San Jose

 

San Jose Personal Injury Attorneys

Every year, millions of people are injured in accidents throughout California. Some circumstances are blameless and truly accidental. But a majority of accidents arise because someone was careless, reckless, or acted with malice. If you are injured under one of these circumstances, we recommend you contact our personal injury attorneys in San Jose. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we have years of experience helping accident and injury victims in San Jose and throughout California. We have the knowledge, experience, skills, and resources you need to aggressively pursue compensation for your injuries. We are proud to have helped more than 5,000 clients in California win over $300 million in settlements and court awards. To talk with us about how we can help you, contact us online or call 1-800-GO-HARRIS. We offer free consultations.

We Handle All Types of San Jose Personal Injury Claims

  • Auto Accidents: We accept cases arising from all types of car crashes. If the other driver was at fault, give us a call.
  • Bike Accidents: Were you struck by a vehicle while riding your bike? Our San Jose personal injury attorneys can help you demand compensation from the negligent driver.
  • Bus Accidents: We represent individuals injured onboard buses and in vehicle-bus crashes. Whether you were on public transit, a passenger bus like Greyhound, or another type of bus, give us a call.
  • Truck Accidents: Commercial truck accident claims differ from car accident cases considerably. Let us handle your truck accident claim and pursue the maximum compensation for your injuries.
  • Motorcycle Accidents: If you were struck by a vehicle while riding a motorcycle or hurt in some other type of accident, call Harris Personal Injury Lawyers today.
  • Uber & Lyft Accidents: We have a great deal of experience in representing individuals injured in crashes involving Ubers and Lyfts. Let us help you with the complicated insurance claim process.
  • Turo Accidents: Were you in an accident in a rental vehicle, or was the at-fault driver in a rental? Call us today when you or the other driver were not the owner of the vehicle.
  • Pedestrian Accidents: If you or a loved one were struck by a vehicle as a pedestrian, call our San Jose personal injury lawyers immediately.
  • Scooter Injury Claims: At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we are here to help if you were injured while riding a rented electric scooter.
  • Airplane Accidents: We handle all types of aviation accidents, including injuries suffered on commercial flights, small plane crashes, and hang glider incidents.
  • Boat Accidents: Were you injured in a boating collision or other boating accident? We regularly handle boat accident injury claims.
  • Train Accidents: If you were injured on or in an accident with a Caltrain, BART, Amtrak, or freight train, contact us immediately.
  • Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Claims: We are experienced in handling cases involving serious and catastrophic injuries, including complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries.
  • Severe Burn Injury Claims: If you or a loved one suffered severe burns in an accident, you should work with a San Jose personal injury attorney to ensure you fight for maximum compensation.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Claims: If you suffered a concussion or a moderate-to-severe TBI, let our attorneys help you pursue compensation for your injuries.
  • Premises Liability Claims: Accidents often happen because of negligent security or dangerous property defects. If you believe a property owner is responsible for your injuries, give us a call.
  • Slip and Falls: One of the most common premises liability claims is a slip and fall. If you were injured in a fall on someone else’s property, contact us today.
  • Dog Bite and Animal Attacks: Dog owners and handlers are responsible for controlling their animals. If you were attacked and injured by a dog, we are here to hold the dog owner responsible.
  • Other Personal Injury Claims: This is not an exhaustive list of the types of cases we handle. If you were injured in an accident that you believe was someone else’s fault, schedule a free consultation today.

Personal Injury Compensation

Through a personal injury lawsuit and an insurance claim, we will fight for you to receive full and fair compensation for your:

  • Medical Bills
  • Lost Wages
  • Pain and Suffering
  • Emotional Distress
  • Disfigurement
  • Disability
  • Reduced Earning Potential
  • Loss of Consortium

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help with My Case?

