Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys

We Handle Serious Personal Injury Cases in Los Angeles

Personal injuries can occur anywhere and to anyone. You may slip on a wet floor while shopping or get hit by a car while crossing the road. In California, personal injury laws cover numerous accidents. At El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers, our attorneys assist clients with the following personal injury cases:

We believe in a higher level of service and results, which comes from our belief in providing the best service. If you are the victim of an injury, contact us today. One of our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers will be able to meet with you and your loved ones to discuss your case and your options, and help answer any questions you may have.

Personal Injury Statistics in Los Angeles

skyline of la The Greater Los Angeles area has a population of 19 million people inhabiting its 34,000 square miles. With so many people spread all over this economic hub, it is no wonder that accidents happen regularly. Many of these accidents result in personal injury, which may vary in severity. In 2015, approximately 39,708 people suffered personal injuries from traffic accidents. These accidents claimed more than 260 lives in 2016 in Los Angeles.

Additionally, the number of accidents in LA is higher than that of other cities in California. In 2013, Los Angeles recorded a total of 67,534 accidents, according to the California Department of Public Health. This number was over two and a half times that of San Diego. As the numbers indicate, residents of Los Angeles stand a high risk of falling victim to personal injuries.

Common Personal Injuries in Los Angeles

Accidents can leave you with injuries. Depending on the nature of the accident, they may be mild pains that resolve in a few days or severe injuries that require extensive treatment and rehabilitation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slip and fall accidents cause about 40.5 percent of total traumatic brain injuries in the country, while 14.3 percent result from traffic accidents.

After an accident, you may incur personal injuries such as:

Head and brain injuries
Whiplash
Neck injuries
Spinal Cord Injuries
Cuts, bruises, and lacerations

Personal injuries require immediate medical attention. Following an accident, call 911 or go to the hospital even if you don’t feel any pain or have no symptoms.

California’s Comparative Negligence

Under the negligence laws in California, individuals and institutions are liable for the injuries they cause others, even if the damage was not intentional. This provides victims with the right to file a compensation claim for a personal injury caused by the negligence of a specific party. When it comes to how much one may recover, this varies due to California’s comparative negligence laws. Suppose an accident occurs between a pedestrian and a motorcycle driver in downtown Los Angeles.

If the pedestrian was jaywalking and was considered to be 30% at fault for the accident, they will only be able to recover up to 70% of the total damages involved. While every case is different, it’s crucial to understand your rights and do all you can to maximize your compensation.

What Should I Do Following an Accident in Los Angeles?

Filing your personal injury claim is just the first step in a lengthy legal process. The success of your lawsuit is highly dependent on everything you say or do after your accident. Although our team of experts will do most of the heavy lifting, there are several things you can do to help us ensure that you get the best results.

Get Immediate Medical Assistance: Regardless of whether your injury is mild or severe, the probability of you making a recovery hinges on you getting an early evaluation. Some injuries may not surface until a few days after the accident, some may be immediate. When receiving medical attention, keep detailed medical documentation to prove that you were injured and examined by a doctor. This includes official prescriptions and diagnosis papers written by your doctor. You will need them to prove the severity of your personal injury and its connection to your accident.
Collect and Preserve Evidence: Along with your medical documents, you need to collect and preserve other vital pieces of proof. Take pictures, videos, and witness statements of the accident if at all possible. Don’t repair any defective car parts or dispose of anything material to the accident.
Contact the Police and Your Insurance Company: You should report the accident and have the authorities evaluate the scene. While you should report the accident, you should be aware of what you say to the police. Keep from saying anything that may be incriminating, can be used to show you were responsible for the accident, or any other incriminating information. During this time, you should also contact your insurance company to let them know what happened.
Call Our Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers: Contacting our experienced firm as quickly as possible will allow more time to work with the other parties involved. We will be able to fully evaluate your claim, conduct an investigation if needed, handle all negotiations, and build a strong defense strategy to help you recover.
Minimize Your Social Media Activity: What you post on your social media about your accident could be used to undermine your case. Try to stay off social media platforms throughout your case proceedings.
Follow Your Doctor’s Recommendations: If your doctor recommends you go back for a checkup, or get specific medications, do it. Failing to abide by your healthcare provider’s orders could be misconstrued as an unwillingness to get well. Insurance providers may even argue that your injuries were not severe if you refuse to be treated or follow up.

What Damages Can I Recover?

Personal injuries have significant repercussions on a victim’s life and that of their family. Your compensation claim should cover every injury, damage, loss, or expense you suffer as a result of your accident. Our personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles can help you recover compensation for physical damages, non-physical injuries, and punitive damages. Damages are typically categorized into two groups: economic and non-economic damages.

