Fresno Personal Injury Lawyers

Helping Fresno Accident Victims Recover Maximum Compensation for Their Injuries

No one ever thinks they may suffer personal injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. Unfortunately, personal injury accidents occur daily in the Fresno area. Injuries caused by motor vehicle, pedestrian, and workplace accidents can leave victims unable to work, which can quickly lead to a financial crisis.

Most personal injury victims struggle with how they will pay bills and support themselves and their families due to lost wages and increasing medical expenses.

To make matters worse, insurance companies often try to argue that personal injury victims are to blame or share a degree of liability to deny or pay less than claims are worth. Studies show that when accident victims have a personal injury attorney on their side, they are more likely to obtain fair compensation for their claims.

Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian is a law firm firmly committed to assisting personal injury victims in filing compensation claims to recover damages. If we agree to take your case, we will fight to help you recover maximum compensation for medical bills you have incurred, lost wages, and other accident-related damages.

Contact our Fresno personal injury lawyers today and ask to schedule a free initial consultation so that we may review your case and determine your available legal options.

Why Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer to Help Me File a Personal Injury Claim?

One of the most common questions that accident victims ask our personal injury attorneys is why they need to hire a lawyer to file a claim. Many injured parties make the critical mistake of trying to file insurance claims without the help of experienced personal injury lawyers.

However, accident victims quickly realize that the legal process of filing a claim is more complex than anticipated. Therefore, it is always in your best interests to hire a personal injury lawyer who can assist you with the legal intricacies involved with compensation claims,

There are several significant benefits associated with hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer, which include:

A neutral third-party perspective: Often, accident victims suffer severe or catastrophic injuries that can cloud their perspectives on their injury cases. A personal injury lawyer can provide an honest assessment of how much compensation a client may realistically recover.
Complete and file insurance paperwork: Insurance claims are often denied or rejected because the paperwork is incomplete or not filled out correctly. A Fresno personal injury attorney can make sure the paperwork is filled out completely and turned in on time.
Gather evidence: Personal injury lawyers have the financial resources to gather evidence, including police reports, medical records, and witness testimony to support their client’s claim.
Negotiate with the insurance company: Most personal injury claims are settled out of court through negotiations with insurance providers. A personal injury attorney will act as the victim’s legal liaison with the insurer and will work to help their client recover full compensation for injuries.
Skilled legal representation: If negotiations with the insurance company are not productive and they do not offer a fair settlement, a personal injury case may need to proceed to the litigation stage. An experienced personal injury attorney can provide skilled legal representation to present vital evidence to the court and ensure their client’s rights are protected.

If you are still trying to determine the advantages of hiring an attorney, contact Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian today and ask to schedule a free consultation with a Fresno personal injury lawyer who can address your concerns.

What Types of Personal Injury Cases Does Your Law Firm Handle for Clients?

The law office of Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian has vast experience handling a wide array of personal injury cases. Our years of experience allow us to create innovative legal strategies that help us maximize the financial compensation we can recover for clients.

Personal injury cases that we handle include:

Of all the motor vehicle accidents our law firm handles, car accidents rank high on the list. A car accident case can result in severe injuries and lost time at work. Our car accident attorneys will work tirelessly to ensure clients are treated fairly by the insurance company.

Our years of experience handling cases involving California personal injury law have given us the knowledge and skills to help clients win cases.

Our Fresno injury lawyers recognize that no two accident cases are alike. For this reason, we take time to investigate the facts and evidence of the case to develop advanced legal strategies that help clients win settlements and provide them with the peace of mind they deserve.

If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, California law allows you to try and recover damages for medical bills and other accident-related expenses. Contact our Fresno personal injury lawyers today to learn more about our legal services.

What are the Most Frequently Reported Personal Injuries in the Fresno Area?

In the Fresno area, accident victims may suffer an extensive range of physical injuries such as bruising, head, neck, and back injuries, and other trauma. Injuries sustained often depend on the type of accident the victim experienced.

For example, auto accidents often result in victims suffering the following types of injuries:

Fractured or broken bones
Whiplash
Internal injuries
Cuts, bruises, lacerations
Burns
Emotional distress

Accident victims harmed by negligence can suffer life-changing catastrophic injuries that leave them permanently disabled or require significant recovery time. Catastrophic injuries include:

Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Burns
Loss of organs
Amputations

If you or a loved one have suffered catastrophic injuries, it is in your best interest to hire a highly trained attorney to help you file a Fresno personal injury claim.

