Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury claim is a legal process through which an individual seeks compensation for injuries or damages suffered due to someone else’s negligence or wrongful actions. The goal of a personal injury claim is to recover financial compensation (known as damages) to compensate for pain and suffering and pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs related to the accident or incident that injured the claimant.

It can be very traumatic to sustain a serious injury which may involve lacerations and broken bones to traumatic brain injuries and paralysis. Anyone who is hospitalized after an accident in Los Angeles may face many thousands of dollars in medical treatment and long-term care. The injured person may also have to miss work for a long period or change professions to accommodate the injury. 

Figuring out how to sort out your financial affairs while recovering physically and emotionally can be overwhelming. That’s why accident victims should consider hiring a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer to help file a lawsuit and recover damages. But how do you find the best lawyer in LA for your case? Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Finding the right personal injury lawyer can significantly impact the outcome of your case. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you choose the best attorney for your needs:

1. Research and Gather Information

• Ask friends, family, or coworkers if they have any recommendations. If you have a family lawyer, they might have a good referral for a Los Angeles law firm that handles personal injury cases. 
• Read LA injury lawyer reviews. If you find an LA law firm that looks like it might be a good fit, go to third-party sites to see if past clients have had good experiences with the firm’s attorneys. Check Google reviews or Yelp for more personal experiences from past clients.

2. Consider Experience and Case Results

• Does the attorney handle personal injury lawsuits? Ensure the lawyer has years of experience in personal injury law. Lawyers who frequently handle cases similar to yours will understand how to build the strongest case on your behalf. 
• Does the attorney have proven case results? Your attorney should be able to share examples of cases similar to yours where they obtained justice and compensation for the client. 
• How long has the attorney and his/her firm practiced personal injury law in Los Angeles? Experience matters. While it may not guarantee a result, your case deserves the seasoned hand of a lawyer who has been in practice for years. At Wisner Baum, we have been pursuing justice on behalf of accident victims in Los Angeles since 1985. 
• Does the attorney have trial experience? As stated above, most personal injury lawsuits are resolved with a settlement agreement. However, some cases do go to trial. If the defendant(s) are unwilling to compensate you fully and fairly, your attorney should have proven experience in the courtroom to vindicate your legal rights. 

3. Evaluate Reputation Among Peers in the Legal Community

• Look for any awards or recognitions from the legal community. Is the attorney a member of professional organizations like the American Association for Justice (AAJ) or local trial lawyer associations? Have they earned awards in Los Angeles or nationwide? 
• Consider feedback from other attorneys. You can find out what other attorneys think of the lawyer you are considering by visiting third-party sites like Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and more. 

4. Seek a Free Consultation to Ask Questions About the Attorney and Your Case

Most LA injury law firms offer free case evaluations or consultations. Use this to your advantage—you have nothing to lose by speaking with an attorney you may be interested in hiring. 

Some questions to consider asking during the consultation:

  - How will the attorney handle your case specifically?

  - What is the strategy for your case?

  - How do they typically communicate with clients and how often?

  - What is the fee structure, and how are costs handled?

  - How long will the case take?

5. Trust Your Instincts

After doing your research and speaking with attorneys, use your knowledge and instincts to decide which attorney you feel will best handle your injury case. Personal injury lawsuits can take months and, in some cases, years to resolve. You should feel confident in the attorney’s ability to represent you and comfortable with them personally. 

Do they seem responsive and willing to answer your questions thoroughly? Do they have a good support staff to assist with filing your claim? 

If you have a good rapport and feel confident in an attorney’s abilities, that is the best attorney for your case.

Here’s what a personal injury lawyer will do for you:

- Investigate your claim: This includes gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and examining medical records. 

- Calculate your damages: This includes both economic and non-economic damages stemming from your injuries. Economic damages are for medical care, lost wages, property damage, and more. Non-economic damages are for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and more. We will go into more detail on damages below. 

- Prove liability: An injury attorney must effectively demonstrate that the defendant's negligent or wrongful actions caused your injuries.

- Negotiate with insurance companies: Most personal injury lawsuits culminate in a settlement before trial. Your attorney will prepare a strong case to maximize your injury settlement value. 

- Retain experts and accident reconstructionists: Having the right experts to bolster your claims can make a huge difference when it comes to maximizing your case value. 

- Represent you in court: If a settlement cannot be reached, your attorney will prepare and argue your case before a judge and jury. Your personal injury attorney must have proven trial experience to secure the justice and compensation you deserve. 

No, you are not legally required to retain a lawyer to represent your interests in a Los Angeles injury claim. Let’s say you sustained minor injuries in an auto accident in Hollywood. You may be able to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company without a lawyer to represent you.   

However, suppose you were hospitalized with severe injuries that required long-term rehabilitation. In that case, consulting with an experienced personal injury lawyer is a good idea to ensure you are appropriately compensated. 

An Insurance Research Council study found that the average person receives an injury settlement 3.5 times larger when they retain a lawyer to represent their legal interests. Insurance companies have been known to bully accident victims into accepting lowball settlement offers. They may say something like, “This is the best you are going to get even if you hire a lawyer.” 

In our experience, insurance companies use this tactic to scare the victim into accepting a settlement that does not reflect the actual value of the case. Our recommendation: even if you know that you will accept an injury settlement from the insurance company, have an attorney review the claim to be confident you are receiving full and fair compensation. Remember, Los Angeles personal injury attorneys offer free case evaluations, so you risk nothing by speaking with a lawyer before you agree to a settlement. 

At Wisner Baum, our Los Angeles injury attorneys represent clients in the following cases:

• Bicycle Accidents
• Bus Accidents
• Car Accidents
• Construction Zone Accidents
• Distracted Driving Accidents
• Drunk Driving Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Police Misconduct
• Rideshare Accidents 
• Slip and Fall Accidents 
• Truck Accidents

You may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit if you sustained injuries due to negligence or a defective product.  If your loved one is a minor child or suffered injuries that prevent them from acting on their own behalf, you may be able to pursue a claim on their behalf.  In a personal injury claim, the claimant (also known as the plaintiff) must prove that another party owed them a standard of care, that the responsible party violated that standard of care, and that the violation caused the claimant’s injury (or injuries).

In a bus accident, for example, the standard of care owed to you by the bus driver and the bus company is that they must operate the bus using the utmost care to include safe driving and a properly maintained vehicle. If the bus driver was speeding and crashed into another vehicle due to recklessness or poor training, the driver (and possibly the bus company) breached their duty of care to you as a far-paying passenger, which means you may be able to pursue a lawsuit. 

The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to file a Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit. In California, you must timely file an injury case within two years of the date of the accident. If a person could not have reasonably discovered an injury on the date of an accident or incident, they may have additional time. To make sure you are not time-barred from filing a lawsuit, we recommend you speak with a lawyer about your case as soon as you are able. 

Wisner Baum is a Los Angeles law firm that has represented injured Angelinos since 1985. Our proven track record of success against major corporate defendants has earned the respect of clients and peers throughout Southern California and across the nation. With more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements, we have the experience and resources to win the toughest cases.  

Our personal injury settlements and verdicts include:

• $2 billion jury verdict in a California product liability case.
• $15 million settlement in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident case. 
• $12 million settlement in a passenger injured in a helicopter crash case.
• $10 million settlement in a Southern California school bus crash case.
• $8.5 million verdict in a truck crash case.
• $1.25 million settlement in a police misconduct case against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
• Hundreds of verdicts and settlements worth $1 million or more

Injured in LA? Give us a call. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. Fill out our case evaluation form or call (855) 948-5098.