What Is a Personal Injury Attorney in Merced?
As you go about your daily routine, it's likely you will come across scenarios where you could suffer an injury. Maybe you are grocery shopping, dining at your favorite restaurant, or driving in your car. A personal injury lawyer in Merced represents those who have been injured because of another party's carelessness, negligence, or willful disregard of others. These wrongful acts are more formally referred to as torts. When you suffer harm as a result of another party, you shouldn't have to shoulder the financial burden which often accompanies an injury because of medical expenses and lost wages. A licensed Merced personal injury attorney can help you seek the compensation you deserve in civil court.
Although personal injury attorneys in Merced deal with tort law, they often specialize in one or more areas. The following list is not exhaustive but includes several broad types of cases personal injury lawyers handle on a day-to-day basis.
Traffic Accident Injury Cases
Each year, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates more than six million traffic collisions are reported to law enforcement, including more than 35,000 fatal crashes, and about 2.5 million injuries. A skilled attorney can help investigate your accident and build a strong case against the defense to hold at-fault drivers accountable. Traffic accidents can include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. When high speeds are involved, victims who are lucky enough to live through an accident, potentially face lifelong complications.
Car Accidents
Over 2.5 million Americans, some right here in Merced, find themselves in an emergency room annually because of car accidents. In fact, crash injuries account for $18 billion in lifetime medical expenses. Injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to permanent disability such as a spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or even death. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of personal injury claims in Merced, California, and throughout the U.S. Injured parties in Merced have the right to expect fair compensation for their medical expenses, lost income and wages, and their physical and emotional pain and suffering. An experienced Merced car accident attorney can help them gather the evidence needed to prove their claim, file legal documents, attempt to negotiate a fair settlement and represent them in court if necessary. Being injured in a car accident can be an extremely difficult and overwhelming experience. However, with the guidance of a top Merced personal injury lawyer, victims can ensure the best possible outcome in their claim.
Trucking Accident - 18 Wheeler
18-wheeler trucks are a staple of the American highway, especially in Merced, California. From our childhood attempts to get them to honk their horns to the long line of commuters passing them, they are ubiquitous. In opposition to those fond memories is the reality of accidents in these trucks. A trucking accident in Merced differs from a standard car accident in many ways. Firstly, the size of the vehicle. 18 wheelers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When you compare that to the average car – 5,000 pounds – it’s easy to see how severe injuries can be when a truck is involved in a collision. Secondly, in a trucking accident, the driver is in a work environment and must adhere to certain rules to help meet safety standards, including minimum sleep requirements, maximum driving time requirements, lower speed limits, a special license, and maximum weight limit. Additionally, the material being transported can be another factor in the collision and its ramifications. It’s no wonder that with increased regulation, this type of case cannot be handled with the same approach as a typical vehicle accident. Trucking accidents in Merced are a branch all their own when it comes to personal injury cases. It’s important for victims of trucking accidents to seek out an attorney who specializes in or handles trucking accident cases to ensure he or she is familiar with the different rules and procedures.
Motorcycle Accidents
Traveling by motorcycle in Merced, California is inherently riskier than taking a car, especially if the motorist or passenger isn't wearing a helmet. Motorcyclists and their passengers suffer severe injuries and even death at higher rates than other motor vehicle occupants. Their bodies have more potential exposure to outside forces since they don't have the protection of seatbelts, airbags, rollbars, and other luxuries passenger vehicles afford. Without protection, motorcyclists in Merced frequently have severe road rash, broken bones, and head injuries. Nearly 5,000 motorcyclists were fatally injured in 2018, and approximately 82,000 suffered other injuries in 2018 alone. To help prevent and reduce the number of injuries and deaths, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) encourages Merced motorcyclists to make themselves visible to other motorists, use U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant motorcycle helmets, and avoid riding after alcohol or drug use. A personal injury attorney in Merced can help injured motorcyclists, their families, and their passengers pursue compensation for their losses.
Slip and Fall
Each year in the United States, more than 8.5 million people, including those residing in Merced, California sustain serious injuries from falls, and another 35,000 succumb to fall-related injuries. Slip and fall accidents can occur on the job or on the property of a negligent property owner. Most workplace slip and fall injuries are covered by California workers' compensation insurance. As such, injured employees don't need to establish liability to receive workers' comp benefits. Injured parties have the right to seek compensation for their injuries if their slip and fall were caused by Merced negligent property owner or their employee. This typically means filing a claim against the business owner's or homeowner's insurance company. For your claim to be successful, you'll need to show that the property owner is liable for your injuries. A knowledgeable Merced personal injury lawyer can help you negotiate a fair settlement for your injuries. If one can't be reached, they can help you litigate your claim to get the compensation you deserve for your slip and fall injuries.
Premises Liability Injury Cases
In all 50 U.S. states, property owners have the legal obligation to maintain a safe environment for those who visit their business and home. Although exact laws vary from state to state, when a property owner fails to uphold his legal obligation and someone suffers an injury, courts often find the owner liable for damages in civil court. Premises liability accidents include a wide variety of accidents based on location and the type of injury. Victims might get injured at a swimming pool, a theme park, on an elevator, at a shopping mall, and many other locations. The most common type of premises liability accident is a slip-and-fall injury or a trip-and-fall injury. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, besides traffic accidents, is unintentional falls.
Product Liability Injury Cases
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) records and maintains millions of complaints of injuries caused by defective products each year. A defective product might have a manufacturing defect, a design defect, or a marketing defect, which occurs when companies don't warn consumers of dangerous products or provide proper instructions. When a known or unknown defect causes injury to a consumer, courts can hold any party in the product's chain of distribution liable for damages. The CPSC is concerned with all types of household items, sports equipment, toxic and flammable chemicals, toys, and much more, but they do not serve as a watchdog for the automotive industry or the pharmaceutical. Defective airbags and defective tires have been a common cause of injury or death, as well as dangerous drugs.
Finding the best Merced personal injury lawyer can be tough, but lucky for you we did the legwork and found the top personal injury lawyer in Merced.
