LOS ANGELES PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY
The best Los Angeles Personal Injury and Civil Rights Attorney
Free consultation • No fees unless we win
Experienced in successfully litigating some of the nation’s highest-caliber legal cases
Free Consultation • No Fees Unless We Win
Experienced in successfully litigating some of the nation’s highest-caliber legal cases
The Best Civil Rights and Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles
The Best Civil Rights and Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles
See some of our featured cases and results
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How to Sue a Cop for Civil Rights Violations in California
What Is the Average Civil Rights Settlement in California?
Understanding Non-Economic Damages in Civil Rights Cases
How Do You Sue a Police Department in California? Step-by-Step Guide
Excessive Force Definition: Understanding When Police Cross the Line
Practice Areas We Specialize In
Contact Kirakosian Law For a Free Consultation With Our Personal Injury Law Firm Today
Contact our Los Angeles office to connect with an experienced personal injury attorney for a case evaluation. After a personal injury, it can be confusing to understand what your options are, how you will be able to move forward, and what rights you have as a victim of someone else’s dangerous behavior. This will all be clarified during our initial consultation as we go over the type of accident you were involved in, the events that led to the accident, the injuries you have sustained, and more.
Once we have a clear understanding of the high-level details of your situation, we will be able to provide you with an explanation of how your case is covered by California personal injury law. In addition, we will be able to go into detail about how you can benefit from the support of a Los Angeles personal injury attorney.
We encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible to get started on your case today. The earlier into this process you are represented by an experienced personal injury accident attorney, the more time they will have to build a strong case on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I afford a personal injury lawyer?
Yes. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs. You only pay if your attorney wins your case or secures a settlement for you.
How long do I have to file a claim?
In California, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident. However, some cases have shorter deadlines, so it’s important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
How much is my personal injury case worth?
The value of your case depends on medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact of your injuries. Each case is unique, and an attorney can give you a more accurate estimate after reviewing your situation.
What should I do immediately after an accident?
Seek medical attention, document the scene, gather evidence, avoid admitting fault, and contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. These steps help protect your rights and strengthen your case.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor accident?
Even seemingly minor accidents can lead to long-term injuries. A lawyer ensures you get proper medical evaluations and fair compensation, especially if the insurance company attempts to undervalue your claim.
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Making Sense Of Your Personal Injury Case
One of the first things to understand about your situation is what makes a personal injury case after an accident in Los Angeles, California. The first details to understand are those relating to a defendant’s duty of care and how a failure to uphold a duty of care can lead to a Los Angeles personal injury case.
The Four Factors Of a Personal Injury Case
The following four factors must be present in order for a victim to be able to seek compensation for their injuries. These factors are applicable in countless situations, and since no two accidents are ever truly alike, this is often the simplest way to get clarity about a situation.
The term “duty of care” refers to our obligations to act in a reasonable and prudent manner to avoid accidents in our daily lives and applies to countless situations we find ourselves in every day. One obvious example is the duty of care we carry out when we drive by following the driving laws and taking reasonable precautions to avoid a car accident with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or anyone else. Similarly, a property owner owes a duty of care to each of their visitors by providing a safe premise that is free of hazards. Of course, there are countless duties of care — some more obvious than others — that must be examined when establishing whether or not someone is protected under personal injury law.
When a driver speeds, operates a vehicle while intoxicated or engages in aggressive driving, they have failed their duty of care to all others who may be impacted by this decision. However, driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs does not immediately cause an accident or impact other people, meaning that an individual who is cited or arrested for violating a traffic law is guilty of a criminal offense, but unless they have caused an accident there is no further consideration required — they have not committed a tortious act. Without another innocent person being involved in the situation, a failed duty of care does not create liability issues on their own.
