Category: Legal

What Happens if a Dog Bites Someone on Your Property?

what happens if a dog bites someone on your property? Whether invited guest, trespasser, or salesperson, you may be held liable in certain circumstances. An even bigger question is who pays the expenses related to a dog bite lawsuit?

Below you’ll learn about the different scenarios in a dog bite lawsuit involving an incident on your property, as well as a brief primer on whether your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance will cover the alleged damages. Keep in mind, this is a general overview and each state has its own, unique dog bite laws and statutes. Be sure to check the laws in your state or contact a local attorney to learn more.

Premises Liability: What Standard of Care Do You Owe?

The first thing we should look at in a dog bite case on your property is premises liability. When a person enters your property they have a reasonable expectation they will not be injured. This is known as the “standard of care.” A homeowner owes a certain standard of care to anyone on their property. That’s pretty fair, right? This means the owner or occupier of the property, such as a renter, must maintain a relatively safe environment for all persons entering the premises. This includes keeping potentially dangerous animals away from guests or being sure to put up warning signs about the animal’s propensities.

Invited Guests and Others

In most situations, dog owners owe a reasonable duty of care to anyone lawfully on their property. If the injured person can show the owner’s negligence or failure to use reasonable care in restraining the dog or warning of the dog’s dangerous propensities, they may sue for damages in many states.

Trespassers

You may find it shocking to know that the law in a minority of states actually allows trespassers who are bitten by your dog on your property to bring a lawsuit. It will ultimately depend on both the state you are in and whether or not there is a dog bite statute in place that protects owners from liability to trespassers. For instance, Florida’s dog bite statute only allows persons to sue the owner or occupier if they are bitten by a dog and that person is in a public place or lawfully in a private place. Simply put, a person is not lawfully in a private place if they are trespassing, attempting to commit a burglary, or other criminal offense.

Dangerous Propensities

If your Chihuahua Daffodil has sunk her teeth into people in the past, you are on notice that she can be considered dangerous under the law. In that case, if Dangerous Daffodil bites someone on your property, the homeowner or occupier may be held strictly liable. A safeguard against this, however, is to put up a warning sign, indicating there is a dangerous dog on the property.

Who Pays When Fido Bites?

One important tip is that if you do own a dog and are concerned about being held liable if they bite another person, you may want to consider homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Most policies have some form of coverage available in the event you are sued due to an animal bite on your property. There are also certain types of pet insurance policies you may be able to get to cover these incidents. Ultimately, if you have neither of these, you can be held personally liable if you lose a lawsuit against an injured party.

Defenses for Dog Owners

There are few defenses available to dog owners whose pets cause severe injuries. The two most common include trespassing and provocation. As previously mentioned, a dog owner has no duty of care to prevent injury to a trespasser, nor is a dog owner responsible for a dog retaliating against provocation.

If someone injures the dog, threatens the dog physically, or takes inappropriate action against the dog’s owner, the owner is not liable for the dog attacking out of self-defense or in defense of its owner.

Contributory negligence comes into play in many dog bite lawsuits in Pennsylvania. If a jury decides that a dog bite victim contributed to his or her injuries in any way, this contributory negligence does not necessarily bar the victim from recovery. However, the victim would lose a portion of the case award equal to his or her percentage of fault for the incident. Additionally, if the jury decides the plaintiff’s fault exceeds the defendant’s, then the plaintiff cannot recover damages.

Seek Swift Medical Attention and Contact Law Enforcement

If a dog bites someone, your initial reaction might be shock. And, if you’re the property owner that owns the dog, panic might set in as you worry if you’re liable.

