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Our San Diego personal injury attorneys fight for you

If you’re injured we encourage you to speak to our legal team. Farar & Lewis LLP is a top rated, San Diego personal injury law firm, with over 30 years of combined experience helping victims. We help our clients get compensation for their injuries, and are transparent about the entire process. We fight on behalf of victims all over the state of California, and are available 24/7 to help you.

Our San Diego personal injury law firm was founded on the principle that each and every customer deserves concierge service. Our firm provides the same level of service for every single client, regardless of who they are – or the severity of their injury. We never charge upfront fees, and only get paid if we win your case. We offer every single client a risk free consultation – and we can even come to you. We are dedicated to helping you recovery after an injury.

Farar & Lewis LLP prides itself on the fact we are there for our clients, 24/7, when tragedy strikes – or when they have questions. We encourage clients to speak to us when they have a question, or when they are facing any problems at all regarding their case and/or injuries. We help our clients in every fashion possible – including getting them medical assistance, helping with car repairs, and more. Our goal is to handle all aspects of the client’s case, so they can focus on healing. We’re on your team. That means never taking a penny unless we win your case. We front all the costs associated with your case. If we don’t win your case, we don’t charge a penny. Our personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means theres no upfront fees, and if you don’t have medical insurance – that’s ok, we can still help you. Contact us to get started.

We encourage clients to speak to us when they have a question, or when they are facing any problems at all regarding their case and/or injuries. If you’ve become a victim of a personal injury, then you need a San Diego personal injury law firm whose DEDICATED to helping you get compensation. It’s crucial the attorney you hire has experience and can get results for you. At Farar & Lewis LLP, we’ve recovered over $100 million in combined verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. We have immense experience handling tough cases that other firms turn down due to difficulties. Serious injuries can have a lifelong impact on you. It’s critical you hire an attorney. If you delay getting a San Diego personal injury attorney, it could harm your chances of getting compensation. If you delay getting medical treatment, then the seriousness of your injuries can be questioned, preventing you from getting financial compensation. Our San Diego personal injury attorneys are recognized as leaders in the state of California. We have won millions in compensation for our clients. Our attorneys have been recognized by lawyer ranking platforms like Super Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and others. Founding partner Joel Farar was named a 2012-2017 Super Lawyers Rising Star – an honor given to only 2.5% of the top San Diego personal injury lawyers in California. Farar & Lewis LLP prides itself on the fact we are there for our clients, 24/7, when tragedy strikes – or when they have questions.

Top Rated San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers

When you’re injured, you need someone on your side whose going to represent your interests. You want a firm like Farar & Lewis LLP to work on your behalf. Our San Diego personal injury attorneys have handled thousands of tough cases and have successfully won compensation for our clients. We have over 30 years of combined experience handling a wide array of personal injury cases, ranging from car and bicycle accidents, to complex truck and motorcycle cases. No matter what type of case you have, we can help. To put our firm’s success into perspective, our team has won clients millions of dollars for their personal injury cases. You don’t want any firm handling your personal injury case, you want the best. Farar & Lewis is recognized by a number of prominent news outlets as one of the top performing personal injury firms in the State of California. We have been featured on Digital Journal, PR Web, MSNBC, ABC, and others. When it comes to handling your case, negotiating a settlement, and taking your case to court if need be, you can be sure that your future is our priority. In many cases, a personal injury affects you for the long term, and our team fully understands that you deserve compensation that will help you with that. Therefore, we work hard to do the best that we can to provide you with the compensation that will allow you to handle medical expenses, physical damage, employment, and emotional scarring. Personal injury is not easy and no one should have to suffer as a result of another’s neglect. It is our belief that our clients deserve the best – so our San Diego personal injury lawyers will work hard enough to provide you with that best.

Q1. How soon should I get a San Diego personal injury attorney

Regardless of whether you’ve been involved in a minor accident, or a big car crash – it’s important to realize that it can have a huge impact on your life, and that of your loved ones. Personal injuries can result in medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and more. It’s something that can potentially stay with you – for the rest of your life! The costs incurred, as a result of a personal injury can vary – from a few thousand dollars – to millions over the course of your life. In some cases, it can even drive you to the brink of bankruptcy – that’s how massive it is. It’s critical, therefore, that you have a San Diego personal injury attorney on your side who can help. Here are some reasons why it’s critical you speak to a personal injury lawyer in San Diego ASAP.

After you’re injured, you’ll likely be hospitalized. It means you’ll be unable to go to work – earn a paycheck, possibly more. As a result, the opposing insurance company will begin their investigation. You need to be aware of this process, and be involved. The best way to get compensation is making sure you have a San Diego personal injury attorney on your side who can help. Insurance companies focus on their self-interests, rather than being fair. It means making sure you don’t get paid. By having a personal injury attorney on your side, you’re making sure you have peace of mind – knowing that your case is in good hands.

One of the most important things you will have to worry about when building a claim against the party who hurt you – is gathering evidence. Personal injury attorneys in San Diego understand this, and handle this for you. San Diego Personal injury lawyers conduct a thorough investigation into the validity of the claim, and find all evidence necessary. For example, in a car accident – the personal injury lawyer will look at your vehicle and the other parties, look at the scene of the accident, speak to the police and witnesses in order to build a claim.

While some people think they can do this on their own – and not hire an attorney – it’s harder than it sounds. Not only is it time consuming, if you don’t do it on time – it can harm your chances of getting compensation. Personal injury claims have to be filed in a timely manner, also known as the statute of limitations. In most states, this is a two year timeframe. If the claim isn’t filed within those two years, you lose the right to compensation. Most insurance companies know this, and will drag their feet in order to force you to forfeit this right. This is a delay tactic that a san diego personal injury lawyer can help you avoid.

