The Westminster Personal Injury Lawyers of Bisnar Chase have been litigating cases involving accident victims for 45 years.
Injuries sustained from car accidents or slip and falls happen more often than people know. The people that are involved in these incidents are left in the emergency room with hefty medical bills. The law firm of Bisnar Chase has won over $900 million dollars in compensation for clients who have faced many financial losses from a catastrophic occurrence.
If you want a free consultation for your personal injury case, contact the Westminster personal injury attorneys at Bisnar Chase. When you call our law offices at 949-203-3814, you can speak to a top legal expert.
What you should ask your attorney when meeting
- How much do you charge, or what is your fee?
- What is your success rate in winning cases?
- How long will my personal injury claim take?
- Will you go to trial if necessary?
- How long have you been representing injured plaintiffs?
If the attorney you are considering doesn’t answer all those questions with answers you like, seek better counsel. Bisnar Chase has been winning cases for over 46 years, with a 99% success rate and almost one billion recovered.
Personal Injury Lawyer Westminster
What Qualifies as a Personal Injury?
A personal injury is any physical, mental, or emotional damage acquired by an accident. The accident that caused harm to the victim is usually due to someone else’s negligence.
A person who has experienced pain and suffering due to the carelessness of a third party can file a claim for a personal injury.
There are many types of incidents that can qualify as personal injury, but there are two core aspects that need to be proven so an accident victim can gain the highest compensation for their injury. The two primary elements that must be proven in a personal injury case are “duty of care” and “breach of duty”.
Duty of Care
Although there is not a set definition for “duty of care” there is a legal responsibility that the Supreme court has enforced among parties such as doctors and manufacturers to care for their clients properly.
The duty does not only fall on professionals and business owners though, this duty of care is also extended to employers and drivers. Duty of care must be proven in order to hold a third party accountable for a victim’s injuries.
Breach of Duty
When a third party has been determined to be a primary factor in an accident, it can then be determined that the third party violated their duty of care. One of the main questions that the courts will want to be answered is if the negligent party foresaw the risk of injury or was notified but did not take action to prevent injuries.
For instance, if an employee notified a manager that the floor was slippery and the manager did not put a caution sign to warn customers to walk in that area, the courts will see this as an act of carelessness.
How Much Can You Get in a Personal Injury Case?
Every case is unique, but a typical personal injury case can vary from a few thousand dollars to a 7 or 8 figure settlement or verdict. The more serious your injuries are, the more the case is worth.
We will never settle your case to be done with it. We are only paid if we win, so it’s always in our best interest if we fight until the end to get you top compensation for your accident. We will also never charge you – we only collect our fees from what we recover, and if we don’t win, you won’t pay.
How Long Will it Take to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
Your case could take anywhere from a few months to a few years to settle, depending on how complex the accident is. Some cases settle quickly with minor injuries within a few months. More complex cases will require more investigation and resources to ensure we get you top compensation.
If your attorney rushes to settle your case, they are not fighting hard enough for you. Initial offers from the defendant’s insurance company will be low-ball offers, and a tough attorney will never accept those initial offers.
What Percentage Do Most Personal Injury Lawyers Take?
In California, personal injury attorneys charge roughly 33%. More complicated cases or cases that go to trial may charge a higher percentage but can not charge more than 45%.
The cost to work the file, including document fees, police records requests, medical records fees, witness fees, and filing fees, is covered by the percentage the attorney takes. You can discuss your fee structure with your attorney as many times those terms are flexible.
5 Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
Catastrophic accidents that could have been prevented occur every day. What’s worse is that many lose their lives at the hands of someone’s negligence. If you’ve been wrongly injured, somebody needs to be held accountable – both morally and financially.
Personal injury cases encompass more than you might think; they can include and result from:
Car accidents
According to DriverKnowledge.com, over two million people suffer from permanent injuries yearly due to car accidents. Auto accidents have a multitude of causes that range from drunk driving, speeding, or texting and driving. Experts say that how you can prevent an accident is by abiding by traffic laws and not driving distracted.
Dog bites
Dogs can do more damage to a person than many people think. Reports have stated that over 27,000 cases of reconstruction surgery were performed in one year to restore the damages caused by dog bites.
Dog Bite Statistics state that the primary victims of dog attacks are children and senior citizens. If you are approached by a dog that you are not familiar with do not look the dog directly in the eye and even if you feel compelled to, do not run, slowly proceed away from the dog.
Defective products
In the United States, millions of people have suffered serious injuries at the hands of product defects including wrongful death lawsuits. Some of those product defects include house maintenance supplies, chemicals, or children’s products. Liable parties for catastrophic injuries can be the product designer or product manufacturer.
If you or someone you know has experienced pain and suffering and are seeking representation for a product liability case, the Westminster Personal injury lawyers of Bisnar Chase will take on the big corporations for you and get you the highest compensation you deserve for your defective product case.
Premises liability
A premise liability claim involves a victim being severely injured on the defendant’s property. The most common premise liability lawsuit is a slip and fall injury. Slip and falls take place if a plaintiff slipped on wet floors or trips over a poorly constructive set of stairs.
