Finding The Best Sacramento Law Firm
Locating the best Sacramento personal injury lawyer is one of the most critical concerns you should have if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, next to proper medical care.
How Much And Can You Afford it?
Even though you know you need a good lawyer, your mind may get stuck on the cost of legal assistance and how much an attorney will set you back. How much is too much? Can you even afford it, or should you go it alone?
What If You’re Injured?
If you’re injured, that can further compound a difficult situation. It can be overwhelming and tough to comprehend the scope of what happened and how to map a sound course forward, so you can recover physically, mentally, and financially.
Great News About Attorney Fees
Many accident attorneys charge on a contingency fee basis, which means there is no out-of-pocket expense unless your case is won. Other attorneys charge based on an hourly rate for the time they put into your case, though these cases can get very expensive because of the hours invested. More about this later in this article.
Therefore, you can find competent legal counsel without paying anything upfront if money is a concern. Additionally, some top attorneys will have a network of medical specialists to help you with your care and recovery.
What You Should Know
The vast majority of car accident and other personal injury cases are resolved out of court through negotiation and mediation. Working with an experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer increases your chances of receiving total compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and time away from work.
Accident victims should not look to a personal injury lawyer as a way to make quick cash. However, suppose you’ve suffered severe injuries due to another person’s neglect. In that case, it may be worth hiring a Sacramento personal injury attorney to fight for the damages you deserve. It’s difficult for many people to access legal representation. Many attorneys do not expect their clients to pay for initial consultations or filing fees (which can cost several hundred dollars).
An experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer will tell you whether you would likely win your case. Still, they will also make it clear that this initial consultation is free of charge. This means that the only way to find out if you have a strong negligence case is to speak with an attorney in-depth about what happened and receive their expert opinion. Once you’ve had the chance to discuss your case, the following steps are up to you. Suppose you feel confident that pursuing compensation is worth more than paying for additional consultations or filing fees. In that case, hiring an attorney may be right for you. It’s important to remember that many law firms offer services on contingency, which means they get paid when (and only if) they win. This ensures that you can get the representation you need without having to pay upfront.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers
Many people start looking for an attorney specializing in car accident cases when hiring a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. These are some of the most common personal injury claims today. Whether someone rear-ended your vehicle or you were involved in a side-impact crash. There are ways your injuries could have been prevented if only another driver had exercised more care behind the wheel. Suppose wrongful actions on the part of another driver led to severe injuries in an auto accident. In that case, it may be worthwhile filing a personal injury claim against that individual.
While everyone requires legal services at some point in their lives, most people never expect to find themselves in a situation. They never imagined needing the services of a personal injury firm in Sacramento, CA. Personal injury cases are the most common civil cases and can involve many types of injury.
Whether it’s monetary compensation for the physical and emotional distress you experienced during a motor vehicle accident or loss of enjoyment of life due to a disability triggered following a workplace accident, you should familiarize yourself with the costs and fees associated with hiring a personal injury lawyer.
The amount you end up paying for the services of a personal injury lawyer can vary greatly. It depends on the specific kind of service you’re seeking, the nature of your personal injury, and the reputation/track record of the law firm/individual you end up choosing.
So here is a helpful guide to help you make the right choice when selecting a Sacramento area personal injury lawyer.
What Is a Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer is a civil lawyer representing parties in personal disputes involving injuries from motor vehicle accidents in Sacramento, CA. These injuries could be physical or mental and are often negligence, such as vehicular accidents and medical malpractice.
However, cases involving intentional personal injury carried out by the opposing party are also commonly picked up by personal injury lawyers. These can include but are not limited to assault, invasion of privacy, and false imprisonment.
What Kind of Services Do They Provide?
The goal of personal injury lawyers is to ensure that clients are adequately compensated for the damages that occurred by another party. They could also be hired to defending parties that have been sued for causing personal injury to others.
The cases a personal injury lawyer handles could be classified into one of the following three types:
Negligence
These cases arise when a person or party has brought harm upon another through accident or reckless incompetence. An instance of this could be a medical staff at a hospital that administers the wrong medication to a patient and inadvertently inflicts harm upon them. These are known as medical malpractice cases. Other cases of negligence are traumatic brain injuries or wrongful death that result from auto accidents.
