Pasadena Personal Injury Lawyer

A serious accident can change your life without warning. Medical treatment, time away from work, physical pain, and unexpected expenses can create significant pressure for you and your family. When another person or business caused your injuries through negligence, California law may provide a way to pursue compensation for your losses.

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we represent people injured in accidents throughout Pasadena and Southern California. Our firm handles personal injury claims involving car accidents, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, motorcycle crashes, dangerous property conditions, and other incidents caused by negligence.

Under California Civil Code § 1714, individuals are generally responsible for injuries caused by their failure to exercise ordinary care or skill.

If you have been injured because of someone else's actions, a Pasadena personal injury lawyer at Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can investigate your accident, deal with insurance companies, document your losses, and pursue the compensation available under California law.

How a Pasadena Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

Recovering from an injury and managing an insurance claim at the same time can be difficult. Insurance companies may begin investigating an accident almost immediately. Adjusters may request statements, question your injuries, dispute liability, or offer an early settlement before you understand the full extent of your losses.

Having legal representation allows you to focus on your recovery while your attorney handles the claim.

Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can help by:

• Investigating how your accident occurred.

• Determining who may be legally responsible.

• Gathering photographs, videos, reports, and witness statements.

• Preserving evidence that could otherwise disappear.

• Reviewing applicable California laws and regulations.

• Documenting your medical treatment and injuries.

• Calculating lost income and other financial losses.

• Communicating with insurance companies on your behalf.

• Evaluating and negotiating settlement offers.

• Filing a personal injury lawsuit when appropriate.

• Monitoring deadlines that apply to your claim.

The appropriate strategy depends on the circumstances of your accident. Some cases involve a single negligent driver, while others may involve businesses, property owners, employers, commercial vehicle operators, or multiple responsible parties.

Personal Injury Accidents in Pasadena

Pasadena combines residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, busy intersections, freeways, and areas with significant pedestrian activity.

Major roads such as Colorado Boulevard, Lake Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, and Orange Grove Boulevard carry motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users throughout the city. Freeway traffic in and around Pasadena can also result in serious collisions.

Accidents are not limited to the roadway. Injuries can occur at stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, parking facilities, and other properties when dangerous conditions are not properly addressed.

Regardless of where an accident happens, determining what caused it and who was responsible is central to a personal injury claim.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Pasadena

Personal injury law covers many different types of accidents. At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we handle negligence-based claims involving serious injuries and financial losses.

Car Accidents

Car crashes are among the most common causes of personal injury claims.

A collision may result from:

• Rear-end impacts.

• Distracted driving.

• Unsafe lane changes.

• Speeding.

• Failure to yield.

• Running red lights or stop signs.

• Unsafe left turns.

• Impaired driving.

• Following too closely.

When another driver's negligence causes an accident, an injured driver or passenger may be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, and other applicable losses.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians have little protection when struck by a motor vehicle. Even a collision at a relatively low speed can cause significant injuries.

Pedestrian accidents may occur when drivers fail to yield at crosswalks, make unsafe turns, become distracted, speed, or otherwise fail to exercise reasonable care.

Evidence such as traffic-camera footage, nearby surveillance recordings, photographs, witness statements, and vehicle damage may be important when determining how a pedestrian accident occurred.

Bicycle Accidents

Drivers and bicyclists regularly share Pasadena's roads. A cyclist may be injured when a motorist fails to yield, makes an unsafe turn or lane change, drives distracted, or opens a vehicle door into the cyclist's path.

Because cyclists have limited physical protection, bicycle crashes can result in fractures, head injuries, road rash, spinal injuries, and other serious harm.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders can suffer substantial injuries when another motorist fails to notice them or makes an unsafe maneuver.

Common motorcycle accident scenarios include:

• Vehicles turning left in front of a motorcycle.

• Unsafe lane changes.

• Rear-end collisions.

• Failure to yield.

• Distracted driving.

• Speed-related crashes.

Motorcycle claims can involve disputed liability, making evidence from the accident scene particularly important.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Accidents involving commercial vehicles can be more complicated than ordinary passenger-vehicle collisions.

Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties may include:

• The commercial driver.

• The driver's employer.

• A trucking or transportation company.

• A vehicle owner.

• A maintenance provider.

• Another company involved in the vehicle's operation.

These cases may involve commercial records and other evidence that should be identified and preserved as early as possible.

Premises Liability

People can also suffer serious injuries because of unsafe conditions on someone else's property.

Premises liability cases may involve:

• Slip-and-fall accidents.

