Top 6 Reasons Why Hiring a Glendale Personal Injury Attorney is Recommended

Top 6 Reasons Why Hiring a Glendale Personal Injury Attorney is Recommended

Oct 30, 2023

The ultimate goal of a personal injury claim is to “make whole” an injured person following an accident – whether a motor vehicle collision, dog bite, slip and fall, or medical malpractice case. A personal injury claim is usually filed in an effort to return an injured party to their financial state prior to the accident (hence the term “whole,” which is often used by attorneys).

Is Hiring a Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer Worth It In My Case?

• Do I Need to Hire a Glendale, California, Personal Injury Lawyer?
• How Long Do I Have to File My California Personal Injury Claim?
• Damages That May be Secured Through a Personal Injury Claim
• How to File Your Glendale, California, Personal Injury Case for Financial Compensation
• Have Questions About Your Glendale Personal Injury Case? Free Consultations

After addressing any immediate concerns about your health, your next step will likely be to decide if you would like to file a claim for personal injury (and whether to do so on your own or enlist the help of an accident lawyer). A lawsuit isn’t necessarily required in order to successfully recover financial compensation (many personal injury claims are resolved quickly through what’s known as a pre-litigation after a demand letter is sent to the at-fault party or their insurance company).

Lawyers are often involved in the handling of personal injury insurance claims, and there can be many benefits to having private legal representation – one of which includes recovering maximized financial damages.

Let’s take a look at whether or not your personal injury case requires a skilled and aggressive attorney from Dordulian Law Group.

Do I Need to Hire a Glendale, California, Personal Injury Lawyer?

When you’ve been injured due to someone’s negligence in a car accident or other type of incident, the stress can be overwhelming. When facing mounting medical bills and lost wages, you may be wondering whether hiring a personal injury attorney is necessary. It turns out that there are often many benefits to securing legal representation.

Some of the most immediate benefits of private civil legal representation include:

1. Securing increased damages/financial compensation: When damages in car crashes, premises liability incidents, or dog bites are significant, the experience offered by a proven attorney can be invaluable. In fact, injured claimants tend to recover 40% higher cash settlements when compared to individuals who represent themselves.
2. Experience haggling with insurance companies: Some people may find the insurance process to be easier and less stressful than the legal process. But lowball offers and a refusal to negotiate on the part of car insurance and homeowner’s insurance corporations can be quite common. Most personal injury firms like Dordulian Law Group offer free consultations where you can speak with an attorney about your particular circumstances. It is always advisable to take advantage of a consultation with a lawyer before signing any agreement or accepting a cash settlement with an insurance company.
3. Understanding of the legal process and state laws: The law can be complicated, but this is particularly true for accident victims who suffered injuries and are in difficult predicaments. That’s why hiring a personal injury lawyer on a contingency basis is highly recommended.
4. No upfront fees or out-of-pocket expenses to worry about: Dordulian Law Group fights for justice on behalf of injured victims on a contingency fee basis. That means we never charge our clients anything upfront when we accept a case. In fact, we assume all the risk – so you don’t pay anything until after we’ve successfully secured maximum financial compensation for your personal injury claim.
5. Open legal options (including a jury trial): If your attorney has trial experience, that gives you an added option to secure justice through the legal process. Rather than having to be limited to either a pre-litigation demand settlement or an official claim cash settlement, attorneys like the team at Dordulian Law have trial experience and can take your case to court. This can be extremely advantageous in helping you secure justice as well as a settlement or verdict that is maximized and takes into account all of your losses.
6. Provide objectivity: A good personal injury lawyer will be honest and objective about the aspects of your case – including the overall value, potential time it will take to reach a cash settlement, and strategy for moving forward.

If you’ve been injured and would like to discuss your case with a dedicated and experienced accident lawyer from Dordulian Law Group (DLG), contact us today for a free and confidential consultation at 866-GO-SEE-SAM.

How Long Do I Have to File My California Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury law is handled in civil court. The various case types typically fall under one of three categories:

1. For an injury sustained at work, a claim is filed with the state’s Division of Workers’ Compensation.
2. If the amount of your claim falls below $10,000, a claim is filed in small claims court.
3. If the amount of your claim exceeds $10,000, a claim is filed in California civil court.