In these situations, another party can seek compensation from the negligent party by filing a personal injury claim. The degree of negligence can affect how much compensation is awarded and the damages the negligent party will pay. Personal injury lawsuits are a legal process that seeks to hold a negligent party accountable for the damages they’ve inflicted upon an individual. To pursue compensation in this manner attempts to put the victim back in the position they would have been had the negligent party taken care of their duty.
The plaintiff is required to prove four elements for a claim of negligence to succeed. These elements are:
- Duty: The defendant generally possesses the duty of caring for the plaintiff or behaving in a manner that an ordinary person would act in around the plaintiff.
- Breach: The plaintiff needs to prove that the defendant was in breach of their duties, such as a mechanic failing to check the brakes on a vehicle given to them for servicing.
- Causation: The cause of the plaintiff’s injuries needs to be tied to the defendant’s actions (or inaction). Personal injury lawyers will generally find a cause closely related to the defendant’s efforts to build a stronger case.
- Damages: The plaintiff needs to prove the extent to which the incident impacted their physical or mental well-being. The more substantial the evidence they provide, the stronger their resulting case will be.
Intentional Torts
Intentional torts generally include cases where harm was done to the plaintiff intentionally or purposely, such as assault or false imprisonment. The elements of these cases can vary depending on the nature of the intentional tort that occurred.
Strict Liability
There could be cases where a defendant is charged despite having had no initial intention of harming the plaintiff. For example, a defendant rapidly flashed a light at the plaintiff before them suffering an epileptic seizure while unaware of their photosensitive epilepsy diagnosis. This falls into a category known as Strict Liability.
Companies that sell defective products are commonly the defendants in such cases, with the plaintiff being harmed during said products’ usage. Examples of this could be improperly written instruction manuals or manufacturing defects.
How Do Sacramento Personal Injury Attorneys Get Paid?
Personal injury attorneys generally receive a percentage of the compensation they aided their client in winning as punitive payment. This is in contrast to other lawyers, such as immigration or divorce lawyers, who often charge clients hourly or general consultations. That being said, there are personal injury attorneys that charge on an hourly basis too.
The main advantage of pursuing the services of an injury lawyer is that clients are expected to pay lawyer fees only if they win their case and receive compensation. Such a system typically implies that there are no initial consultation fees associated with personal injury attorneys.
Therefore, clients suffering from distress due to their physical or mental injuries are spared the discomfort of needlessly looking for legal counsel.
What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge for Their Services
A survey conducted found that most personal injury attorneys charge contingency fees of around 30% – 33%, with very few charging below 25% or above 40%.
The contingency fee is generally subject to factors like the level of involvement of the lawyer on the case, the complexity of the case, the likelihood of the client winning, and the expected compensation amount.
Cases where it is believed that the client has a low chance of winning are often charged a higher fee due to the elevated risk of not receiving fair compensation.
Factors That Affect Compensation Amount
Several factors affect the payout amount that plaintiffs receive upon winning their case. Ones that are likely to raise the compensation amount include (but aren’t limited to):
- Permanent injuries
- Brain injuries
- Disfigurement
- Time-consuming medical appointments
- High medical expenses
Factors that are likely to lower the compensation amount include (but are not limited to):
- Temporary injuries
- Minor soft tissue injuries
- Physical injuries that aren’t outwardly apparent
- Requiring little medical attention
- Low medical expenses
What Happens If You Lose Your Case?
A successful personal injury case is not guaranteed. Many factors can potentially affect the outcome of your case. If in the event, your lawsuit cannot be won and you don’t receive fair compensation, you will not receive a bill for your legal case. The law firm will pick up the tab for any costs that they incurred while pursuing your case. You walk away without any legal, financial obligations even if the law firm paid court costs and other fees associated with your case in advance. However, they will take their payment from that sum (the percentage is negotiable).
As attorneys are typically paid only on successful wins, there is generally an incentive to fight their hardest to win their client’s case. On the contrary, lawyers who only charge hourly might be inclined to drag out a claim if they know that they won’t be getting paid and may fail to give you your best shot.