Stay calm and do the following:

• Move the dog away from the person. Tie the dog up or put it in a separate room where it can’t get loose.
• If the injuries are severe, seek medical help right away.
• Treat the person that was bitten. Gently wash their wound with warm water and soap. If there’s bleeding, stop the bleeding with gauze or paper towels and apply pressure to the wound.
• Avoid placing blame or admitting fault. What you say can sometimes be used against you.
• If there were witnesses get their statements and contact information.
• When law enforcement arrives, let them assess the situation. They will determine if the dog should be removed.
• Contact your veterinarian for the dog’s medical records.
• Contact your home insurance provider.

What to Know If Your Dog Bites Someone

Did your dog bite someone? Learn about the statutes holding dog owners responsible for their pet’s actions. Find out if you need a personal injury lawyer.

If you’re a dog owner and your pet has bitten someone, you may be concerned about your legal rights. What if that person decides to press charges? There are three main types of laws that place liability for dog-caused injuries on the dog’s owner. If a victim proves you guilty under any of these three laws, you may be financially liable for any personal injury or property caused by your pet. In any of these cases, a personal injury lawyer can help you defend yourself in court. A lawyer can help explain which laws are used in your state and which ones might apply to your situation.

Dog-Bite Statutes

Most states have dog-bite statutes, which make owners financially responsible for all injuries caused by their dog—not just by bites. Even if you weren’t being careless, you could be held financially liable for any injury caused by your dog without provocation.

The One-Bite Rule

If you, as an owner, knew that your dog had the potential to bite someone, then any person attacked by your dog could automatically win a lawsuit. In order to prove that you had prior knowledge of your dog being dangerous, they can reference previous bites or aggressive behavior. Since the state of New York uses the one bite rule, some people mistakenly believe that they cannot possibly be liable the first time their dog bites someone. Actually, you may still be vulnerable to a lawsuit if they can prove that you knew that your dog was dangerous.

Negligence Laws

If you were unreasonably careless (also known as negligent) in controlling your pet, then you are liable for any damage they cause. For example, if you leave your front door open while you are in the bathroom, your dog could run outside to bite the postman. In that circumstance, the postman would have a good chance of proving that you were unreasonably careless and therefore responsible for covering his personal injury damage.

Dog Bite Liability

First, it is important to discuss the situations in which dog owners hold liability for the damages their dogs cause during a bite or other attack situation. In fact, Colorado is a unique dog bite law state. While most other states assign either strict liability or negligence under premises liability laws, Colorado utilizes a combination of the two.

When a dog bite causes severe bodily damage or death, Colorado’s dog bite statute comes into play. The statute assigns strict liability to the dog owner. Strict liability applies even if the owner had no way of knowing the dog would act aggressively. Liability also applies regardless of a dog’s past non-aggressive status. Several severe bodily injury bites can occur.

• Bites causing severe injuries that lead to a substantial risk of death
• Bites causing permanent disfigurement
• Bites causing the loss or severely reduced use of a limb, organ, organ system, or other body part
• Bites causing fractures, broken bones, or burns

Conversely, if the resulting injuries are not severe, regular premises liability or other negligence rules may apply. The victim must prove that the dog’s owner failed to provide reasonable care in order to control the dog or prevent it from causing injury to others. Then, the victim must prove that the situation directly caused the dog bite injuries.

Family law area of practice

Family law is one of the more challenging specialities, insofar as it involves counselling people through particularly difficult periods of their lives. As a family law practitioner, you’ll help your clients navigate divorces, property settlement, post-separation parenting arrangements, financial agreements (“pre-nups”), child support disputes and agreements. To a lesser extent, you may also deal with family matters involving State based issues including adoption applications and surrogacy agreements. While some lawyers specialise in one of these processes, many instead maintain a ‘general practice’, advising their clients on a range of issues.

Personality is perhaps more importance for success in family law than in other legal specialities. This is because, as a family lawyer, you’ll frequently meet with clients who are emotionally distressed or dealing with very challenging circumstances (such as the breakdown of a relationship and family situations involving family violence and abuse )

Whether or not this is an advantage or disadvantage depends largely on your disposition. For patient, compassionate and people-oriented graduates, this aspect of family law can be hugely rewarding – you’re in a position to make a real difference in your client’s life. Others may find the interpersonal aspects of family law to be draining or unpleasant.

