San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Cases
Millions of people suffer from personal injuries every year in the United States, ranging from car accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, and workplace injuries to dog bites, medical mistakes, and product-related injuries. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in the US, resulting in nearly 140,000 deaths and more than 40 million emergency room visits each year.
All those visits add up to millions of dollars in injury-related medical costs, and that’s just the beginning. Most personal injuries also result in loss of wages and ongoing medical treatment and therapy that can place a tremendous cost burden on even the healthiest bank account. While insurance may cover some of those costs, in the case of a personal injury, it’s the victims who often wind up shouldering a tremendous amount of that cost burden.
Why You Need a Personal Injury Attorney
In a perfect world, the responsible party would step in and pay for the costs of an accident they caused. But in the real world, that’s pretty much never the case. Businesses of all sizes have legal teams and insurance companies whose sole aim is to reduce responsibility and avoid paying damages associated with personal injuries. They know that most consumers on their own don’t have the time, expertise or other resources to defend themselves and protect their rights. And as a result, personal injury victims wind up receiving only a fraction of the compensation they deserve, leaving them to pay for ongoing doctor’s visits, physical and occupational therapy, lost wages and other injury-related costs.
What can you do to protect your rights? Begin working with a skilled personal injury attorney right away. Lawyers experienced in personal injury cases understand the immediate and long-term effects accidents can have and the costs associated with helping victims recover. While businesses and insurance companies have their own attorneys to protect their interests, as an accident victim, you need someone in your corner fighting to protect you.
What Is My San Luis Obispo Injury Case Worth?
One of the most common questions our clients have is “what is my personal injury case worth?” While there is no definitive method for calculating exact settlement amounts, there are standards to look at when determining the value of a claim.
Economic And Noneconomic Damages
After liability is established, compensation awards in personal injury cases take into account two types of damages: economic and noneconomic. Economic damages address costs incurred by the plaintiff for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and diminished earning capacity. Noneconomic damages award compensation for pain and suffering.
Determining pain and suffering can be the most difficult aspect of calculating a personal injury claim. It can also be the greatest source of compensation for any given case. These noneconomic damages take into account the impact the injury has had and will continue to have on your life. If your case proceeds to trial, juries will be instructed to consider your physical pain, emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anger and a range of other negative experiences and emotions brought about as a result of the accident.
After an accident, we invite individuals to contact our firm for a free initial consultation. Attorney O’Neill will discuss with you the merits of your case and can help you understand how a financial award may be determined based on your unique circumstances.
What Other Factors Might Influence My Personal Injury Settlement Or Award?
If you have been injured in an accident, contact our California law firm to discuss the factors that may influence your potential settlement, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of income and earning capacity
- Job retraining
- Damaged property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
Daniel J. O’Neill: Experience, Skill, and Compassion
The Law Office of Daniel J. O’Neill is a leading personal injury law firm with more than 35 years of experience helping accident victims throughout the San Luis Obispo, CA, area protect their rights. We have the expertise and the resources necessary to ensure our clients’ rights are represented every step of the way in all types of personal injury claims, including:
- Automobile accidents: Including car, truck, motorcycle, and other motor vehicle accidents
- Serious injuries: Including brain, back, neck, spinal cord, burn, and other injuries, as well as injuries that were caused intentionally
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle Crashes
- Construction site accidents
- Fatal accidents/wrongful death
- Medical malpractice
- Intentional Injuries
- Dangerous product accidents
- Dangerous property accidents
- Rear End accidents
- Rollover accidents
Take the first step toward protecting your rights.
Developing a strong personal injury case takes time. If you’ve been the victim of an accident or personal injury, you need to start working with a personal injury attorney right away. Contact the Law Office of Daniel J. O’Neill at (805) 250-4924 or use our online contact form and schedule your free initial consultation today.