Unfortunately, San Diego accidents happen all the time. Car accidents, nasty slip and falls, construction site mishaps, even dog bite attacks are all a reality of life here in California.
When negligent people cause San Diego accidents and innocent victims suffer life-altering injuries as a result, our CA personal injury attorneys understand that compensation is needed. While insurance companies often only focus on the "now," we know that you likely need to account for months, if not years of medical care, treatment and time out of work.
We've seen it time and again where insurance companies fail to pay the net worth of victims' injuries and it's something we address with each and every one of our client's cases.
Because of our extensive experience in a number of personal injury cases, we also understand that not all San Diego accidents warrant the need for legal representation. Since the days following an accident can be confusing, to say the least, we've put together a comprehensive list of situations for which you may not need CA personal injury attorneys.
"I'm Not Sure if I Need a Lawyer"
If you've been involved in a San Diego accident and your circumstances fit one or more of the following characteristics, you may not need a lawyer:
- You don't need to seek any medical assistance whatsoever - if you don't have any bodily injuries, you don't need to file a personal injury claim.
- Your property sustained minor damage and your doctor's visit revealed no medical concerns - if you've sustained property damage, you can typically take up the matter with insurance companies on your own, as it's relatively easy to draw up a dollar amount for property or vehicle repairs based on estimates and invoices. As for your health, if you haven't experienced any discomfort and your doctor gave you a clean bill of health, you should be OK, just hang on to your medical records. While some injuries can surface over the course of weeks or months, the more time goes by, the less chance you'll have for latent injuries.
- You were in a car accident with minor or major property damage and have only needed to see the doctor once or twice - if your doctor has given you a clean bill of health but you still have some resulting medical costs, these may be insubstantial enough that you can handle the claim with the insurance company on your own. If you were in an accident with major property damage, your chance for latent injuries increases, so hang onto your doctor's receipts, in case you need to contact a lawyer later on.
- You have major gaps in your medical care and no lasting medical concerns - whether you slipped and fell or were in a minor fender bender, if you only made one initial visit to the doctor or ER and you followed up a month or two later and were given a clean bill of health, you likely don't need a lawyer's help.
- Breach of care concerns that don't result in life-threatening conditions - circumstances such as finding a foreign item in a food product or facing unnecessary frustration or embarrassment are customer service issues and can typically be taken up with the at-fault business or entity on your own, without the need for a lawyer.
The CA personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Mark C. Blane know how San Diego accidents can impact victims' lives. We're here to help with your injury case. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation - 1-619-813-7955.