Graduate experience

Graduates who move into family law will quickly find themselves taking responsibility for various tasks, from attending clients meetings and taking notes to preparing briefs and supporting more experienced practitioners during their court appearances. You will also find yourself drafting many diffierent documents, including correspondence, court applications and settlement documents. As noted above, the beginning of your career in family law may involve you developing the ability to remain relatively neutral when faced with emotionally charged situations.

What are my career prospects in family law?

The flow of cases in family law is fairly independent of economic fluctuations. If anything, notes the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the 2008 recession is likely to have generated more work for family lawyers, having increased “uncertainty and fear about the future”, with the “economic and psychological impacts of [rising] unemployment placing relationships under strain”.

DIVORCE LAWYERS

You thought Your Marriage was ‘Okay’.

Sure, you and your wife had problems. Just like any other married couple.  But you had spent years building a life together. You were committed to continue being a good husband and working through any issues.  Sadly, your wife just didn’t feel the same way. You were sitting at your desk at work and, suddenly, a man hands you a stack of papers that changes your life in a instant.

Your Wife has Just Served You with Divorce Papers…

Divorce is emotionally challenging for all men. Unfortunately, some men experience so much guilt and despair about divorce that they give into every demand made by their wives or her attorney, no matter how ridiculous. If your wife filed first for divorce, it means she has been preparing to do it for a while and has a clear plan of what she wants to take with her from your marriage. While you may feel shell shocked, this is no time to surrender.

Even though Your Wife Filed First, it Doesn’t Mean You Lose Your Rights

At Divorce Lawyers, we’re dedicated to helping men just like you. Good fathers and husbands blindsided by wives ready to end years of marriage and take whatever they can get

Divorce cases are not decided by who files first. Still, the person who files first does gain a few advantages. It is important that you understand that by filing first, your wife has started a series of deadlines that you must meet. She has started out prepared with a plan. Now you need to play a little catch up.

Your Wife Already Has a Lawyer

While you may have had no idea you were getting a divorce until you were served, your wife has likely been planning this for a long time. This probably means she has had a divorce lawyer for a while now. Her attorney’s legal team has carefully prepared her Petition as well as other motions and court filings. She has had time to evaluate your assets and work out what she wants to keep once you are gone. You just got dropped into a plan she has been crafting for a long time.

Family Legal Issues

Adoption is the creation of a new, permanent relationship between an adoptive parent and child. Once this happens, there is no legal difference between a child who is adopted and a child who is born into a family.

These programs can help you learn more about adoption and foster parenting:

Child Welfare Information Gateway – offers the National Foster Care and Adoption Directory, where you can find resources by state, as well as information about foster care, including kinship care and residential and group care

International Adoption – information for U.S. citizens adopting children from abroad, and families in other countries adopting U.S. children. Learn about intercountry adoption service providers.

Adoption Resources from MedlinePlus – find links to adoption and foster care resources from a medical perspective to help you, your foster or adopted child, and your other children adapt to change

You may be able to get identifying or non-identifying information about your adoption. What information you can obtain will depend on state statutes. Some states have age restrictions or require court proceedings to get information about an adoptee’s birth.

In some states, you may be able to access identifying information through a mutual consent registry. Using these registries, all involved in an adoption can declare what information may be disclosed. Some states may require the consent of both the birth parents and adoptive parents for the release of records. However, the release of information varies by state.

SECRETS YOUR DIVORCE LAWYER WON’T TELL YOU

If you’re facing a divorce, your expectations have probably been shaped by the experiences of your family and friends, and maybe what you’ve seen on TV and in the movies. The best way to know what to expect from a divorce comes from an objective party who has seen not just one or two divorces, but hundreds: your divorce attorney

You Might Not Get Your Day in Court…

A divorce is a lawsuit, and we usually think of lawsuits as ending in a trial. However, many, if not most lawsuits end in a settlement. This is especially true of divorce, where upwards of 90% of cases settle—and some reports place that figure in the 95-97% range.

