San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer

San Diego Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been in an accident in San Diego or the surrounding areas in California, you are likely going through a challenging period in your life, with intense emotional, physical, and financial stress. If you believe that your accident was caused by another party, a dedicated and skilled San Diego personal injury lawyer from Duque & Price can assess your situation, evaluate the extent of your damages, and work to get you an optimal settlement.

At Duque & Price, we are here to offer comprehensive legal guidance. Our team can diligently address your needs, concerns, and case goals while aggressively representing you, both in and out of court. We have successfully dealt with thousands of cases, and we can use our experience and skills to optimize your case outcomes. Our law firm understands the complexity associated with personal injury litigation and is ready to take on your case.

San Diego Personal Injury Statistics

In San Diego County, there were 1,849 deaths in 2022 that were caused by unintentional injury. Of these deaths, 991 were linked to poisoning, 419 involved falls, 107 were due to unspecified motor vehicle traffic accidents, and 87 were pedestrians in motor vehicle traffic accidents. Other notable causes of death include motorcycle accidents, drowning accidents, suffocation accidents, and accidents due to natural/environmental causes.

In 2022, there were 27,764 non-fatal hospitalizations caused by unintentional injuries in San Diego County. Of these hospitalizations, the majority were due to falls, which made up 16,015 of these hospitalizations. Other notable causes include unspecified reasons (2,955 hospitalizations), poisoning (1,851 hospitalizations), motor vehicle transportation accidents involving occupants (1,483 hospitalizations), and being struck by or against an object (871 hospitalizations).

By being aware of key personal injury accident statistics in San Diego County and the rest of California, residents can take concrete steps to inform themselves about risks, allowing them to take action to protect themselves. By taking precautions on the roads, at work, and on other premises, such as construction sites, the people of San Diego can help themselves and their loved ones avoid personal injury accidents.

Personal Injury Accident Cases That Duque & Price Can Support You With

At Duque & Price, our legal team is deeply aware of the profound impact that an accident can have on a client’s life. From the start of your case until it is resolved, a personal injury accident lawyer from our firm can work closely with you. We can help you navigate the legal processes required to get you optimal compensation. We have handled thousands of personal injury accident cases, giving us the experience to support you in a variety of case types, including:

• Car accidents. Whether you have been involved in a drunk driving accident, a rear-end collision, or a hit-and-run incident, we can help you gather the required evidence to show the liability of the other driver to obtain adequate compensation for your damages.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents can often result in severe injury or even be deadly. A lawyer from our firm can help you adequately document your injuries and the associated expenses, helping you get the coverage you need to heal or otherwise manage the aftermath.
• Truck accidents. Due to the sheer mass of commercial trucks and other large commercial vehicles, truck accidents can be particularly destructive. Whether your truck accident involved cargo spills, load accidents, or a jackknife accident, our dedicated personal injury team is here to help you work through the steps needed to get your compensation.
• Pedestrian accidents. In San Diego County, roadways and intersections can be extremely dangerous or even deadly for pedestrians. Our law firm is here to support you in all types of pedestrian accident cases, ranging from sidewalk accidents to crosswalk accidents. Our attorneys can help you gather documentation and complete the legal processes needed to secure compensation.
• Slip and falls. Slip and fall accidents are typically a subset of premises liability cases. These can include falls that result from wet or uneven surfaces, accidents on unsafe staircases, or even slip and falls in public places. We can help you hold the property manager or owner who was responsible for your incident liable.
• Medical malpractice. Medical providers, such as physicians, nurses and midwives, are supposed to be providing quality care and ensuring that your health and safety come first. While this is usually the case, it is unfortunately not uncommon in San Diego for medical providers to make reckless or uninformed decisions, which can severely damage a patient’s well-being. If you have been involved in a medical malpractice incident, our dedicated team is ready to support you.
• Workplace injuries. If you were involved in an accident at work that was due to particularly malicious or reckless actions or inaction by your employer or managing authority, a personal injury lawyer from Duque & Price can help you take action immediately. We can hold the right parties responsible for your injuries as we work to get you the compensation you need to recover.
• Product liability. In California and elsewhere in the United States, consumers have a right to use safe products that are not a hazard to their health or well-being. Product liability cases often involve individuals in the chain of design or production of a product who act negligently or recklessly, leading to a dangerous product that harms consumers.

No matter the type of personal injury accident that you have suffered in San Diego, our legal team is here to provide comprehensive and compassionate legal support. We can help you fight back against the liable parties and get the compensation that you desperately need and deserve. When you reach out to Duque & Price, we can discuss your case details in a consultation and start working on a sound legal plan to pursue compensation.

