West Covina Personal Injury Lawyer

West Covina Personal Injury Attorney

The term “personal injury” applies to any incident involving harm to one party caused by the actions of another party. Most personal injuries in California are the result of negligence, which is the failure to use reasonable care, but they may also happen because of illegal misconduct. If you or a loved one recently suffered any type of personal injury because of another party’s actions, a West Covina personal injury lawyer can help you recover your losses.

Legal Counsel for West Covina, CA, Personal Injury Claims

The attorneys at Amendt Law have years of experience helping clients in West Covina and surrounding areas with all manner of personal injury claims. We know the various challenges an injured claimant might encounter as they seek compensation for the losses they have endured, and we know how to help our client maximize their recovery.

You have a limited time in which to file a personal injury claim after another party has injured you in West Covina, and taking swift legal action is the optimal way to ensure the fullest possible recovery. When you choose Amendt Law to represent your case, you will have a responsive legal advocate ready to answer your questions, address your concerns, and provide ongoing guidance through all stages of your case as it unfolds.

Ultimately, a West Covina personal injury lawyer is the ideal resource to consult if you are unsure if you have grounds to file a personal injury case. If you do, you can count on the team at Amendt Law to help prove fault, establish the full scope of your damages, and maximize your case award in the most efficient manner possible.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Represent in West Covina

When you are looking for an attorney to represent you in your impending personal injury case, it is vital to find an attorney who has experience with cases like yours. At Amendt Law, you can rely on our team for comprehensive legal support in a range of cases of personal injuries, including:

• Claims for car accidents. We can help file a car insurance claim against the driver who hit you, and if your insurance payout does not cover all of your damages, we can assist you in filing a personal injury claim to recover the rest.
• Truck accident cases. Truck accidents tend to involve more substantial damages than standard passenger vehicle accident cases. A truck accident can also raise more complex questions regarding liability, and our firm is ready to help resolve a commercial truck accident claim as efficiently as possible.
• Motorcycle accident cases. Motorcycle accidents may be less common than other vehicle accidents in West Covina, but they have a very high chance of causing catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain damage and spinal cord injuries. We know how to help our clients recover as much compensation as possible from particularly damaging accidents.
• Premises liability claims. If you were injured on someone else’s property because they failed to address any foreseeable safety issue, it could be the basis for a premises liability suit. You must prove you were legally present on the property to hold the owner accountable for your damages.
• Dog bite claims. The state enforces strict liability for dog attack claims, meaning the owner of the dog that attacked you is fully responsible for all damages you suffered, regardless of whether the dog has any history of prior aggression. You only need to prove you were legally present at the location where the attack occurred and that you did not provoke the dog to hold the owner responsible for your damages.
• Claims for catastrophic injuries. Personal injuries qualify as catastrophic when the victim suffers any permanent harm from the incident. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and severe burns are just a few examples of injuries often cited in catastrophic injury claims, and these cases tend to involve substantial damages.
• Wrongful death suits. If a victim of a personal injury does not survive, their family can file a wrongful death claim in place of the personal injury suit they could have filed if they had survived. While similar to a personal injury case in some ways, a wrongful death claim is beholden to specific rules you must be prepared to follow to succeed with this type of case.

Our firm takes time to listen to our clients’ stories, helping them identify their greatest opportunities and the biggest challenges they face in their pursuit of compensation. When you choose Amendt Law to represent your personal injury case in West Covina, you can trust our team to help gather the evidence you need to firmly establish liability for your damages and help you hold the at-fault party or parties fully accountable.

Damages You Can Claim in Your Personal Injury Suit

he main goal of your personal injury claim is to hold the defendant who injured you accountable for your damages. Once you have firmly proven fault for your personal injury, you may have the ability to file an insurance claim of some kind against the defendant who injured you. For example, after a car accident, you will have the right to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.
Once you have handled any preliminary recovery options available to you, you must gather evidence to build the foundation of your personal injury claim. Success with the claim requires accurate identification of the party or parties responsible for your damages and proof of how they caused your damages. Most personal injuries happen because of negligence, which is the failure to act with reasonable care, but they may also occur from illegal misconduct.
After proving fault, your West Covina personal injury lawyer can help identify all the damages you can seek from the defendant. Under the state’s personal injury statutes, a plaintiff is legally allowed to seek full repayment of any economic losses they suffered because of the defendant’s actions, such as:

