If you live in the La Quinta, California area and have been hurt because of another’s careless or reckless actions, then it’s within your rights to hold the at-fault party/parties culpable. Given how complicated and technical these types of cases can be, it will be in your best interest if you had professional legal representation if you want to get the justice you so deserve. At the Crockett Law Group, we will provide you with expert legal counsel if you are looking for a professional La Quinta personal injury lawyer. Our personal injury attorneys have the requisite skills and experiences needed to pursue your claim and ensure that you are reimbursed for the full amount of damages suffered. It’s not right that you should have to suffer and pay for the negligent or reckless actions of another party. Get in touch with our law offices at (800) 900-9393 to get an initial consultation and case assessment without charge. 
Table of Contents
What Should I Do After an Injury?
Here are the steps you should take after a personal injury accident:- If needed, seek medical care and make sure to keep records of all treatments.
- If you can, make sure to take a lot of pictures and videos of the accident scene.
- Make sure to get the phone numbers and names of any witnesses.
- Contact the police if it’s an auto accident, or contact the premises owner if you were hurt at a home, business, etc.
- Never admit liability.
- Get in touch with a personal injury attorney as soon as you can!
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
At Crockett Law Group, our attorneys will guide you through the legal process. We will help you with:Case Preparation / Filing a Lawsuit
This is the first stage of initiating legal proceedings. If you make a mistake in this stage, you risk losing the case altogether. If you or a loved one have gotten involved in an accident, it’s best to hire La Quinta personal injury lawyers to start case preparations and file a suit within the statute of limitations for California. When you get in touch with us, we’ll conduct a detailed investigation of the moments leading to the accident and gather as much evidence as we can. We work with professionals like medical practitioners, forensics, police, and lab technicians to build a strong case with the evidence to back it up. Before filing the suit, we’ll reach out to the at-fault party to see if they want to settle. If not, we’ll file the lawsuit.Settlement Negotiation
When insurers don’t want to go to trial, it usually means they aren’t confident they will win the case. For this reason, they will try to negotiate with you. It is recommended that you not speak to them without a lawyer present. Why is this? Insurance adjusters and insurance companies are very clever at downplaying the extent of damages suffered and subsequently the pay-out amount. A lawyer can determine if an offer is fair and will negotiate for the best possible settlement.Trial Preparation & Representation
Our team at Crockett Law Group is ready to go to trial if negotiations fail. With experience in courtrooms, our lawyers can coach you for the trial as well as offer expert representation.
What Type of Damages Can I Recover?
Depending on the specifics of your case, you could receive three types of damages.- Economic: These types of damages can be quantified and given a price tag. Economic damages include loss of earning capacity, property damage, future lost wages, and medical expenses.
- Non-Economic: These types of damages are intangible and can’t be quantified with money. Non-economic damages include permanent disabilities, disfigurement, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship.
- Punitive: Punitive damages are awarded by the courts to act as punishment and a warning to would-be future offenders. For these damages to be proven, the defendant must be found to have acted will malice.
How is Liability Determined?
When an accident occurs, people will be quick to point fingers in order to avoid liability. To receive reimbursement, you’ll need to prove four elements of liability definitively. They include:Duty of Care
The plaintiff must prove the offender had a legal duty to act in a particular way that a reasonable party would when subjected to similar circumstances.Breach of Duty of Care
Breach of their duty applies when the accident occurred when under the supervision of the defendant. The plaintiff must prove that the defendant didn’t take the necessary steps a reasonable person in the same situation would to anticipate and prevent risks and harm.Causation
Because the at-fault party was in breach of their duty, it resulted in an accident.Damages
You must prove that injuries sustained were a direct cause of the accident and not pre-existing health conditions. Depending on the extent of damages suffered, you can claim economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.What If I Was Partially Responsible for An Accident?
California follows a pure comparative negligence doctrine. The courts permit injured persons to seek damages even if they were 99% liable for the accident, California doesn’t have restrictions of fault at 50%. So the claimant can get reimbursement even if they were partly liable. In this case, the total amount will be reduced by the victim’s percentage of fault.How Much Time Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in California?
You have a time span of two years to file a personal injury claim in the state of California. If you fail to do so within this time, you will have given up your rights to seek any compensation. Call a lawyer to begin the legal proceedings as soon as possible.