Types of Personal Injuries in San Diego

If you have been involved in a personal injury accident in San Diego, the types of injuries that you might have suffered as a result can range drastically in their nature and severity. The dedicated personal injury legal team at Duque & Price is experienced in helping clients get compensation for a wide variety of injuries, including the following:

• Fractures and broken bones. Fractures and broken bones are commonly caused by high-impact accidents, such as car accidents or slip and falls. Common fractures include arm, leg, rib, nose, jaw, and hip fractures.
• Soft tissue injuries. While soft tissue injuries tend to be more minor, as they include ligament tears, muscle injuries, sprains, strains, and whiplash, there still can be significant associated medical costs. Furthermore, providing proof for such injuries can be difficult, but our legal team is ready to support you in doing so.
• Burn injuries. Burn injuries can range from minor first-degree burns to incredibly serious third-degree burns or chemical burns, which can result in long-term scarring or disfigurement. An attorney from our law firm can help you get compensation for the associated medical expenses and non-economic damages, such as disfigurement and pain and suffering, from such injuries.
• Internal injuries. Internal injuries can be particularly complex, as they involve complicated organ systems. Internal injuries commonly seen include organ damage, internal bleeding, abdominal injuries, and chest injuries. A lawyer from our firm can help you get compensation for these serious injuries.
• Traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are extremely serious injuries. These can result in a long-term breakdown of cognitive and motor functions. Brain injuries include concussions, contusions, penetrating injuries, and diffuse axonal injuries. A skilled and experienced lawyer can help you get adequate compensation for a traumatic brain injury.
• Spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries are another type of extremely serious injury. They can result in paralysis, such as paraplegia and quadriplegia. Other notable spinal cord injuries involve fractured vertebrae and herniated discs.
• Amputations. An amputation is the removal of a limb, which may be needed if it was irreparably damaged in a high-impact catastrophic accident. This process can include partial amputations and full amputations. It typically also requires high-cost prosthetics. Our lawyers can help you get compensation for disfigurement, which can also cover your prosthetics and other assistive devices.
• Psychological injuries. Due to the traumatic nature of a catastrophic injury accident, psychological injuries are commonly seen as a result. Common psychological challenges after catastrophic injury accidents include emotional distress, anxiety, depression, loss of enjoyment of life, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Whether your injuries are minor or more serious, a personal injury lawyer from Duque & Price is committed to getting you the compensation that you deserve so that you can cover the damages associated with your injuries. Whether this includes pursuing money for past, present, and future medical bills or getting compensation for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering or disfigurement, we are here to design and implement a custom legal plan that helps you acquire your due recompense.

Compensation for Your Personal Injury in San Diego

If you have suffered from an injury due to an accident in San Diego that was caused by the recklessness or negligence of another party, you could be entitled to different forms of compensation, depending on your case. A skilled and experienced lawyer from Duque & Price can help you understand the types of compensation that you may be entitled to, which depends on the nature and severity of your injuries and damages. You may be eligible to have the following covered by the at-fault party:

• Medical cost coverage. Settlements for personal injury accidents can cover the medical expenses that are normally associated with injuries, including costs for surgery, hospital stays, clinic visits, medical devices, assistive devices, medications, physical rehabilitation, and associated transport costs.
• Lost income. If you have been out of work as a result of your injuries, then you could be entitled to the income that you lost from the time of your injury up to the present, including the associated lost benefits. Furthermore, if you have a reduced earning capacity as a result of your injury, you could be entitled to compensation for lost future earnings as well.
• Property damage. Any property damage suffered as a result of a personal injury accident could potentially be covered in a settlement. For example, if you were in a car accident, and your vehicle was damaged as a result, compensation settlements could potentially cover the repair or replacement of your vehicle.
• Home modifications. You may have suffered serious short-term or long-term disabilities as a result of your personal injury accident. If so, a settlement could cover the costs of modifying your home to accommodate any new needs that may have arisen. Home modifications can include the installation of ramps or walk-in bathtubs, for example.
• Pain and suffering. Many personal injury accident victims have to deal with emotional pain and physical suffering as a result of their injuries. Such non-economic damages can be covered in a comprehensive settlement package.

In personal injury accident cases where the liable party carried out particularly malicious or reckless actions, there may be a possibility to pursue punitive damages. A dedicated personal injury lawyer from our San Diego law firm can examine all the details of your case and its associated injuries and damages. They can then help you understand which types of compensation you may be entitled to under California law.

San Diego Wrongful Death Cases

If you have lost a loved one to a personal injury accident in San Diego, then the legal team at Duque & Price understands the pain and frustration you must be feeling, especially if your loved one was killed as a result of another party’s wrongdoing or negligence. Whether your San Diego wrongful death case involves a deadly car accident or medical malpractice that led to your loved one’s death, a lawyer from our team is here to help you pursue compensation.

