Palm Desert Personal Injury Lawyer

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury

Do I Need A Local Personal Injury Attorney?

By working with an attorney that you can trust, the opportunity to maximize your settlement is increased. Additionally, there will be far less complications if you work with a local personal injury attorney who can walk you through each step of the legal process. Our legal team can even meet you at your hospital room or at your home, or you can come meet us at our office in Palm Desert. It’s very difficult to judge the character of some lawyer 2,000 miles away that you noticed on a flashy billboard. You can meet our experienced personal injury lawyers in person in order to judge their characters and trustworthiness.

You also absolutely need to be represented by a lawyer if you want to recover all of the money you deserve after you have been injured. Insurance companies won’t pay you what you deserve unless they think you can sue them and win over a low-ball offer. If you don’t have a lawyer, they know you can’t sue them and win. However, if you’re represented by experienced lawyrs like Nadrich & Cohen with a reputation for success, they’ll know it’s a waste of time and money to take you on in court, so your chances of receiving a fair settlement offer will be greatly increased.

Plus, it’s dangerous for you to talk to insurance companies; you should leave this up to experienced lawyers. Insurance adjusters are trained to trick you into accidentally saying the wrong thing so they can reduce or eliminate any payments to you. Our experienced lawyers can deal with the insurance companies for you so you can recover from your injuries without having to worry about saying the wrong thing.

Will an attorney actually work on my personal injury case or only a paralegal?

At Nadrich & Cohen, one of our attorneys will personally work on your injury case. You have likely noticed advertisements for name-brand personal injury lawyers. They have big, bright colors and photos showcasing lawyers who are ready to take the case. In reality, they will not be working on your personal injury matter but will pass it off to a paralegal or a case manager. Our lawyers will personally work on your case whether it is a personal injury or car accident claim. With other marketing law offices, you will probably not get the lawyer who is advertised. When you call Nadrich & Cohen, you will speak with one of our attorneys, Jeffrey Nadrich or Randal Cohen, directly.

What do you do after a personal injury accident?

If you have suffered injury in Palm Desert, CA or the Palm Desert area due to another person’s negligence, it is important to remain calm and get medical attention as soon as possible. If you are able, collect evidence and documentation of the accident, including pictures of the scene and all vehicles involved. You should also avoid speaking about your case with anyone but your doctor and attorney. Whenever you discuss your case, even if it is with an insurance agent, make sure that your attorney is present. Once you have ensured that you and all others involved are safe and have received medical attention, you will want to retain legal representation. Keep in mind that you only have two years for most personal injury lawsuits to file a civil lawsuit for compensation. At the law firm of Nadrich & Cohen, we can work with you throughout each step of your case to help you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve.

How long does it take to get your money after you settle a lawsuit?

After you have waited months, or perhaps even years, to settle your car accident case, it is no surprise that you will want your money as soon as possible. In most cases, you can expect the settlement allotment within six weeks. This is not, however, always the case, and you should discuss this with your attorney as to what time frame you can reasonably expect. Your attorney’s answer will depend on a number of factors, including:

• The defendant’s insurance policy
• Whether there are any extraneous matters that could impact the payout
• The type of case
• The amount of the settlement

What is a good settlement offer?

There is no specific “one-size-fits-all” measurement to how much you should get from compensation. Before you accept an offer from the insurance company, make sure that you speak with an attorney who can help value your case and pursue a great settlement offer.

Damages you may be entitled to recover in a personal injury claim include:

• Medical bills: You have probably incurred lots of medical bills if you have been injured in an accident. You may be having a lot of trouble paying them if you’re unable to work due to your injuries. Your settlement may include financial compensation for any past and future medical bills.
• Lost wages: You may have missed time from work due to your injuries. Your settlement may include financial compensation for any wages you were unable to earn because you were hurt.
• Loss of earning capacity: You may be permanently unable to do the work you used to do because of your injuries, or permanently unable to work at all. Your settlement may include financial compensation for any loss of earning capacity caused by your injuries.
• Property damage: You may have suffered property damage in your accident, such as the kind of vehicle damage that commonly occurs in motor vehicle accidents. Your settlement may include financial compensation for any property damage which occurred in the accident which caused you to be injured.
• Wrongful death: If you lost a loved one due to an accident that someone else’s negligence caused, we are truly sorry for your loss. Your settlement may include financial compensation for any income your loved one would have earned in the future, the loss of your loved one’s love and companionship, any burial or funeral expenses, and more.

Can I recover compensation for pain and suffering?

Under California law, you may be entitled to recover for pain and suffering following an injury from another person’s negligence. Pain and suffering is a non-economic damage that includes mental pain, anxiety, humiliation, and other emotional repercussions of personal injuries. California law does, however, restrict non-economic damages in some cases, such as for drivers who are convicted of DUI. These restrictions are based on Proposition 213, the Personal Responsibility Act of 1996.

Can I receive compensation if an accident was partially my fault?

Yes, you can still receive compensation for your injuries if an accident was partially your fault.

California is a pure comparative negligence state. California juries are instructed that plaintiffs’ damages are to be reduced by the percentage of fault that the jury assigns to the plaintiffs.

This means that your damages will be reduced by 30 percent if you are found to be 30 percent at fault for an accident. So, if you suffered $100,000 in damages and were found to be 30 percent at fault, you would be eligible to recover $70,000 in damages.

What should I do if I have been injured in an accident?

If you have suffered injuries in an auto accident or another accident type, what you do immediately after the accident can greatly impact the amount of compensation you’ll be able to recover for your injuries. After being injured in an accident, you should:

• Seek medical attention as soon as possible: You should be examined by a healthcare provider as quickly as you can even if you don’t think you’ve been injured. Accident victims often don’t realize they’ve been injured until well after an accident, sometimes even months after an accident. Insurance companies can claim something other than your accident caused your injuries if you don’t have your injuries documented by a healthcare provider as soon as possible after an accident. Also, be sure to dutifully attend any follow-up care. Failure to do so may end in an insurance company using this failure to claim that you weren’t actually seriously injured.
• Document everything: Evidence, especially memories, can fade soon after accidents. Preserve whatever you can. If you’ve been in an auto accident, take photos of your vehicle damage before it gets repaired. Take pictures of any injuries before your injuries heal. Get the contact information and insurance information of anyone else involved in the accident. Get the contact information of any witnesses to the accident. Start a journal which covers your memories of the accident and your experiences after the accident. All of this evidence can be crucial in terms of building a strong case.
• Be cautious: Anything you do or say after an accident can be used against you by an insurance company. Don’t talk with insurance adjusters; have a lawyer do this instead. Insurance adjusters can and will use anything you say against you in order to lower your claim’s value. Be careful what you say about the accident when talking with anyone, including co-workers, friends and family. Be very careful what you post on social media; in fact, it may be wise to not post on social media at all until your case is settled. Insurance companies will monitor your social media and use anything they can on it to diminish your claim’s value.
• Contact Nadrich & Cohen: We have been successfully obtaining financial compensation for those who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence for over 30 years. We offer free, no-risk consultations, and we don’t charge a fee until and unless we obtain a recovery. Call us today for a free consultation or text us from this page.