Personal and Work Injury Attorney
Anyone who has been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another knows that the challenges faced in an accident’s aftermath are immense. Unfortunately, accidents caused by negligence also could have been prevented before they caused serious or even fatal harm to Victorville residents.
Victims of preventable accidents caused by someone’s legal wrongdoing can pursue justice and compensation for their injuries by reaching out to a Victorville personal injury attorney who will help you recover needed compensation to recover and begin to rebuild your life.
If you have been hurt in a Victorville accident and are in need of legal representation, please call us toll free at (760) 673-7677 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
What Is a Personal Injury?
From a legal standpoint, the term “personal injury” refers to a broad area of legal practice that helps victims who have been harmed in an accident caused by someone who was legally responsible.
When you or a loved one is injured or harmed by a person or multiple parties that may be legally responsible, a California personal injury lawyer will help you recover damages for injuries caused by a responsible party’s negligence. The injuries in a personal injury lawsuit are often physical in nature, but compensation may also be awarded for harms such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment and loss of consortium.
Examples of personal injury practice areas include, but are not limited to:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Pharmaceutical Litigation
- Mesothelioma
If you have been injured in one of these accidents or another type of accident that may have been caused by a legally liable party, protect your legal rights by reaching out to a Victorville personal injury attorney.
Accident Statistics
Auto accidents are the most common type of personal injury accident in both California and the entire United States. Recent data from 2016 indicates that 2016 was the deadliest year on America’s roads in nearly a decade, as data from the National Safety Council estimated that as many as 40,000 Americans died in motor vehicle crashes in 2016.
California suffered from an estimated 3,680 motor vehicle deaths in 2016, which was a 13 percent increase over 2015. As devastating as these statistics are, serious injuries are far more common.
In addition to the motor vehicle deaths in America, millions more are injured or disabled in accidents each year. Victorville is no exception to these general facts about road safety. The California Highway Patrol’s most recent data from 2014 shows that 16 fatal accidents and 379 accidents resulting in injury occurred that year.
56 of those accidents that resulted in injury involved alcohol, an unfortunately common negligent behavior that endangers lives on California roads. 5 of the 16 fatal accidents involved alcohol, a sobering reminder that 29% of traffic fatalities are caused by drunk driving.
Other common accidents that result in serious injuries include dog bites, defective products, medical malpractice and work-related accidents. No matter the kind of personal injury case, someone else’s negligent mistake must cause the injury victim’s harm for a defendant to be held liable for a victim’s injuries.
California Negligence Law
California’s laws on negligence determine when a victim is entitled to legal compensation. The definition of negligence entails an act or a failure to act when a duty of care is owed to an individual.
§ 1714 of the Cal. Civ. Code, which is the statute establishing the basic duty of care requirement, highlights that Californians have a basic duty to protect each other from harm. One immediate takeaway from this definition, then, is that a negligent act need not be willful.
Even if a negligent act or failure to act is unintentional, the negligent party can still be held legally liable for a plaintiff’s injuries if the plaintiff can prove each of the following:
- The defendant had a legal duty (to either act or refrain from acting), and the duty was breached
- The breach of duty (negligence) caused the plaintiff’s injuries
- The defendant should have foreseen that their action or inaction was potentially harmful or dangerous
- The plaintiff suffered actual harms/damages, including pain and suffering, lost wages and similar harms
We are Victorville accident attorneys who understand California’s laws on negligence and apply these laws to the facts of your case, helping you and your loved ones get the compensation to which you are legally entitled.
How A Victorville Personal Injury Attorney From The Ledger Law Firm Can Help You
After a personal injury accident, it is of the utmost importance for your case and physical wellbeing to get medical treatment for your injuries. Even if you believe your injuries are minor, make sure to get treated. Symptoms may be minor or even delayed, but a delayed headache could be the first symptom signaling a traumatic brain injury, to list just one example. And, having documented evidence of the symptoms and pain you experienced after an accident can be extremely helpful to your case as well.
Once you have received treatment, avoid talking to insurance companies who will give you a lowball offer that prevents you from receiving a fair compensation offer or the settlement you deserve. Instead, reach out to The Ledger Law Firm, and we will help you take swift legal action that protects your right to recover a fair offer and deserved compensation that holds negligent parties accountable for their behavior.
Call (760) 673-7677 or contact us online for a free case evaluation if you or a loved one has been injured in a Victorville accident.