• Trip-and-fall accidents.

• Dangerous stairs or walkways.

• Inadequate property maintenance.

• Falling objects.

• Unsafe flooring.

• Other hazardous property conditions.

Liability generally depends on the circumstances surrounding the dangerous condition, including whether the responsible party knew or reasonably should have known about the hazard and whether reasonable steps were taken to address it.

Wrongful Death

Some acts of negligence result in fatal injuries.

California law allows certain surviving family members or other eligible parties to pursue a wrongful death claim when a person's death was caused by another party's wrongful conduct.

Although financial compensation cannot replace a loved one, a wrongful death claim can provide a legal means of addressing certain losses resulting from the death.

Common Injuries in Pasadena Personal Injury Cases

The severity and long-term consequences of an injury can vary substantially.

Personal injury claims may involve:

• Neck injuries.

• Back injuries.

• Whiplash.

• Soft-tissue injuries.

• Broken and fractured bones.

• Knee injuries.

• Shoulder injuries.

• Head injuries.

• Traumatic brain injuries.

• Spinal cord injuries.

• Nerve damage.

• Internal injuries.

• Lacerations and scarring.

• Chronic pain.

• Catastrophic injuries.

An injury that initially appears minor may sometimes require ongoing treatment. For that reason, it can be important to understand the nature of your injuries and anticipated medical care before resolving an insurance claim.

Establishing Negligence in a California Personal Injury Claim

Most personal injury claims are based on negligence.

Generally, a negligence claim requires establishing that:

1. The defendant owed the injured person a duty of care.

2. The defendant breached that duty.

3. The breach caused or contributed to the injury.

4. The injured person suffered damages.

California Civil Code § 1714 provides an important foundation for negligence law in California by addressing responsibility for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care or skill.

The exact legal standards involved will depend on the circumstances. A motor vehicle accident, for example, may involve provisions of the California Vehicle Code, while an injury occurring on dangerous property may involve premises liability principles.

Who May Be Liable for Your Injuries?

Liability is not always limited to the person directly involved in an accident.

Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties may include:

• Negligent drivers.

• Vehicle owners.

• Employers.

• Trucking or transportation companies.

• Property owners.

• Businesses.

• Contractors.

• Maintenance companies.

• Manufacturers or other entities.

Some accidents involve more than one responsible party. Identifying every potentially liable person or entity may affect the sources of insurance coverage and compensation available.

What If You Were Partly at Fault?

Being partially responsible for an accident does not automatically prevent you from recovering compensation in California.

California follows a pure comparative negligence system, recognized by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co.

Under comparative negligence, an injured person's compensation may be reduced according to that person's percentage of responsibility.

For example, if your damages were determined to be $100,000 but you were found 20% responsible for the accident, your recovery could generally be reduced by 20%, resulting in $80,000.

Because fault directly affects potential compensation, insurance companies may attempt to assign some or all of the responsibility to the injured person. Evidence showing how the accident actually happened can therefore become particularly important.

Evidence That Can Support a Personal Injury Claim

Strong personal injury claims are built on evidence.

Depending on the type of accident, relevant evidence may include:

• Police reports.

• Accident or incident reports.

• Photographs and videos.

• Dashcam recordings.

• Surveillance footage.

• Witness statements.

• Medical records.

• Medical bills.

• Employment and wage records.

• Vehicle damage.

• Property inspection or maintenance records.

• Expert analysis when appropriate.

Some evidence may only be available for a limited period. Businesses may overwrite surveillance recordings, vehicles may be repaired, accident scenes can change, and witnesses can become harder to locate.

Taking reasonable steps to preserve relevant evidence early can strengthen your ability to establish what happened.

Compensation Available After a Personal Injury

California personal injury claims can involve both economic and non-economic damages.

The compensation available depends on the circumstances and evidence in the individual case.

Economic Damages

Economic damages may include:

• Medical Expenses: Emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic testing, medication, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.

• Future Medical Care: Treatment that may reasonably be required because of the injury.

• Lost Wages: Income lost because an injury prevents you from working.

• Loss of Earning Capacity: Losses resulting from a reduced ability to earn income in the future.

• Property Damage: Repair or replacement costs when personal property is damaged in an accident.

• Other Accident-Related Expenses: Certain additional financial losses caused by the injury.

Non-Economic Damages

A personal injury claim may also provide compensation for non-economic losses, including physical pain and other effects that an injury has on a person's life.

Unlike medical bills or lost wages, these losses do not have a fixed dollar amount.

