San Joaquin County is the home of Garden Acres, a census-designated place popular with residents and travelers. This suburb of Stockton has a population of about 10,700 and has continued to develop over the years. Although few accidents occur in Garden Acres, State Route 99 and Highway 4 run through the area.

Many commuters take these routes to the Bay Area and Southern California. Traffic in this area, especially during rush hour, can increase the risk of an accident, leading to severe injury or even death. When this happens, an attorney may help by recovering damages to help pay for expenses incurred.

At our law firm, we handle a wide array of injury cases. These may include but are not limited to the following:

• Auto Accidents
• Bicycle Collisions
• Boating Accidents
• Dog Bite Injuries
• Motorcycle Crashes
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Slip and Fall Accidents
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Trucking Accidents
• Wrongful Death

Compensatory damages compensate an injured individual for their losses and attempt to make the person feel whole again. These damages come in two types, economic and noneconomic. While both are caused by an accident, they differ in how they are defined.

Economic damages are past and projected future out-of-pocket expenses. These include:

• Medical Expenses: The cost of medical care, including past and future, such as rehabilitation, physician’s appointments, prescriptions, and hospitalizations, may be recovered. The cost of transportation to and from medical appointments is also recoverable. Lifestyle accommodations necessary for an injury, such as a walker, brace, and wheelchair, may also be claimed.
• Lost Wages: The time a worker is off work to recover from an injury can be reimbursed. This includes any wages, bonuses, or other financial incentives that would have been earned had the accident not occurred. This also includes salaries in the future if the injured party cannot return to the same job due to a permanent disability.
• Loss of Household Services: This includes the services an injured person used to perform in his or her household before the accident. The cost of hiring someone to render those same services can be recovered.
• Property Damage: If personal property was damaged in an accident, the injured party has the right to compensation for their loss. For instance, an injured cyclist or pedestrian may be reimbursed for repairing or replacing damaged watches, glasses, or clothing.

Noneconomic damages are intangible losses that are complicated to quantify monetarily. They involve the injured person’s responses to lifestyle changes, experiences, and emotions. These damages include:

• Disfigurement: People are sometimes disfigured or scarred by a collision. This can interfere with self-image and may make them less likely to socialize with others. An injured individual may seek compensation for the humiliation and emotional suffering caused by the unsightly mark. Moreover, the cost of cosmetic surgery to improve the appearance of the disfigurement may also be reimbursed.
• Loss of Consortium: This is a way for a spouse to recover from the loss of care, companionship, comfort, and sexual intimacy that an injured party would have been able to provide to him or her otherwise. The inability to conceive children may also be claimed through this type of damage.
• Mental Anguish: These are designed to compensate an injured person for the psychological distress caused by their injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. You must show the duration and severity of these symptoms and how they significantly interfere with your life to recover from this type of damage.
• Pain and Suffering: This includes psychological and physical pain symptoms of severe injury. This includes what pain has been endured to date and the potential effects of the trauma in the future.

Punitive damages may be available under certain circumstances. They are intended to punish the negligent party and deter them from committing such actions. Before receiving these damages, you must prove that the other party was guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice. This is by the California Civil Code Section 3294.

California is a comparative fault state, meaning that more than one party or entity can be found negligent for an accident. However, being deemed partially negligent does not exclude you from claiming damages. Instead, the amount you would be awarded in a settlement would be reduced by the percentage of negligence assigned to you. For instance, if you were to be found 20 percent at fault for an accident, you could still obtain 80 percent in compensation.

Negligence must be proven with evidence in a case of personal injury. You may use pictures and videos from the accident scene, traffic collision reports, and eyewitness testimony to show someone else was to blame for the incident. In severe accident cases, your attorney may enlist crash reconstruction experts and expert witness testimonies to properly determine fault.

We handle cases on a contingency fee basis. This means it costs nothing to start your case, and there are no upfront fees. A fee will only be paid if we obtain a favorable outcome on your behalf.

The responsible party’s insurance carrier usually covers medical bills from an accident. However, they may not be reimbursed until the case is settled. Since this can take months or even years, covering your medical bills through your health insurance may be the best route during your recovery.

If you have Med-Pay coverage on your automobile insurance policy, you can submit your medical expenses to your insurance company, including any co-pays and deductibles. They usually reimburse the bills until the policy limits exceed the time limit and/or are exhausted.

Consulting with an experienced Garden Acres auto accident attorney is crucial, especially when you have suffered traumatic injuries or lost someone you love in a car wreck. From communicating effectively with insurance companies to settling personal injury claims, a lawyer can offer valuable support and insight for your case.