Regardless of whether you have sustained minor or serious injuries, you cannot afford to risk your future and well-being by not hiring an attorney who can provide you with skilled legal representation. Contact our Fresno injury lawyers immediately to schedule a free consultation.

Should I Speak to the Other Party’s Insurance Company?

If you have suffered personal injuries, a claims adjuster from the responsible party’s insurance company will most likely try to contact you soon after the accident has been reported. Insurance companies are usually more interested in maintaining their profit margins rather than the well-being of those who file claims.

In some instances, an insurance adjuster may ask you to make a recorded statement in which you provide details regarding how the accident occurred. The adjuster may even tell you your claim can only be resolved once you have completed the statement.

Insurance providers have the legal right to use your statement against you to try and delay, deny, or pay significantly less than your claim is worth. California law subscribes to a pure comparative fault doctrine, meaning that any damages you may recover can be decreased by the percentage of fault you may share in causing an accident. As a result, insurance companies have skilled attorneys looking for ways to blame accident victims to avoid paying large settlements.

In other cases, an insurance representative may offer you a quick settlement that is, in all likelihood, not sufficient to care for your present needs and future medical expenses. You should never sign any insurance paperwork without allowing an attorney to review it first. If you sign what is known as a “release of all claims” or a “settlement release,” you release the liable party and their insurance provider from taking any further legal action.

You should only consent to make a statement or agree to a settlement after you have consulted with an attorney who will protect your legal rights. Our Fresno, CA, personal injury attorneys have in-depth experience dealing with insurance companies and the unethical strategies they frequently use to protect profits. Our law firm offers free consultations and will gladly evaluate your case.

Can I Recover Compensation if I Was Partially to Blame for the Accident?

A common question many personal injury victims ask us is whether or not they can still recover compensation if they are partially to blame for the accident that caused their injuries. State law dictates that if it is determined that an accident victim shares blame for causing an accident, they may still be entitled to recover compensation as long as they are less than 51% at fault. Any financial compensation is then reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to them.

Through a California personal injury claim, you may be entitled to recover economic and non-economic damages incurred due to an accident.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are granted as compensation for any out-of-pocket expenses that you may have had to pay after being injured. Similarly, economic damages may also pay compensation for future medical treatment, such as rehabilitation and physical therapy costs. Other economic damages may include compensation for expenses such as:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Loss of earning potential
Property damage, if applicable

Non Economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to compensation paid to personal injury victims that do not have a set financial value. If non-economic damages are awarded, they are based on the case’s unique facts and events. Therefore, accident victims should be advised that because no two cases are the same, any non-monetary compensation awarded may also vary.

Frequently awarded compensatory damages may include:

Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life
Emotional distress
Permanent disfigurement and scarring

One of the most beneficial advantages of hiring a personal injury attorney is they can evaluate cases to determine appropriate damages for clients. Allow an experienced personal injury attorney from Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian to review your California personal injury claim to ensure that you receive maximum compensation for the harm you have suffered due to negligence.

What Happens if an Accident Victim Suffers Catastrophic Injuries?

No one ever enjoys being hurt in an accident, especially one caused by another person’s negligent actions or inactions. Depending on the extent of the injuries, it can take weeks or significantly longer to fully recover.

However, for individuals who suffer devastating catastrophic injuries, the recovery process can take months or years, or they may never gain back what basic abilities they lost. Under California law, catastrophic injuries are those that may be permanent or involve damage to vital areas of the body. Additionally, these life-changing injuries may require extensive or long-term medical care.

Although personal injury victims can suffer catastrophic injuries in numerous ways, motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause. For example, a biker has a significantly greater chance of sustaining spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries in a motorcycle accident than those injured in car accidents due to a basic lack of protection.

If you have suffered catastrophic injuries, you must hire an attorney who will fight to help you recover maximum compensation that will cover future medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. California personal injury law can be overly complex when determining damages for accident victims. Therefore, anyone dealing with permanent injuries should hire an attorney with years of experience in personal injury law.

Our Fresno personal injury lawyers will work closely with the insurance company to ensure you are treated fairly and receive a settlement that will give you the peace of mind you need to face the future.

How Long Does Our Family Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim?

