There are few times in life that can be more devastating than when you or a loved one has been injured because of another person’s wrongdoing or negligence.Even worse is when you or your loved one had absolutely no reason to believe that an injury was going to occur.
There you were – minding your own business – and another person’s negligence or irresponsibility has now brought physical or psychological harm to you or another member of your family.
In situations such as this, you will be confused, overwhelmed, and possibly even scared of what you should do next.
You may also be in the process of incurring a fair amount of medical bills as a result of the injury or missing time from work or family obligations.
Friends and family will be a huge comfort during this time.
And so – too – will a good personal injury lawyer.
What is a Personal Injury Lawyer and What Do They Do?
A personal injury lawyer is someone who will have attended a four-year college and then graduated from law school.
Those lawyers who choose to specialize in personal injury cases practice what is widely known as tort law.
All personal injury claims fall under tort law.
Tort law is a type of legal practice that focuses on personal injury claims as well as civil litigation filings.
This means that anytime personal injury victims are involved in personal injury lawsuits because of an injury that is the result of another person’s negligence, then a personal injury attorney may be the right type of lawyer to include in your overall plan moving forward.
Personal injury lawyers can be hired for any number of different situations and the list is quite extensive.
But here are a few examples of why and when you or a loved one may need to consider hiring a personal injury attorney for the situation you find yourself in.
Personal Injury Attorneys and Dog Bites
For example, let’s say you live in Los Angeles and are out for a jog. Suddenly you are attacked by a dog. You did nothing to provoke the attack and – though the dog’s owner is quickly approaching you – it is obvious the dog was not following Los Angeles leash laws.
In a situation like this one, you will want to quickly seek immediate medical attention, as dog bites can be quite severe.
You will also want to make sure you get the dog owner’s information since this type of negligence is a clear-cut example of when a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles should be contacted.
There is also always the fear of rabies, so obtaining all the dog’s immunization records and any past dangerous history is going to be important too.
This may all seem like a lot to handle on your own, particularly since dog bites laws can vary from state to state.
A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer will be one of the first calls you’re going to want to make as soon as you can.
They will be able to walk you through the details of what you need to do to ensure that you will be compensated for any physical injuries you have endured, or time you may have to take off work as a result of this attack.
Personal Injury Attorneys and Car Accidents
Another example of when a personal injury lawyer may be necessary is after a motor vehicle accident happens.
Regardless of whether or not the other party tries to deflect fault away from themselves, you must make sure that a knowledgeable personal injury attorney is brought on board to review all the details of the case.
Car accident victims often can be intimidated by insurance companies, medical personnel, or even the other party involved.
Many times, you will be pressed to settle quickly, or make decisions while you are either still recovering, or before you can find the time to speak with a personal injury law firm.
Personal injury cases that involve car accidents can be serious events, and oftentimes it may be difficult for the car accident victims to remember each detail as it happened.
Unfortunately, many times the other party may even withhold information from the victim, either out of fear of having a personal injury claim filed against them, or because family or friends have advised them not to share critical information that may be important for the victim to have.
A specific example of this was handled by our own law firm of John J. Perlstein quite recently.
In this tragic situation, a family was rear-ended on a Los Angeles, CA freeway.
The mother in the car was killed.
The driver of the other automobile had experienced a seizure and later claimed that she was having a “medical emergency” at the time of the accident.
She had a $100,000 policy.
During the discovery portion of the case, attorney Mr. John J. Perlstein was able to uncover the fact that the driver was known for having seizures, as she had experienced one just a week earlier while she was at work.
Not only that, but attorney John J. Perlstein also discovered that when the accident occurred that killed the mother, the woman driving the car was actually on company time.
The company knew of her history of seizures, yet allowed her to be driving the vehicle during work hours anyway.
All of this resulted in attorney John J. Perlstein being able to name the woman’s employer in the personal injury claim.
It also meant that additional financial compensation was awarded to the deceased mother’s family from the negligent employer’s $10 million policy.
Whatever the case may be, a car accident is a situation when you should never hesitate to reach out to a skilled personal injury lawyer, even if you think your accident was minor, or even if you believe you and the other party can handle settling everything on your own.
Big complications can arise after a car accident happens, and major facts that affect the case may not be revealed right away.
Make sure you have someone who is capable of knowing all the intricate details on your side.
Personal Injury Attorneys and Medical Malpractice
Yet another area where a personal injury lawyer should be consulted is if you or a loved one have been the victim of medical malpractice.
Medical malpractice can mean many different things.
In essence, medical malpractice can be defined as any act (or non-act) that is administered by a physician and deviates away from the medically regulated norm for that specific situation.
Some of the more common types of medical malpractice that may cause you to have to reach out to personal injury lawyers are as follows:
- a physician missing an obvious diagnosis because of his or her negligence or lack of concern
- a surgery, procedure, or test being performed that was not necessary and caused harm
- a physician providing care that is so substandard that it results in the patient suffering increased pain or harm.
If medical malpractice results in a person’s death, this is then considered wrongful death. Wrongful death cases are also handled by professional personal injury lawyers.