Liability does not always fall on a property owner though. The employee or the supervisor at the time being of a store can also be held accountable for injuries especially if they were informed and did not do anything about it.
Work accidents
Many employees are under the impression that when they are hurt at work, the company’s insurance or workers’ compensation will cover the costs of the injuries.
Although that may be true most of the time there are instances when an employee is not given the full amount of compensation. Lost wages and temporary disability may not be covered and workers are left to fend for themselves.
Pedestrian and cycling accidents:
Orange County is filled with pedestrians. Because of our ease of access to everything, including beaches and parks, the county sees a high number of pedestrian and cycling accidents annually.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, there were 88 pedestrian accidents in Orange County, California in 2022, resulting in 23 fatalities and 65 injuries. This is a decrease from the 97 pedestrian accidents that occurred in 2021 but still higher than the 79 pedestrian accidents that occurred in 2020.
Where Do I Begin with my Personal Injury Claim?
Every personal injury case differs from the other in terms of injuries and damages that were obtained during the incident. The process of filing a claim can be daunting and complicated. Most accident victims are unaware of where to start when filing their personal injury claim. There are steps that you can take that would make the process easier.
Actions you can take when you pursuing your injury case are:
Ask if the insurance company will cover the damages
It is important to inquire before filing an injury claim for a car accident or slip-and-fall to see if the insurance company will offer you the compensation you need to recover.
There are instances, though, when you may be involved in an accident and the negligent party does not have insurance. If the liable entity does not have any assets to recover, then the plaintiff may have a difficult time gaining any recovery for the damages.
Speak to a personal injury attorney
If you have experienced catastrophic injuries, it is in your best interest to speak to a personal injury lawyer. Many law firms provide a free consultation in which they will discuss whether you have a strong case to take to the courts.
At times, you may be offered a contingency fee. A contingency fee means that if your lawyer does not win your case you do not have to pay. Hiring an injury lawyer will increase your chances of gaining the maximum compensation for your case.
Filing a lawsuit
There are methods you can use to win the compensation you need before filing a claim. If the insurance company of the “third party” agrees to cover the cost of your injuries, then you might not have to bring your case to the courts.
Even if the insurance company has agreed to grant you the compensation you need if they are stalling or taking too long to reach a settlement you can still file a lawsuit.
The Westminster Personal Injury Lawyers of Bisnar Chase are here to make filing an injury claim easy and stress-free. Our attorneys will be with you every step of the way to ensure you are informed about what’s going on with your case.
Contact a Westminster Personal Injury Attorney
Bisnar Chase has been helping victims of personal injuries in Orange County for over 46 years with incredible results. Westminster lies right in the heart of Orange County, and over the years, we’ve seen hundreds of people suffer severe injuries.
We’ve been representing clients in Westminster since 1978, and we have the passion and the knowledge to help you get what you deserve. Whether you’re in Fountain Valley or Los Angeles, we have 5 locations to serve injured plaintiffs in California.
Contact the Westminster Personal Injury Lawyers of Bisnar Chase at 949-203-3814. You will receive a free consultation with an expert legal team member upon your call.
Westminster Demographics
Westminster is a suburban city located in Orange County, California with a population of around 91,000.
Grading for the city in various categories such as public schools, housing, nightlife, diversity, and the weather is the following.
- Westminster received an overall grade of B- with a B- grade for weather,
- C+ for nightlife,
- C for housing,
- and B- for both public schools and diversity.
- The city has a median home value of $680,900 and a median household income of $62,944.
- In terms of crime rates, Westminster has a higher crime rate than the national average with a violent crime rate of 2.7 per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 25.4 per 1,000 residents.
- Niche.com rates Westminster as safer than 33% of cities in the United States.
- Westminster has a diverse population, with 53% of residents identifying as Asian, 34% as White, and 10% as Hispanic or Latino.
- The city has a relatively high percentage of residents who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree and 11% holding a graduate degree.
Accident Statistics in Westminster, California.
In 2022, there were 3,234 traffic accidents in Westminster, resulting in 38 fatalities and 1,072 injuries.
The most common types of traffic accidents in Westminster are:
- Rear-end collisions: 36%
- Sideswipe collisions: 26%
- Head-on collisions: 15%
- T-bone collisions: 10%
- Pedestrian accidents: 9%
The most dangerous intersections in Westminster:
- Bolsa Chica Street and Warner Avenue
- Westminster Boulevard and Beach Boulevard
- Brookhurst Street and Westminster Boulevard
- Euclid Street and Beach Boulevard
- Hazard Avenue and Westminster Boulevard
The most common causes of traffic accidents in Westminster:
Driver distraction: 30%
- Speeding: 25%
- Drowsy driving: 15%
- Improper lane changes: 10%
- DUI: 5%
If you are involved in an accident, it is essential to seek medical attention immediately. You should also contact the police and file a report. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact our Westminster personal injury attorneys for a free consultation.