Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer
Orange County Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injuries usually happen without warning, and they can lead to a victim suffering from temporary or permanent disabilities. Personal injury victims are also likely to incur tremendous expenses. Anytime somebody is harmed due to the negligent actions of another person, company, or entity, they should be able to recover compensation for their losses.
At Bentley & More LLP, we are here to help when you need our Orange County personal injury lawyers. We have the experience and resources necessary to conduct a thorough investigation into injury claims so we can secure full compensation on your behalf. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Why Hire an Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer from Bentley & More?
If you have sustained a serious injury and need compensation, you need an Orange County injury attorney you can trust both personally and professionally standing by your side. The skilled legal team at our Southern California law firm is ready to help.
- Our accident lawyers in Orange County have extensive resources at our disposal that we can use to call upon expert witnesses and trusted medical professionals to fully evaluate your injuries and losses.
- Our attorneys are fierce litigators with decades of experience advocating for Orange County personal injury clients. While we are effective at resolving conflicts out of court, we have no problems taking a case to trial.
- We take all Orange County personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that our clients pay no upfront or out-of-pocket costs for their personal injury cases. We only collect legal fees after we secure the compensation our clients deserve.
What Are the Advantages of Having an Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer?
Unfortunately, most injury victims do not have the resources necessary to conduct a full investigation into their cases and take on aggressive insurance carriers. However, an Orange County personal injury attorney will level the playing field and provide you with the resources necessary to ensure you are treated fairly and obtain full compensation for your losses.
What is a Personal Injury Attorney?
You probably keep seeing the phrase “personal injury attorney.” It is important to point out that, while you may have 20 attorneys’ offices around your location, that does not mean they are all personal injury lawyers. After you sustain an injury caused by another person, you want your case to be handled by an attorney with experience handling these matters. For example, would you want an estate planning attorney handling your car accident claim?
A personal injury attorney with decades of experience handling these claims is going to thoroughly understand the tactics used by insurance carriers to lower your settlement, and they will know how to maximize your claim.
How Do I Prove My Personal Injury Case?
The job of proving your personal injury case will fall to your attorney. An experienced Orange County injury lawyer with extensive resources will be able to:
- Obtain all evidence related to the incident that caused the injury. This includes video or photo surveillance, statements from eyewitnesses, accident reports, and more.
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Make sure you’re evaluated by a medical professional so that they can fully assess your personal injuries and help calculate your total expected medical expenses.
- Work with economic and finance professionals who will calculate your total past losses due to the injury as well as your expected future losses.
What Constitutes Comparative Negligence in Orange County, CA?
There are times when more than one party is at fault for an injury. It may even be the case that the injury victim had some role in the incident that caused them harm. For example, if you are struck by an impaired driver when you change lanes, but you failed to use your turn signal before making a Lane change, some of the blame for the incident may fall on you.
However, it is important to point out that even if an injury victim is partially responsible for the incident that caused them harm, they may still be able to recover compensation for their losses. These issues will be handled through what is referred to as comparative negligence (or shared fault) laws. Comparative fault laws vary from state to state.
In some states, a person can recover compensation only if they are less than 50% responsible for the incident. Other states set the threshold at 51%. Some states allow for a victim to recover compensation regardless of how much fault they have for the incident.
Shared Fault Laws in California
California operates under what is considered a “pure comparative negligence” system. This means that injured parties can collect damages even if they are 99% at fault for the incident. However, the total amount of compensation that a plaintiff (the injury victim) can be awarded in a case will be reduced based on their percentage of fault for the incident.
For example, if a court awards a plaintiff $100,000 in damages but determines that they were 20% at fault for the incident, then they would only receive $80,000 in total damages. The higher a person’s percentage of fault for an accident, the less money they will be able to recover in a settlement or verdict.
What Is My Orange County Personal Injury Case Worth?
The total amount of compensation available in the aftermath of a personal injury case will vary depending on the factors related to each particular situation. Some of the factors that will be considered are the severity of the injuries, whether or not a victim is disabled, whether or not a victim is able to work, and more.
At Bentley & More LLP, it is not uncommon for our Orange County personal injury attorneys to help victims recover the following:
- Coverage of all past, present, and future medical expenses related to the incident
- Coverage of all lost wages and benefits a victim loses if they are unable to work
- Loss of any future earnings hey victim incurs if they are disabled and cannot return to the same job
- Any out-of-pocket household expenses a victim incurs due to their injuries
- Pain and suffering damages
- Loss of personal enjoyment damages
In some cases, a personal injury victim may be able to recover punitive damages if the at-fault party was grossly negligent or intentionally inflicted harm.
Is There a Maximum Amount I Can Receive for My Personal Injury Settlement
In California, there is no limitation on the total amount of economic damages that can be awarded. This includes property damages, medical bills, and lost wages. In general, there is also no cap on the total amount of pain and suffering damages that a personal injury victim can be awarded. The exception to this is for medical malpractice claims that have a cap of $250,000 for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for A Personal Injury Claim in Orange County, CA?