An example of a medical malpractice case that ended in the victim receiving a substantial amount of compensation is this one:
A woman shows up at her doctor’s office and is clearly having a hard time breathing.
Before even examining her, the doctor tells his staff to call an ambulance and have her sent to the hospital, though there were things he could have done to make her breathing easier and more stable before she left his office.
It takes almost ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive and another fifteen minutes to transfer the patient to the intensive care unit at the closest hospital.
During that time her condition worsens substantially. When the pulmonologist tries to intubate her, she goes into cardiac arrest.
The medical team eventually stabilizes her, but because of the lack of oxygen she experienced while in the physician’s office waiting for treatment, the event eventually resulted in permanent brain damage.
Luckily, the woman survives but no longer recognizes loved ones and is unable to perform routine daily tasks.
Not to mention the fact that her sustained injuries have resulted in thousands of dollars being spent on subsequent health care, diagnostic tests, and in-home care for the woman who can no longer care for herself.
A little over a year and a half later, the patient’s family hires a personal injury attorney and creates a personal injury case against the woman’s initial doctor for medical malpractice.
The family’s personal injury case states that they believe her original doctor performed medical negligence when he did not begin treatment on the woman before the ambulance arrived.
Additionally, the personal injury case claims that the woman would never have suffered to the extent she had if her physician would have examined her before calling for the ambulance.
By being medically negligent toward his patient, the woman was forced to wait precious minutes before even having medical attention administered to her.
The personal injury attorney who is hired for this case is eventually able to help this family secure financial compensation for the patient and the enormous amount of medical bills she has…and will continue to have going forward while she pays for her ongoing care.
Personal Injury Attorneys and Fire Accidents
Though there are plenty more examples of when hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is a good idea, let’s look at one more important one that sometimes gets overlooked.
In the United States, more people die and/or receive severe burn injuries in fires in their homes than in all other types of fires combined.
The reason for this is quite clear.
Since most of us spend more time in our homes than in any other single location including work – especially now with so much remote working – it would make sense that a house fire is going to be much more likely to injure people or take lives than a fire that starts anywhere else.
Most modern homes, townhouses, and even apartments are built with dozens of ignition sources – from the kitchen and laundry rooms to the fireplace and even outdoor areas. And though there are laws governing how each of these ignition sources are built and then maintained, not all builders are as careful as they should be when trying to pass different codes and inspections.
Though some fires may start by the owner’s own negligence, other sorts of house fires can be started by no fault of the homeowner or renter.
An example of this recently happened in a Los Angeles apartment building and is a good reference for anyone who may not realize how easily a house fire can be prevented with the proper building inspections and codes being followed.
Though the actual cause of the fire is still under investigation, there is significant reason to believe that the fire began because of faulty electrical wiring that should have been investigated more recently than reports suggest it has been.
And – though no persons in the building were killed – over a dozen families were misplaced and are now scrambling to find shelter while also mourning the loss of many of their personal belongings.
Whether it’s to replace their lost or ruined belongings, or to help them cover the expenses of having to find alternative living arrangements, it is not fair that those families or injury victims should have to pay for any of the costs incurred from this terrible tragedy.
And – though no persons were killed in the apartment complex fire – plenty of injury victims were reported to have gone to local hospitals to have burn wounds treated.
These treatments will eventually result in medical bills that each personal injury victim is going to have to pay.
A good personal injury attorney will be able to get these victims the compensation for the expenses that they deserve.
Finding the Best Personal Injury Law Firm for My Personal Injury Lawsuit
Personal injury cases can be complicated, confusing, and intimidating.
And for someone who has had to deal with the trauma resulting from a personal injury that was not their fault, it can be even more overwhelming to try and navigate a legal process while you are also trying to recover and heal.
And this healing isn’t just related to any physical injury you may be experiencing.
Emotional distress after a tragic accident is also a big part of a person’s healing and can sometimes still be a factor, long after the bruises and other body injuries have begun to heal.
Not to mention, there is also a significant amount of financial distress that takes place after a personal injury event has happened that can also be just as devastating as physical or emotional distress.
Whether it’s lost income because of medical bills and other related medical treatment, or if it’s lost wages because you have to be out of work for a period of time, the financial burden that can be placed on an individual or family is one of the most difficult challenges after any catastrophic accidents take place.
Knowing all of this, the best course of action you can take for yourself or a loved one is to reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as you possibly can after an accident takes place.
If you are looking for a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, the law firm of John J. Perlstein can be the place you turn to get the legal representation and support you need to help win your personal injury lawsuit.
During our free consultation, you will meet with our team and discuss in more detail the event of your personal injury case.
We will then walk you through the process and answer any additional questions you may have.
And we believe we can help you win your personal injury case and feel satisfied that justice was served.
Personal injury claims are not something that most people look forward to having to file.
But when you work with a personal injury firm like ours, you will at least know that you are in the best possible hands with the best personal injury attorneys Los Angeles has to offer who truly care about the outcome of your case.
John J. Perlstein
Top rated personal injury attorney in Beverly Hills, California