Typical compensation for losses includes compensation for:

Accident-related medical bills, both present, and future
Loss of earning ability or income
Personal property damage
The cost of retrofitting your vehicle or home to accommodate a permanent disability
Cost of rehabilitation or physical therapy
Price of property repair or replacement
Accident-related transportation costs

Economic damages or “compensatory damages” in personal injury cases do not have a cap and the jury or judge can award any amount they deem necessary and reasonable. You may also be entitled to damages that cannot be measured in terms of money, such as mental anguish, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. These damages or losses are referred to as “non-economic losses or damages” and according to Civil Code – CIV Section 333.2, (b) “In no action shall the number of damages for noneconomic losses exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).”

Loss of Consortium

This is a less common form of compensation. Plaintiffs have to prove that their accident or injury resulted in a negative impact on their relationship with their spouse/partner. If you are unable to maintain a normal sexual relationship or are unable to maintain a healthy emotional relationship, these could be grounds for loss of consortium damages. The damages for loss of consortium go directly to the affected spouse or family member, rather than the plaintiff.

Representing Injured Children and Their Families in Los Angeles

By their very nature, young children are incredibly curious. If you take your eye off of a child for even a split second, they may end up climbing on the furniture or an appliance. According to a study conducted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), children tend to suffer injuries due to appliance defects, televisions, and more. A 2022 CPSC report shared the following statistics:

71% of child fatalities involved a television
62% of fatalities of all age groups involved a television
55% of fatalities involved people being crushed
Head-related injuries accounted for 66% of fatalities

You may wonder who can be held liable for your children’s injuries. Generally, appliance injury-related claims are brought against product manufacturers or appliance installers. Though, other negligent parties can sometimes be held legally liable as well.

Notably, stove tipping, television, dresser, and other accidents can be prevented. A very inexpensive safety product called an ‘anti-tip bracket’ can keep appliances from tipping over and severely injuring children and adults. In addition, a properly designed appliance should not be able to be tipped by small children. If your child was injured, our experienced child injury attorneys in Los Angeles will help you determine who bears liability for the accident. Your family deserves justice

Contact Our Injury Attorneys in Los Angeles Today

We know how difficult time is following a serious accident. Life is stressful. You may be out of work. You are more than likely facing mounds of medical bills and trying to discuss the incident with your insurance company. Let our experienced personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles help you.

Call our firm now for a free, initial consultation at (213) 985-1120 or you can fill out our free case evaluation form and we’ll be in touch with you.

Personal Injury FAQs

How Much Do Our Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?

El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis. This means that we do not charge any upfront fees. If we do not win your case, we do not charge anything at all. It’s that simple. By working on a contingency fee basis, we make it possible for victims of injuries to focus on recovering instead of worrying about legal fees.

What happens after I'm injured?

Your first step after being injured is to get medical treatment. If you delay getting treatment – the opposing insurance company may argue that you’re really not hurt and that this is just an attempt at trying to get “free money.” It’s in the interests of the insurance company to pay you as little as possible, and this is one way for them to do that.

What is California's Statute of Limitations?

If you’re the victim of a personal injury, then you may be eligible to get compensation. Unfortunately, in order to file a lawsuit to get that compensation, you must file a claim within a certain period of time after the accident. If you don’t, you forfeit your right to file a claim and get that compensation. California has different deadlines when it comes to filing a personal injury lawsuit. The statute of limitations is very strict, and there are no exceptions to it. Many victims often lose their opportunity to receive compensation because they don’t file a lawsuit in time. The statute of limitations is applied to your case from the day you experience your injury. If you’re intending on suing the government, the statute of limitations is typically a much shorter time period. The statute of limitations can be extended in some cases. With the discovery rule, the deadline to file a personal injury claim can be extended if the injured person wasn’t aware of the injury. If it was only discovered after the statute of limitations that the defendant had a part in causing the injuries, this can be a cause for which the statute of limitations can be extended. Another example where the statute of limitations may be extended is where there are delayed symptoms. If you have been exposed to a chemical that didn’t espouse symptoms until many years, then the discovery rule would come into play. Even though the statute of limitations may have passed years ago, it can allow you to get compensation for your injuries. In addition to the ways mentioned above, there are other ways to extend the statute of limitations. In the event the responsible party left the state after committing the injury, the statute of limitations is temporarily frozen while the party is outside of the state boundaries. The statute may also be extended in the event the plaintiff was under the age of 18, mentally ill, or has a disability.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?