Another crucial difference between contingency and hourly cases is that contingency cases place risks upon the lawyer instead of upon you. If the case isn’t won, then the law firm will lose all their invested time and resources with no chance of compensation. On the other hand, hourly cases shift those risks onto you as the client as your bill keeps increasing as you keep adding up your fees. Many argue that contingency fee cases are more beneficial for those who can’t afford to take on high hourly billing rates.
How To Ensure You Receive Fair Personal Injury Compensation:
It is essential that you prove the extent and severity of your injuries and that you carefully document any expenses or damages related to your injury. The opposing party will likely try to prove otherwise, so it would be best if evidence could be provided to prove your claim.
For example, if you are using an insurance company for a soft tissue injury, you would provide evidence of your medical records and any missed workdays or lost wages to prove the extent of your pain.
Suppose injury victims, unfortunately, received a traumatic brain injury, serious injury, catastrophic injury, spinal injuries, or a wrongful death case. The at-fault party or defendant’s insurance company would be responsible for all medical treatment included in a full fair settlement. An experienced attorney knows how to pursue Sacramento personal injury claims successfully.
What Is Wrongful Death?
What constitutes wrongful death cases are situations where the at-fault party or defendant’s negligence led to death. Wrongful death lawsuits are filed against the person found guilty of causing the death. These cases are exclusively for civil matters and do not result in criminal charges unless it is a murder case. Plaintiffs will have to show evidence that they were dependant on the deceased before their death. Typically, the damages sought are medical costs before dying, lost wages or profits from the dead due to their untimely passing, pain, and suffering endured by the decedent during his last living moments, funeral costs, and any other related expenses.
What Are Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries are conditions that cause a person to be permanently in a hospital or a long-term health care facility. These injuries often lead to lifelong medical costs, lost productivity, and expenses related to the injury itself. The damages sought from these types of injuries can range from several thousand dollars to several million dollars.
What constitutes a brain injury?
Brain injuries can encompass a wide range of traumas. Any damage to the brain caused by an external force, such as a hit or blow to the head or penetration of the skull by an object, may adversely affect the brain. The physical trauma associated with brain injury can be mild, resulting in a brief mental state or consciousness change, or severe, resulting in extended periods of unconsciousness or amnesia. The effects of brain injuries are often life-long. They can include cognitive dysfunction, physical disability, emotional problems, or memory loss.
What is Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury may result from damage to the vertebrae (bones), disks, or surrounding tissues of the spinal column. The injury may be caused by:
· A fracture in a cervical (neck) or thoracic (mid-back) vertebrae causes pressure to be applied to the spinal cord or nerve roots at that level.
· A hit, bump or jolt to the head or neck causes fractures in one or more of the vertebrae.
· A penetrating wound to the head, neck, or back that damages nerve roots or the spinal cord.
Spinal cord injury is also called incomplete spinal cord injury, complete spinal cord injury, and central cord syndrome. These are all terms commonly used to describe the nature of the damage done to the spine and the resulting symptoms. A spinal injury can result in paralysis, bladder or bowel control loss, numbness, tingling sensation in extremities, reduced circulation, chronic pain, and sexual dysfunction. Spinal cord injuries can be devastating because they affect the body’s major systems.
In civil litigation for spinal cord injuries due to a personal injury accident, the injured clients should seek immediate legal counsel in Northern California. Truck accidents are often to blame for these injuries due to the size and weight of big rigs compared to automobiles.
Personal Injury Lawyers: The Bottom Line
When deciding to sign with a personal injury lawyer, clients need to weigh their options carefully before committing to one course of action. It may be advantageous to save money by handling the case independently. Still, contingency cases generally come with better odds of winning.
Suppose you are wondering how much you should pay a Sacramento personal injury attorney. In that case, it is essential to know what kind of legal services they will be providing for their fee, which can range anywhere from 15-40% of the total compensation (this is negotiable).
Contingency cases can be riskier for the lawyer. They won’t get paid if they fail to bring about victory. To top it off, there are also many risks involved in taking on an hourly billing client. Some of these include but are not limited to: The chance of not getting paid for their work. Ant, the risk of working on a case that is too troublesome/complex.
