Were you or a loved one the victim of an accident? When someone else is responsible for your injuries or a loved one’s death, we recommend contacting a Santa Monica personal injury attorney from Harris Personal Injury Lawyers. When another person’s careless, reckless, or malicious conduct causes you harm, you have the right to hold them responsible. In our legal system, that means pursuing compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Our personal injury lawyers in Santa Monica can guide you through the challenging and emotional process of pursuing compensation. Our seasoned attorneys are highly knowledgeable and skilled in dealing with insurers and representing injury victims in court. We know how to be persuasive and aggressive in our pursuit of our clients’ financial recoveries, which has enabled us to win more than $300 million in settlements and court rulings for more than 5,000 clients. To talk with us about your circumstances and how to pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries or loss, call 1-800-GO-HARRIS. We are available to take your call 24/7. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you.

Our Santa Monica Personal Injury Lawyers Accept All Types of Accident Claims

We represent injury victims and surviving family members after:

• Auto Accidents: One of the most common calls we receive is from car crash victims. We are well-versed in handling car accident insurance claims and lawsuits, including against uninsured and underinsured motorists.
• Bike Accidents: If you or a loved one were struck by a vehicle while riding a motorcycle, call us right away. We routinely handle bicycle accidents, and always pursue the maximum compensation possible.
• Bus Accidents: We represent victims injured in collisions involving public transit buses, school buses, airport shuttles, tour buses, and private charter buses. We are not afraid to go up against a major employer or insurer, school district, or municipality.
• Truck Accidents: Despite the many similarities, trucking accidents are very different from typical car crashes. If you were in a collision with a large commercial truck, you need to hire an experienced Santa Monica personal injury attorney right away.
• Motorcycle Accidents: If you or a loved one were injured while riding a motorcycle, talk with a veteran accident attorney as soon as possible. Harris Personal Injury Lawyers will strive to obtain the most compensation possible for your injuries.
• Uber & Lyft Accidents: Crashes involving rideshare vehicles like Uber and Lyft can result in complex insurance claims. If you were an Uber or Lyft crash passenger, or were struck by a Lyft or Uber driver, call us right away.
• Turo Accidents: Our Santa Monica personal injury lawyers often represent victims of crashes involving vehicles rented through Turo and other vehicle-sharing platforms.
• Pedestrian Accidents: If you or a relative were struck by a vehicle while going for a run, crossing the street, or standing outside, call us immediately. Pedestrian accidents often involve significant injuries. You need experienced litigators to fight for your financial recovery.
• Scooter Injury Claims: At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we can help after you are injured riding a rented electronic scooter. Call us to discus your situation and legal options.
• Airplane Accidents: We handle accident claims involving all types of aircraft, including commercial planes, international flights, corporate and chartered jets, and small private planes.
• Boat Accidents: If you were injured in a boating accident, or a loved one passed away from drowning, call us immediately.
• Train Accidents: We are here to help if you were injured on-board a passenger or commuter train or in a vehicle-train collision.
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Claims: Harris Personal Injury Lawyers handles cases involving significant and disabling injuries, including complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries.
• Severe Burn Injury Claims: You should call us immediately if you or a loved one suffered serious burns because of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or criminal conduct.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Claims: Our Santa Monica personal injury lawyers often handle cases involving concussions and moderate-to-severe TBI's.
• Premises Liability Claims: When you are injured because of a dangerous condition on another person, business, or municipality’s property, you should call us to discuss pursuing compensation.
• Slip and Falls: One of the most common premises liability cases we handle is slip and fall. If you tripped, stumbled, or slipped and suffered injuries on someone else’s property, give us a call.
• Dog Bite and Animal Attacks: If you or your child were attacked by a dog or other animal, call us right away. We handle dog bite cases in Santa Monica.
• Other Personal Injury Claims: This is not an exhaustive list. You may have been injured under other circumstances. We are here to help. Never hesitate to call Harris Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
• Wrongful Death Claims: We also represent personal representatives and family members who lost loved ones in negligence-based accidents.

Should I Visit a Doctor If My Injuries Don’t Seem Serious?