If a drunk driver hits a cyclist or a property manager fails to fix a broken handrail, and someone falls, they have failed their duty of care and have now caused an accident as a result. When someone else is injured as a result of the failed duty of care, whatever that duty may be, there is now an innocent victim involved in the situation who may suffer as a result of the offender’s negligence, recklessness, or criminal behavior. However, not all accidents qualify the innocent victim for recovering compensation.
The term damages, as defined by the California civil code, is “ a loss or harm suffered in person or property.” Many people mistakenly believe that damages are only physical injuries, but there are a number of other damages that go beyond medical issues that entitle victims to financial compensation for their involvement in the accident. The issue of damages is typically the most complicated aspect of personal injury claims simply because many of them are abstract or difficult to assign a real dollar value to. Insurance companies leverage this complexity while working towards settling personal injury cases against their clients for as little as possible.
Proving Fault in a Houston Car Accident
After a crash, the most important question becomes: Who was at fault? Insurance companies will try to place blame on you or minimize their driver’s responsibility. To counter this, your attorney gathers strong evidence to build a solid liability case.
What Evidence Helps Prove Fault?
Attorneys use a combination of documents, investigative tools, and expert testimony, including:
- Police accident reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Traffic camera or dashcam footage
- Vehicle damage analysis
- Reconstruction expert reports
- Cell phone records if distracted driving is suspected
A strong evidence package can significantly increase the value of your claim and prevent insurers from unfairly blaming you.
Calculating Damages After a Crash
Your compensation depends on the severity of your injuries and how the accident impacts your life. A lawyer calculates both economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Medical bills and future medical care
- Lost wages and future earning capacity
- Vehicle repairs or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
Severe injuries, long-term treatment, or permanent disability can dramatically increase the value of your claim.
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At the same time that your Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is working towards a final agreement about fault and liability, they will be going through a comprehensive investigation of your situation in order to gather as much evidence as possible about the myriad damages you have suffered. After personal injuries, victims may overlook or fail to recognize many subtle impacts of an accident; attorneys, however, know exactly what to look for and are able to catalog these impacts to ensure that no details are overlooked.
A big part of personal injury cases is the attention to detail regarding the seemingly countless minor damages that Los Angeles injury victims suffer. Each of these impacts adds to the total amount that a victim is owed and one of the biggest benefits of working with Los Angeles personal injury lawyers from the start.
Economic damages are those impacts of a car accident, medical malpractice issue, or any other personal injury that have measurable dollar values. These are things like medical bills for treatment, property damage, lost wages from missed work, or a decrease in earnings due to your injuries, and services you may need to hire to help you perform tasks you would have otherwise done on your own. Many of these damages are fairly obvious and can be calculated using historical pay stubs, invoices, and simply tallying up the cost of your medical expenses. In wrongful death cases, survivors are entitled to additional compensation for things like the long-term loss of financial support from the deceased, as well as end-of-life care, pensions, future 401K or IRA contributions, and more. There are, however, many other economic damages that an accident victim may overlook that personal injury attorneys will not. Many damages may seem meaningless or inconsequential, but each of these low-value damages adds up, and lawyers in Los Angeles will focus on tracking down and including as many of these damages as possible. You do not deserve to take on any of the financial burdens of someone else’s recklessness or negligence.
Non-economic damages are the losses or harms that a victim suffers that do not have dollar values. Most notably, the pain and suffering that a victim must endure following catastrophic injuries, as well as the fear and anxiety that someone suffers from following traumatic events like car accidents. In addition, things like the loss of enjoyment a spinal cord injury causes or the depression and other impacts of a brain injury are all very valid and important non-economic damages. However The difficulty with non-economic damages is determining how to assign a dollar value to each in order to seek compensation for these very real impacts of serious accidents. Los Angeles personal injury attorneys have a number of tools at their disposal that can help identify, quantify, and then calculate the severity of these damages and a fair amount for their client to be compensated for them. Insurers know how difficult and overwhelming it can be for a victim to request compensation for their own non-economic damages, which is why it is so important to partner with experienced personal injury lawyers from the start of your case.
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