If you or a loved on has been involved in an accident in or around Fontana, you very well may find yourself dealing with significant medical issues, lost wages, and many other matters. You likely are also contemplating your important legal rights and what you can do to best protect them. The first step in the process of protecting and advancing your legal interests is hiring an experienced Fontana personal injury attorney. The reality that having a tenacious, dedicated Fontana personal injury lawyer on your side can make the difference between obtaining little to no compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses as opposed to an appropriate amount of money for your claim.
Tap Multiple Potential Sources of Compensation
A very important reason why you want a Fontana personal injury attorney fighting for you following an accident is that experienced legal counsel can tap multiple potential sources of compensation in your case. The reality is that in many accident cases, more than one party may be at fault. Let’s consider an automobile accident to illustrate the potential for multiple parties being at fault in a car accident case.
In this car crash scenario, envision a motorist coming up from behind you while you are dutifully stopped at a red light. The driver from the rear slams into the back of your car. Your immediate and justifiable conclusion is that the driver was negligent and responsible for causing the accident and the injuries you sustained as a result of the collision.
In fact, the other driver could have been negligent in a number of different ways. A skilled Fontana personal injury lawyer is able to take advantage of a variety of resources to demonstrate these different ways in which the other driver caused the collision. These might include:
- Speeding
- Driving too close to your vehicle
- Inattentive or distracted driving:
- Drinking
- Eating
- Talking to a passenger
- Talking on the phone
- Texting
- Adjusting an in-car entertainment system
- Using GPS
- Smoking
- Or other conduct that causes the driver to be distracted
- Intoxication or driving under the influence
- Fatigued driving
- Illegal lane change
- Reckless driving
- Or other actions deemed negligent of reckless
A Fontana personal injury lawyer utilizes available resources to discern other factors and parties that contributed to the injury-causing collision. A number of examples illustrate the point of how a skilled Fontana accident attorney can identify other parties who contributed to the crash and bring them to justice.
The sequence of events that resulted in the automobile accident in question started when the brake system malfunctioned. (Because of one of the reasons set forth a moment ago, the driver failed to respond appropriately and in a timely manner to the brake malfunction.) A seasoned, tenacious Fontana accident lawyer can identify and make claims against other entities or individuals who contributed to causing the car wreck. These might include:
- Automobile manufacturer
- Brake and brake parts manufacturer or manufacturers
- Automobile dealer (if the vehicle driver by the other party was a fairly recent purchase)
- Company that shipped the other driver’s car to the auto dealer (again, assuming a fairly recent purchase)
- Party that provided maintenance on the brakes
- Party that replaced brakes
Enhance Financial Compensation in an Accident Case
Retaining the professional services of an experienced, committed Fontana personal injury attorney can also prove highly valuable when it comes to enhancing potential financial compensation in an accident case. The nature and extent of compensation awarded in a California personal injury case is contingent upon the specific facts and circumstances of a particular claim or case. With that duly noted, and as will be discussed in a moment, there are some types of injuries, damages, and losses that are relatively typical in an accident case.
Experienced legal counsel has the background necessary to identify all potential injuries, damages, and losses in a particular case. Moreover, a Fontana personal injury lawyer understands applicable law and what steps need to be taken, and tactics employed in order to set the stage to enhance compensation as much as is possible and permissible. In layperson’s terms, an experienced Fontana accident lawyer leaves no rock unturned when building a case for a client who has been injured as the result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
Examples of injuries, damages, and losses for which compensation is sought by a capable Fontana personal injury attorney on behalf of a client include:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Property damage (like a motor vehicle)
- Lost wages
- Temporary disability
- Permanent disability
- Disfigurement
Not only will a committed, experienced Fontana personal injury lawyer seek compensation for existing injuries, damages, and losses but also for those that reasonably can be seen accruing into the future. For example, following an accident, the victim may require medical care and treatment into the indefinite future. A person may not be able to return to work any time soon. These represent examples of reasonably foreseeable ongoing losses in an accident case that a Fontana personal injury lawyer will seek suitable compensation on behalf of an injured client.
In some personal injury lawsuits, the conduct of the party causing an accident may have been so reckless or severe that a Fontana injury lawyer is able to seek what are called punitive damages in a lawsuit. In basic terms, punitive damages represent additional compensation awarded to an injured person when the action (or inaction) that caused an accident in the first instance is deemed to be particularly egregious. In basic terms, punitive damages result in an additional amount of money being paid to an injured person in a successful accident lawsuit.
Effective Negotiation and Litigation Strategies
A Fontana personal injury attorney brings another important resource to the table in regard to an accident claim or case. A Fontana accident attorney has the experience and skill set necessary to mount effective negotiation and litigation strategies in a claim or case.
A reality of the civil justice system in California and across the United States is that a clear majority of these cases are ended short of a trial. For this reason, it is imperative that you have legal representation from a Fontana accident lawyer that has solid experience as a negotiator.
Finally, for those cases that will be fully litigated, you need to make certain that you engage the professional services of a lawyer with experience as a litigator. An attorney with this background will have the professional resources necessary to navigate the complicated California judicial process. A litigator also comes to a case with a solid background in applicable statutory and court case law as it impacts a specific personal injury claim. An ability to maneuver the court system and a keen understanding of the law is imperative when it comes to having a lawyer on your side who can assist you in fighting towards an appropriate disposition of your case.
The first step in retaining the services of an experienced, tenacious, dedicated Fontana personal injury attorney is to schedule an initial consultation. During an initial consultation with a Fontana personal injury lawyer, you will receive a general evaluation of your case and an answer to any questions you might have. There is no charge for an initial consultation with a Fontana accident attorney.