northridge personal injury attorney

Ensure Your Best Possible Recovery ~

It can certainly be a life-altering event, and the first thing you should know about spinal cord injury is that it does not always present symptoms immediately after sustaining damage. If you suffer a head, neck, or back injury, even if you feel that it’s minor, get the opinion of a qualified health care professional immediately. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you should know what steps to take to ensure that you’ll receive the best medical care and rehabilitation efforts.

All brain injuries and injuries to the spinal cord are potentially dangerous. They can cause excruciating pain, take away your freedom of movement, speech, or hearing, and can even result in death. If you suffer an injury to the spinal cord due to an accident, on the job or elsewhere, you’ll not only need excellent medical attention but also the counsel of a skilled personal injury attorney. More often than not, there will be an intimidating maze of legalities that must be dealt with before you can get on with treatment and recovery.

Things to Keep in Mind

After you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, take the following steps to ensure that you won’t be left without help and without the means to ensure your best possible recovery.

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What Are The Odds?

One thousand Americans arrive in emergency rooms every day having suffered injury from a dog bite. Approximately one third of all American households own a dog. While most dogs are considered docile and obedient, without proper socialization any dog can be provoked into biting by loud noises, aggressive movement, or threatening situations. It is the responsibility of a dog’s owner to seek proper obedience training and take all necessary measures to ensure that the dog will not attack. If a dog is overly aggressive, and prone to attacking people, it’s the owner’s responsibility to surrender it to an animal shelter.

An attack can happen to anyone, however research shows that children are most at risk. Close to half of those suffering a dog bite injury are children. Dog bite injuries often leave victims physically and emotionally scarred. More serious cases of dog attack have even resulted in death. Medical costs for reconstructive surgery and psychological recovery can be exorbitant, and often beyond the financial means of the victim. That’s when the law steps in.

If You Are Bitten

It’s extremely important to identify the animal that bit you. If for some reason this is impossible, you face the probability of having to submit to painful treatment for rabies. Additionally, if you were attacked by a dog, or any animal being kept by a person, you are almost certainly entitled to compensation from its owner. Depending on the severity of your injury, that compensation may well be needed to pay the medical costs of reconstructive surgery, reimburse you for lost income, and help you overcome psychological trauma from your injuries. Next, seek medical attention as quickly as possible. If your face is wounded, insist on being treated by a cosmetic surgeon, as appearance will matter to you and emergency room personnel aren’t always trained in this specialty.

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The First Five Questions ~

Personal injury cases range from auto accidents to medical malpractice to product or premises liability to other torts resulting in catastrophic injuries. The commonality amongst all of these cases is that a legal duty was breached which resulted in harm and caused financial, physical and emotional distress. In such situations, it is important to select a seasoned attorney who is aggressive, committed and dedicated to empowering you and your case. To find the right legal counsel, here are 5 important questions to ask an attorney:

Do you specialize in personal injury cases?
Select an attorney dedicated to practicing injury law. You will receive access to a network of industry-specific experts, an attorney who is well-versed in this discipline and one who possesses a true passion for his area of specialty. This allows an attorney to focus dedicated resources and expertise on a case. If you are the victim of a personal injury, a claim will generally entitle you to damages, including past and future medical costs, lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering.

How many cases like mine have you taken to trial or settled?
This answer is indicative of an attorney’s level of experience and skill set as well as knowledge of cases similar to yours. Also, ask about the attorney’s success rate record with trials vs. out-of-court settlements. Most tort cases settle prior to trial. Those that don’t are presented in court to a judge or jury who will determine and award damages. The attorney should have a track record of winning cases which are similar in nature to yours, as well as resolving them through negotiation. It’s also important to have the attorney explain recommendations, based on details of your case.

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Protect Your Health and Your Legal Rights ~

If you’re involved in any kind of vehicular accident, there are certain rules you should follow. Some of these rules are required by law, others are there to protect your rights. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in an auto accident, a bicycle accident, a motorcycle accident, or are hit by any one of them while walking down the sidewalk as a pedestrian. These rules apply in all situations. While you should always consult with a personal injury attorney for legal advice immediately following any accident, you also need to know, in advance, what to do in case of an emergency.

Remain as calm as possible. Being involved in an accident is almost always an emotional experience. You may be afraid of potential consequences. You may also be in pain. However, staying as calm as you can is in your best interest. You will be less likely to say or do something that could be detrimental should legal proceedings result.

First, if anyone was injured in the accident, call 911. “Anyone” means yourself and passengers in your vehicle as well as other drivers, and passengers in other vehicles. Emergency personnel should be contacted even if the injuries seem minor. Second, call the police so the facts of the accident can be documented. In most instances, a single call to 911 will likely dispatch both the police and paramedics.  (Note: In certain instances, the police may refuse to come or prepare a report.)

Even if you believe the accident was entirely your fault, do not make any statements to that effect. Doing so can have serious legal consequences, and might even affect your insurance coverage. You are not obligated to provide this information before obtaining legal advice.

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The Mandell Law Firm, serving Southern California in personal injury and tort litigation, is proud to announce the launching of its new San Fernando Valley traffic accident website, www.trafficaccidentlawfirm.com. As experienced Northridge car accident attorneys, we at the Mandell Law Firm understand how important it is for auto accident victims to be completely familiar with their legal rights and options after being in a crash caused by a negligent driver.

Residents and visitors to the San Fernando Valley area are unfortunately no stranger to traffic accidents. However, this does not make their occurrence any less devastating to injury victims and their families. Our traffic accident website provides helpful information regarding various types of traffic accidents including bus accidents, intersection accidents, pedestrian accidents, truck accidents, cell phone related accidents, motorcycle accidents, and many other types of auto collisions.

Whether a traffic accident is caused by a negligent driver, a defective auto part, or a dangerous roadway, those involved in such incidents may sustain minor to catastrophic injuries. As a consequence, many injury victims may experience the inability to keep a job, thus creating tremendous financial hardship amidst hefty medical bills caused by their injuries. It is for these reasons, and many others, that injury victims and their families should fully utilize their legal resources.

At the Mandell Law Firm, we handle several personal injury and wrongful death cases, large or small, with hands-on care for our clients. If you have been injured in a traffic accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident, please refer to our traffic accident website at www.trafficaccidentlawfirm.com for more information. Our skilled San Fernando Valley traffic accident lawyers can be reached at 818-886-6600 for a free consultation.