Buena Park Personal Injury Lawyer
With Offices in Huntington Beach
Do you need legal help?
- Georgia Cunradi
- D. Franklin Welch
- J. Weber
Download our free personal injury book.
Learn the things you should and shouldn't be doing during your personal injury case. Submit your information below to receive your free book.
Buena Park Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may have to engage the services of a personal injury attorney to receive full compensation. Even a minor to moderate accident can involve surgery, hospitalization, time off from work, and much more. In Buena Park, California, contact the law office of Timothy J. Ryan for a free consultation about your injuries.
How Personal Injury Cases Work
Many people have concerns about getting personal injury lawyers involved with their accident claims. Here are a few of the standard concerns:
- What if hiring a lawyer just makes the insurance company angry?
- I can’t afford an attorney.
- Won’t it take a lot longer if I hire an attorney to handle my accident claim?
- What if the judge or jury decides to give me nothing?
The reality is that your insurance company is not inclined to pay you what you’re truly owed for an accident. They might make a settlement offer that will cover your initial medical bills, but you’ll have to sign a waiver that will absolve them of any further liability. In the state of California, most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket expenses.
In fact, if your attorney doesn’t either reach a settlement or win in court, you will pay nothing. Your fees are deducted at the end. With regard to the length of time involved in a personal injury claim, rushing into a settlement is beneficial only to the insurer. And while most cases don’t even make it to court, a zero-dollar court award is extremely rare. The attorneys at Timothy J. Ryan will be happy to answer any questions you have during a free initial consultation.
Types of Damages in a Personal Injury Case
For the most part, there are no damage caps in California. That means that you can receive the compensation that you deserve from the at-fault party no matter how exorbitant your damages are. The following are the types of damages that a professional personal injury attorney will include in your claim.
Economic Damages
Any expense that you can attach a dollar amount to is considered an economic damage. Generally speaking, all medical bills, including doctor visits, follow-up appointments, MRI’s, x-rays, bloodwork, physical therapy, etc. fall under economic damages. Furthermore, any lost wages that you experience from being out of work due to an accident-related injury would be included. Damage to your personal property or your vehicle also comes under the category of economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Most personal injury accidents incur a non-economic cost known as “pain and suffering.” This not only included physical pain but the inconvenience that the accident causes. In the state of California, non-economic damages are capped at $250,000 for medical malpractice suits but are non-capped for other types of cases. In wrongful death cases, the plaintiff may not only be eligible for the pain and suffering of the victim, but also for loss of companionship.
Punitive Damages
California does allow punitive damages for cases where the negligence was egregious, or the injuries were the result of an intentional act. Punitive damages, however, are not a part of all personal injury suits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury in Buena Park
Our attorneys have represented hundreds of accident victims, and we’ve had many successful outcomes. Here are some of the questions we frequently hear at our Buena Park law firm.
Why do you need a personal injury attorney in Buena Park?
The professional adjusters and attorneys who work for insurance companies have a mandate to keep costs down, which means that they frequently lowball accident settlements. If you are unrepresented by your own attorney, you may miss an opportunity for compensation that would be obvious to a California personal injury lawyer. Because you don’t pay out of pocket, there really is no risk.
Even if your case does go to court, there is a significant chance that it will be resolved before trial.
Source: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/2020-Court-Statistics-Report.pdf
When should you contact an attorney after your injury?
Your first priority should be to attend to your injuries. That means getting in the ambulance and going to the hospital if necessary. But before you discuss your case with an insurance company, you should speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case. An attorney can help you avoid mistakes that can hurt your claim down the road.
What cases can my Buena Park personal injury attorney handle?
Timothy J. Ryan is a full-service personal injury law firm. We have negotiated and litigated cases in nearly every area of personal injury law. This includes:
- Car accidents
- Commercial Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Dram Shop Incidents
- Dog Bites
- Product Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Class-Action and Multi-jurisdictional Litigation
- Criminal Torts (Suing over criminal violations)
Drunk driving crashes are just one of the many causes of persona injury claims and wrongful deaths. If you or a loved one is hurt or killed in a drunk driving crash — or any other accident that someone else caused — contact us today.
If you don’t see your accident type listed, call today to discuss it with a member of our legal team. All consultations are free.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Buena Park, CA
Accidental injuries can lead to substantial expenses. Let a personal injury lawyer handle your case while you work on your recovery. Contact Timothy J. Ryan for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Buena Park Injury Lawyer
Immediately after an accident, your top priority is to seek medical attention, even if your injuries seem minor. Then, if it’s safe, call the police to file a report. Document the scene by taking photos, gathering contact information from witnesses, and exchanging information with the other party. It is crucial not to admit fault or give a recorded statement to any insurance company without first consulting an experienced personal injury attorney.
To prove negligence in a personal injury case in California, your attorney must establish four key elements: 1) The at-fault party owed you a legal duty of care; 2) they breached that duty through their actions or inaction; 3) their breach was a direct cause of your injuries; and 4) you suffered actual damages as a result. A skilled attorney will gather evidence such as police reports, witness statements, and medical records to establish these elements and build a compelling case.
You can seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover tangible financial losses, including past and future medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages compensate for intangible losses, such as physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In some cases involving reckless or malicious conduct, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish the at-fault party.
California operates under a pure comparative negligence system. This rule allows you to recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident. However, the amount of compensation you receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault for an accident with $100,000 in damages, you can still recover $80,000 from the other party. An attorney will work to minimize your share of the fault.
The statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. For most personal injury claims in California, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. If your case involves a government entity, that deadline is much shorter—often just six months to file an administrative claim. It is crucial to consult with a lawyer as soon as possible to ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.
A personal injury claim is a demand for compensation filed with an at-fault party’s insurance company, with the goal of reaching a settlement outside of court. A personal injury lawsuit is a formal legal action filed in civil court if the insurance company denies the claim or refuses to offer a fair settlement. While most cases settle without a lawsuit, a lawyer must be prepared to litigate to protect a victim’s rights.
A wrongful death claim is a civil lawsuit filed by a victim’s surviving family members when a loved one dies due to another party’s negligence. This claim seeks compensation for losses suffered by the family, such as loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and funeral expenses. A personal injury lawyer can advise on the best course of action and fight for justice on your behalf.
Client Reviews
Tim Ryan took my small personal injury case and turned it into a “win” for me. I appreciate his time, patience, and professional expertise in resolving this neighborhood dog injury issue for me. I feel safer because of Tim Ryan. Thank you!