The top question we often hear is: how long will my case take. Many people wonder about this even after they hire our reliable attorneys. On average, the length of the case depends on a number of variables. Your attorney’s workload: The more work your attorney has, the harder it is for him to expedite proceedings and other legal tasks associated with your case. Many sole practitioners take longer to handle cases because they don’t have the necessary support staff. Fewer resources mean the attorney is spending his time doing basic tasks instead of focusing on your case. If you choose a bigger firm, they’re more likely to have enough resources to handle your case on a normal timeline. Your medical treatments: Personal injury cases cannot be settled until medical treatments have concluded – or have entered into long-term care. That means the bulk of the urgent care has been done, and now, depending on your injuries, all that’s left is the long-term care and maintenance based on the injuries you have incurred. It’s hard for a personal injury lawyer to settle a case when a client is still receiving treatments. If your medical bills are going to continue to grow, the process may take longer. Fault: In some cases where liability isn’t clear, your attorney may need to conduct an investigation. When liability is clear and evident, it’s easy to assign blame and collect funds. In some cases, where there is partial fault on both sides, an attorney will need to conduct an investigation into the accident. That means finding witnesses who can support the attorney’s claim that you weren’t at fault. It might also entail reconstructing the accident based on forensic evidence. Typically, the longer this phase takes, the longer your case will take to settle.

Is A Personal Injury Settlement Taxed?

Personal injury litigation can take months or years before it concludes. After you pay the medical liens and legal fees, the plaintiff ends up with a lump sum or a structured settlement. The next big question you probably have is “will my settlement be taxed”? The answer can vary. It all depends on what the settlement money is for. Any settlement paid as compensation for a physical injury or illness is not taxed. On-going medical costs, past & future lost wages, and compensation for mental anguish can be included in the untaxed component of your settlement as long as it was the result of a physical condition. It’s always good to speak to a personal injury law firm to get the answer since each case is different. If a settlement is capital compensation for the effect of a mental condition and is not related to a physical injury, then it can be taxed. In large mass tort cases, the time between filing and the final verdict can be years. In cases like this, it’s common for the interest that’s accrued to be awarded to the plaintiff. The base compensation may not be taxed, but the interest on this settlement can be taxed. If you have received proceeds from a settlement that may qualify to be taxed, then it’s important you realize that the funds will be taxed as capital gains – not income.

Should I Take the First Settlement Offer?

When people are injured in vehicle accidents and the other party is clearly to blame, it is common for the at-fault party’s insurance company to call and offer a settlement. To some people, the settlement amount may sound like a decent amount of money as a lump sum. However, it is always the minimum amount that an insurance company could offer. Do not take any settlements from insurance companies without consulting an attorney first. There are several reasons to avoid taking an insurance company’s settlement. FUTURE MEDICAL BILLS While some people have apparent injuries immediately after an accident, there are often long-term repercussions that do not fully appear until several years later. These are due to damages from the accident. Injuries that develop and worsen over time usually have painful and permanent consequences. Attorneys who specialize in car accidents work with experienced doctors who can predict what types of future problems may arise from car accident injuries. The costs of treatment, medications, and specialist visits for these issues may not be covered completely by health insurance. When they have the potential to be very costly, it is important to factor in those costs for a settlement. LOSS OF INCOME Most people lose income after an accident. They may take time off from work. In some cases, people who are injured so badly that they cannot continue in their line of work are left to find another job or accept disability income. A settlement should cover training for another career and replace income while the injured party develops a new career. If this is not possible, the settlement should cover a considerable enough portion of lost income that it will compensate for the fractional nature of disability payments. Disability benefits from the government are never enough to completely replace previous income. In some cases, people receive about 60 percent of their previous income. Only an experienced attorney who is familiar with the process of car accident injury claims can recover a sufficient settlement. Never accept an insurance company’s initial settlement offer. Insurers may claim that it is impossible to receive a larger settlement or that the offer is their final offer. Do not let them instill fear or anxiety. Call an experienced personal injury attorney. The consultation is free, and the attorney only collects payment if a settlement or judgment is awarded from the lawsuit.

Do I Need an Attorney or Can I Handle the Claim On My Own?

Often, many victims decide to take legal action after they are hurt. They wonder if they should hire an attorney or not. The person who injured you is most likely going to have an insurance provider. That company will also have their own lawyers who are going to attempt to squash your case. When you realize this, you’ll understand it behooves you to hire an attorney. It’s crucial you have someone who understands the legal system and who can help you obtain a settlement based on your injuries. Filing a claim is more than just filing forms. You have to make sure you can prove liability and in addition, damages. If there are no damages, the claim has significantly less value. Not only must you show there are damages, you have to prove those damages are from the defendant. That means you have to conduct a very extensive investigation that covers all your bases. Insurance companies know that most injured victims are lacking in knowledge when it comes to the law. Having an attorney on your side means you won’t be bullied or swayed to settle for a minor settlement. It increases your bargaining power and can lead to a much larger settlement. In some instances, it might be necessary to go to court. When that happens, you have to not only identify witnesses but also litigate the case in court. Though television makes this seem like a relatively straightforward procedure, it can actually be difficult to know all the procedures. At the end of the day, while you can try handling your case on your own, it’s going to get messy real quick.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

CAR ACCIDENTS> BICYCLE ACCIDENTS> MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS> BUS ACCIDENTS> DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENTS> PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS> SLIP & FALL ACCIDENTS> CATASTROPHIC INJURY> MEDIATION> MORE>

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