Personal Injury Liability Claims in Orange County, California
Orange County is highly populated, with nearly 3.2 million residents. The highways and interstates in the county are among the most crowded globally. As a result, the number of car accidents and related injuries keeps rising.
There are many potential causes of personal injuries, the top being auto accidents. From 2008 to 2013, approximately 18,000 people suffered serious auto injuries or died due to car accidents. Most car accidents cases are caused by negligent, intoxicated, or reckless drivers. Therefore, knowledge of personal injury claims helps you know when legal representation is necessary.
Liability in Car Accident Claims
Liability is used to refer to the responsibility of the party at fault. Liability is proven when your lawyer pursues a car accident claim, gathers evidence for your case, and shows that the other party is legally at fault. Hiring competent Southern California personal injury lawyers is a big step in proving liability for your injury.
Evidence can evince personal injury liability when:
The other party has violated their legal duty of care
You have been injured as a result of the breach, as mentioned earlier; and
The injury was anticipated
When you are involved in a bicycle or car accident, and the party at fault does not care towards you in ways that a reasonable person would in such a situation, then they are liable. Personal injury claims are more straightforward if the three rules above apply to your case.
However, the driver in a car accident is not the only person held liable for auto-related personal injury. If the injured party was at a place where they were not supposed to be, or a place where they should have expected the accident, they may be liable. Next, if there is comparative negligence, and the injured person was careless, both parties may be deemed liable.
The third case is if the reckless or intoxicated party worked for someone else when the accident occurred. Lastly, the driver may not be liable if the auto accident was caused by a defective issue that is the manufacturer’s or seller’s fault.
Southern California personal injury lawyers are conversant with liability rules, and that is why you should always hire one when involved in a car accident.
What Happens when More than One Party Is Liable?
If more than one negligent driver has caused an auto accident that resulted in personal injury, the law dictates that one party may fully compensate you. Afterward, the other liable parties will decide among themselves how to reimburse the driver that compensated you.
It is an added advantage when you can file a claim against any one of the responsible parties. Although, you must inform all the parties that you will be pursuing a claim. If only one of them has insurance, your Southern California personal injury lawyers will advise on choosing who is liable for your injury.
What May Constitute Proof of Personal Injury Liability?
Your personal injury attorney will need sufficient evidence to build your case. One of them being the police report, if available. A comprehensive statement from yourself is another source of evidence and independent witnesses if they are not indemnified by any other party involved in the accident.
Lastly, photographs taken at the scene of the car accident will provide further proof to show if there was negligence on one party’s end. Your Southern California injury lawyers use this evidence to build a strong case against liable parties after you file a personal injury claim.
Southern California Personal Injury Lawyers
Nearly 3 million people are injured in the U.S. every year. The result of these accidents is tons of car accident claims and personal injury claims. Whenever you are involved in auto accidents, find a personal injury lawyer. They have intimate knowledge of legal proceedings following an accident, so you can focus on getting better. The Law Offices of Steven Zwick has some of the most trusted Southern California personal injury lawyers for your injury case. Call today for legal advice and settlements for car accidents.