What do Anaheim personal injury lawyers do?  Why should I hire one to represent me in my personal injury claim?  Can’t I just settle with the defendants or their insurance companies?  These are all questions which occur to victims of Anaheim personal injury accidents, and they are valid questions.  After all, why should you pay a personal injury lawyer to proceed with your case if you can just settle with the defendants yourself?

There are some very good reasons to hire an Anaheim personal injury lawyer, but perhaps the best reason of all is simple:  most victims of personal injury accidents do not receive the full amount of damages to which they are entitled.  Some receive nothing at all; others receive pennies on the dollar compared to what their claims are worth.

Why are so many people being underpaid for Anaheim personal injury accidents?  Usually, the answer lies in the psychology used by defendants and insurance companies who try to settle with plaintiffs quickly to avoid a bigger payment later.  Here are some common things heard after an Anaheim personal injury accident to dissuade plaintiffs from filing suits:

1)  “You won’t win your case; you should just settle.”  The fact is, no one can really guarantee whether a plaintiff will win or lose a case.  This applies to Anaheim personal injury attorneys as well as the attorneys for defendants and their insurers.   A trial is always something of a gamble, especially if it is a jury trial.  However, a good Anaheim personal injury attorney will give you a fair assessment of your chances of winning a case if it should proceed to trial.  Far more often, however, personal injury cases are settled long before they reach a courtroom.

2)  “This is the best settlement offer you will receive; you should take it.”  Insurance companies employ lawyers who make very good money to sell this line to potential plaintiffs.  By making it seem as if the insurance company is doing you a favor and giving you more than you “deserve,” these lawyers have managed to save their employers millions in legitimate settlement costs.

3)  “If you do not take this settlement offer, we will just go to trial; there will be no more offers.”  This is blatantly an attempt to make you fearful and persuade you to settle quickly.  Personal injury cases are sometimes settled up until five minutes before trial; no one is ever “unable” to settle a case.  Never let an insurance company or a defendant’s lawyer rush you into a settlement which could end up costing you significant money.

By talking to an Anaheim personal injury lawyer before you take a settlement for your case, you are utilizing one of your best tools to prevent being taken advantage of.  A good personal injury attorney assesses your case and gives you the facts—how much your case is probably worth, what settlement should be acceptable, and how to go about getting it.  Talk to an Anaheim personal injury attorney today if you have a personal injury, before you settle with the defendant.

A car accident in Los Angeles left an elderly woman injured the evening of February 1, 2012. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that the pedestrian accident happened at Ellen Drive and Cypress Street in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County near Covina. The woman was transported to a local medical center with unknown injuries. It is not clear if the driver will be cited in connection with this accident. The investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to this injured pedestrian accident victim. I pray that she recovers quickly and completely from her injuries.

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A dog bite incident in Riverside County resulted in injuries for a 12-year-old girl. The Press-Enterprise reports that the incident occurred the afternoon of January 29, 2012 near East Rider Street and Evans Road in Perris. Police say the girl was attacked by a pit bull. She was transported to an area hospital with dog bite injuries. But the nature and extent of her injuries is not known. The pit bull has been quarantined, but it is not know if the dog's owner will face any charges. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the injured victim of this dog attack. I pray that her injuries are not serious and that she recovers quickly and completely.

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A car accident in San Diego resulted in severe injuries for a female pedestrian. U-T San Diego reports that the injury collision happened near the intersection of Coronado Avenue and Green Bay Street in the Nestor area. Police say a vehicle, which pulled out of a driveway, struck the victim. The woman sustained a broken leg and hip as well as abdominal injuries. Officials are still investigating the cause of this major injury collision.

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A dog bite incident in Riverside County resulted in injuries for a mother and her 6-year-old son the morning of January 24, 2012. The Press-Enterprise reports that the dog attack occurred in a residential neighborhood near Indian Avenue and Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley. Officials say the woman was walking with her son and a younger child whom she was pushing in a stroller when they were attacked by a 120-pound bull mastiff. The dog bit a part of the boy's ear off and bit his mom in her hip. The dog's owner intervened and was able to take the dog back to his house. The younger child was unharmed. The two injured victims were transported to a local medical center for treatment and are expected to recover. Officials are investigating the incident.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims of this dog attack. I wish them the very best for a quick and full recovery.

