Car Crash Lawyer Woodland Hills, CA Car Crash Lawyer Woodland Hills, CA

As a car crash lawyer Woodland Hills, CA victims depend on at Barry P. Goldberg knows, complications resulting from accident claims are a primary reason to retain a legal team for help. Managing problems with your case can be overwhelming and upsetting, often leaving a victim unsure of what to do next. Experiencing unforeseen issues are not uncommon. This is just one key reason an accident victim may need the help of an experienced attorney to manage their case.

#1 Low Ball Settlement Offer

Obtaining a low settlement offer can be incredibly disheartening for an accident victim. When a claim is grossly undervalued by the insurance company, it can fill a victim with anxiety. It’s not uncommon to wonder if this will be the only opportunity at obtaining any sort of compensation at all. A car crash lawyer in Woodland Hills, CA will be key in helping you to manage your expectations while also protecting your interests. They will be able to review your claim and advise you regarding whether to accept a settlement offer. In most cases, an insurance company will present a lower offer to kick off negotiations. It’s important to remember that the adjuster is looking to pay out as little as possible. Your attorney will work with you to determine the reasons for the low offer and submit a counter offer to the insurance company. The counteroffer will also re assert the reasons you are in need of a stronger offer.

#2 Denial From the Insurance Company

There are a number of reasons to receive a denial letter from the insurance company. It will be key to consult with your attorney to understand the reason for the denial to determine how best to move forward with your claim. In some cases, it may make sense to take further legal action to obtain compensation. Receiving a denial can be a frustrating experience. A car crash lawyer in Woodland Hills, CA can give the guidance needed to manage this unfortunate complication.

#3 Delayed Symptoms

Delayed symptoms can certainly be problematic when seeking compensation for your injuries. By not experiencing symptoms immediately, or failing to obtain medical care right after the accident, insurance adjusters may question the validity of your claim. Although this can be quite the complication, it’s not uncommon to experience delayed onset of pain. Despite these delayed injuries, with the help of a car crash lawyer in Woodland Hills, CA you can still obtain compensation. It’s important to note that this can only be pursued as long as you have not signed a release of liability. A release of liability may prevent you from seeking compensation for an accident. Having an attorney properly review your case can help you obtain the direction needed for those who have experienced delayed symptoms following an accident.

Contact an Attorney for Help

The idea of hiring an attorney may give some accident victims pause. Facing injuries can result in both physical and financial hardship. As a result, it can be tempting to pursue your accident claim without the assistance of an attorney. However, it’s not uncommon for unexpected challenges to arise during the process. An attorney can help:

  • Educate you regarding the process
  • Communicate with you
  • Assign value to your case
  • Gather evidence
  • Present you with options
  • Negotiate your claim
  • Manage the unexpected
  • Protect your interests

Managing complications from a car accident claim can be incredibly stressful. No accident victim wants to put the possibility of obtaining compensation for their injuries at risk. A car crash lawyer in Woodland Hills, CA can play a key role in helping victims face an accident claim and the complications that may arise, head on.

Proving a Personal Injury Case

Dealing with an injury is difficult enough without adding financial challenges to the recovery process. Unfortunately, many injuries that occur as a result of someone else’s negligence can affect victims financially for the rest of their lives. This is one of the primary reasons why it is so important to consult with a Woodland Hills, California car crash lawyer at Barry P. Goldberg, A Professional Law Corporation in the wake of a collision. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your crash, you may be in a position to hold responsible parties accountable for the financial harm you’ve suffered through filing a personal injury lawsuit. What do you need to prove a personal injury case? Here is a look at some of the elements you will generally need to prove to win your day in court.

Establish a Relationship Between the Parties

To file a successful lawsuit, you first need to be able to prove that the defendant owed you a legal duty and violated that duty. Sometimes, accidents happen and it isn’t possible to hold anyone accountable for resulting injury. For example, if you slosh water on your own kitchen floor, slip in it and break your tailbone, there is no legal remedy. However, if a drunk driver slams into your car and an injury results, an experienced Woodland Hills, CA car crash lawyer may be able to help you hold that party financially responsible for their actions. Why? Because the driver owed a duty of care to others on the road and violated that duty by failing to drive in a safe, legal way.

An Act or a Failure To Act Resulted in Injury

Personal injury cases may be filed under a variety of different circumstances. Medical malpractice, automobile accidents, premises liability, slip and fall, and dog bite cases are all examples of personal injury type actions. In each of these situations, it must be proven that the defendant’s actions or lack of actions caused the injury in question. A defendant in a personal injury case must have been negligent, reckless or behaved intentionally in some way that resulted in harm to your person and/or property. A Woodland Hills, CA car crash lawyer can help explain how you can go about proving this issue of causation.

If you’ve been injured in an accident and hope to prove that another was responsible for the harm you’ve suffered, speak with a Woodland Hills, CA car crash lawyer today about filing a personal injury lawsuit. If this is the best option for your circumstances, it could make a big difference in your life and to your recovery.

