Sherman Oaks Personal Injury Lawyer

A serious accident can affect your health, ability to work, finances, and everyday life. Medical appointments can begin immediately, while bills, insurance calls, lost income, and uncertainty about your recovery can quickly add additional stress.

When an injury is caused by another person's negligence, California law may allow the injured person to seek compensation for the resulting losses.

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

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

If someone else's negligence caused your injuries, a Sherman Oaks personal injury lawyer at Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can investigate what happened, deal with insurance companies, document your damages, and pursue the compensation available under California law.

How a Sherman Oaks Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

After an accident, insurance companies may begin investigating the claim before you have had time to understand the extent of your injuries.

An insurance adjuster may request a recorded statement, question whether medical treatment was necessary, dispute who caused the accident, or make an early settlement offer. Resolving a claim too quickly can be particularly problematic when additional treatment or long-term effects have not yet been identified.

While you focus on your medical care and recovery, Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can assist with the legal and insurance aspects of your claim by:

• Investigating how the accident occurred.

• Identifying potentially responsible parties.

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

• Preserving relevant evidence.

• Reviewing applicable California laws and regulations.

• Obtaining documentation of your injuries and medical treatment.

• Documenting lost wages and other financial losses.

• Communicating with insurance companies on your behalf.

• Evaluating and negotiating settlement offers.

• Filing a personal injury lawsuit when appropriate.

• Monitoring applicable statutes of limitations and other deadlines.

Every personal injury case is different. The appropriate legal strategy depends on how the accident occurred, the evidence available, the parties involved, insurance coverage, and the nature and extent of the injuries.

Personal Injury Accidents in Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks includes busy commercial areas, residential streets, intersections, and major transportation routes used by drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Roads such as Ventura Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, Burbank Boulevard, and Woodman Avenue carry substantial local traffic. Sherman Oaks is also located near major freeway routes, including the 101 and 405 freeways, where congestion, merging traffic, sudden braking, and high-speed collisions can lead to serious accidents.

Personal injuries can also occur away from the roadway. Unsafe conditions at stores, apartment buildings, parking facilities, restaurants, offices, and other properties can cause falls and other preventable injuries.

Regardless of where an accident occurs, establishing what happened and identifying the responsible parties are important parts of pursuing a personal injury claim.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Sherman Oaks

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we handle a range of negligence-based personal injury matters.

Car Accidents

Car accidents can result from a moment of inattention, an unsafe maneuver, or a violation of California traffic laws.

Common causes include:

• Rear-end collisions.

• Distracted driving.

• Speeding.

• Unsafe lane changes.

• Failure to yield.

• Unsafe left turns.

• Following too closely.

• Running red lights or stop signs.

• Driving while impaired.

An injured driver or passenger may be entitled to pursue compensation when another driver's negligence causes a collision.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians can suffer severe injuries when struck by motor vehicles because they have little protection from the force of impact.

Pedestrian accidents may involve drivers who fail to yield, make unsafe turns, become distracted, speed, or otherwise fail to operate their vehicles with reasonable care.

Evidence such as photographs, surveillance recordings, witness statements, traffic-camera footage, and vehicle damage may help establish how a pedestrian collision occurred.

Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists and motorists share many Sherman Oaks streets. Drivers who fail to check for cyclists before turning or changing lanes can cause serious collisions.

Bicycle accidents may also involve distracted driving, failure to yield, unsafe passing, speeding, or vehicle doors being opened into a cyclist's path.

Because cyclists have limited physical protection, these accidents can result in fractures, head injuries, road rash, spinal injuries, and other significant harm.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists can suffer serious injuries when other motorists fail to see them or make unsafe driving decisions.

Motorcycle crashes commonly involve:

• Unsafe left turns.

• Failure to yield.

• Unsafe lane changes.

• Rear-end collisions.

• Distracted drivers.

• Speed-related accidents.

Determining liability may require examining physical evidence, witness statements, vehicle damage, video footage, and applicable traffic laws.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Accidents involving trucks and other commercial vehicles can present additional legal and insurance issues.

Depending on how the accident occurred, potentially responsible parties could include:

• The commercial driver.

• The driver's employer.

• A trucking or transportation company.

• The vehicle owner.

• A maintenance provider.