Many people who suffer personal injuries question the need to hire an attorney. If you have strong evidence of liability, you might think that winning a fair settlement would be fairly straightforward. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.   Insurance companies use all sorts of strategies to minimize the amount of money they have to pay out. They might coerce you into making harmful statements during a recorded conversation. The claims adjuster may be monitoring your social media accounts for posts that can be used against you. If you make one procedural mistake, it could significantly prolong your case or prevent you from obtaining the full compensation you deserve.   Our San Jose personal injury lawyers can help you avoid the common pitfalls of these proceedings and make sure you are treated fairly. Here are a few specific ways we can assist with your claim: 

  • Collecting Evidence: You may have overlooked critical evidence that could strengthen your case. For example, a nearby surveillance camera might have captured the accident, or the cellphone records of the liable party might help you prove negligence. Our highly experienced attorneys will know the types of evidence to gather given the circumstances of your case. If the party that is in possession of important evidence chooses to withhold it, we can help you file a subpoena to obtain it.
  • Interviewing Relevant Parties: Your attorney can speak with relevant parties to gain insight into the facts of your case and to determine if the deposition of those parties could be valuable should the case proceed to discovery. Your lawyer might interview responding police officers, eyewitnesses, the people involved in the accident, your healthcare team, and other parties. 
  • Estimating a Fair Settlement Figure: You cannot rely on the insurance company to offer you a fair settlement. After all, every dollar they pay out to claimants will cut into their bottom line, so they have plenty of incentive to undervalue your claim. Your San Jose personal injury attorney can approximate a fair settlement amount and use proven negotiation strategies to fight for the highest possible compensation. 
  • Helping You Anticipate and Counter Disputes: There are all sorts of disputes that might arise throughout the proceedings. For instance, if you had a preexisting injury or illness that was exacerbated in the accident, the opposing party might dispute causation. If you waited several days or weeks to seek medical care, the defense might say that your injuries were caused by something else, that they couldn’t be very serious, or that you have failed to mitigate the damages. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we have won cases involving just about every type of complication you can imagine. When disputes arise, we can help you take the necessary steps to counter them. 
  • Litigating Your Case: If you take on the insurance company alone, would you be willing to file a lawsuit if they refuse to cooperate? Litigation is incredibly complicated and requires a strategic and calculated approach. If you don’t hire an attorney, the opposing party might assume that you would not be willing to enter litigation, which could motivate them to lowball the settlement offer. By hiring one of our skilled litigators, you will be sending the message that you expect fair treatment. Our attorneys have extensive litigation experience and will relish the opportunity to file a lawsuit if it is in your best interests to do so. 
  • Taking over Dialogue with the Insurer: We’ve already touched on a few of the strategies an insurance company might use to challenge a personal injury claim. One common tactic they employ is to ask questions during a recorded phone call that are intended to elicit responses that bring liability, the severity of injuries, or another aspect of the case into question. It is best that you let an attorney take over this dialogue so you don’t inadvertently harm your case. 
  • Helping You Avoid Errors: There are countless mistakes a claimant could make that would lead to complications. Examples include giving a recorded statement to the insurer, posting photos of yourself on social media, discussing the accident or your medical recovery online, waiting too long to undergo a medical assessment, or ignoring your doctor’s orders. Your attorney can help you avoid these and other costly errors. 

 

What If I Was Partially at-Fault for My Injury?

If you think the insurance company might assert that you were partially or entirely liable, it is especially important that you contact an attorney. The defendant will only have to pay for the damages for which they were liable. In other words, if you were partially liable, your award of damages will be reduced by your own percentage of fault.  Fortunately, just because the insurer says you were partially liable doesn’t necessarily mean this is true. It does, however, mean that your legal team will have to conduct a meticulous investigation and compile all available evidence of fault.   At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we have many decades of collective experience in cases that involve shared liability. We can use proven strategies to try to minimize the percentage of fault imposed on you or eliminate it entirely. 

Will I Have to Go to Court?

The answer to this question depends primarily on whether any disputes arise that cannot be resolved through negotiations or the early stages of litigation. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of tort cases do not go all the way to trial. Our legal team always fights hard to win a settlement without even having to file a lawsuit. But sometimes, filing suit is the best option. And if a settlement is not reached through discovery or alternative dispute resolution, your case might go to trial.  At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we have built a reputation as tough litigators. Insurance companies throughout California know that we are willing to go to trial when it is in our clients’ best interests to do so. This often gives them more motivation to settle.

We Accept Wrongful Death Claims

If your relative was killed in an accident that was someone else’s fault, call Harris Personal Injury Lawyers right away. We will review your right to bring a wrongful death claim in California. We may be able to help your family obtain compensation for the loss of your loved one.

Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS Today

You do not have to fight for compensation alone. After someone else’s carelessness, recklessness, or intentional misconduct causes you to be injured, you can partner with an experienced personal injury law firm in San Jose.