…And You Probably Don’t Want To.

Sometimes a trial in a divorce case is necessary, like if one party refuses to come to the table and negotiate or is hiding assets. Most of the time, the couple can do a better job (with their attorneys’ help) of figuring out custody, support, alimony, and property division terms that would work for them than a judge can. Think about it: you know your family, your kids’ needs, your finances, your schedules. Even the best-informed judge can understand only a fraction of what you do about your family.

Your Divorce Lawyer Might Not Have Much Trial Experience.

If most divorces don’t go to trial, that means many divorce attorneys don’t have a lot of trial experience. Why does that matter if your case is likely to settle anyway? Because when you settle, you want it to be because you’ve reached a good agreement—not because your attorney wants to avoid a trial he or she isn’t confident in handling.

You Have More Control Over Your Legal Bill Than You Think…

Yes, attorney fees can be costly, and add up quickly. But your attorney may not tell you what you can do to keep them down unless you ask. You should ask, because there are some simple things you can do to reduce your attorney’s workload, and more importantly, save yourself some money.

Divorce Advice (And It Won’t Cost You a Thing)

Divorce can be costly, as most people know, with each side expected to spend, on average, $15,500, during the process, according to Nolo, a publisher of legal books and software. Many spouses spend a whole lot more.

But he and other family lawyers say there are ways to keep costs down, and maybe minimize your heartache, too. Here is some of their advice — right now free of charge.

Choose the right course.

Opting for arbitration, collaboration or mediation may help you avoid the costs of a lengthy court battle, but each of these paths has its pros and cons. A lawyer can point you in the right direction, but be sure you agree on the path.

law firm, often advocates mediation, where a neutral third party helps a couple work through issues and come to a resolution. (In arbitration, a third party arbitrator makes the final decision.)

She once mediated a case for two years before it came to a halt and ultimately ended up in court. Your lawyer has to be ready to change tack, she said, if things go south.

Choosing the Right Family Law Attorney

Choosing a family law attorney can be a very difficult decision. The right lawyer can make a real difference both in the outcome of your divorce and how you make it through the very emotional process. You want a trusting relationship. You want a lawyer who is serious about your case and listens to your needs. You want a lawyer who moves your case forward to conclusion. Here are some tips on choosing the right lawyer

Whether you’re considering a divorce, attempting to work out custody and support issues, planning an adoption or facing another family law issue, choosing the right family law attorney can ease your mind and produce better results. Your lawyer becomes your partner in the process, helping you achieve the outcome you want within the boundaries of the law.

Find an attorney you can work with.

Your lawyer will be your partner throughout your case. You may need to confide sensitive or embarrassing information to your attorney – things you would prefer not to tell anyone. You’ll be speaking to your attorney frequently, and you’ll need to be able to provide information and understand your lawyer’s explanations of certain steps in your case or how the law applies in your situation.

Interview prospective attorneys with your needs in mind.

When you contact a law firm to speak to a prospective attorney, be as clear as you can about what you’re looking for. Many lawyers will agree to speak to you for no charge so that both of you can determine whether you’ll be a good “fit” for one another

Ask for advice, but make your own decision.

Asking friends, family members and co-workers to recommend an attorney is one way to collect information about family law attorneys and law firms in your area. Attorney guides like Martindale-Hubbell or Avvo can also point you to local law firms, as can reading law firm websites and reviews.

Tips on How To Choose the Right Family Lawyer

Family law matters can be some of the most stressful and emotional experiences we go through in our lives. This makes the task of choosing the right family lawyer one which demands careful thought and research

According to the old adage, “you can’t choose your family.” You can however choose the lawyer or solicitors in family matters. In fact, your choice can determine how smoothly such proceedings can go and can be a critical factor in achieving a successful outcome.