• Other businesses involved in the vehicle's operation.

Commercial accident cases may also involve records and evidence that should be identified and preserved promptly.

Premises Liability

Property owners and businesses may have legal responsibilities concerning dangerous conditions on property they control.

Premises liability claims can arise from:

• Slip-and-fall accidents.

• Trip-and-fall accidents.

• Unsafe stairs.

• Dangerous walkways.

• Inadequate maintenance.

• Falling objects.

• Unsafe flooring.

• Other hazardous property conditions.

Whether a property owner or business is liable depends on the circumstances, including the nature of the hazard and whether the responsible party knew or reasonably should have known about it.

Wrongful Death

Some accidents result in fatal injuries.

When a person's death is caused by another party's wrongful conduct or negligence, California law may allow certain surviving family members or other eligible parties to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Although compensation cannot replace a loved one, a wrongful death action can provide a legal means of seeking recovery for certain losses resulting from the death.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

An accident can cause injuries ranging from relatively short-term conditions to injuries requiring extensive treatment and long-term care.

Personal injury claims may involve:

• Neck and back injuries.

• Whiplash.

• Soft-tissue injuries.

• Broken or fractured bones.

• Knee and shoulder injuries.

• Head injuries.

• Traumatic brain injuries.

• Spinal cord injuries.

• Nerve damage.

• Internal injuries.

• Lacerations and scarring.

• Chronic pain.

• Catastrophic injuries.

The impact of an injury cannot always be determined immediately after an accident. Medical treatment, recovery time, future care requirements, and limitations on work or daily activities can all be relevant when evaluating a claim.

Establishing Negligence Under California Law

Many personal injury claims are based on negligence.

Generally, establishing negligence involves showing that:

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

2. The defendant failed to exercise reasonable care.

3. That failure caused or contributed to the injury.

4. The injured person suffered damages as a result.

California Civil Code § 1714 provides an important foundation for negligence claims in California.

Additional laws may apply depending on the type of accident. Motor vehicle cases, for example, may involve provisions of the California Vehicle Code, while accidents occurring on dangerous property may involve premises liability principles.

Who May Be Responsible for Your Injuries?

The person directly involved in an accident is not necessarily the only party who may be legally responsible.

Depending on the circumstances, potentially liable parties may include:

• Negligent drivers.

• Vehicle owners.

• Employers.

• Commercial transportation companies.

• Property owners.

• Businesses.

• Contractors.

• Maintenance companies.

• Manufacturers or other entities.

An accident involving multiple responsible parties may also involve several insurance policies or potential sources of recovery.

Identifying these parties can therefore be an important part of investigating a personal injury claim.

What If You Were Partly Responsible for the Accident?

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

This means that being partially responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent an injured person from recovering compensation. Instead, the person's recoverable damages may be reduced according to their percentage of responsibility.

For example, if an injured person has $100,000 in damages but is determined to be 20% responsible for the accident, the recovery could generally be reduced by 20%.

Because fault can directly affect the amount of compensation available, insurance companies may attempt to argue that an injured claimant contributed to an accident.

Evidence showing how the incident occurred can be important when responding to these arguments.

Evidence That May Support Your Personal Injury Claim

The evidence needed to establish liability and damages will depend on the circumstances of your case.

Potential evidence may include:

• Police or accident reports.

• Incident reports.

• Photographs of the accident scene.

• Photographs of injuries or property damage.

• Surveillance footage.

• Dashcam recordings.

• Witness statements.

• Medical records and bills.

• Employment and wage documentation.

• Vehicle damage records.

• Property inspection or maintenance records.

• Expert opinions when appropriate.

Some evidence can disappear quickly. Surveillance recordings may be overwritten, vehicles can be repaired, accident scenes can change, and witnesses may become harder to locate.

Prompt investigation can help preserve information that may later become important.

Compensation Available in a Sherman Oaks Personal Injury Claim

Depending on the facts of the case, an injured person may be able to pursue economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages can include measurable financial losses such as:

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

• Future Medical Care: Treatment reasonably expected to be required because of the injury.

• Lost Wages: Income lost while an injury prevents a person from working.

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

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

• Other Accident-Related Expenses: Additional qualifying financial losses resulting from the injury.

