Los Angeles Injury Attorney, Personal Injury Lawyer in Southern California

When Injured, Don’t Fall Victim To Dirty Insurance Company Tactics

After being injured in a serious accident, the last thing people worry about is the insurance companies spying on them. More and more insurance company adjusters and or investigators resort to the Internet to investigate individuals who are presenting an injury claim.

Many years ago, before the advent of the Internet and the social networking websites, it would cost an insurance company thousands of dollars to hire a private investigator to follow a claimant around, to determine the legitimacy of an injury claim. The cost and the effort required to conduct such an investigation, usually limited it to major insurance claims, such as a long-term disability claim, workers’ compensation claim, or a catastrophic injury claim.

However, now an insurance adjuster can sit in his or her own cubicle and within a few minutes locate anyone’s online profile, on websites such as facebook, twitter, myspace, or any number of other online resources.

We have noticed that many insurance companies conduct routine online searches to gain access to injury victims’ profiles, using their email addresses, names and other identifying information. Even in cases that involve very serious and REAL injuries, insurance companies can gain information to the detriment of the injured party using very questionable tactics. For example, pictures, videos and postings regarding vacations, travel schedules, or outdoor activities are often used to raise doubts about the validity of an injury claim.

After being involved in any serious injury, such as a car accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, trucking accident, bicycle accident, drunk driving accident, or a slip and fall, it is a good idea to be aware of the information that is available to the public, online. Expect to be investigated, spied on, and checked out!

When injured, it is always a good idea to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer. You may always contact anyone of our offices in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, or Miami.

Finding Liability in a Slip and Fall or a Trip and Fall

Everyday, many are injured as a result of a fall. In cases where a substance or an uneven surface creates a “dangerous condition” a property owner or manager can be held liable for the resulting injuries.

However, a less obvious cause of a fall can be easily missed. Examples of less obvious causes such injury causing accidents are: missing railing around a stairwell, missing friction strips on exterior steps, inadequate lighting, or other building code violations.

If any of the aforementioned defects result in a person losing balance and falling, the property owner, manager or the business operator maybe sued for personal injuries. After a fall, back injuries, spinal injuries, knee injuries, broken bones, head trauma, or wrist injuries are common.

If you or anyone you know is involved in a slip and fall or a trip and fall accident, you should call an experienced injury lawyer immediately. An aggressive Los Angeles attorney can evaluate your case and assist you in handling of your claim.

Who Is Entitled To Loss Of Earning Capacity?

If you are injured in any type of accident, such as car accident, motorcycle accident, taxi accident, airline accident, or trucking accident, your ability to earn a living in the future maybe affected. This type of damage is called “loss of earning capacity”. An experienced Los Angeles Injury Lawyer can assist you in proving and recovering such damages in case of a serious injury accident.

Since this type of claim involves assessing damages into the future, it is more complex than other types of injuries, such as recovery for medical bills, pain and suffering, loss present earnings, and other types of injuries. Therefore, consulting a local accident attorney is always recommended.

Calculating loss of earning capacity involves gathering information regarding the injured person’s current earnings, his or her potential for future earnings, and resulting limitations due to the injuries.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured in any type of accident in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, or Orange Counties, please contact us for a free consultation regarding loss of earning capacity or any other type of injury claim.

Compensation For Loss Of Earnings After An Accident

Being in a car accident, boating accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bus accident, truck accident, or even a train accident, can not only result in serious bodily injuries, but also result in loss of earnings. In order for an injured person to recover damages for loss of earnings, he or she would have to show evidence of such a loss.

The following are usually required as basic evidence of loss of earnings:

Medical Records – usually explain how the particular injury may limit an individual’s ability to perform his or her job duties. Medical records of an injury victim - with a fractured hand for example, would explain why he would not be able to work.

Employment Records – will further explain why the limitations placed on an injured person by the doctor would keep him from working. A construction-worker who injures his back in a car accident, would probably not be able to perform his regular job duties and may be forced to take time off.

Proof of Earnings – such as paycheck stubs, deposit receipts and other documentary evidence of the injured person’s earnings at the time of the injury causing accident, is helpful in determining the actual value of the loss of earnings.

Obviously not every claim is going to fit the simple examples provided above. Self employed individuals, professionals, persons with permanent disabilities, pre-existing conditions and other variations presented in real life can complicate the issue of loss of earnings. An experience personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, Encino, Glendale, Long Beach, Covina, Pomona, Colton, Fontana, Rialto, or San Bernardino should be consulted in any serious injury accident.

Auto Accident Check List

Right after you hear the screeching tires and feel the force of the impact of another car hitting yours, you should always remember to do the following:

Call 911: After a car accident, you should always call the police, even if the other party insists that it is not necessary to do so.

Ask for Medical Help: Always, err on the side of caution. Even if you are not sure about the extent of your injuries, always ask to be checked out by the paramedics or your doctor. Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, or any other type of motor vehicle accidents usually result in soft tissue injuries that may not be apparent right away.