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A car accident in Garden Grove resulted in critical injuries for an elderly man identified as 97-year-old Augustine Choi. The Orange County Register reports that the major injury collision occurred near the intersection of Brookhurst Street and Stanford Avenue. Choi was walking in a crosswalk when he was struck by a vehicle. Choi was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. An update on his condition is not available. It is not clear if the driver was cited or charged in connection with this incident.

I sympathize with Augustine Choi and his family for what they are going through at this time. I wish him the very best for a quick and full recovery. Please keep him and his family members in your prayers.

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A car accident in San Diego, which officials say, may have been caused by a distracted driver, resulted in catastrophic injuries for a bicyclist. U-T San Diego reports that the injury collision happened near the intersection of Sorrento Valley Boulevard and Whispering Heights Lane the afternoon of January 19, 2012. The bicyclist was traveling east in the bike lane when he was struck from behind by a Toyota sedan. The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officials say the woman was seen talking on a cell phone just before the crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with this critically injured bicyclist. The article states that doctors have said the man, even if he survives, is likely to be paraplegic. Tragic! Please keep this victim and his family in your prayers.

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A car accident in San Diego proved fatal for 92-year-old Harold Tolliver. U-T San Diego reports that the fatal pedestrian accident happened at Shoreline and Toscana drives in the University City area of San Diego. He was crossing the roadway when a vehicle driven by a 43-year-old man struck Tolliver. He was transported to an area medical center where he died. Officials are still looking into what caused this crash, but they are saying that the driver's car windows were fogged up at the time.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Harold Tolliver. Please keep them in your prayers.

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January 16, 2012--Nevada City, CA--In a terrible accident which occurred January 12 in the Nevada City area, a worker was decapitated while clearing debris from a roadside and feeding it into a wood chipper.

Martin Lara, a 50-year-old Applegate resident, was apparently clearing brush from beside a house along the Indian Shack Road, and was feeding large pieces of wood into a chipper.  The wood apparently became stuck, and a rope which was used to feed wood into the machine wrapped around Lara’s neck, decapitating him.  The Nevada County Sheriff’s Department is calling the incident an accident, but the investigation is ongoing.

The prevailing theory by authorities is that the rope became entangled somehow and was pulled into the machine, and as Lara was not able to reach the cutoff switch, he was unable to disentangle himself from the rope in time to escape.

My sincere and heartfelt condolences to Lara’s family in the time of this terrible tragedy.

Accident Statistics

According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, work-related accidents and illnesses affected more than 4.1 million people per year, with at least half of those injured severely enough to require absences from work and ongoing medical care.  At least 18 people per day die from work-related injuries, with construction workers accounting for one in five workplace-related deaths.

While car crashes are the leading cause of workplace fatalities, many other categories exist, such as falling objects, being caught between objects, and being pulled into machinery, as happened in this case.

What Caused This Accident

While authorities are still investigating the causes of this terrible accident, it does appear clear that there was a malfunction in the intended operation of the chipper unit and the rope used to secure large pieces of debris.  Exactly how this malfunction occurred is still under investigation, but it does raise questions about the safety of the device.

If the victim could so easily be caught in the rope, were there safety measures which should have been taken to prevent this accident?  Were the devices removed from this unit or not engaged properly?  A good personal injury attorney should investigate the facts of this accident to determine if the injury was caused by negligence.

Liability Issues

In a case such as this, liability can attach to several people or groups.  First, the company which manufactured the chipper could be liable if the safety devices in place were not sufficient to prevent the accident.  The owner of the chipper could also be liable if he or she failed to install the required safety devices properly, or if the safety devices were allowed to malfunction.  Finally, if something in the environment interfered with the proper working of the chipper, the landowner or the governmental agency which has jurisdiction over the road could have liability.

Until the circumstances are fully understood, a determination of liability will be impossible.  Once the facts of the case become apparent, however, an expert <a href="http://www.bestattorney.com/personal_injury.html" target="_blank">personal injury attorney</a> can evaluate the liability issues and work with the family of the victim to recover damages for this terrible accident.

A car accident in Riverside that involved two vehicles resulted in injuries for eight people, The Press-Enterprise reports. Officials say the accident happened the morning of January 15, 2012 at the intersection of Highway 62 and Dillon Road in Palm Springs. Police said a total of eight people sustained injuries. Among the victims were two children who suffered critical injuries. Officials are still investigating the cause of this car crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this crash. I pray for their swift and full recovery.

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