Orange County, California has some of the most beautiful scenic roadways in the nation. It also has some of the most congested roadways in the nation. If you live or work in Orange County then you know this. Congested roadways inevitably lead to car accidents. According to the California Highway Patrol, there were 13,414 injury accidents in Orange County for the last year for which figures were available – 2008. In addition, 152 people lost their lives in Orange County car accidents that year. If you have been involved in a car accident in Orange County, you may be asking yourself whether you really need to retain an experienced Orange County attorney to represent you in your personal injury case. According to Orange County personal injury attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates, that depends on a number of factors.
It is possible to represent yourself in a personal injury accident. The first factor that you want to consider is whether negligence is clear. Negligence is a legal term that is used to refer to fault or blame. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people that have been involved in a car accident feel that the other driver was at fault. Sometimes, it is clear that the other driver was at fault. In cases such as that, where the other driver and their insurance company are accepting the blame, you may be able to handle your case without the help of an experienced personal injury lawyers, according to Orange County personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger. Frequently, though, the other driver, or their insurance company are not willing to accept the blame. In California, negligence can be more complicated because they operate under a comparative negligence theory. This means that both of you could be responsible for the accident. Negligence is apportioned according to how much each party contributed to the accident. This tends to make it less likely that the insurance company will accept 100% of the blame for the accident. If negligence is not agreed one from the start, then you are better off retaining a personal injury lawyer to help settle the issue.
The other factor that you need to consider when deciding whether you need to hire a personal injury lawyer is the amount of your damages. If you are unable to settle on a damages (a legal term for injuries) figure, then you will have to file your lawsuit in court and litigate it in court. If your total damages figure is less than $7500 then you may file the claim in Small Claims Court, says Orange County personal injury lawyer Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates. Small Claims Court is more user friendly with less emphasis on the Rules of Procedure. If, however, your damages exceed $7500, then you will need to file in Superior Court. Filing and litigating a lawsuit in Superior Court is much more complicated and time consuming. As a general rule, if you think that your damages will exceed the amount allowable in Small Claims Court, then you are better off hiring an Orange County personal injury lawyer to prepare and fight your case for you.
If you would like to speak to an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer about your case, please contact Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at his toll-free number 1-800-300-0001 or visit him online at www.ledgerlaw.com
