own rules and guidelines and whether the property owner or its’ employees used common sense to recognize and fix a dangerous condition. A debate also hinges on what was “reasonable” considering the circumstances. It is often important to determine whether the owner makes regular and thorough efforts to keep the property safe and clean and whether such “inspections” occurred just prior to your injury accident.
Some things to consider when you are considering whether you should pursue your slip and fall injury claim and whether you need the help of a trained personal injury attorney with experience litigating premises liability cases:
Bear in mind that the notice requirement is a double-edged sword. The primary way the property owner will learn of a dangerous condition is through a visual inspection–in other words, they saw it on their property. Seeing the dangerous condition is enough to put the property owner on notice. However, if the dangerous condition was visible to the property owner, the property owner will argue that you should have seen it too and avoided it. In other words, the property owner will argue that you bear some or all of the responsibility for causing your injuries. This is called “contributory negligence”. It does not prevent you from recovering money for your injuries, but if a jury agrees with the property owner it will reduce the verdict in your favor.
For example, if you slip on water on a supermarket floor, a jury will be asked to determine whether the property owner was responsible for your injuries and whether you were contributorily negligent. Let’s say that a jury determines that your injury is worth $100,000 and that the property owner is 75% responsible and you are 25% contributorily negligent. The result of this verdict is that you will receive a verdict of $100,000 minus 25% ($25,000), for a net jury verdict of $75,000.
Because determining whether a property owner is legally responsible for a slip and fall injury is never absolutely determined until trial–both the property owner and injury victim will have arguments in their favor–many personal injury attorneys do not like representing slip and fall accident victims. These personal injury lawyers prefer cases where legal responsibility is determined, like rear-end car collisions, and the only issue they have to fight over is the value of the injured person’s injury. If they do take the rare slip and fall case, they are often lost or unmotivated to do the hard work needed to successfully prosecute these claims.
That is why you need an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer to help you. We have built a reputation in San Diego, Southern California, and the entire state of California as successful slip and fall accident lawyers who know how to build, document, and strengthen serious slip and fall accident cases. That reputation is known amongst other personal injury attorneys, many of whom regularly refer their slip and fall accident clients to our office due to our expertise. In addition, it is known by the insurance companies and lawyers for property owners who know that we will take these cases to trial and will be successful.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall accident and you would like more information, contact us for a free consultation. We will make sure that none of your questions are unanswered and that you are informed about the legal process for slip and fall accident cases.
Many people do not realize that a business can be held legally responsible for injury or death due to the business’s negligent security. Issues of dim lights, video cameras that do not work, broken locks, and lack of security patrols could be the difference between life and death if they create unsafe situations. Criminals wait for an opportunity to strike, and if security provided the opportunity to harm innocent victims then property owners may be legally responsible for those injuries.
Convention centers, shopping malls, apartment buildings, office buildings, hotels, motels, and other property owners are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for their visitors, workers, and residents. Consider some of the issues if you believe that you have been harmed due to negligent security:
If any of this sounds familiar to you or your loved one’s injury or wrongful death, you may have a claim against a business for negligent security. These cases are very fact specific and reviewing your case with an experienced premises liability trial attorney is a must. We have built a reputation for successfully prosecuting negligent security cases. Many lawyers, due to the difficulty and expense, do not handle these cases. We do. In fact, other personal injury lawyers routinely refer their premises liability clients to our office because of our successful reputation. You can contact our office for a free consultation at any time to learn about your legal rights.
Q: What can threaten my California slip and fall claim?
A: If you have suffered injuries after falling on slippery tiles, you should speak to a San Diego injury law firmto discuss filing a California slip and fall claim. Denial, low settlement offers, and unfair adjusters could ruin the outcome of your California slip and fall claim.
Since this kind of claim can be very difficult to pursue, it’s best that you don’t try to tackle it on your own. Therefore, you should know about the various ways in which your claim could be minimized or denied when you’ve fallen on slippery tiles so that you can help your law firm build your case.
Keep in mind that insurance adjusters will try all sorts of tactics to settle your claim as quickly and cheaply as possible. It doesn’t matter if you have suffered a traumatic brain injury while losing your balance on slippery tiles.
One threat to your claim is that it could be outright denied. Insurance companies will search for any loopholes that put you at fault or cast doubt on your version of how your accident occurred.
Another threat is that you may be offered an unfair settlement. A San Diego injury law firm can help determine whether a settlement is truly fair and will address any future medical or vocational needs. If you accept a low settlement before you realize the full extent of your injuries after you slip and fall on slippery tiles, you will not be able to ask for more damages.
Your claim could also be threatened if you think your insurance adjusters are fair. Be advised that their goal is to save the company money, not to look out for your best interest.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall accident in California, we are here to help. When you’re ready to get started on your case, simply contact our law offices online or by phone. The consultation is free!
On July 1st, 2008, California passed a law that made it illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving, unless the driver had a hands-free device, such as a Blue Tooth enabled headset. The purpose of this legal adjustment was to rid drivers of distractions and allow them to concentrate more fully on the road.
When this law was enacted, instead of removing distractions, a new demon came about: texting. Engaging in texting, which requires users to both read, type, and send, suddenly appeared to make talking on the phone much less harmful. In response to this, California made it illegal to text while driving on January 1st, 2009, anywhere within the State, including San Diego County.
While the exact statistics of accidents caused while texting are difficult to ascertain, illegally texting while driving could potentially lead to some of the following scenarios:
According to a 2006 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the leading factor in most car crashes and truck wrecks were deemed to be driver inattention.
Not all states have laws against talking on the phone or texting while operating motor vehicles. A lot of states are still wrestling with this issue as they have seen a ride in fatal car accidents due to texting and cell phone usage. But all who take the road in California are subject to California laws, and all drivers are responsible for their automobiles and remaining free of distractions.
If you or a loved one are the victim of a car accident caused by a driver’s inattention, and especially while on the phone or driving, you deserve to be compensated for your sufferings, and you may need a lawyer to help you win your case. We have the experience and quality in serving the San Diego County personal injury victims.
With convenient offices near the trolley line in Downtown San Diego and in Carlsbad, CA for our clients in North San Diego County, we are dedicated to helping the victims of car accidents in the San Diego County and to providing a high level of responsiveness, communication, and personal attention.
Postponing a conference call will not kill you; looking down to answer your phone and missing a red light could.