Palm Springs Personal Injury Lawyer
While the Golden Rule is more of a social guideline than a government-enforced rule, there are many situations where state law requires people to act a certain way in order to minimize the risk of accidentally harming another. Anyone who violates this duty of care and directly causes harm can be held civilly liable for the negative effects of their actions.
Knowing another person is to blame for your injury and holding them legally accountable are two different things, as any seasoned attorney knows. When you want to effectively pursue civil compensation for the harm someone else negligently caused you, working with a skilled Palm Springs personal injury lawyer could go a long way toward getting you a favorable final case result.
When Can Someone File Suit Over a Personal Injury?
In certain circumstances, someone may hold strict liability for an injury sustained by another person, meaning they would automatically be liable for the injured person’s losses provided they met a few specific qualifying criteria. For the most part, personal injury claims are built around the legal theory of negligence, which has four components that must all be present for a claim to proceed.
First, there has to be a duty owed by the person being sued to the injured person. The defendant must have had an implicit or explicit responsibility to act a certain way under specific circumstances—for example, the obligation drivers have to follow traffic laws and pay attention while in motion. Then, the defendant must have done something specifically careless, reckless, or illegal, which breaches their established duty.
Next, the injured person must prove the defendant’s breach of duty was the main cause of the accident and the direct source of an injury requiring professional medical care. Finally, the plaintiff must show that all the compensable losses they are seeking compensation for stemmed directly from that injury. A personal injury attorney in Palm Springs could provide vital assistance in establishing these elements.
Maximizing Compensation for All Available Damages
Compensable damages in a typical personal injury claim can include both economic and non-economic forms of harm like:
- Past and future bills for medical care
- Lost work income and long-term working capacity
- Personal property damage
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological distress and emotional trauma
- Lost consortium
- Lost quality and enjoyment of life
Numerous legal and procedural obstacles during the recovery process can keep an unrepresented plaintiff from getting all the compensation they would otherwise be entitled to. Among other things, a personal injury lawyer in Palm Springs could help contest allegations of comparative fault made against an injured person, accurately valuate expected future losses, and build a comprehensive, evidence-based claim within the filing deadlines in state law.
Contact a Palm Springs Personal Injury Attorney for Help
Personal injury claims can be complicated in various ways, especially because you will likely still be dealing with the physical, financial, and personal effects of your injury while your case is ongoing. Having help from someone experienced with handling these sorts of cases successfully can be vital in minimizing stress for you and your family and getting paid fairly at the conclusion of your claim.
A conversation with a Palm Springs personal injury lawyer could give you much-needed information about your rights, filing options, and possible next steps. Call today to schedule a meeting.