Even for those who have experience in dealing with complex legal matters, family law can be a whole new kettle of fish. As someone who has gone through the family law ‘adventure’ I know what can happen.  For those who have thus far managed to avoid legal matters in their life may panic, hitting search engines with multiple “family law manchester,” or “solicitors newcastle,” or some such search that sees them often too stressed to even capitalise their searches.

Finding the right family lawyer can be a nightmare due to the emotion of what is being dealt with quite apart from sifting through legal profiles and information about ‘great’ family lawyers. When looking for the right firm, patience is truly a virtue. It may also save the hassle of making a rash decision in a panic

Know exactly what you are looking for: Why do you need a family lawyer? Are you getting a divorce or is there a dispute over child access with your former spouse? If you cannot clearly communicate to a professional what you need, the process may be one which is drawn out more than it has to be

What Things to Consider for a Family Law Attorney

If you need the help of a family law attorney, you must consider some important things in this regard. These things include accessing a right lawyer, way of executing of the lawyer, if you are getting all the relevant information and aspects regarding your case and firm professional ethics etc. After considering all these points, you can definitely find the best family law attorney that will sort out your concern in highly effective way.

The help of a family law attorney is relevant for various family related cases like adoption of a child, divorce, child custody and so on. So, there are some key aspects that should keep in mind before choosing a right family law attorney. In these essential points, firstly you should consider your personal needs for which you require family law attorney

At the time, you put up in a domestic strife and that turns to worse side to be solved, you must need to hire a family law attorney to get out of such crisis. That time, you should know the way to choose a family law attorney to solve your problem quickly and thus, it will save your energy, time and money too. These issues are very complex and if you hire a competent family law attorney, only then you can expect justice with your case. Otherwise, a poor attorney would do nothing but irritate you and will make your condition poorer.

To deal with a family legal issue, you need a lawyer that speaks fairly and is very straight forward and clear about his ideas. Sometimes, legal jargon becomes very confounding and confusing. So, you should take help of a lawyer who is able to use decipher language and can bring forward the best side of your case to help you to get justice quickly

A good family law attorney works actively on every side of the case and explains all complex information which is hard to understand for common people. Sometimes, this understanding can change the entire subject of the case and mostly family strife occurs due to such misunderstanding. So, you must try to find a good understandable family law attorney to help you with. It will be a great benefit to you if your lawyer would understand your perspective and requirements and can speak in detailed manner about all aspects of your case. This will lead you towards this legal victory. It is very necessary for a person to be frank with his or her lawyer, so that you would not hide anything to your lawyer. This way, you can have desirable result of your case.

How to Choose The Best Family Law Attorney

Divorce and other family law issues can seem overwhelming. If you are facing family law issues or are contemplating separation or divorce, it is important to have a competent and compassionate attorney on your side.

Your attorney will help you protect your rights and those of your children. Your attorney will also help you navigate the complicated legal waters, so you don’t have to be frightened or intimidated. It is important to select an attorney that is well-versed in family law; at Kitchens, New & Cleghorn, we pride ourselves on being some of the best family law attorneys in the State of Georgia. We are proud to serve all clients regardless of gender, orientation or life circumstances. We provide the best legal representation at a price you can afford

Many law firms have no knowledge of the special legal issues that same-sex couples face in regards to marriage, separation, divorce and child custody. We specialize in same-sex legal issues and have represented many same-sex couples in the courts. Our staff is well-trained in these issues, and we can help you get the outcome you deserve

In many cases, you can wait weeks or even months to see an attorney and get the ball rolling on your case. Not here. We will get you an appointment quickly, and someone will always be available to address any concerns or answer any questions you may have. You won’t have to wait or wonder what’s going on with your case; we will keep you updated every step of the way.

