Get the Right Legal Advice for Your Los Angeles CA Face Injury
Our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA at Abogado Maximo understands the difficulties you and your family face after an accident. From our law office in Los Angeles, we have assisted numerous families like yours in obtaining the compensation they required to fight the most difficult battle of their lives – the battle to overcome serious face injury.
The impact of facial injuries following an accident on a person’s social life is one of the greatest difficulties. Depression, loss of self-esteem, and lack of confidence are common aftereffects of a severe facial injury. Work may be challenging. Family life can deteriorate.
Our personal injury lawyers at Abogado Maximo will fight for our clients. We have the knowledge and means to achieve success in your case. Contact our office to schedule a free case evaluation.
Why Do I Need a Facial Trauma Injury Lawyer in California?
If you have sustained facial injuries or disfigurement, you may have incurred a mountain of medical bills. You may be entitled to compensation for emotional trauma, pain, and suffering, as well as for reconstructive surgeries you may need in the future to reduce the appearance of scars.
Sadly, the insurance company will attempt to offer you significantly less than you deserve. They understand how to manipulate the system and will not act in your best interest. Therefore, you should retain the services of Abogado Maximo.
As soon as you retain our law firm, our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA will defend your legal rights and advocate for your right to compensation.
- We will investigate the accident and collect evidence to strengthen your case.
- We will employ specialists when necessary.
- We will oppose insurance companies that offer you significantly less than you deserve.
- We will assist with your medical bills and paperwork.
- We will respond quickly to your inquiries and strive to provide you with peace of mind.
What is a Face Injury?
A face injury is any type of injury that affects the face, including the eyes, nose, mouth, and jaw. Common causes of face injuries include falls, sports-related injuries, motor vehicle collisions, and assaults. Face injuries can be severe and can range from cuts and bruises to broken bones and concussions. In some cases, facial surgery may be required to repair damage to facial features.
In addition, the eyes, nose, and mouth can be affected by face injuries, leading to vision or hearing loss, difficulty breathing, and other medical complications. It is important to seek medical attention immediately if you experience any type of facial injury.
What Are the Most Common Types of Facial Injuries?
Facial injuries are among the most severe injuries sustained by accident victims. Facial trauma can result in permanent scarring and disfigurement that requires multiple facial reconstruction surgeries, plastic surgeries, scar revision treatments, or facial prostheses.
Many victims are left with a lasting or permanent alteration to their appearance, and such injuries can also result in permanent vision and speech impairments. These are the most common types of facial injuries:
- Broken nose
- Fractures around the eye
- Fractured skull
- A broken jaw
- Broken cheekbone
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Scars
- Road rash
- Cuts, lacerations, and other facial injuries
It is crucial to treat facial injuries properly. Victims require exceptional emergency care, acute treatment, long-term reconstruction, rehabilitation care, and customized prostheses. You may require surgery, stitches, follow-up surgeries, reconstructive procedures, scar reduction, and skin grafts, depending on the severity of your injuries.
What Are the Different Causes of Facial Injury in California?
Significant facial injuries can be caused by a variety of accidents, including:
- Automobile Accidents. Broken glass, flying objects, ejection from a vehicle, being thrown through the windshield, or contact with a window, the steering wheel, the dashboard, or an airbag can cause facial injuries in automobile accidents.
- Pedestrian Accidents. When struck by motor vehicles, pedestrians are completely unprotected and susceptible to all types of serious injuries.
- Accidents Involving Motorbikes and Bicycles. Those motorcyclists who do not wear helmets are more likely to sustain facial injuries.
- Dog Bites. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), numerous individuals underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of dog bites in the past year.
- Truck Accidents. Numerous occupants of passenger vehicles sustain severe injuries in collisions with large trucks, including facial trauma, scarring, and disfigurement.
- Slip and Fall Incidents. Facial injuries frequently result from falls.
- Airbag Injuries. Airbags are activated at high speeds. Although airbags save lives, they pose a risk of facial injury to vehicle occupants.