Help For Your Brain Injury After a Car Accident

If you have recently been involved in a car accident, an experienced car crash lawyer for Woodland Hills, CA understands the pains and problems that can quickly follow suit. Not only is your car likely damaged in some way, but you may be experiencing some injuries of your own. While getting a brain injury from a car accident can be fatal, it can also be one of the worst non-fatal injuries that a person can endure. The attorneys at Barry P. Goldberg have been in business for many years and understand the trauma that can happen to your brain after a car accident. You may only feel the physical pain of your injury, or you may experience symptoms that can lead to permanent disability. Regardless of the severity of your brain injury, it can change your life forever. To learn more about traumatic brain injuries after a car accident or to speak with a car crash lawyer serving Woodland Hills, CA, call Barry P. Goldberg today.

Types of Brain Injuries

Being involved in a car accident can lead to many types of injuries, whether it is a laceration, bruise, or even an amputation. However, a brain injury can cause severe and irreparable damage that might not even be noticed at first. A trusted Woodland Hills, CA car crash lawyer knows that an accident can cause a few types of traumatic brain injuries, including:

  •      Concussions
  •      Coup-Contrecoup
  •      Contusions, and
  •      Diffuse Axonal Injury

Concussions. Concussions are one of the most common types of brain injury that you can sustain. This happens when your brain is hit by a force or if there is a sudden movement. When this happens, your brain can move from side to side and hit your skull. This leads to damaged blood vessels and cranial nerves. While not all concussions are life-threatening, severe concussions can cause permanent brain damage.  Severe brain damage will require long term care, so it’s wise to team up with a compassionate car crash lawyer in Woodland Hills, CA, who will know to fight for the compensation you will need for long term care.

Coup-Contrecoup. These are contusions that are found on both sides of the brain. It happens when the object or force that hits the head causes damage to one side of the head and is strong enough to force your brain into the other side of your skull.

Contusions. A contusion is a bruise (a form of bleeding) that happens on the brain causing it to swell, clot, or get less oxygen. This is usually caused by a severe impact to the head.

Diffuse Axonal Injury. This type of injury is when the nerves in your brain tear. As the accident occurs, the movement forces your skull to shift in different directions, and when the skull moves faster than the brain, tissues and nerves can tear, separating the skull and the brain. When this happens, the damage can be permanent or temporary brain damage or even a coma. In severe cases, it can even result in death.

How Do I Prove A Negligence Case?

Personal injury cases are divided into cases of negligence and cases of intentional torts. Most personal injury cases occur from negligence. To prove the defendant acted negligently, you must that 1) the defendant owed you a duty of reasonable care 2) the defendant breached that duty of care 3) you sustained real damages and 4) the defendant’s breach of duty is the proximate cause of your damages. Sometimes, you’ll only need to prove the defendant is negligent per se. A person is negligent when they break a law and you sustain injuries that the law was intended to prevent.

What Are The Types of Damages I Can Recover?

As a car crash lawyer Woodland Hills, CA residents trust from Barry P. Goldberg can explain, you can recover compensatory damages in most car crash suits. Sometimes, you can also recover punitive damages or, in the least, nominal damages. Compensatory damages are your actual damages, such as pain and suffering and lost earnings. Compensatory damages usually require a receipt of your expenses, pay stubs, medical reports, and medical bills to calculate. Punitive damages, however, are damages that the judge awards you to punish the defendant’s reckless behavior, such as speeding through a school zone. You can sue for any amount in punitive damages, even more than your compensatory damages. Nominal damages are meager, solely awarded to show that the defendant broke the law.

What Qualifies As Economic Damages?

Compensatory damages are divided into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are damages that can be quantified. Typically, they are a measurable amount that you can prove with bills. For example, if you needed to see a chiropractor for six months after the car crash, you could bring receipts of what you paid or owed the doctor to court. If you missed a week of work due to your injuries, you could bring pay stubs to show how much money you missed due to the at-fault driver. Other examples of economic damages are:

  • Lost earning capacity
  • In-home aide care
  • Ambulance transportation cost
  • Medical bills
  • Wheelchair cost
  • Ramp installation

What Qualifies As Non-economic Damages?

Non-economic damages are more emotionally based. They are not so easy to measure, but they are significant to your case. For example, you and your spouse may experience a loss of consortium. It is common for the injured spouse to become more withdrawn, less outgoing, experience body dysmorphia (especially if you suffered scarring) and less sexually engaged with the non-injured spouse. As your Woodland Hills car crash lawyer knows, you are entitled to financial compensation to pay for your emotional damages. Other common non-economic damages that may occur from a car crash include:

  • Humiliation
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disfigurement
  • Unjust hardship
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Are Punitive Damages Automatically Awarded?

No. You and your reputable car crash lawyer must specifically request punitive damages in your complaint. A judge will not assume this and award a monetary amount to you otherwise. Usually, it is worthwhile to seek this damage type, especially if your injuries are severe and will affect you long term, resulting in wrongful death of a loved one, or if the defendant has a history of reckless or drunk driving. Our Woodland Hills lawyer car crash team are the most skilled at advising you on seeking punitive damages and for how much. Unlike many other states, there is not a cap for how much you can sue for in punitive damages. 

Get the Right California Lawyer On Your Side

Recovering after a brain accident can be a long, sometimes unending journey, and you do not want to add legal stress to your uphill battle. Instead, discuss your injuries with a caring and compassionate attorney from Barry P. Goldberg today. A car crash lawyer at our firm in Woodland Hills, CA will listen to what happened and determine the best way to make a claim. To set up your appointment, call Barry P. Goldberg today!