When someone is injured due to the negligent, reckless, or intentional acts of another person or legal entity, they may be able to seek compensation through a personal injury claim. California law establishes a number of rules governing personal injury cases. This includes time limits on filing a lawsuit, standards for determining a party’s negligence, and the types of compensation available.
Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP is a team of qualified Sacramento personal injury attorneys who have helped victims in pursuing their own personal injury claims. Our firm has recovered over $1 billion across all practice areas for our clients. Call us today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys.
We Handle a Wide Range of California Personal Injury Cases
Not every accident is legally someone else’s fault. In order to recover compensation for a personal injury claim based on negligence in California, an accident victim needs to prove three things:
- The defendant owed them a duty of care under the law;
- The defendant breached that duty; and
- The defendant’s breach was a substantial factor in causing injury to the victim.
These standards apply to many different kinds of personal injury claims. Some of the more common examples of claims that our firm is prepared to handle include:
- Car Accidents: Drivers breach a duty of care when they operate their vehicle in a negligent manner that violates the traffic laws and puts other motorists and pedestrians at risk.
- Truck Accidents: Commercial trucking accidents are often the result of negligence on the part of truck drivers, truck owners, and companies responsible for loading a truck’s cargo. These accidents are often far more serious and complicated than crashes involving only passenger vehicles, as a commercial truck has the potential for cutting a wide swath of damage across a highway, affecting dozens of individual victims.
- Uber & Lyft Accidents: California law imposes certain insurance and liability requirements on rideshare services. This means that if someone is injured while using a rideshare service–or they are a third party hit by a negligent rideshare driver–the rideshare company may be held legally responsible for any injuries.
- Defective Products: When a consumer product does not work as expected and injures someone, the manufacturer may be held responsible for any defects in the design or manufacturing process. A manufacturer can also be liable for a “failure to warn” consumers of potential safety hazards while using a product.
- Premises Liability: California does not require property owners to absolutely guarantee the safety of everyone on their premises. But when a property owner invites visitors or members of the public onto their premises, they must keep it in reasonably safe condition. This includes warning visitors of any known safety hazards that might lead to an accident.
- Wrongful Death: When a negligent or intentional act causes someone’s death, California law allows the victim’s family and estate to seek compensation through a wrongful death claim.
What Compensation Is Available in a Sacramento, California Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Personal injury claims are civil in nature. This means that the primary goal is to secure monetary damages in order to compensate the victims for their losses. Some of the more common types of injuries awarded in these cases include:
- Medical Bills: Personal injury claimants often require extensive medical treatment for their injuries. A negligent party can be held responsible for all of the claimant’s past, present, and estimated future medical expenses. This includes the costs of any necessary physical rehabilitation.
- Lost Income: If a claimant is forced to miss time from their job following an accident, the negligent party can be held responsible for this lost income. Additionally, a claimant may seek compensation if their long-term earning capacity has been diminished as a result of their injuries.
- Property Damage: A negligent party can be held responsible for any damage to someone else’s property, such as their vehicle or home.
- Pain and Suffering: In addition to the economic damages described above, California law also allows claimants to seek compensation for their non-economic damages, which includes their past and future pain and suffering and mental anguish.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you would like to speak with an experienced Sacramento personal injury attorney, contact Kalfayan Merjanian, LLP, today to schedule a free initial consultation. We represent personal injury clients on contingency. This means that we do not charge our clients upfront fees. Instead, we will only collect a fee if we are able to secure a settlement or jury verdict on your behalf.