- Occupational Accidents. According to OSHA, workers in a wide variety of professions face a high risk of death or injury from being struck by objects that strike various body parts, including the eyes, face, and head.
What Are the Most Common Symptoms of a Face Injury?
A face injury can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. The most common symptoms of a face injury include swelling, bruising, bleeding, and pain. Other symptoms of a face injury may include dizziness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, and loss of consciousness.
It is important to seek medical attention if you experience any of the symptoms listed above, as it may be a sign of a more serious injury. You should also seek legal advice from a facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA to assess if you have a personal injury claim.
What to Do Following a Face Injury Accident in California?
After a face injury accident in California, it is important to take the necessary steps to protect your legal rights and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- If the accident occurred in a public place, call the police and report the incident. This will create a record of the accident and can be used as evidence to support a personal injury claim.
- Exchange contact information with any witnesses and take photographs of the accident scene. These photographs can serve as evidence to prove the extent of your injuries.
- Seek medical attention from a qualified healthcare professional. A doctor can evaluate your injuries and provide you with appropriate treatment. It is important to keep all records of your medical treatment, as this can also serve as evidence for your personal injury claim.
- Lastly, you may want to contact our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA to discuss your options for filing a compensation claim. We can help you understand your legal rights and ensure that you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Face Injury in California?
In California, liability for facial injuries may depend on the circumstances of the injury and the applicable law. Generally speaking, if a person’s face is injured due to the negligence of another, the person responsible for the injury may be held liable for the damages that result from the injury.
Responsible parties for your injuries can include:
- Private individuals, such as a motorist whose careless driving caused an accident that resulted in a facial injury
- Businesses or other organizations, such as a grocery store that failed to properly maintain its premises, resulting in a slip and fall accident
- A governmental entity, such as a state, county, or city
- Manufacturers of a defective product that causes a facial injury
- Doctors may also be liable if medical negligence contributed to the injury
- An insurance company may also be liable if it fails to honor a valid claim for damages arising from a facial injury
In any case, it is important to consult with our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA to determine who may be liable for your facial injury and to ensure that your legal rights are fully protected.
What is the So-Called “Burden of Proof?”
A burden of proof in a personal injury case indicates that the victim (plaintiff) must demonstrate what occurred. The burden of proof rests with the plaintiff. If it were a criminal case, the prosecution would be required to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and bear the burden of proof.
Personal injury cases, however, are considered civil cases, and the plaintiff or victim is responsible for proving their case. This means that the victim of an accident is responsible for providing evidence that another party acted negligently, and is therefore liable for damages.
What Are the Two Types of Burden of Proof in California?
In California personal injury cases involving the burden of proof, there are two types of burdens of proof:
Preponderance of Evidence
In the majority of personal injury cases in California, the plaintiff is required to present a preponderance of the evidence. This is a legal term that essentially means the plaintiff must prove that their claim is more likely to be true than false. Therefore, if you sustained a facial injury due to another party’s negligence, you must convince the jury that the accident was more likely than not the other party’s fault using evidence.
Clear and Convincing Evidence
Some civil cases involving personal injury will require the presentation of clear and convincing evidence. This means that you must demonstrate that your claim is highly probable, as opposed to merely probable. For instance, if you want to recover punitive damages, which are a form of punishment for the guilty party, you must present evidence that is clear and convincing.
How to Successfully Prove Your Facial Injury Claim in California?
In California, your word alone is insufficient to prove damages. To receive maximum compensation, you will need to demonstrate that you have been harmed or suffered a facial injury that has affected your work and life. In many instances, a facial injury claim is initially brought to court on shaky grounds. It is difficult to determine who is responsible for an accident and whether the victim will be compensated when liability is at issue.
If you sustained a facial injury in an accident, what you will have to prove to the court will depend on your case. Typically, the judge or jury will consider the following factors when determining negligence:
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care
- The duty of care had been violated
- The negligence of the defendant caused a facial injury
- That the plaintiff was injured
It is crucial, therefore, to retain our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA who specializes in personal injury claims and has a track record of success.