Non-Economic Damages

A personal injury claim may also include compensation for non-economic harm, such as physical pain and other effects an injury has on the injured person's life.

There is no standard settlement amount for a personal injury case.

Potential compensation depends on factors such as the severity of the injuries, medical treatment, recovery period, future medical needs, lost income, impact on daily life, evidence of liability, available insurance coverage, and other circumstances.

What to Do After an Accident in Sherman Oaks

Taking appropriate steps following an accident can help protect your health and preserve evidence for a potential claim.

1. Seek Medical Attention

Obtain appropriate medical care after an accident. Some injuries may not cause obvious symptoms immediately.

2. Report the Accident

Depending on what happened, report the incident to law enforcement, a property owner, business manager, employer, or another appropriate party.

3. Document the Scene

If it is safe to do so, take photographs or videos showing:

• The accident location.

• Vehicle damage.

• Road conditions.

• Traffic signals and signs.

• Dangerous property conditions.

• Visible injuries.

• Other relevant evidence.

4. Obtain Witness Information

Collect the names and contact information of people who witnessed the accident.

5. Preserve Your Records

Keep medical bills, treatment records, wage documentation, receipts, repair estimates, photographs, and insurance communications related to the incident.

6. Be Careful With Insurance Statements

An insurance adjuster may ask you to describe what happened or provide a recorded statement. Statements made during the claims process may later be considered when determining liability and damages.

7. Avoid Settling Too Quickly

An early settlement may be offered before the extent of your injuries and future medical needs is fully understood. Resolving a claim generally prevents you from seeking additional compensation from the settling party for the same claim later.

8. Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer

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

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

California law establishes deadlines for personal injury lawsuits.

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

However, different deadlines may apply depending on the circumstances.

For example, claims involving California government entities generally involve a much shorter administrative claim period, often requiring a claim to be presented within six months.

Other exceptions may also affect the applicable deadline.

For this reason, an injured person should not automatically assume that two years are available to pursue every personal injury claim.

Waiting can also make it more difficult to obtain evidence even when the applicable legal deadline has not expired.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sherman Oaks Personal Injury Claims

How much is my Sherman Oaks personal injury case worth?

There is no fixed value for a personal injury claim. The potential value depends on factors including the severity of your injuries, medical treatment, future care needs, lost income, impact on your ability to work, available insurance coverage, evidence of liability, and other case-specific circumstances.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in California?

Many California personal injury lawsuits are subject to the two-year statute of limitations under CCP § 335.1. However, shorter deadlines may apply in certain situations, including some claims involving government entities.

What if I was partly responsible for my accident?

California's comparative negligence rules may still allow you to recover damages even when you share responsibility for an accident. Your compensation can generally be reduced according to your percentage of fault.

Do I need a lawyer for a personal injury claim?

Not every injury claim requires an attorney. Legal representation may be particularly useful when injuries are serious, fault is disputed, multiple parties are involved, insurance coverage is complicated, or an insurer denies or undervalues the claim.

How long does a personal injury case take?

There is no standard timeline. The length of a case can depend on medical treatment, the complexity of the accident, disputes over liability, available insurance coverage, negotiations, and whether litigation becomes necessary.

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

You are not required to accept an initial offer. Before settling a claim, consider whether your injuries, medical expenses, future treatment, lost income, and other applicable damages have been adequately evaluated.

What happens if the person who caused my accident does not have enough insurance?

Other potential sources of compensation may exist depending on the type of accident, parties involved, and applicable insurance policies. For example, an automobile accident may involve uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under an applicable policy.

Why Choose Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C.?

A personal injury case involves more than sending medical bills to an insurance company. Liability must be investigated, evidence should be preserved, damages need to be documented, and insurance settlement offers should be evaluated in light of the complete circumstances.

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we represent people injured because of the negligence of others.

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

Our goal is to protect your interests throughout the process while pursuing the compensation available under California law.

Speak With a Sherman Oaks Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you were injured because of another person's or entity's negligence in Sherman Oaks, you may have the right to pursue compensation.

Obtaining legal guidance early can help preserve important evidence, identify applicable insurance coverage, and ensure that important deadlines are not overlooked.

Contact Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. for free consultation to discuss your accident with a Sherman Oaks personal injury lawyer and learn more about your legal options.