Absolutely yes. If you fail to seek immediate medical treatment but eventually decide to file a claim, the opposing party may argue that: 

• Your Injuries Are Not Very Serious: Some of the most severe injuries, such as brain trauma, whiplash, or internal injuries, present with only minor symptoms at first. For instance, if you were involved in an accident and you only have a headache, you might think that you’ve survived unscathed. However, this could be the first sign of a brain injury. If you delay the medical assessment, the insurance company may argue that your injuries could not be as severe as you are asserting since immediate care was not necessary. Should this dispute arise, there are many strategies that our Santa Monica personal injury lawyers may employ to counter it. Valuable evidence will likely include medical records, diagnostic images, lab tests, and the deposition of medical experts. 

• Your Injuries Were Caused by Another Incident: To win a third-party insurance claim, you must be able to prove liability, causation, and damages. Even if you are able to prove that you suffered damages and that the opposing party was negligent, you cannot obtain a financial award unless you can connect your damages causally to the tort. Seeking immediate medical treatment can help your attorney prove that the damages you sustained were caused by the accident in question. Delaying your medical assessment may result in a dispute as the opposing party could argue that your injuries were caused by something else.

• You Failed to Mitigate the Damages: Undergoing a medical assessment is about more than just taking care of your health. If an injury worsens because you delayed seeking treatment, the opposing party may argue that you have failed to mitigate the damages. This could result in a reduced settlement as the insurance company does not have to pay for damages caused by your own negligence. 

How Much Is My Claim Worth?

The potential value of your claim will be estimated based on many different elements. Here are a few factors your Santa Monica personal injury attorney may consider when approximating a fair settlement amount: 

• Property Damage: If any of your property was damaged in the incident, the replacement and repair costs may be factored into the settlement calculations. For instance, if you were involved in a car accident and your vehicle was totaled, you could be entitled to compensation for the costs of replacing it. Be sure to keep track of any expenses you incur by holding onto the relevant receipts, invoices, and documentation to share with your attorney during the free initial consultation.

• Medical Bills: Your medical expenses will likely make up a significant portion of the costs stemming from the accident. Even simple procedures can set you back thousands of dollars, and serious injuries can leave you shouldering the costs of long-term treatments, pain management, and rehabilitation. When estimating the value of your claim, our lawyers may consider the costs of any medical procedures, lab tests, orthopedics, prescription drugs, prosthetics, etc. 

• Pain and Suffering: These “non-economic” damages may account for a significant portion of your potential settlement or verdict. Typically, lawyers employ one of two methods for estimating the monetary value of pain and suffering. For instance, your attorney may multiply the total cost of your medical bills by a number between 1.5 and 5. This is called the “multiplier method.” Some attorneys utilize the “per diem” approach to estimating the value of pain and suffering. An attorney who uses this method would assign a dollar value to each day from the date you suffered the injury to the day you’re expected to attain maximum medical improvement. 

Can I Use Social Media After I File My Claim?

In the aftermath of a serious injury, it’s tempting to vent your frustrations to friends and family on social media. But that short-term release could saddle you with long-term issues when it comes time to file your claim.   Posts you make after your accident may be used by the opposing party to reduce or deny your financial award. The best step is to deactivate all social media accounts until your case has been resolved. However, if you’re not ready to go cold turkey, here are a few essential tips to keep in mind the next time you post online: 

• Do Not Discuss Your Claim: Even if your social media accounts are set to private, it may still be possible for the insurance adjuster to access your content. In some cases, the defense may be able to file a discovery request to gain access to the information on your social media accounts. If you’ve discussed your injury, accident, or claim online, you may be handing over sensitive information that could be used by the insurance company to dispute your claim.

• Do Not Accept New Friend Requests: It may look like a harmless friend request, but it isn’t unheard of for investigators hired by a defendant to pose as acquaintances to screen your social media feed. You should not accept any connection requests until your case has been resolved.

• Do Not Post Pictures of Yourself: The road to recovery after a serious accident is a long and painful journey. For much of that time, you may be in severe pain. Often, it’s those few bright moments, such as spending time with your family at the park or doing some gardening, that can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, photos of you enjoying yourself in the aftermath of an accident could compromise your claim. If you post these images online or someone else tags you in these photos, the defense could use these posts to argue that your injuries are not that serious and that you were exaggerating your condition. They may even assert that you are ignoring your doctor’s order to rest. Such disputes could result in a reduced settlement amount and may delay the proceedings. 

Contact Our Experienced Santa Monica Accident Attorneys Today!

Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS to schedule a free, no-risk consultation. Or submit your information to our contact form.