But in those instances when you find yourself in a position that requires you to seek help for a legal matter, oftentimes it’s one of the best personal injury lawyers that you may have to turn to.
Why would I need a personal injury lawyer?
There are times in our lives when things don’t go the way we planned.
When something happens that causes personal injury to us or someone we love – through no fault of our own – this is when a personal injury lawyer may need to get involved.
Personal injury law is defined as the body of civil law that allows a person or persons to bring legal action against another person when they have been injured because of that other person’s wrongful act or negligence.
In a situation like this one, an injured victim will need to file a personal injury lawsuit in order for justice to be done and for financial compensation to be awarded.
This is called wrongful death and a wrongful death case may then be filed by the family members of the deceased person.
What Are Some Situations Where a Personal Injury Attorney Would Be Needed?
Not every situation calls for a personal injury lawyer to get involved.
For example, if you need to have estate documents drawn up or are in the middle of a real estate deal, these are instances where different types of attorneys would be called upon to help you navigate the laws surrounding these types of instances.
Even other situations that may be more contentious – such as if you need to press charges against someone for a crime, or if you need to get an attorney involved in a domestic dispute – will not require the skills of a personal injury lawyer in order to settle your dispute.
That said, there are a number of situations where a personal injury lawyer or a personal injury law firm is going to be the best option for you.
When you need someone who can fight for your justice and help you attain the financial compensation for your injuries that you need and deserve, this is the time to reach out to a skilled personal injury lawyer who can help navigate the legal process with you.
Personal Injury Lawyers and Medical Malpractice
One of the most important times that you may need to call on the services of a personal injury attorney is after you or someone you love has been injured because of a medical procedure.
When we put the fate of our health into the hands of our doctor or another healthcare provider, we are assuming that they are following the most appropriate procedures and protocols that are currently the highest standard of care.
We are also trusting that they have the skills needed to provide our care and that they will do everything in their power to ensure that no harm comes to us.
The relationship between a physician and a patient is invaluable, so when something happens during a medical procedure that could have been prevented, our faith in the entire system will be challenged and maybe even lost.
When a medical error is made that could have been prevented, it is referred to as medical malpractice.
And when it results in the death of someone, it is called wrongful death.
Medical malpractice has become alarmingly common in the United States.
In fact, a study that was done by the Johns Hopkins University found that errors as a result of a medical decision or procedure take the lives of more than 250,000 Americans every year.
And almost twice that many Americans are injured as a result of medical malpractice each year as well.
Though medical malpractice can consist of a number of different things, the most common type is medication errors.
Other types of medical error or when a physician fails to diagnose a problem correctly, discharges a patient from their care earlier than needed, and/or does not follow up with a patient after treatment has been given for a problem.
Oftentimes, these mistakes can be corrected. Or maybe they won’t result in significant pain or suffering for the patient.
But – when a medical error means that a patient is injured, then it is clear that medical malpractice has happened, and a course of action should be taken.
Worse, if a wrongful death is the result, there will be many people affected by such a tragic and careless act.
Not only should a personal injury lawsuit be filed in order to receive financial compensation in this case, but it also means that others will not have to experience the same pain and suffering in the future if the physician responsible is expected to deal with the consequences of their actions.
Personal Injury Lawyers and Car Accidents
According to the auto insurance industry experts, over 6 million motor vehicle accidents occur in the United States every year, resulting in more than 18,000 car accidents every day.
Out of those 6 million car accidents, roughly half of them result in injuries that are significant enough to need medical attention.
And even more tragic, almost 100 people in the United States die as a result of a car accident or truck accident every day.
Not all car accidents or truck accidents can be prevented. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that made it impossible for a motor vehicle accident to be avoided.
But there is a much higher rate of human carelessness and error that is to be blamed for the high number of car accidents that our country experiences every day.
Some of the most common reasons that someone causes a car accident are as follows:
- speeding and/or reckless driving
- using a cell phone or other electronic device while the car is in motion
- other forms of distracted driving, like eating, smoking, looking for an object, or changing radio dials
- drunk driving or driving under the influence of some sort of substance
- falling asleep at the wheel
In any of the above instances, a driver should be held responsible for their actions, since they intentionally did not follow traffic rules and/or made decisions that could potentially affect their ability to drive safely and ended in a car accident that hurt (or potentially killed) others.
Not only is it clear that these acts are careless, but they are known to cause significant damage to people when they are engaged in.
If you have been in a car accident where another driver has been accused of not practicing safe driving and has broken laws that are already in place, it is important that you speak to a personal injury law firm about your rights.
One of the unfortunate consequences of a motor vehicle accident is that injuries may not always show up until later on.
Even if your immediate injuries are being treated, you’ll want to make sure that you have the financial support needed for medical bills that may be incurred months after the car accident happened.
Car accident victims are sometimes too quick to assume that everything is fine after a car accident has happened.
They may be relieved that no one was hurt worse or be convinced that the injuries they sustained are healed.
But spend some time talking with a personal injury lawyer who has worked with countless car accident victims to make sure you have done your due diligence in caring for yourself or anyone else that was involved in the accident.
And – if you’ve sustained serious injuries – it is even more important to make sure you have a skilled personal injury law firm on your team while you try to deal with an insurance company, deal with unpaid medical bills and continue to navigate your work and family life through the whole process.
Personal Injury Lawyers and Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are another area where it is common for someone to have to file a personal injury claim.
Whether or work for a company that is large or small, it is imperative that your employer follows industry safety standards and adheres to the guidelines that have been implemented for the type of work you do on a daily basis.
