After you’ve been injured the stress of medical bills and lost time at work can be almost as bad as the pain you’re experiencing. Relieve your stress and secure your financial future by working with a Long Beach injury lawyer.
You’ve survived an injury, and you’re doing everything you can to recover. But will your life ever be the same again? It’s a good question, and it’s one that many personal injury victims ask themselves as they watch medical bills, lost wages, and countless other damages build up.
There’s no question that suffering a catastrophic injury is a life-changing event. But if your injury wasn’t your fault, you can pursue compensation that could right many of the financial wrongs you’re struggling with.
Getting a personal injury settlement can’t necessarily undo the physical injuries you’ve suffered, but it might give you a brighter future. At Haffner Law, we’re dedicated to our clients’ futures.
Working with a Long Beach personal injury lawyer from our firm just might be the best step you can take as you try to move forward after your injury.
Common Long Beach Personal Injury Cases
People get hurt every day, but that doesn’t always mean they have a valid personal injury case. What exactly qualifies as a personal injury case? Basically, if you were seriously injured and it was because of someone else’s negligence, you could have a viable personal injury claim.
You could have been injured in countless ways, from playground accidents to a six-car pileup. Still, a few types of personal injury cases are more common than others:
- Construction and Work Accidents – Construction can be dangerous because signs aren’t always properly displayed or there might be gaping holes in the ground. Working at a construction site can put you at significant risk of injury. Whether you’re in construction or another industry entirely, you might be eligible for damages if you’re injured on the job. Under the right circumstances, you won’t have to rely on just workers compensation.
- Vehicle Collisions – Motor vehicle accidents make up some of the most common types of personal injury claims. If a driver was reckless, distracted, or driving drunk and caused you harm, you likely have a case. Vehicle collision claims can also include truck and motorcycle crashes.
- Product Liability – If a product was defective and caused you harm, you should be compensated. An improperly labeled dangerous chemical, a defective part on an appliance, or virtually any other malfunctioning or dangerous product could lead to a Long Beach personal injury claim.
- Premises Liability – When you’re injured on someone else’s property and it’s because of their failure to keep the property safe, you may have an injury case on your hands.
How Injuries Affect Your Life
When you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, how your injury will affect your life is not always initially clear. In some cases, your injuries might be minor, and you’ll be back on your feet and back to work within a week. In other cases, you might not be so lucky.
If you’ve suffered a spinal injury, traumatic brain injury, or even an amputation, your injuries might forever change your life. You may lose your mobility, be rendered unable able to return to work, and even need an in-home care provider.
If you are unable to return to work, how are you going to pay the bills? The only way for you to provide for your future may be to obtain fair compensation that not only pays your current medical bills and lost wages, but will set you up for a future that makes room for your new circumstances.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
Because serious injuries can profoundly impact your life, you stand to receive higher compensation for them than you would for minor injuries. Still, any type of injury that was someone else’s fault could warrant compensation.
The following are some common types of catastrophic injuries:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries – These injuries can seriously affect your cognitive functioning.
- Neck and Spine Injuries – Back and neck injuries can result in limited mobility or even paralysis.
- Serious Burns – Burns can affect your self-esteem if they alter your appearance.
- Fractured or Broken Bones – When broken bone injuries are severe or heal improperly, your future mobility could be affected.
- Amputations – Losing a limb can limit your ability to care for yourself, which might necessitate mobility devices or permanent caregivers.
- Internal Injuries – Internal injuries like organ damage can shorten your life and make aspects of daily life extremely difficult.
Compensation for Your Long Beach Catastrophic Injuries
If you’ve never filed an injury claim, you’re probably unaware of the compensation you can receive. Many people believe that after they’ve been in a car accident, for example, they can only be compensated for the damage or replacement of their vehicle. This is not the case.
If you have also had to miss work because of your accident, you can be reimbursed for the income you lost. Any financial impact the crash had on your life can be accounted for in a Long Beach personal injury claim.
You can also be compensated for damages that don’t involve money. Non-economic damages are those that are not directly tied to monetary losses, such as trauma or pain and suffering from a car accident.
Below are some of the monetary and nonmonetary damages that could be considered in your case:
- Medical treatments and physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished enjoyment of life
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- Distress and suffering
- Replacement of damaged property
Long Beach Personal Injury FAQ
Because California personal injury law is a large and complicated field, injury victims often have questions as they begin the process of seeking compensation. There’s a lot of information out there, but your best bet for the right answers to your questions is to speak with a Long Beach accident injury lawyer.
Below are some of the most common questions we receive, as well as their answer:
Can I still receive compensation if I was partially responsible for my injury?
If you were partially responsible for the accident that injured you, you may still be able to receive compensation. In California, multiple parties can share the blame for an accident.
Under this rule, called comparative negligence, your compensation will be reduced proportionately with the percentage of responsibility you’re found to have. If, for instance, you were found 30 percent responsible for your car crash, you could still receive 70 percent of the compensation awarded to you.
How long do I have to file a claim?
You have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim for compensation, according to California’s statute of limitations. If you fail to file your claim before this deadline, you won’t be eligible for damages.
Can I name multiple people in my claim?
Yes. Because multiple people can share the blame, you can name any number of people or organizations in your claim—as long as they hold some of the responsibility for your injuries.
Contact a Long Beach Personal Injury Attorney
Your serious injury has already caused you considerable pain; don’t let it ruin your future, as well. The attorneys at Haffner Lawcan evaluate your claim to determine how much compensation you’re owed for your injuries. Your future health and financial stability are at stake.
Contact a Long Beach personal injury lawyer by calling us at 1-844-HAFFNER (423-3637) or filling out our online contact form at the bottom of the page. We offer a free consultation to new clients.