How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Facial Injury Case in California?
Even though you, as the injured party, bear the burden of proof for your facial injury claim, it is essential to note that California is a comparative negligence state. Then, what exactly is comparative negligence?
Comparative negligence in California entails that more than one party can be at fault, with the proportion of fault affecting your compensation. Therefore, if you, as the injured victim, file a claim against another party and it is determined that you also contributed to the accident, the amount of compensation you receive will be reduced.
Suppose you file a claim and prove that the defendant was at fault, resulting in a $100,000 settlement. The court determines that you are 20% responsible for the accident as a result of the defendant’s claim that you also acted negligently. Even though the defendant is primarily at fault, your settlement award will be reduced by 20%, leaving you with $80,000.
You must work with our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA for this reason. When you have the burden of proof in California, you must be able to argue that the other party is wholly at fault so that your settlement is not reduced due to comparative negligence.
What Are the Available Compensations for Your Facial Injuries?
If you have suffered facial injuries as a result of an accident, you may be eligible for compensation from the parties at fault, including:
Medical Fees
This includes all emergency transportation and treatment expenses, doctor’s office visits, hospitalizations, surgeries (including cosmetic procedures), ongoing procedures, expenses related to specialists, medication, medical equipment, etc.
Lost Earnings
You are entitled to compensation for the income you lost due to the accident and the time you were unable to work due to your injuries. In addition, you should be compensated if the scarring or injuries permanently reduce your earning potential or prevent you from working.
Loss of Life’s Pleasure
Life is altered when scarring and disfigurement are permanent. You may not feel as motivated to socialize or engage in activities as you did before your accident. You are entitled to compensation for the loss of your ability to appreciate and experience life’s gifts.
Pain and Suffering
This refers to compensation for both the physical and emotional pain that these types of severe injuries cause. Our personal injury attorney will assist you in determining the value or worth of your case by reviewing what you have endured as a result of the accident.
What is California’s Statute of Limitations for Facial Injury Claims?
In California, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is two years from the date of the accident or injury. Exceptions may alter this duration, but the standard is two years. Your legal right to sue the other party expires after the expiration of this time frame.
Exceptions that the state of California acknowledges may include delayed discovery or when the potential defendant leaves the state before the filing deadline. To maintain the fairness that the statute of limitations establishes, these circumstances may delay the start of the two years or suspend it temporarily.
When you initially contact our personal injury attorney, we will evaluate your case to determine whether you have a valid claim. However, we can also determine if any filing extensions apply to you. Our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA will collaborate with you to keep you abreast of the situation and identify issues as they arise.
What If I’m Suing a Government Entity for My Facial Injuries?
In California, it is possible to file a claim for personal injury against a local or state government agency, but the process varies. First, your injury must have been caused by the defendant’s negligence. For instance, you sustain an injury because a government building was not properly maintained.
Second, your lawsuit must adhere to a particular order of events. Instead of immediately filing a lawsuit against the government for personal injury, you must first file an administrative claim. This is the initial step, and you must file your claim within six months of your physical injury. After submission, the entity has 45 days to respond to your claim.
If they do not respond, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit (the standard statute of limitations). You may still file an appeal if your claim is denied, but you must do so within six months of the denial.
Legal Help for Facial Injury Victims in California
Victims of these severe facial injuries almost always require the assistance of a personal injury attorney to ensure that they receive adequate compensation to cover the cost of the specialized medical care they require. Abogado Maximo has a great deal of experience working with victims of facial disfigurement and severe facial injuries.
We have a special relationship with our clients who have suffered facial injuries because we understand how to provide legal assistance with sensitivity to their unique psychological needs.
If you or a loved one has suffered a facial injury, maxillofacial disfigurement, or scarring as a result of an accident in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the state of California, please contact our facial trauma injury lawyer in Los Angeles CA for a free case evaluation. Our legal team can also help you with Product Liability, Wrongful Death, and Child Sexual Abuse cases.