In a California wrongful death case, you may be entitled to compensation for both economic and non-economic damages under the law. Economic damages that you are entitled to could include:

• The cost of medical care that your loved one received before their passing
• Expenses associated with the celebration of their life, such as burial and funeral services
• Loss of benefits and income that your loved one would have provided if they were still living

Non-economic damages that you may be entitled to compensation for include:

• Emotional suffering due to the loss of your loved one
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of guidance
• General pain and suffering endured by the surviving loved ones of the deceased

If you are a surviving spouse, domestic partner, child, or close family member of the deceased, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim in California.

A personal injury lawyer from our law firm understands that, after losing your loved one, the last thing you want to deal with is bureaucratic and legal issues associated with a wrongful death case. Therefore, we are here to help you work through all these associated legal complexities, taking care of paperwork, evidence gathering, and meeting deadlines on your behalf. Together, we can seek justice by holding those responsible for your loved one’s death accountable.

Catastrophic Injury Accidents in San Diego

In San Diego, catastrophic injury accidents are life-changing events that can have serious emotional, physical, and financial effects on the victims and their loved ones. At Duque & Price, we are here to support individuals who have fallen victim to a catastrophic accident in San Diego. By working to understand the complexities of your case, we can then create and implement a comprehensive and diligent plan to pursue compensation for rebuilding your life.

Catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and severe fractures. Catastrophic injury accidents can involve severe car, motorcycle, truck, or pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one has experienced a catastrophic injury accident at work, it may have involved a construction site accident, an industrial accident, or an accident involving heavy machinery or electrical burns.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice cases can also lead to catastrophic injuries, with a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis leading to the advancement of a medical condition. Furthermore, certain birth injuries can result in lifelong conditions of the baby, such as cerebral palsy. Also, surgical errors by a medical provider can result in severe complications that lead to permanent disability. If you are dealing with a catastrophic injury as a result of medical malpractice, we can support you.

Other types of accidents that can commonly lead to catastrophic injury include slip and fall accidents, product liability accidents, and premise liability accidents. A dedicated personal injury lawyer from Duque & Price can help you get compensation for your catastrophic injuries, including their associated medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, home modifications, and personal care.

Average Personal Injury Settlement Amounts in San Diego

The average personal injury settlement amount for a case in San Diego is highly dependent on the type of injury that was suffered and the extent and complexity of the overall damages. Factors that are considered when determining personal injury settlement amounts include the:

• Severity of the injury or damages suffered
• Evidence involved showing that the other party was liable
• Experience and skill of the defendant’s legal representative

Personal injury accidents involving minor injuries, such as basic fractures, sprains, or whiplash, are likely to result in lower settlement amounts. This is due to their lower associated hospital bills and overall impact on the victim’s life. However, accidents that involve more severe injuries, such as spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries, are likely to result in much greater settlement amounts due to the long-term negative impact that these can have on the victim’s life.

FAQs

How Long Does a Personal Injury Claim Take in California?

The length of a personal injury case in California can vary depending on different variables, such as:

• The willingness of the parties involved to cooperate
• The nature of the case and its complexity
• Whether there are backlogs in the court system

While simple cases can be solved quickly, more complex personal injury cases that end up going to trial can last years. By working with an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can better understand what the timeline might be for your case.

What Is Considered a Personal Injury in California?

In California, personal injury generally refers to any injury or harm that a person suffers because of the recklessness, negligence, or intentional actions carried out by another party. Personal injury can include:

• Physical harm
• Emotional suffering
• Damages to property
• Loss of consortium
• Financial losses
• Any other damages and injuries incurred in these incidents

These all result from accidents such as premises slip and falls, traffic accidents, medical malpractice, and defective products.

How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim in CA?

To file a personal injury claim in California, it is advised that you consult with an experienced attorney.  They can give you legal advice and ensure that you meet all the requirements for filing a claim. On your behalf, the attorney can draft and file a legal document with the courts that details the extent of your injuries and damages, along with the liability of the party that caused them. After the filing, the defendant will be formally served, and then the discovery phase will commence.

What Should You Do If Someone Sues You for a Car Accident in California?

If you have been sued for a car accident in California, there are certain concrete steps that you can take to protect yourself and your rights, including notifying your insurance company as soon as possible so that they can start preparing to handle the claim. You will also need to gather key evidence, including witness statements, photos, and videos. Most importantly, you should consult with an attorney who can help you respond to the claim within the required timeframe.

Fight for the Compensation You Are Entitled to With a San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer Today

While it can be startling to find yourself in a personal injury accident in San Diego, the legal team at Duque & Price is here to support you with getting the compensation you are entitled to for your damages. We can work closely with you to uncover all the details of your case. Our firm can then document and evaluate the extent of your damages and injuries. After that, we can develop and implement a comprehensive legal strategy to pursue compensation. Contact us today for a consultation.