Although a lawsuit may be the last thing on your mind when an accident or medical mishap occurs, the reality is that cases are often won or lost within a short period of time after an incident based on the actions (or inactions) of the people involved.
Personal injury claims generally arise from the negligent acts of a third party or a defective product. If you were injured by a third party or a defective product, you may be entitled to compensation.
For information about your legal rights and a free case review, fill out the form below or call 1-800-736-9085.
Doyle APC attorneys are experienced in personal injury claims in the following areas:
- Prescription drug injuries
- Automobile and truck accidents
- Defective medical devices
- Defective consumer products
Personal Injury – Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Damages are Available to Personal Injury Victims?
The damages available depend in large part on the age and occupation of the injured person as well as the type and extent of the injuries suffered. These include:
• Reimbursement for medical expenses incurred
• Future medical care, if future medical care is needed. This includes things like physical therapy and rehabilitations, future surgeries, etc.
• Pain and suffering for the injuries caused, for both past and future pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional distress which are mental and emotional injuries caused by the physical injuries, such as PTSD or anxiety attacks
• Lost income or wages, which is compensation for the past income missed due missed work
• Loss of earning capacity which is the difference in future income between your former occupation and your post-injury occupation if your injuries render you unable to continue in your preferred occupation
• Reduced earning capacity if you injuries limit your capacity to work in your pre-injury occupation, i.e., you are only able to work four hours per day instead of eight
• Occupational therapy and retraining if you suffered permanent injuries leaving you unable to continue working in your prior occupation;
• Modifications to your household and vehicle if necessary;
• Hedonic damages or loss of the value of life, is compensation for the intangible things in life the injuries have impacted, i.e., the injury leaves you unable to enjoy your favorite hobby.
How Much Time do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
The law affords you only a limited amount of time to pursue a personal injury claim. How much time depends upon the individual facts of your case. Specifically, how and where did the injury occur. Each claim has its own distinct cause of action which can differ from state-to-state.
For most personal injury claims in California and most other states, the statute of limitations is two-years from the date of injury. A handful of states have shorter, one-year statute of limitations (Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana) and a small number of states have three, four and five-year statutes. There are some exceptions, for example, medical malpractice usually has its own statute of limitations which is typically shorter than traditional negligence. In California, medical malpractice has a one-year statute of limitations.
There are also various mechanisms to “toll” the statute of limitations such as notice tolling. This equitable principle says a statute of limitations does not start running until the individual knows, or should know, that he or she has been harmed by the negligence of some third-party. But the application of these tolling principles varies from state-to-state with some states not applying any tolling provisions to personal injury claims while others allow tolling but only under very limited factual circumstances.
The statute of limitations discussion above is just one reason why it is so important to contact an attorney as soon as possible. And it should cost you nothing to get the advice of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
For more information or a free case review, call us at 1-800-736-9085 or fill out our secure contact form.