One of the most tragic events that any family can face is having to deal with the unnecessary death of their loved one. However, countless times every year, California families heartbreakingly lose close family members due to other’s negligence.

The California statute of limitations allows families of wrongful death victims up to two years from the date of their loved one’s death to file a claim. Families should be aware that the statute of limitations clock starts ticking the day their loved one dies, not necessarily the day of their accident, as some injured victims may not pass away until a later date.

Only a personal representative overseeing the victim’s estate or eligible family members of the decedent may file a wrongful death claim, including:

Surviving spouse or domestic partner
Children of the deceased
Parents
Legal guardians

If the decedent had no surviving spouse, children, or other close family members, an intestate successor may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Regardless of who files the suit, California’s “one action rule” stipulates that the legal action must include all of the deceased’s known heirs.

Just as with personal injury claims, any damages that may be awarded will be based on the facts of the case. Commonly awarded wrongful death damages may consist of economic and non-economic damages, which include:

Medical bills related to the victim’s fatal accident
Reasonable funeral and burial expenses
Future lost wages
The value of household services provided by the victim
Emotional trauma
Loss of companionship
Loss of care, comfort, and protection

Even though two years may seem like a sufficient amount of time to file a claim, it can quickly pass by. Family members who fail to file a claim within the two-year statute of limitations risk losing all legal recourse to collect compensation. If you wait to file a case until after the statute of limitations has passed, the court will most likely throw the case out.

If you have lost a loved one due to wrongful death, contact our Fresno personal injury lawyers immediately so we can begin working to get the justice your family deserves.

How Long Will It Take to Settle My Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury victims often wonder how long it will take to settle their case. State law dictates that insurance companies settle personal injury claims within 85 days of submission. However, other time factors play into how long a personal injury claim may take to be settled, including:

The insurance provider must acknowledge a personal injury claim within 15 days of receipt of the written claim
The insurance provider must make a decision regarding the case within 40 days of receipt of the written claim

If the insurance provider approves the personal injury claim, they have 30 days to issue a payment to the accident victim.

Even though the claims process may seem relatively straightforward, there are often mitigating factors that can cause delays. Some of the factors that could lead to delays include:

Legal issues: One of the leading causes of delayed claims is due to legal issues. Insurance companies are loyal to their stockholders and often look for loopholes or obscure legal issues to delay or deny claims. In other instances, there may be discrepancies between the claimant and the at-fault party.
The severity of injuries sustained: One of the critical issues in any personal injury case involves the severity of the injuries sustained by the victim. Many accident victims are unaware that waiting until you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) is always best. Reaching MMI means that medical professionals have determined that you will not make any further physical improvement with your injuries. Once you have reached MMI, only then should a personal injury lawyer determine applicable damages.
Lack of evidence: If there is a lack of evidence in a personal injury case, the claim can take considerably longer to resolve. However, in cases where there is a significant amount of evidence, the case may need more time to be investigated.

Understanding the claims process can be challenging without the help of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. Contact our Fresno law office and ask to speak with a qualified legal professional who can provide more information.

Why are Your Fresno Personal Injury Lawyers the Right Choice to Handle My Case?

Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian is a law firm dedicated to assisting personal injury victims through the claims process. We know that insurers often try to take advantage of those who have been injured due to negligence.

Other law firms often make empty promises they cannot keep, and clients end up with settlements that do not adequately meet their current or future needs. Our personal injury attorneys provide honest evaluations to ensure clients are well-informed and know where they stand.

If we agree to take your case, we will work relentlessly to gather evidence from police reports, medical professionals, and accident reconstructionists that will support your claim. Regardless of whether your personal injuries are related to an automobile accident or medical malpractice, you can count on us to stand by your side from start to finish in the claims process.

Our personal injury lawyers are skilled in negotiating with insurance providers to help you recover compensation, allowing you to have peace of mind and face the future confidently. Nevertheless, if the insurance company is unwilling to offer you a fair settlement, our dedicated team of legal professionals will be ready to file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.

Our legal staff speaks fluent French and Spanish, so you do not have to worry about a language barrier preventing you from getting the legal help you need after being injured. If you are dealing with personal injuries caused by negligence, do not try to handle your case alone and risk not receiving the compensation you deserve.

Contact Tomassian, Pimentel & Shapazian of Fresno, CA, by calling (559)-545-0383 and ask to schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can protect your rights.