Personal injury claims are bound by a statute of limitations. Typically, if you’ve been injured in California due to someone’s negligence, you have two years from the date of the incident to file your claim. But this isn’t a blanket deadline which applies to all car accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, and other types of personal injury cases.

For government or public entity defendants (e.g. the U.S. Postal Service), you may only have six months from the date of your accident to file a claim for financial compensation.

That’s why it’s so important to speak with a personal injury lawyer immediately after your accident to discuss your options as well as the deadline for filing your claim.

Damages That May be Secured Through a Personal Injury Claim

Depending on the specifics of your case, you may be entitled to compensation to cover the costs associated with medical bills, procedures, emotional distress, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses. Some common damages that are included in Glendale, California, personal injury settlements include:

• Hospital bills
• Medical care costs and treatment (past and future – including prescriptions)
• Physical therapy/rehabilitation (past and future)
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Lost wages/reduced earning capacity
• Reduced quality of life
• Punitive damages

However, it’s important to realize that being entitled to these damages and receiving them are two completely different things – and this often comes down to the skill and experience of your personal injury attorney. The type of legal representation you choose can often determine whether or not you receive a settlement (and the overall value of that damages award). This can be especially true when determining the value of subjective damages that cannot be exactly quantified, such as pain and suffering. A competent and experienced personal injury lawyer from DLG’s Glendale offices can ensure that the settlement you receive is fair, accurate, and takes into consideration all factors including the emotional, physical, and financial harm you’ve suffered. When you discuss your case during the free personal injury lawyer consultation, be sure to ask about recovering all damages – not just medical bills and lost wages.

It’s also important to note that while your case may have a good chance of success, there are no guarantees as to the value of damages after an accident. But by getting immediate medical treatment, documenting the situation with copious notes, and keeping meticulous records, your attorney will be primed to secure justice and a maximum cash settlement for your case.

How to File Your Glendale, California, Personal Injury Case for Financial Compensation

A personal injury attorney will often try to negotiate a settlement before filing a lawsuit with the at-fault party or individuals (called the defendant in the event that the case proceeds to court). If the two parties can come to an agreement and avoid going to court, then everyone benefits (especially in terms of the time and cost involved).

As stated earlier, this is typically done via a pre-litigation demand letter that may be sent by the claimant to the insurance company of the defendant as part of the negotiation process. The demand letter will usually include specific information about your car accident, dog bite, or other type of case, such as:

• An assertion that the insurance company’s client is responsible for your (the claimant’s) injuries
• The nature and extent of the injuries that you have suffered
• All the facts and details about any medical treatment the injured party has received
• Facts about any income loss that the claimant has suffered
• A detailed description of the victim’s “pain and discomfort” (also known as subjective losses).

A demand letter can also include a settlement figure designated by an attorney that he or she believes the insurance company should consider. The demand letter can also be written without a settlement amount, but with the intention of forcing the insurer to review the facts in order to make an initial offer.

Once a demand letter is submitted, the attorney of the at-fault or insurance company will respond in a timely manner. If both parties are unable to reach an agreement, the claimant’s attorney will file two documents with the court.

1. Summons: A summons is a document that informs the defendant of their legal status.
2. Complaint : This includes details about the injury, the defendant’s responsibility, and the amount of damages being sought.

Have Questions About Your Glendale Personal Injury Case? Free Consultations

While the legal process may seem complicated and burdensome, particularly if you’ve just suffered a serious injury, it’s actually as easy as calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM for a free consultation. Our team of top-rated personal injury & accident attorneys is here to answer any questions you have 24/7. And when we accept your case, we’re committed to fighting tirelessly to secure you the maximum cash settlement you deserve.

Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.

If you’ve been injured in a Los Angeles County car accident, pedestrian collision, motorcycle crash, dog bite, slip and fall, or other type of personal injury matter, don’t let the negligent party’s insurance company take advantage of your right to maximum financial compensation. Contact the winning team of Glendale accident lawyers at DLG today to take the first step towards getting the justice you deserve.