Retaining the services of an attorney can be intimidating, especially if you are not well-versed in the law. You won’t find that here. We want all of our clients to feel comfortable. You will be welcomed immediately when you come through our doors. We will take the time to explain things to you and make sure you feel at ease. Our legal team will always treat you with courtesy and compassion.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Family Lawyer

When facing a divorce, one of the first questions that springs to mind is “how do I find a good lawyer?” Knowing how to choose a divorce lawyer that will provide you with the legal advice you need, at a price you can afford and be the right fit for your situation, isn’t an easy task. The choice of a divorce lawyer is crucial to the outcome of your case and the way it progresses. It is common for individuals to change lawyers during the course of their case. In fact, Leach Legal are often involved in cases, which were first handled by another lawyer, and clients then come to us mid-process to close their case

Identify the need for a divorce lawyer

Firstly consider your situation. Do you actually need a lawyer or is it possible to come to an amicable agreement with your ex-partner? At Leach Legal, we suggest an initial consultation with an experienced lawyer to ensure you’re fully informed on all your legal rights and are given direction on the best way to proceed

Ask for a referral

Many professionals meet and work with divorce lawyers in the course of their work and are often a good source of referral. Ask if they can recommend the name of a family lawyer with a good reputation, whose qualifications and experience are most appropriate to your case. You may also have friends or family members who have been divorced. Ask them how their lawyer or their partner’s lawyer handled their divorce, if they have any words of advice or if they can recommend a divorce lawyer to you. At Leach Legal, 68% of our clients come to us as a result of a referral from their family member, friend or colleague.

Identify your budget

Most divorce lawyers bill for their services based on an hourly rate. Few accept a fixed fee based on the total amount of time and labour they think their case requires as it is difficult to predict how any case will play out and the amount of time required to finalise a case. At Leach Legal, ensuring the best outcome is achieved for our clients is our priority. Where possible, we try and avoid litigation cases, which often results in thousands of dollars of savings

Be realistic

Divorce is a legal process which includes dividing your assets with your partner and resolving child-related issues. Your divorce lawyer’s role is to represent you to the best of their ability in the legal process. While you may want them to listen to your anger, frustration and sadness – that is not their role. Be realistic about the role of your divorce lawyer and what you can expect from him or her.

How severe are the injuries you have sustained?

Another aspect of a legitimate case is, of course, the injuries you have sustained. If you do not have injuries, you very likely do not have a case worth pursuing because a personal injury case is based on the injuries that have been suffered. The costs involved in being injured are immense, and include obvious costs such as medical treatment, but also include the costs of missing work, the cost of your pain and suffering, and loss of future income if you are unable to perform your normal work duties.

Going to court to seek compensation for your damages is an expensive process. If you have only suffered minor injuries, you may not recover enough in damages to even pay these costs. In a situation like this, you are much better off settling with the insurance company on your own to avoid the high costs of taking the negligent party to court. In fact, when you consult with a personal injury attorney, they will be able to tell you whether your case should go to court, or whether you are better off settling with the insurance company on your own, out of court. Since the attorney is paid out of the settlement or damages, if there aren’t enough potential damages to offset their cost, they will not take your case.

Proving Pain and Suffering

Damages for pain and suffering are recoverable, but how are they proven? Proof of this type of injury may take many forms and the more evidence you have to support your claim, the better your chance will be of recovering an amount you find satisfactory.

The extent of your injury and accompanying pain and suffering can be evidenced through documentation such as photographs and personal journals that record the plaintiff’s physical and emotional feelings. Documentation from friends and family can provide additional evidence of the way the particular injury has negatively impacted the plaintiff’s life. Proof of treatment by a mental health professional is also helpful, and is necessary where the plaintiff is claiming injuries such as increased anxiety, insomnia, or depression.