As with medical malpractice lawsuits and car accident personal injury claims, there are a number of workplace accidents that tend to be the most common – and could be the most preventable:
- trip and fall accidents
- strains due to inappropriate work gear
- injuries from unstable and/or incorrectly placed objects
- toxic fume inhalation
- repetitive motion injuries
Not only can a workplace injury cause you a significant amount of physical pain and suffering, but it can also put you in a perilous financial position as well.
Having to take time off work because of an injury is not just frustrating, but it can cause a significant impact on your monthly budget, depending on how long you may need to be out of work.
Though most states require a business to have worker’s compensation insurance if they have employees, that doesn’t mean your employer or their insurance company is going to fully cooperate with you after an injury accident has taken place.
In fact, many insurance companies will make injury victims jump through enormous hoops before they will be willing to pay out any type of injury claim.
Not only that, but if your employer doesn’t have worker’s compensation, or they have let their policy lapse, you are going to have to fight even harder to get your employer to understand the gravity of your situation and be willing to take ownership of the accident and compensate you for it accordingly.
There will be certain procedures you will be encouraged to follow in order to be able to insure your physical and financial future is going to be okay.
Personal Injury Lawyers and Dog Bites
Americans clearly love their pets.
Pets bring us companionship and fun. But they also require a ton of responsibility and a commitment to care…while also knowing the consequences of what can happen when something unexpected happens.
Over 60 million Americans own dogs. And every year, just over 5 million dog bites are reported.
No matter how docile or trained a dog seems, the chance of it biting a human is always a possibility. And here’s the hard part.
It is not the dog’s fault. It’s the owners.
Dogs are animals and their behavior can sometimes be inconsistent. It’s the job of a dog’s owner to make sure that their behavior is acceptable and safe.
Many states have very specific leash laws and other rules and regulations regarding dog ownership and what is and isn’t acceptable for pet owners when it comes to their animals.
Just because a dog might seem friendly, it doesn’t mean that it always is going to be.
It is an owner’s responsibility to make sure that their canine is capable of functioning in society. And when they prove that they aren’t – by biting or attacking another animal or human – the responsibility for that action is on the pet’s owner, and no one else.
Injury cases involving dogs are complicated, because not only is there physical harm, but emotional harm as well.
If you’ve been a victim of a dog bite, please contact a personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible.
Even after you receive medical attention, you need to reach out to someone to ensure that you know all the laws concerning dog bites in your state.
Just like with a car accident case…don’t assume everything is fine when perhaps it’s not.
Allow yourself to talk to an attorney before you make that decision.
The Most Important Things to Look for When Choosing the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Los Angeles
When you are trying to choose the best personal injury lawyers or law firm for your potential personal injury case, you’ll need to make sure to look for certain key characteristics that will set the best personal injury lawyers apart from the rest.
Particularly in the state of California and the city of Los Angeles, there are plenty of personal injury lawyers to choose from.
Let’s look at some of the main considerations when you are choosing Los Angeles Personal injury lawyers for your personal injury case.
What do You Know About Your Personal Injury Lawyer’s Reputation?
In any professional field, a person’s reputation counts for a lot…and in the world of personal injury lawsuits, there is no exception to this.
Some personal injury lawyers like to make it clear that they have a tough, non-nonsense style of litigation. Others want to be known for their compassion toward their clients or the fact that they win more cases than anyone else.
Whatever it is you are looking for in an experienced personal injury attorney, make sure you take some time to talk to others in your community about the firm (or firms) that you are considering representing you through the legal process.
Finding personal injury attorneys who can be both compassionate to you and tough on the other side isn’t always easy but talking to others about their experience can help you get a better idea of what type of attorney you want, and what they are going to be able to provide.
A reputable law firm will be well known in your community. Check with your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to find out who is known for being the best in the personal injury business in your area.
What Kind of Experience do They Have?
Once you are able to get a few names of reputable personal injury lawyers in your area, you’ll want to find out what type of experience they’ve had.
This is usually pretty straightforward.
Spending just a short period of time doing a google search will usually give you some idea as to what sort of education a specific attorney has had, where they’ve clerked or worked before, what types of cases they’ve taken on, and even which ones he or she has won.
This is a good time to meet with the attorney and ask them some of these questions directly.
During this free consultation, you should be given the opportunity to ask any potential accident lawyer about their education, their background, and what types of personal injury law they feel most qualified to practice.
You can also give them more specifics about your own personal injury claim and find out what other sorts of personal injury cases they have had that may be similar to yours.
And Always Remember…Communication is Key!
Finally, no matter how great a personal injury attorney’s reputation or experiences may be, there is one area that will be just as important as everything else…
When you are choosing a personal injury attorney to represent your personal injury claim, nothing is going to be more important than how they communicate with you.
From the personal injury attorney themselves, to their staff and the other personal injury attorneys at their firm, personal injury victims need to know that every person that may end up working on their case is going to have their best interest in mind, and they all know how to communicate that to their client appropriately.
From your first meeting, you should feel comfortable asking questions and feel as if everything is communicated in a way that is easy for you to understand.
Are You Ready to Reach Out to a Los Angeles Personal Injury Firm Today?
When you’ve done your research and you’re ready to reach out to the best personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles today, give our offices a
call at 213-252-1070
At the law offices of John J. Perlstein, our personal injury attorneys will do more than just make sure that you get the financial compensation you deserve.
We also want to make sure that you feel comfortable with every detail of your personal injury claim and that no question you may have will end up going unanswered.
And – though we know that every personal injury case is unique – we also have the experience and expertise under our belts to ensure that when our clients’ personal injury cases are complete, we can be proud of the work we’ve done, and the reputation we continue to build in our community.
Personal injury claims can be one of the most difficult things to deal with in life. If you find yourself in the middle of one, consider calling the best personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles today…the firm of John J. Perlstein.
John J. Perlstein
Top rated personal injury attorney in Beverly Hills, California