Your Guide to Personal Injury in San Diego
- RECENT VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
- Your Guide to Personal Injury in San Diego
- Have You Been In An Accident?
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FEMALE-OWNED PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM
- Rawlins Law
- Why You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer And Why You Need To Hire Me
- What To Do After A Personal Injury
- What Compensation Can I Recover in a San Diego Personal Injury Case?
- What are California’s personal injury laws?
- Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers For You.
- 90% OF OUR CASES SETTLE IN 1 YEAR!
- Testimonials From Our Clients
- Injured In San Diego? Contact Our Law Firm For Help.
- Latest Blog
FOUNDER AND CEO Ashley Rawlins
a.k.a. Car Crash Ash®
Have You Been In An Accident?
If you have been involved in a car accident, whether you were driving or not, you need a San Diego car accident attorney who can demystify your journey to getting the compensation you deserve. We have put together a “car accident checklist” – a comprehensive guide that will detail the important and necessary steps to follow in order to proceed and win successfully.
Yes, I Had An Accident!
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FEMALE-OWNED PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM
Rawlins Law, APC is one of the few personal injury law practices in Southern California owned and operated by a female attorney.
Our office locations are in San Diego County, but we handle and accept cases all throughout California. In fact, we will do the traveling to come meet with you.
Rawlins Law, APC is dedicated to providing honest, ethical and compassionate representation to those who have been injured in a car accident or personal injury matter. We aggressively represent those who need assistance when other personal injury attorneys have turned their cases down. Rawlins Law, APC strives to do what is right all the time.
About UsRawlins Law
How Can we Help You?
Why You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer And Why You Need To Hire Me
Falling victim to a personal injury can result in financial and emotional strain, especially during treatment and recovery. Few victims receive the compensation they deserve because they don’t know where to start or the value of their injuries and losses!
Negligent parties in personal injury cases frequently deny culpability. Conversely, insurance companies often diminish the value of personal injury claims because they know maximum payouts reduce their bottom line. They deploy tactics to avoid paying out compensation, like pressuring you to accept a low settlement or twisting your words to use them against you.
An experienced personal injury attorney from Rawlins Law firm can avoid these pitfalls and defend your rights.
Our attorneys can review medical records, available evidence, and witness testimonies to build a foolproof case for liability. They can also communicate with the insurance company, law enforcement officers, and bill collectors on your behalf. Your attorney can file a personal injury compensation lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to reach a fair settlement.
What To Do After A Personal Injury
It’s normal to feel confused or overwhelmed after suffering a personal injury. Most victims don’t know what to do, and the at-fault party may take advantage of this to try to avoid liability. Moreover, insurance companies may take advantage of your situation to swoop in and offer less than what you deserve.
The steps you take after suffering a personal injury are critical to protecting your rights and ensuring you get compensated. That said, here’s what to do after suffering a personal injury in San Diego:
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Seek Medical Treatment
You should see a physician after an accident even if you feel fine. Some injuries may delay or remain hidden for a while, and waiting to receive medical care may give the insurance company sufficient grounds to deny your claim.
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Report The Accident
Reporting the accident as soon as you get injured helps you obtain a written accident report detailing the circumstances that led to your injuries. The report is critical when filing your claim because it helps link your injuries to the at-fault party’s negligence.
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Gather Evidence
If possible, note what you can about the incident, including the time, date, location, and contact information of potential witnesses. Also, remember to document the accident scene before crews clean it up and move or remove critical evidence.
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Avoid Negotiating With Insurers
You should avoid negotiating with insurance companies or talking about your compensation without a San Diego personal injury lawyer from Rawlins Law firm. The insurance company may use tactics to trick you into admitting fault for the accident or use your words against you.
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Obtain Legal Representation
Contact our San Diego personal injury lawyers as soon as possible. The attorneys at Rawlins Law firm can protect your rights, negotiate with insurance adjusters, and file a personal injury lawsuit for you. Thanks to our experience, we can build a strong and compelling case for the maximum compensation you deserve.
What Compensation Can I Recover in a San Diego Personal Injury Case?
Under California law, several categories of recoverable damages in personal injury claims exist. The damages our team at Rawlins Law can help you recover include the following:
Special Damages
These are the economic damages you suffered and the out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to your injury.
They include:
- Medical expenses, including co-pays and the cost of any health insurance paid.
- The expected cost of medical care.
- Lost wages if the injuries caused you to take time off work or work for fewer hours.
- Future lost income if your earning ability gets limited.
- Property damage.
General Damages
These damages are primarily non-economic and include:
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
Wrongful Death Damages
If a victim dies due to a personal injury, their estate or family can file a compensation claim. Although compensation won’t undo your grief or sadness, a successful claim can alleviate the financial burden of losing a loved one and help you pay for any professional assistance you need to heal.
Punitive Damages
As the name suggests, punitive damages punish the at-fault party for especially egregious behavior and deter similar behavior.
Damage Caps and Limits
California’s personal injury law limits the types and amounts of recoverable damages when you file a claim. Here’s a look at these limits:
No Non-Economic Damages for Uninsured Motorists
Economic damages such as medical expenses are easy to quantify since they have a monetary value. On the other hand, non-economic damages don’t have a monetary value. Under California law, uninsured motorists can’t recover non-economic damages from the at-fault party in an accident.
One exception is that an uninsured motorist involved in a crash with an intoxicated motorist who is then convicted of DUI may be able to recover these non-economic damages.
What are California’s personal injury laws?