California places a statute of limitations (or time limit) on personal injury cases for two years from the date an injury occurs. This means that an Orange County personal injury victim has a two-year window with which to file a civil lawsuit against an allegedly negligent party to recover compensation. There are some exceptions to this two-year time limit, so please speak with your lawyer about the specific factors affecting your case.
What Should I Do After Suffering a Personal Injury?
After sustaining an injury in Orange County that was caused by the negligence of another person, there are various steps you can take to ensure you receive maximum compensation.
- Seek medical assistance. The most important thing you can do after sustaining an Orange County personal injury is seek medical attention. You need to let a doctor evaluate your injuries, regardless of how minor you think they may be. By seeking immediate medical assistance, you are establishing a firm link between the injuries and the incident that caused them.
- Gather evidence. You obtain as much evidence as possible related to the incident that caused your injuries. This can include video or photos taken at the scene of the incident, statements from any eyewitnesses, police reports or other accident reports, and more.
- Be cautious when speaking to insurance carriers. The insurance company of the at-fault party will contact you fairly soon after the incident occurs. They will want you to give a recorded statement about the incident, and they may ask you to sign a release so they can obtain your medical records. You should absolutely not do either of these things. All the insurance carrier needs to know is basic information about the incident (when and where it happened and the names of anyone else involved).
- Contact an Orange County personal injury attorney. If you have not already done so, speak to an Orange County injury lawyer as soon as possible after a physical injury to obtain a free consultation. An injury attorney will guide you or your loved one towards the best path to obtain maximum compensation.
- Continue medical treatment. You should always continue any treatment plans prescribed by a doctor in the aftermath of your injury. Do not stop your medical treatment until your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement. If you stop your treatment too early, the at-fault party and their insurance carrier may use this as evidence and say that you were not truly injured by the incident.
What Are the Common Causes of Injuries in Orange County?
At Bentley & More LLP, we know that personal injury claims arise in various ways in and around Orange County. The experienced lawyers at our Orange County personal injury law firm regularly help clients who have been injured due to the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workers’ compensation
Common Injuries in Orange County, CA
The Orange County personal injury attorneys at Bentley & More LLP have extensive experience helping clients who have sustained a wide range of injuries. We regularly help clients who have sustained the following due to the negligence of other people.
What Kinds of Orange County Personal Injury Cases do Bentley & More Handle?
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Other neck and back injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Open head wounds and skull fractures
- Severe lacerations or puncture wounds
- Amputation injuries
- Burn injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
Our Orange County personal injury lawyers also make it a point to seek compensation for any emotional and psychological trauma an injury victim incurs. Just because these injuries are not as visible as traumatic damage does not make them any less damaging for a victim. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we have routinely helped injury victims in Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim, and throughout Southern California. Our personal injury attorneys have the experience and the tenacity to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Handling Wrongful Death Cases
If your loved one suffered a wrongful death due to the negligence of another party, our skilled attorneys can help you recover financial compensation. The Orange County wrongful death lawyers at Bentley & More LLP helps grieving families navigate the legal process. Let our wrongful death trial lawyers help you and your family members during this difficult time.
How To Settle an Orange County Personal Injury Claim
Understanding how to settle a car accident claim can be confusing, and you will be best served by seeking assistance from an Orange County personal injury attorney after a car crash in Southern California. The vast majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court and through insurance carriers. Settling a motor vehicle accident case with an insurance carrier is going to involve obtaining all evidence that we discussed above and engaging in intense negotiations with an insurance claims adjuster. Insurance carriers typically offer initial settlements that are far below what you should be receiving. Before settling an automobile accident claim, you and your OC accident attorney should present counteroffers to the insurance companies that are backed up by facts related to your injuries and losses.
However, there are times when insurance carriers do not offer a fair settlement or even deny a claim. When this happens, it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party and their insurance carrier. This does not mean that your case will necessarily go to a jury trial. However, your Orange County auto accident claim will still be intensely negotiated by your Orange County car accident lawyer and the auto accident attorneys for the at-fault party.
Free Consultation with Our Skilled Orange County Personal Injury Attorneys
Orange County Personal Injury Attorney, Greg Bentley
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the careless, negligent, or intentional actions of another person, you need to seek legal assistance from an Orange County or Riverside injury lawyer as soon as possible.
At the Southern California law offices Bentley & More LLP, we have the resources and experience you need for this case. Our team located in Newport Beach will conduct a full investigation into your claim in order to recover maximum compensation on your behalf.
We are not afraid to stand up to aggressive insurance carriers, and we have no problem taking your case to trial to ensure you or treated fairly. When you need an Orange County personal injury lawyer, you can contact us for a free initial consultation of your case by clicking here or by calling (949) 870-3800.
Client Testimonial
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bentley & More for the past 5-6 years. Their drive and compassion to earn great results for their clients is obvious to everyone who works with them.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with the firm to help serve their clients.” – Nicole S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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