An unexpected accident can create problems that extend far beyond the moment of impact. Medical treatment, physical pain, missed work, transportation difficulties, and insurance disputes can quickly affect your daily life and financial stability.

When another person or business causes an injury through negligence, California law may provide the injured person with the right to seek compensation for the resulting losses.

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we represent individuals and families injured in accidents throughout Van Nuys 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 negligence-related incidents.

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 negligence, a Van Nuys personal injury lawyer at Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can investigate your accident, identify potentially responsible parties, deal with insurance companies, and pursue the compensation available under California law.

How a Van Nuys Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

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

Adjusters may request statements, examine your medical treatment, dispute responsibility, or make an early settlement offer. These decisions can affect your claim, particularly if your injuries require ongoing treatment or prevent you from returning to work.

While you focus on your recovery, Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C. can handle the legal and insurance aspects of your case.

Our firm can help by:

Investigating how and why the accident occurred.
Identifying all potentially responsible parties.
Gathering photographs, videos, reports, and witness statements.
Preserving evidence relevant to liability.
Reviewing applicable California laws and regulations.
Documenting your injuries and medical treatment.
Calculating lost wages and other financial losses.
Communicating with insurance companies.
Evaluating settlement offers.
Negotiating for appropriate compensation.
Filing a personal injury lawsuit when necessary.
Monitoring statutes of limitations and other applicable deadlines.

Every accident is different. The appropriate strategy depends on the type of incident, available evidence, severity of the injuries, parties involved, and applicable insurance coverage.

Personal Injury Accidents in Van Nuys

Van Nuys is a busy part of the San Fernando Valley, with residential neighborhoods, commercial areas, government facilities, major intersections, and heavily traveled roads.

Roadways such as Van Nuys Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, Sherman Way, Roscoe Boulevard, and Burbank Boulevard carry significant vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. Drivers in and around Van Nuys also use nearby freeway routes, including the 405 Freeway, where congestion, merging traffic, sudden stops, and higher speeds can contribute to serious collisions.

Injuries can also happen away from the road. Dangerous conditions at apartment buildings, stores, restaurants, parking areas, workplaces, and other properties can result in preventable accidents.

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

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Van Nuys

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we handle a variety of personal injury matters arising from negligence.

Car Accidents

Car accidents can happen when drivers fail to follow traffic laws or exercise reasonable care.

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 under the influence.

When another driver's negligence causes an accident, an injured driver or passenger may be entitled to pursue compensation for the resulting losses.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians can suffer significant injuries when struck by cars, trucks, motorcycles, or other vehicles.

Pedestrian collisions may result from drivers who fail to yield at crosswalks, make unsafe turns, become distracted, speed, or otherwise fail to exercise reasonable care.

Evidence such as witness statements, photographs, surveillance recordings, traffic-camera footage, and vehicle damage may help determine how the accident occurred.

Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists are particularly vulnerable when motorists fail to watch for them.

A bicycle collision may occur because of:

Unsafe passing.
Failure to yield.
Distracted driving.
Unsafe turns.
Improper lane changes.
Speeding.
A vehicle door being opened into a cyclist's path.

Because bicycles provide little physical protection, these accidents may result in fractures, head injuries, spinal injuries, road rash, and other serious conditions.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders can suffer severe injuries when other motorists make unsafe driving decisions.

Common motorcycle accident scenarios include:

Drivers turning left in front of motorcycles.
Unsafe lane changes.
Rear-end collisions.
Failure to yield.
Distracted driving.
Speed-related collisions.

Establishing liability may require reviewing physical evidence, witness accounts, photographs, videos, and applicable traffic laws.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Accidents involving trucks and commercial vehicles can involve additional legal and insurance considerations.

Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties may include:

The commercial driver.
The driver's employer.
A trucking or transportation company.
The vehicle owner.
A maintenance provider.
Other companies involved in operating or maintaining the vehicle.

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

Premises Liability

Property owners and businesses may have legal responsibilities to address dangerous conditions on property under their control.

Premises liability cases may involve:

Slip-and-fall accidents.
Trip-and-fall accidents.
Dangerous stairs.
Unsafe walkways.
Inadequate maintenance.
Falling objects.
Unsafe flooring.
Other hazardous property conditions.

Whether a property owner or another party is responsible depends on the circumstances surrounding the hazard, including whether the responsible party knew or reasonably should have known about the condition.

Wrongful Death

Some negligent acts result in fatal injuries.

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

Although financial compensation cannot replace a loved one, a wrongful death claim can provide a legal means of pursuing recovery for certain losses caused by the death.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

Accidents can result in injuries ranging from conditions requiring relatively short-term treatment to catastrophic injuries with lifelong consequences.

Personal injury cases may involve:

Neck injuries.
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 complete effect of an injury may not be apparent immediately. Ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, future medical needs, inability to work, and limitations on everyday activities can all become relevant when evaluating damages.

Establishing Negligence Under California Law

Most personal injury claims involve the legal concept of negligence.

Generally, a negligence claim requires establishing that:

The defendant owed the injured person a duty of care.
The defendant failed to exercise reasonable care.
The defendant's conduct caused or contributed to the injury.
The injured person suffered damages.

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

Other laws may apply depending on the circumstances. Car and motorcycle accidents may involve provisions of the California Vehicle Code, while an accident caused by a dangerous property condition may involve California premises liability law.

Who May Be Responsible for Your Injuries?

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

Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties could include:

Negligent drivers.
Vehicle owners.
Employers.
Trucking and transportation companies.
Property owners.
Businesses.
Contractors.
Maintenance companies.
Manufacturers or other entities.