What to Expect in a Personal Injury Claim

Getting hurt is nothing to take lightly. Every year, millions of people get into accidents, either at home or at work. Generally, however, despite this high number of hurt people, what to do is sometimes a mystery. There’s a lot to deal with, from insurance companies to lawyers, especially if the accident or injury came at the fault of another person. Luckily, filing a personal injury claim isn’t something you’ll have to do alone. Below are some helpful tips on what to expect when dealing with a personal injury claim:

Getting a Solicitor or Lawyer

Immediately following an accident and before you can actually file a claim, you’ll need a legal professional. Your solicitor will be the person to contact the person or company responsible for your injury. They will list the damage to you and how it happened.[1] The solicitor will also let you know how much your claim is worth in terms of money. Whether you choose to accept the first number or want to negotiate, it’s your solicitor who will actually do this.

An Investigation

Anyone can make a claim but it needs to be supported with facts. Your solicitor/lawyer will step in and be the only source of communication between you and the insurance companies. If the police were called at the time of the accident, there will be a report listing all parties involved and a general summary of what happened and where. Depending on how severe the incident was, your lawyer will spend a few months gathering more details or interviewing witnesses. All of this will verify and strengthen your claim.

(Optional) Medical Treatment

If it’s necessary, you will be directed to a medical office that specializes in injury recovery. Your level of injury (from minor to extreme) will also influence how much the insurance company will pay you. If you prefer to use your own health network, you can request specialist recommendations from your doctor. The medical reports and treatments, including prescription medications, will be added to the file to further bolster your case.

Benefits of Having a Personal Injury Lawyer

Understanding the Legal Process

If you attempt to go through with receiving compensation for a personal injury, you will find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of laws within the system as well as all the forms and processes that must be completed to the letter. A personal injury lawyer in Orange County will be a necessary tool in trying to get through your claims with insurance companies, and if it should come to it, they’ll be able to handle any legal actions and court processes. Expertise in handling personal injury cases is key because the system has been built up over the years to weed out any false claims, thus making it very difficult for legitimate claims sometimes. As well, without a personal injury lawyer in Orange County, you may miss out on thousands of dollars-worth of payouts if you happen to miss even a single obscure form you were supposed to have filled out.

Knowing the Worth of Your Personal Injury Claim

Probably one of the top benefits of hiring a personal injury lawyer in Orange County is the fact that, through experience, they know how much your claim should be worth. There may be various software tools available to calculate personal injury claims amounts, but they will never be as accurate as a lawyer, nor will they be able to handle all the variables of your claim. By analyzing variables (such as the injuries you received, including mental anguish, pain, and suffering) as well as by understanding how specific insurance companies operate, a lawyer will be able to maximize your payout. Taking advantage of the tools and expertise of a personal injury lawyer is a must if you expect to get the rightful amount of payout to put you at ease while recovering from injuries. Personal injury lawyers in California also work on a contingency basis, which means that you will not have to pay out of pocket; they are paid by a portion of the resulting claim, if they are successful.

Motivated to Help You Win

Following up with the costs, working on a contingency basis means that a personal injury lawyer in Orange County is going to be motivated to win your case because they will not be compensated for their work if they don’t win. This also takes the stress out of having to attempt to negotiate costs with a lawyer, or having to pay up front, which means you can focus on your recovery and not on how you will be able to afford to pay your lawyers. Contingency basis also leads to faster settlements because your lawyers will try to get as much for you as quickly as possible to ensure you win.

Average Personal Injury Settlement Amounts

Average personal injury settlement amounts range greatly. The value in your case depends on a number of factors that are specific to your case. On the low end, an injury case might settle for only a few thousand dollars. But many personal injury cases settle for much more. An average personal injury settlement amount is anywhere between $3,000 and $75,000.

Of course, most cases fall in between the very high and very low end of average settlements. There are also outliers – you’ve probably heard about people getting settlements that are millions of dollars. Some cases settle for that much, but they usually involve very unique circumstances with either punitive damages or other extraordinary damages. An experienced injury lawyer can help you determine where your case falls on the spectrum of typical personal injury settlements.