Try to Remain Calm and Alert: Try to collect as much information as possible. You should write down names, phone numbers and addresses of all witnesses. Taking pictures of the scene of the accident, vehicles involved in the accident and obtaining any helpful information is also a good idea.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney: Call an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area for a free consultation right after being involved in any type of accident such as car accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, trucking accident, bus accident in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Encino, San Bernardino, Glendale, Orange, Colton, Covina, Rialto, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Downey or any other area in Southern California.

Distractions Cause Accidents

Carelessness is often the cause of many Los Angeles car accidents. Distractions in the car, such as the radio, pets, children, and most commonly cell phones are cited as the cause of many injury accidents in California. In Los Angeles, drivers spend hours in their cars, commuting to and from work; spending lots of time on their cell phones.

According to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSB), driver distraction was documented in 80% of auto accidents and was the main cause of 25-30% of auto accidents.

Although, using handheld cell phones while driving, have been illegal in California for some time, many still engage in this distracting and dangerous activity.

If you are involved in an auto accident and suspect that the party who is at fault was using a cell phone at the time of the accident, be sure to give this information to the investigating police officers.

In the event of a serious accident, such as a car accident, trucking accident, taxi accident, or a pedestrian accident, an experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you in handling of your case. At the Law Offices of Jubin Sharifi, we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a FREE CONSULTATION.

How to Avoid Intersection Accidents

Many injury causing auto accidents, tend to happen at the intersections. Intersections are often controlled by stop signs or traffic lights. When drivers do not adhere to these traffic signals, chances of a serious traffic collision increase exponentially.

Running a stop sign, ignoring a red-light, making an unsafe turn, and speeding are common causes of auto accidents in intersections. Busy Los Angeles intersections, such as the ones in Encino, are scenes of many accidents that result in serious injuries, such as back injury, whiplash injury, head injury, burn injury, or even wrongful death.

An experienced local personal injury lawyer should be consulted immediately after a car accident. A car accident lawyer, who is experienced, aggressive and caring, can be a great asset in evaluating the case and getting compensation for an injury victim.

What Any Los Angeles Boat-Owner Should Know About Boating Accidents

Operating a boat or any watercraft is no different than operating any vehicle. It should be done legally, with care, and with safety of the public at large in mind.

Unfortunately, too many Americans are hurt or killed every year in boating accidents every year. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Annual Recreational Boating Statistics in 2008, boating accidents resulted in 709 deaths, 3331 injuries and $54 million in property damage.

Boating collisions account for a large portion of the reported casualties and injuries. Alcohol, carelessness, drugs, and excessive speed are the leading causes of the boating accidents.

Many California residents, especially in the coastal counties, like Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Ventura enjoy recreational boating on a regular basis. Because of the complexities of the laws in this area, if injured, it is always a good idea to contact an experienced California Boating Accident Attorney.

Are Car Accident Victims Entitled to General Damages (Pain and Suffering)?

Anyone who is injured in California by the wrongdoing of another, is generally entitled to general damages, also known as pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering is compensation for any pain, discomfort, fears, anxiety, and other mental and emotional distress and anguish suffered by the injured person in a personal injury case.

For example if someone suffers severe neck injury, back injury, whiplash injury, brain injury, brain injury, fractured bones, or any other type of serious injury in a rear-end car accident in Los Angeles, other than compensation for the medical bills, and loss of earnings, that person is also entitled to a pain and suffering or general damages. In this example, the jury would consider awarding an amount that would be deemed appropriate for the type of injury suffered by the injured individual who was involved in this car accident, or other types of roadway accidents such as, motorcycle accident, trucking accident, pedestrian accident, or bus accident.

As residents of Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California, such as Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, or San Diego Counties, we are at risk of being involved in a serious roadway accident. It is very important to know your rights in case of ever being involved in an injury accident.

Taking advantage of a free consultation with a local personal injury attorney is a great way of getting your questions answered in this regard.

Employer May Be Liable in a Fatal Car Accident in Orange County

A tweny-three year old motorcyclist was fatally injured in an auto accident in Garden Grove, that involved an executive of one of the world’s largest automakers. The attorney for the family of the deceased motorcyclist, claims that the executive, who was drinking heavily at a company function, fled the scene of the accident, after fatally injuring the motorcyclist. The next day, the executive, was allegedly helped by his coworkers to leave the country.

Such serious injury accidents often happen during this time of the year, due to many office holiday parties that take place. These events are usually sponsored by the employers and are often held at restaurants, bars and other establishments that serve alcohol. In most circumstances, employees are encouraged to attend and participate in the festivities, which often involve drinking.

Under these types of circumstances, the injured party may have a claim for injuries, not only against the negligent and responsible driver, but also may be able to hold the employer responsible for the accident.

Although, these accidents are not limited to Orange County or Los Angeles County, many of our local employers have a longstanding tradition of extravagant holiday parties, which may result in similar car accidents, injuring innocent bystanders.

An experienced California Personal Injury Attorney can properly investigate each and every injury claim to determine an employer’s possible liability.