San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyer
Top-Notch Settlement and Courtroom Representation
Earl E. Conaway, III, A Professional Law Corporation, is a well known top-notch San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer. Featuring a longstanding record of success, our firm effectively fights large insurance companies and corporate and individual defendants in personal injury cases. Our legal experience is unparalleled, and we have helped our clients prevail in settlements.
What Does a San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
When an accident strikes, you often feel overwhelmed and confused. Left to deal with agonizing pain and lengthy recovery time, victims don’t need the hassle of dealing with harassing insurance companies that seek to settle for pennies on the dollar. One of the best decisions you can make in the event of suffering a severe injury is to consult with an experienced San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer.
- If you are the victim of someone’s careless actions, a San Luis Obispo personal injury attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve, holding the responsible party liable for their negligent actions. However, not all attorneys are created equal, which is why it is crucial to select a lawyer who has real-world experience handling personal injury cases.
- Personal injury attorneys handle these types of cases, albeit settlements or litigation, which is why it is important to select an attorney who has advanced experience in this niche practice area.
- Your personal injury law firm should have a history of winning and earning compensation for their clients. Earl E. Conaway, III, A Professional Law Corporation, works with a variety of investigators and evidence experts, who quickly work to gather accident scene evidence, helping to recreate the event. This is very useful in settlement discussions or when presenting your information to a jury.
- A committed personal injury attorney puts his clients’ interests first, returning phone calls promptly and even making house and hospital visits. Our accident team can arrange appointments outside of work hours and travel to you if you are unable to visit our offices in San Luis Obispo, California.
Additionally, we offer free case reviews and will advance the costs of your entire case. In fact, you don’t owe us any money until we settle or win compensation for your case.
Do I Need an Attorney for My California Accident Claim?
Due to California’s enormous size, many accidents happen regularly, many of which have the potential to harm victims critically. In fact, in 2014, there were 252,577 non-fatal hospitalizations, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Accidents affect our lives differently. Some accidents cause immediate devastation, which can forever impact victims’ lives, such as car accidents that cause physical and psychological wounds and often result in high medical bills for necessary treatment.
Listed below are common consequences or side effects of personal injury accidents:
- Temporary or permanent bodily injuries and/or impaired mental and physical abilities
- Inability to perform workplace duties or return to the workforce
- Costly medical treatments
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Property damage
While we expect accident insurance to provide us with the necessary peace of mind to navigate through these difficult times, insurance companies quite often try to negate their responsibilities by denying claims or paying less than the victim would be entitled to in a settlement or litigation. Since highly-skilled attorneys regularly deal with insurance companies' unjust denials or low settlement offers, they know how to handle effectively and address these types of issues. A San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer can accurately determine the amount of monetary compensation you should receive for the damages you suffer as a consequence of being a victim of an accident.
If you have been in an accident, don’t discuss compensation with your insurance company. Instead, let an experienced personal injury attorney handle all communications, including negotiating a settlement or handling litigation.
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury law encompasses a wide variety of different types of cases, including:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Premises Liability
- Slip and Falls
- Dog Bites
- Serious Injuries
- Wrongful Death
- Intentional Harm
A personal injury can be caused by any of the items above where someone is severely or catastrophically injured as a result of another person’s negligence. If you or a loved one is suffering from severe damages caused by an accident and need legal representation, contact Earl E. Conaway, III, A Professional Law Corporation, a top-rated San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer.
Proving Fault in a Personal Injury Case
In order to prevail in a personal injury case, you need to prove that the other party was at fault. While that may seem obvious to you, you should be aware that the other party may dispute your claim and/or the insurance company will seek to pay you as little as possible. If you can’t prove that the other party was at fault, you risk losing the compensation to which you may be entitled.
Most personal injury cases are negligence cases, meaning that you have to prove the other party failed to act in a manner that a reasonably prudent person would. While this sounds straightforward, it can be much more difficult than people often assume. To have a successful claim, you must prove the following elements:
- The other party had a legal duty to prevent or avoid causing you harm.
- They breached that duty.
- Their breach caused your injuries and resulted in harm.
The first element may be more or less difficult to prove depending on the type of personal injury case that you have. For most personal injury cases, the second element is usually the central issue - whether the other party’s actions rise to the level of negligence.
In an accident case, you will rely heavily on evidence collected from the scene in order to determine fault. This will include the following:
- Accident reports
- Witness statements
- Photographs of the immediate area and the scene of the accident
- Police records
An experienced San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer can help you gather the evidence you need to prove that the other party was at fault and secure the monetary damages you deserve.
A San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Determine Your Damages
Many people accept lowball settlement offers from the insurance company because they don’t realize what their claim is worth. However, your losses could go far beyond your medical bills. The full value of your personal injury case is composed of the following components:
- Medical expenses. Even if you have health insurance, copays and deductibles can add up. If you don’t have health insurance, all of your medical expenses will have to be paid out of your own pocket, which could be catastrophic.
- Lost wages. If your injury leaves you unable to work, you are entitled to compensation for any lost income. This includes time off to go to the doctor or physical therapy. If your accident leaves you permanently injured, disability insurance typically does not replace 100% of your income.
- Pain and suffering. Under the law, you are entitled to be “made whole.” This means that you are entitled to compensation for any pain and suffering you experience. While this component is subjective, an experienced San Luis Obispo personal injury attorney will know how to evaluate this portion of your claim.
- Miscellaneous expenses. In short, you are entitled to compensation for any losses or expenses that you incur as a result of your accident. This could include transportation costs because you can no longer drive, the loss of expensive property that was damaged in the accident, or modifications to your home that are needed due to your injury.
Contact a San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyer to Learn Your Rights
For more than a decade, Earl E. Conaway, III, A Professional Law Corporation has been serving the residents of greater San Luis Obispo. We are committed to providing superior service and obtaining excellent compensation results for victims of personal injury accidents. The experience and meticulous care he gives each case has gained him a reputation as one of the Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, according to The National Trial Lawyers.
If you are the victim of an accident and are looking for a San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer, contact our office today for a free consultation.