How to Choose the Right Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers
Choosing the right lawyer will make a big difference in your case because it’s their job to win for you and them. Having an excellent personal injury attorney by your side can make a tremendous difference when fighting against insurance companies, corporations, and other legal entities that are trying to take advantage of you. Search Google for personal injury attorney Sacramento ca or Sacramento personal injury attorneys. You’ll find countless listings, but there is no way of knowing if they are good. Any way you look at it, whether you’re looking for a family doctor or a lawyer, it can take a lot of time and be a big hassle to find the right one.
Throughout your search, though, especially if you need immediate help from an expert medical professional, make sure to find a high-powered attorney you can trust.
Tips for Choosing the Right Law Firm
It’s essential to plan to do your homework. Other factors that could help you choose the right personal injury law firm in Sacramento include:
1. Personal recommendations from friends and family members who have had first-hand experience with a particular law firm.
2. Experience of the lawyers on staff. It’s always preferable to work with an expert specializing in your type of injury or the one experienced in the kind of situation you face, so they know what to do to win your case.
3. Proximity to your home. The law firm should be close enough to save you time and money, but not too far if it would require additional transportation costs.
4. Availability of the legal team during emergencies. Lesser experienced members might have heavy workloads, so try to work with a law firm that has a professional team on call to help their clients.
5. Costs and fees are clearly explained in writing before accepting any work on your case.
6. License and disciplinary history of the personal injury lawyers and firm– if questionable, do not work with them!
What Experience Means For You
Experience counts big time in personal injuries cases, so look for an attorney who has extensive experience working on similar cases. The Internet is the obvious place to start searching for lawyers with relevant expertise since many attorneys proudly display their accolades online. If possible,
Do You Need Sacramento Personal Injury Firm?
The short answer is usually yes. Since insurance companies have teams of lawyers on staff during insurance settlement negotiations, it’s to your advantage to seek legal counsel to know where you stand and how likely it is that your case will succeed.
A well-experienced attorney should possess a solid understanding of the proper compensation amount to request for your case, as well as provide a better assessment of your situation. They should also be able to pick up on details around the injury incident you may have overlooked.
A recent survey found that people who hired Sacramento personal injury attorneys to handle their claims were more likely to win payouts. They were, on average, far more satisfied with the outcome of their case than those that chose to represent themselves.
It may also be in your best interest to allow an experienced attorney to do the heavy-lifting that you may have difficulty carrying out following your injury. This can include reviewing your medical history, retrieving information from past doctors, or assessing your previous driving record. You’re already going through somewhat of a difficult time, so why not have a professional look into these things?
Navigating civil lawsuits can be complicated for anyone attempting to do it on their own. Therefore you must receive the right services to aid you during your recovery and quest for compensation. It’s always a good idea to do your research, meet with the selected candidates, and then select a lawyer. Legal matters should not be taken lightly.
What Can You Do To Help Your Case?
There are some things you can do to help improve your chances of winning.
– Document the details of the accident in detail with pictures (if possible)
– Get copies of medical bills, diagnoses and keep records of meetings with doctors
– Keep track of all lost wages (write hours down each day or week for which you were not at work)
– If possible, look into any long-term medical treatment that may be needed. Some injuries might end up requiring further attention in the future.
– Keep copies of all correspondence with the insurance company and the responsible party.
– Get a police report. Often your legal team will get the police report for you.
Having a complete case file will help prove your worthiness for compensation and help ensure you get what you deserve.
A high-powered injury litigator can provide you with a better sense of what your case may stand to gain. A legal professional will also help get through any potential settlement negotiations, whether from the at-fault party’s insurance company or their own. They should also be equipped to provide you with a more thorough evaluation of the situation and how, if at all, it may play out in court.
Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney
Reserve A Free Consultation
At Phoong Law, we are a personal injury law firm that provides outstanding legal assistance to those injured in motor vehicle accidents. We have convenient locations throughout Northern California.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you’re seeking legal advice, speak with the Sacramento law office of Phoong Law. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about your legal options. The attorney client relationship is completely confidential. We offer a contingency fee basis, so there is no charge unless we win your case. Of course, we are fully licensed to practice law in the State of California. Contact us and have us working your case while you focus on your recovery.
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