Some accidents involve several contributing factors and multiple potentially responsible parties.

Identifying all applicable parties can be particularly important when an accident results in significant injuries or when available insurance coverage is an issue.

What If You Were Partly at Fault?

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

Being partially responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent an injured person from recovering damages.

Instead, compensation may be reduced according to the injured person's percentage of responsibility.

For example, if a person suffers $100,000 in damages but is found 25% responsible for the accident, the recoverable amount could generally be reduced by 25%.

Because fault can directly affect compensation, insurers may dispute how an accident happened or argue that the injured person contributed to the incident.

Evidence can therefore be important in establishing the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Evidence That May Support a Personal Injury Claim

The evidence needed will depend on how the injury occurred.

Relevant evidence may include:

Police or accident reports.
Incident reports.
Photographs and videos.
Surveillance footage.
Dashcam recordings.
Witness statements.
Medical records.
Medical bills.
Employment and wage records.
Vehicle damage documentation.
Property maintenance or inspection records.
Expert analysis when appropriate.

Certain evidence may disappear over time. Surveillance footage can be overwritten, accident scenes can change, vehicles can be repaired, and witnesses can become more difficult to locate.

Promptly investigating an accident can help preserve evidence that may later become important.

Compensation Available in a Van Nuys Personal Injury Claim

Depending on the circumstances, an injured person may be able to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages can include measurable financial losses such as:

Medical Expenses: Emergency treatment, hospital care, surgery, diagnostic testing, medication, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.
Future Medical Care: Treatment reasonably expected to be necessary because of the injury.
Lost Wages: Income lost because the injury prevents you from working.
Loss of Earning Capacity: Losses resulting from a reduced ability to earn income in the future.
Property Damage: Costs associated with repairing or replacing property 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, including physical pain and other effects the injury has on the person's life.

There is no standard amount for a personal injury settlement.

Potential case value depends on factors such as the severity of the injuries, medical treatment, prognosis, lost income, future care requirements, impact on everyday life, evidence of liability, insurance coverage, and other case-specific circumstances.

What to Do After an Accident in Van Nuys

Taking appropriate steps after an accident can help protect both your health and a potential personal injury claim.

1. Seek Medical Attention

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

2. Report the Accident

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

3. Document What Happened

If you can safely do so, take photographs or videos showing:

The accident location.
Vehicle damage.
Road or traffic conditions.
Dangerous property conditions.
Traffic signs or signals.
Visible injuries.
Other relevant evidence.

4. Collect Witness Information

Obtain names and contact information from people who witnessed the incident.

5. Preserve Important Records

Keep copies of medical records, bills, wage documentation, receipts, repair estimates, photographs, and insurance correspondence.

6. Be Careful When Communicating With Insurers

An insurance adjuster may request information or a recorded statement about what happened. Statements made during the claims process may later be considered when evaluating liability and damages.

7. Avoid Settling Before Understanding Your Injuries

An early settlement may not account for future treatment or the complete effect of an injury. Once a claim is settled and a release is signed, the injured person generally cannot seek additional compensation from the settling party for the same claim.

8. Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer

An attorney can evaluate the circumstances of the accident, identify potentially responsible parties, review applicable insurance coverage, and explain the deadlines that may affect your case.

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

California imposes deadlines on personal injury lawsuits.

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

However, the applicable deadline can vary depending on the circumstances.

Claims involving California government entities, for example, may require an administrative claim to be presented much sooner—often within six months.

Other circumstances can also affect the time available to pursue a claim.

For that reason, an injured person should not automatically assume that the standard two-year period applies.

Waiting can also make evidence more difficult to obtain even when the statute of limitations has not expired.

Frequently Asked Questions About Van Nuys Personal Injury Claims

How much is my Van Nuys personal injury case worth?

There is no predetermined amount for a personal injury case. Potential value depends on factors such as the severity of your injuries, medical treatment, future care, lost income, long-term effects, available insurance coverage, evidence of liability, and whether fault is disputed.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit?

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

Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault?

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

Do I need a personal injury lawyer?

Not every injury claim requires legal representation. An attorney may be particularly helpful when injuries are significant, fault is disputed, multiple parties may be responsible, insurance coverage is complicated, or an insurer denies or undervalues a claim.

How long does a personal injury claim take?

There is no standard timeline. The duration can depend on medical treatment, the complexity of the accident, liability disputes, insurance coverage, settlement negotiations, and whether litigation becomes necessary.

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

You are not required to accept an initial settlement offer. Before resolving a claim, it is important to consider whether the amount adequately accounts for applicable medical expenses, lost income, future treatment needs, and other damages.

What if the person who injured me does not have enough insurance?

Additional sources of recovery may sometimes be available depending on the type of accident, applicable insurance policies, and whether other parties share responsibility. In automobile cases, for example, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply under an applicable policy.

Why Choose Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C.?

A personal injury claim involves more than reporting an accident to an insurance company.

The circumstances must be investigated, responsibility must be evaluated, evidence should be preserved, injuries and financial losses need to be documented, and settlement offers should be considered in light of the complete claim.

At Fassonaki Law Firm, P.C., we represent people injured because of another party's negligence.

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

Speak With a Van Nuys Personal Injury Lawyer Today

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

Seeking legal guidance early can help preserve evidence, identify potentially responsible parties and insurance coverage, and ensure that important legal deadlines are not overlooked.

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

Van Nuys Personal Injury Lawyer