• Medical expenses. Most personal injury claims filed pertain to physical harm, and if this applies to your case, the defendant is liable for any medical treatment costs you incurred because of their actions, including both immediate and future medical expenses if you suffer a severe injury that will require ongoing medical care.
• Lost wages. When you are unable to work after a personal injury, the defendant faces liability for the income you cannot earn during this time.
• Lost future earning power. Some personal injuries cause long-term or permanent harm, leaving the victim unable to work for a long time or even for the rest of their life. If your ability to work and earn income has been permanently affected by the defendant’s actions, your West Covina personal injury lawyer can help hold them accountable for the future income you are no longer able to earn.
• Property damage. The defendant is also responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing any of your property they damaged with their actions.

The average person is likely able to calculate their immediately noticeable economic damages, like their hospital bills and vehicle repair costs, but projected future damages, like lost earning capacity, are more difficult to calculate accurately without an attorney’s help.

When you choose Amendt Law to represent your personal injury claim, we can verify the full extent of the immediate and future economic losses you can include in your claim. We can also assist you in securing as much compensation for your non-economic damages as possible.

Calculating Pain and Suffering Compensation in Your Personal Injury Case

Beyond the economic damages you suffered because of the defendant’s actions, you also have the right to hold them accountable for the physical pain and emotional distress you experienced from their actions. In most personal injury claims, there is no limit to how much pain and suffering compensation the plaintiff may seek from the defendant.

Your West Covina personal injury lawyer can assist you in determining fair pain and suffering compensation to seek from the defendant. They may seek an amount that reflects the overall severity of a catastrophic injury by multiplying your total economic damages by a factor of one to five, or they may determine an amount based on the time it takes you to fully recover if you are expected to make a full recovery from your injuries.

Comparative Fault in Personal Injury Cases

It is important to determine whether you could bear any shared liability for the damages cited in your personal injury case. If so, you could lose a percentage of your final case award under the state’s pure comparative negligence rule. This rule states that when multiple parties share liability for causing the damages cited in a claim, each liable party has a fault percentage assigned to them.

When a plaintiff is assigned a fault percentage, they lose this percentage of their case award; so, for example, 30% fault would mean the loss of 30% of the total damages sought from the defendant. Your West Covina personal injury lawyer can help mitigate any fault percentage assigned to you if the comparative negligence rule is applicable to your case.

FAQs About West Covina, CA Personal Injury Laws

How Much Can You Sue for in a Personal Injury Case?

A: California’s personal injury statutes allow a plaintiff to seek full repayment of all economic losses they suffered because of the defendant’s actions, and they may also claim as much pain and suffering compensation as they believe to be appropriate to reflect the harm the defendant caused. Your West Covina personal injury lawyer can help determine your case’s total potential value.

Does the State Have any Laws That Limit Personal Injury Damages?

A: There is a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, which is set to increase in 2024 and continue increasing incrementally each year thereafter. This is the only restriction on damages in personal injury cases in the state, so if your personal injury claim does not fall within the purview of medical malpractice, you can seek as much pain and suffering compensation as you believe to be appropriate.

Will I Win More Compensation if I Hire a West Covina Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: While it is technically possible for you to file a personal injury suit without hiring legal representation, you are not only more likely to win if you hire an attorney but also more likely to maximize your final case award. Your attorney can make filing your claim easier, handling the procedural end of your case so you can focus on your recovery. They will also know how to uncover every channel of recompense that should be available to you in your claim.

How Much Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?

A: While some attorneys charge their clients by the hour, the majority of personal injury attorneys accept clients on a contingency basis. This means there are no upfront fees for the client, and the client does not pay their attorney anything unless and until the attorney wins their case. If so, the attorney takes a percentage of the final case award as their fee, but there is no cost to the client at all if the attorney cannot obtain compensation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in West Covina?

A: There is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims, meaning you have two years from the date your injury occurred in which to file a claim. The statute of limitations may alternatively begin on the date that you discovered your personal injury was caused by another party. The statute of limitations may seem generous, but it is always advisable to file your claim as soon as possible.

The attorneys at Amendt Law have years of professional experience handling a wide range of personal injury cases for clients in West Covina and surrounding areas. We know the various challenges you are likely to encounter as you seek compensation for your damages, and we want to help you recover as fully as possible. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with a West Covina personal injury lawyer and find out how we can help.