San Jose Personal Injury

According to public data, the average San Jose resident spends 29.7 minutes commuting to and from work every day. Spending an average of one-half hour in your vehicle daily – just to get to and from work – exposes you to a regular risk of being involved in an injurious motor vehicle accident. Whether you were harmed on an average daily drive or while rushing to-and-fro for an unusually urgent purpose, you may be feeling disoriented in the aftermath of your crash. To have spent so much time traveling in the car on a daily basis only to suddenly find yourself injured and in need of legal guidance can be an overwhelming turn of events. Know that you may have legal options available to you and may be entitled to seek compensation regardless of whether you were partially at-fault for your collision. Even if you assume that your crash was entirely your fault, it is a good idea to attend a risk-free, no-cost consultation with our firm, as the causes of your accident may not be all that they appear to be.

You don’t want to be left responsible for the bills associated with your crash and be left wondering what would have happened to your finances had you only explored your legal options when you had the chance. There’s nothing to lose in speaking with us about your car accident, however, there might be a great deal to gain by doing so.

California has more registered motorcycles than any other state in the union. Given the state’s temperate climates and dynamic scenery, this is not surprising. California has instituted a universal helmet law to help protect motorcycle enthusiasts traveling within the state. Additionally, numerous public safety campaigns have called on motorists to “share the road” with motorcycle riders. However, despite the state legislature’s efforts, Californians and tourists are regularly harmed while riding motorcycles in the San Jose area and throughout the state.

Once motorcycle riders are hit, their injuries are often serious, if not catastrophic or fatal. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, regardless of whether you were wearing a helmet and regardless of whether you were lane-splitting at the time of your collision, chances are high that you have legal options available to you at this time. Avoid making any assumptions about whether you have a legal claim of action before you speak with our firm. We’re proud to represent the interests of motorcycle riders, as they deserve to share the road every bit as much as motorists, truck operators, and other travelers do.

Loved ones of long-term care facility patients are often hesitant to speak with an attorney about their loved one’s care for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, loved ones are concerned about exploring their legal options because they don’t want to appear to be “dramatic” and don’t want to get risk getting a worker employed by the facility in trouble if nothing is truly amiss. However, as many long-term care residents who are being abused or neglected are not in a position to speak up for themselves – due to disability, advanced age, or fear – it is up to loved ones to advocate on their behalf. Oftentimes, this means seeking legal guidance, even if they aren’t sure exactly how their loved ones are being treated and whether there is any real cause for alarm. Yet, given how commonplace neglect and abuse are in long-term care facilities, a loved one’s suspicions that something is amiss can be a warning sign that should never be ignored.

So many major freeways intersect in and around San Jose that it requires skill to travel along the Northern California coast without passing through or near San Jose. Many of the travelers that rumble along these freeways are long-haul drivers of large commercial trucks. Unfortunately, because these vehicles are so massive and weigh so many more times the amount that the average car does, when these trucks crash, the aftermath of those collisions can be catastrophic. Because of their engineering, large commercial trucks do not stop as quickly, turn as precisely, or allow drivers to perceive the road around them as clearly as passenger cars do. As a result, truck accidents happen with startling frequency.

If you have been injured in a collision involving a large commercial truck, you may be able to hold the other drivers involved, the trucking company that employs the driver, and/or other third-parties accountable for your injuries. These options may be available to you regardless of whether you were driving the truck in question or another vehicle at the time of the crash. If you were driving as a work-related activity at the time of the collision, you may also be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits at this time. You’ll want to explore your legal options with our team as quickly as possible, as truck accident cases tend to be both complex and time-sensitive.

If you were hurt while engaging in work-related activities, regardless of whether you were present at your usual work site, chances are that you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits related to the harm you have suffered. Most workers in California, both documented and undocumented, are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, provided that they are classified as full-time or part-time employees of a company. Generally speaking, only independent contractors, workers in certain specialized industries, and employees of very small companies are exempt from workers’ compensation coverage requirements.

In the event that you are not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against any third party – including the company that you provide services for – as a result of your injuries, provided that the third party in question did something to directly contribute to the cause of the harm you’ve suffered. There are even some rare circumstances under which workers eligible for workers’ compensation benefits can file a personal injury claim against a third party (other than their employer) in addition to collecting benefits. After learning more about your unique situation, our firm will be able to advise you of which opportunities are applicable to your circumstances at this time.

If you have lost a loved one due to circumstances that would have allowed them to file a personal injury claim on their own behalf had their injuries not proved fatal, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against those responsible for your loss. If your loved one was conscious and in pain before they succumbed to their injuries, California law may also permit you to file a survivor action on behalf of your lost loved one. Wrongful death claims compensate surviving loved ones for their losses, whereas survival actions compensate for the pain and suffering that the deceased experienced before they passed away.

Seeking justice and compensation while you’re still newly grieving can be a daunting task. Please know that our firm’s experienced legal team will do our best to handle as much of the stresses related to your legal action, insurance negotiations, and/or workers’ compensation death benefits claim as possible so that you can focus on processing your loss and moving forward in whatever way is healthiest for you at this time. Please don’t wait to explore your legal options until the financial consequences of your loved one’s loss become unmanageable. Attending a consultation now can take energy that you’re not inclined to expend. However, waiting to look into your legal options can cost your family dearly down the road.