The potential value of a personal injury case therefore depends on many factors, including the severity and duration of the injuries, medical treatment, prognosis, financial losses, available insurance coverage, evidence of liability, and the overall impact of the accident.

What to Do After an Accident in Pasadena

The actions you take after an accident may affect both your physical recovery and your personal injury claim.

1. Seek Medical Attention

Obtain appropriate medical care after an accident. Some injuries and symptoms may not be immediately apparent.

2. Report the Incident

Depending on the type of accident, notify law enforcement, a property owner, business manager, employer, or another appropriate party.

3. Document the Scene

If you can safely do so, photograph or record:

• The accident location.

• Vehicle damage.

• Dangerous property conditions.

• Traffic signals or signs.

• Visible injuries.

• Other relevant circumstances.

4. Obtain Witness Information

If someone witnessed what happened, obtain their name and contact information.

5. Preserve Important Documents

Keep copies of medical bills, treatment records, insurance correspondence, wage documentation, receipts, repair estimates, and other records related to your losses.

6. Be Careful With Insurance Communications

Insurance companies may request statements shortly after an accident. Statements about how the accident happened or the extent of your injuries may later affect the insurer's evaluation of the claim.

7. Do Not Rush Into a Settlement

An early settlement may be offered before you know whether additional treatment will be necessary. Resolving a claim generally prevents you from returning later for additional compensation from the settling party for the same claim.

8. Speak With a Personal Injury Lawyer

An attorney can evaluate the circumstances, identify potentially responsible parties, review insurance coverage, and explain the deadlines and legal options that may apply.

How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in California?

California imposes deadlines for bringing personal injury claims.

For many negligence-based injury lawsuits, California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 provides a two-year statute of limitations.

However, the applicable deadline can vary.

Claims involving a California government entity, for example, generally require an administrative claim to be presented much sooner—often within six months of the accrual of the claim.

Other circumstances can also affect the applicable deadline.

You should therefore not assume that you have two years to take action simply because your case involves a personal injury.

Waiting can also make gathering evidence more difficult, even when the legal deadline has not expired.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pasadena Personal Injury Claims

How much is my Pasadena personal injury case worth?

There is no standard value for a personal injury claim. Factors may include the seriousness of your injuries, medical treatment, future care, lost income, impact on your ability to work, evidence of liability, available insurance coverage, and whether you share responsibility for the accident.

Do I need a lawyer to make a personal injury claim?

You are not legally required to hire an attorney for every personal injury claim. Legal representation may be particularly valuable when injuries are significant, liability is disputed, multiple parties may be responsible, or an insurance company denies or undervalues a claim.

What if I am partially responsible for my accident?

California's pure comparative negligence system may allow you to recover damages even when you share responsibility. Your compensation can generally be reduced according to the percentage of fault attributed to you.

How long does a personal injury case take?

There is no fixed timeline. A claim's duration can depend on medical treatment, the severity of the injuries, complexity of the accident, insurance coverage, liability disputes, settlement negotiations, and whether litigation is necessary.

Should I accept the insurance company's first settlement offer?

You do not have to accept an initial settlement offer. Before settling, consider whether your injuries have been adequately evaluated and whether the proposed amount accounts for applicable medical expenses, lost income, future treatment, and other damages.

What if several parties contributed to my accident?

More than one person or company can potentially be responsible for an injury. Investigating all contributing causes can help identify potentially liable parties and applicable insurance coverage.

Can I pursue a claim if my injuries appeared after the accident?

Some injuries do not produce immediate symptoms. Seek appropriate medical attention if symptoms develop after an accident. Whether the injuries are compensable will depend on the medical and other evidence connecting them to the incident.

Why Choose Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C.?

A personal injury claim involves more than submitting medical bills to an insurance company.

Liability must be investigated, relevant evidence should be preserved, injuries and damages need to be documented, and settlement offers should be evaluated in light of the full circumstances of the claim.

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we represent people injured through the negligence of others and work to build claims supported by the available evidence.

Our firm can communicate with insurers, investigate the circumstances of your accident, identify potentially responsible parties, document your losses, negotiate on your behalf, and pursue litigation when appropriate.

Speak With a Pasadena Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you were injured because of another person's or entity's negligence in Pasadena, you may have the right to pursue compensation under California law.

Obtaining legal guidance early can help you understand your options, preserve important evidence, and avoid missing deadlines that could affect your claim.

Contact Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. to discuss your accident with a Pasadena personal injury lawyer and learn more about your legal options.