California’s personal injury law outlines the legal context for imposing civil liability for losses and injuries caused by other people’s intentional, reckless, or negligent acts or omissions. If you suffer a personal injury, it’s best to understand your rights and how California’s personal injury laws apply to your case. Here’s an overview of some of the laws and standards for personal injury cases:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
California is a fault state, meaning those who cause motor vehicle accidents are liable for the resulting injuries. If you suffer a personal injury in a motor vehicle accident, you can recover damages for your injury from the at-fault party up to their policy limit. You must prove that your injury resulted from the driver’s willful misconduct or negligence.
Drivers in automotive crashes that result in injury must stop at the scene to render aid and provide their contact information. They must also report the accident to a local police department or the California Highway Patrol within 24 hours of the crash.
Dog Bites
Under California’s personal injury laws, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries caused by their pets, including the first time a dog bites. You can file a personal injury claim against a dog owner whose pet injures you.
Product Defects
Personal injury claims can also result from using a defective product.
You must prove the following to get compensation
- The defendant created, sold, or distributed a defective product.
- The product was defective when it left the defendant’s possession.
- You used the product as intended.
- You suffered harm from using the product.
- Under California’s strict liability laws, you can hold a defendant strictly liable for your injuries even if you fail to prove that the defendant acted negligently.
The state’s strict liability laws cover these types of defects
- Design Defects. These defects occur when products are innately defective due to a poor or dangerous design.
- Manufacturing Defects. You can file a compensation claim if mistakes during manufacturing make the products defective and you suffer injuries while using the products.
- Warning Defects. Designers and manufacturers of potentially dangerous products must include clear warnings on the product. Failure to do so can attract personal injury lawsuits if the products harm users.
Premises Liability Laws
Under California personal injury law, premises liability is the liability property owners/managers have for accidents on the property due to negligence.
Premises liability claims typically include:
- Construction accidents.
- Slip and fall accidents.
- Injuries resulting from a third party’s willful conduct or negligence.
- The victim must identify the parties liable for damages and their possession, ownership, and control of the premises.
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers For You.
What injuries qualify for a personal injury claim in San Diego?
The types of injuries that qualify for personal injury claims are limitless. You can recover damage for any injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.
What factors affect the compensation amount?
The compensation you can recover depends on the type and severity of your injury, the circumstances of the accident, any fault you share, insurance policy limits, and California’s personal injury damage caps. These significant factors can affect a claim’s value, but an experienced attorney can determine what else will affect your claim.
Why do I need a personal injury lawyer to file a claim?
Falling victim to a personal injury can result in financial and emotional strain, especially during treatment and recovery. Few victims receive the compensation they deserve because they don’t know where to start or the value of their injuries and losses.
Negligent parties in personal injury cases frequently deny culpability. Conversely, insurance companies often diminish the value of personal injury claims because they know maximum payouts reduce their bottom line. They deploy tactics to avoid paying out compensation, like pressuring you to accept a low settlement or twisting your words to use them against you.
An experienced personal injury attorney from Rawlins Law firm can avoid these pitfalls and defend your rights.
Our attorneys can review medical records, available evidence, and witness testimonies to build a foolproof case for liability. They can also communicate with the insurance company, law enforcement officers, and bill collectors on your behalf. Your attorney can file a personal injury compensation lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to reach a fair settlement.
A personal injury claim involves a confusing and difficult process. Our attorneys know what documents and evidence you need and how to collect them. We know the deadlines in your case and can meet them. We know the insurance tactics that will decrease your compensation and how to fight them.
Don’t sabotage your claim. Call Rawlins Law for your free claim evaluation. If we take your case, we can protect you and seek the compensation you deserve.
What if I partly caused my injuries?
More than one party can be at-fault in a personal injury case. Victims are often partially at fault in some cases we handle in San Diego. If that’s the case, you may wonder, can I still recover compensation?
You may still recover compensation if you contributed to your injuries and damages through California’s pure comparative negligence system. Call us even if you worry you might bear some responsibility for your accident or if the other party blamed you for an accident they caused.
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in San Diego?
As with other cases, personal injury claims have a filing time limit. The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in California is two years. Thus, you must file a lawsuit within two years of the date of the accident or lose your right to utilize the court system.
Nonetheless, if you didn’t discover your injury wasn’t discovered immediately after the accident, you must file the claim within one year of discovering it. Personal injury claims against government entities must be filed within six months and follow different procedures than civil claims.
90% OF OUR CASES SETTLE IN 1 YEAR!
Millions Recovered For Our Clients!
Average case settlements and results vary, and every case is unique. If you’ve been in a vehicle accident because of someone else, it’s likely that the other party’s insurance company isn’t compensating you for the full amount you’re entitled to receive. The amount they offer is usually not enough to cover medical bills, lost wages, damages, and pain and suffering. The best part is that you don’t need to pay anything out of pocket if you don’t win the case. When you win, you should receive a much higher amount than if you went about the claims process yourself. We pride ourselves in offering efficient, effective, aggressive representation and not selling our clients short!
- After an accident, we will travel to your location to meet with you. We understand the last thing you want to do is drive after an accident.
- We’ll be upfront and honest with you and never make any false claims.
- We pride ourselves on obtaining maximum value and policy limits on each individual case.
- We strive to get you the maximum settlement possible for the facts of your case.
Rawlins Law has been featured on several TV channels as a personal injury lawyer in San Diego.
Injured In San Diego? Contact Our Law Firm For Help.
We’re committed to walking you through the legal process of filing a personal injury claim. We offer legal advice and advocate for you so you can make the right decision. You won’t have to settle for less than what you deserve when you have a skilled legal team you can count on. Contact us at (858) 283-3264 for your free case consultation.
If someone else’s negligence or wrongful actions injures you or a loved one in San Diego, the personal injury lawyers at Rawlins Law can help. We understand how debilitating a personal injury can feel, and we stand by to help you get what you need to recover.
Know What Your Case is Worth?
