It’s not always clear following an accident if you have a personal injury claim worth the time and energy to file a lawsuit. One thing is clear– it is always worth your time to take us up on our totally free initial consultation in which we can give you this answer up front.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?

Successful Los Angeles personal injury claims down to proving that your injuries were caused by someone or something else’s negligent actions. Negligence is essentially the failure to exercise reasonable care in a given situation. Put differently, what would or should someone confronted with the exact scenario do to avoid injury and harm to others. Here are some questions to think about as it relates to your own personal injury claim:

• What was the cause of your accident?: And in California, it’s ok if part of the cause was something you did too– that does not take away from holding the other party to the accident responsible for their role! Think about the root cause of your personal injury accident and where and if that fits into the negligence definition above. For instance, you fell at Ralph’s because the floor was slippery– the cause of your accident was their failure to keep their shopping floors clean. Or you got hit by a car while walking because a car jumped the curb– the cause of the accident was the driver not staying on the road. Sometimes cause and liability is super clear and sometimes it is the main crux of the case.
• Do you have injuries as a result of the accident? Consider yourself extremely lucky if you got into a Calabasas car accident without injuries or escaped a major LAX airport fall with only some bruises. Ultimately, injuries that cost you time and money from the accident are what make a personal injury claim. And most major accidents do result in injuries that not only cause expensive doctors bills but result in other things like missed time at work, emotional issues and pain and suffering. What starts as a personal injury may even turn into a wrongful death case when someone dies as a result of their initial injuries.
• Quick settlement offer: Here’s a surefire way to know if you have a personal injury claim– the other side’s insurance company has already offered you a settlement offer. It shows that they not only know you have a winning case but they are try to do away with it as quickly as possible. If this has happened to you then you need to get in touch with Walch Law immediately before you take the offer? Why? Because this offer is likely much much lower than what we can get you (yes, even after attorneys fees) and if it isn’t  we will tell you so!

While it may be tempting, you really should not try to handle your Los Angeles personal injury claim on your own for many reasons including: the potential for missed deadlines and incorrect paperwork, the defendant’s taking advantage of your lack of legal knowledge and the amount of time it would take you to do things. Personal injury cases are complicated which is where we come in. At Walch Law, we are a Calabasas-based personal injury law firm here to help maximize your financial recovery and do it as quickly as possible. We take all of our Calabasas personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis meaning you do not pay us a penny until we get you paid. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help!