In the event the insurance company refuses to settle, and be fair, you’ll need a San Diego personal injury attorney to help you. Proving liability can be a complicated process. You’ll be required to provide evidence – such as photo’s of the accident scene, evidence of your injuries, documentation from witnesses, and evidence that proves clear liability. When you hire an attorney, he or she handles all of this on your behalf. Once a personal injury claim is filed, your attorney handles all aspect of negotiation and ultimately settling. If the opposing insurance company sees you’ve hired an attorney, then the company might ask to settle out of court and make an offer. If they see you don’t have an attorney, they might give you a settlement and pressure you to accept it. This settlement will be much lower than what you could get if you had an attorney on your side. This is one of the many reasons why hiring an attorney is critical. Bottom line, your San Diego personal injury attorney will help you determine how much you’re eligible to potentially get – and make sure you get it – either by negotiating, or litigating in court.

Q2. How do I decide whether to sue or settle?

Deciding whether to settle, or sue, is a huge decision. When you suffer a personal injury, and a third party is liable – you might be faced with a dilemma on what to do next. There’s a lot to consider, especially if you’ve suffered a major injury. For starters, speak to a personal injury law firm who we can help. Chances are, you’ll probably get more money – and make the right choice – by speaking to one. There are instances where it’s best to settle, and instances where you MUST sue. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when thinking about which way to go.

Learn about the offer

You may be tempted to settle, but it’s critical to know what you’re agreeing to. For example, in some cases you may get a lump sum amount, but that makes it so you never get “free treatment,” ever again for the injury. Any further medical treatment comes out of your own pocket. This is a huge tradeoff, and something you have to understand. Never judge a book by it’s cover – is a saying that truly applies to settlement offers. Having an attorney on your side is helpful because now you have someone who can intelligently parse the offer and give you proper advice. Many people often take the initial settlement offer because it’s quick cash, and because it appears to be generous. If your personal injuries have long term implications, the initial settlement offer may hurt you.

Weigh it against going to court

When you receive an offer, you need to weigh it against the cost of going to court, and possibly losing. When a personal injury case settles early, it’s less expensive for all parties involved. It’s important to remember that going to trial takes time. There’s an immense pre-trial discovery process, which includes depositions, in addition to possibly needing expert witnesses and more. It’s important you have a San Diego personal injury attorney on your side who can advise you on all of this, and help you understand if going to trial is truly in your best interest.

Trials are rarely straightforward and often require a lot of effort on both your part, and the attorneys. When you decide to negotiate a settlement, the process can be a few hours, or days. In contrast, when you go to court – there’s a lot of procedural work, and prep work, that has to be done before the trial occurs. In some cases, it can be 5-7 months before your trial even starts. That’s 5-12 months, where you are injured – with no additional money in your pocket. Another issue when you go to trial, is the fact that damages are hard to predict. When you accept and negotiate a settlement offer, you know what you’re getting. When you go to trial, you have no idea what you’ll ultimately win. Many victims, and personal injury lawyers in San Diego, go to trial because there’s a possibility of a higher payout. There’s no guarantee this will happen. Trials can be unpredictable. Even if you’re the victim, you still have a huge burden to prove to the jury.

Q3. How long does a personal injury case take?

When you have a personal injury case, one your main concerns is how long your case will take before it is resolved and you receive compensation. The statute of limitations in New York stipulate that personal injury cases should be filed within the first three years after the incident. This means that your case will start as soon as you initiate a personal injury claim. It is prudent to wait until you have received the initial medical treatment. While you may want to settle early, you may receive a lesser amount than your claim is worth.

There are several factors that will influence the length of your personal injury case. Most of these factors are outside your control. However, there are some that you can influence. One of the ways to ensure that your case does not take longer than is necessary is to consult with a San Diego personal injury lawyer. There will be a series of events that follow this, each with their own time lines.

Lawyer Investigates the Claim

Once you enlist the services of a lawyer, the lawyer will interview you to find out the details of the accident. The lawyer will also review your medical records and the treatment you received. This is a pretrial discovery stage. The legal expert can consult with medical experts to fully understand the extent of your injuries. The investigative process can take weeks or months. If you cooperate with the San Diego personal injury lawyer, the process can move faster. This is the stage where the lawyer will tell you whether you have a case or not. If the merits of your case are valid, the San Diego personal injury lawyer will proceed to the next phase.

Making Demands and Negotiations

Many injury cases are settled outside of court. Settlements are less expensive, and they take a shorter time. At this stage, the lawyer will make demands to the insurance company of the party at fault. The amount asked for is based on the merits of your injuries. If the insurance adjuster agrees to the offer, the personal injury case can be settled in a matter of days.

If you have suffered a permanent injury or impairment, the lawyer may choose not to settle but file a lawsuit. Again, the lawyer will not be too quick to file the lawsuit until the plaintiff has reached the maximum medical improvement (MMI) point. This is the stage where the injured party has received full medical treatment and is recovering. Demanding a settlement before this point would be premature. This is because the lawyer is not certain how much the treatment will cost.

The treatment stage can take months or years before the injured party reaches the MMI point. If the plaintiff has immediate medical bills. The lawyer can advise them to make a claim for “med pay.” Med pay is not contingent on who is at fault. It just covers for the immediate medical bills in the event of an accident.

Filing of the lawsuit

If negotiation or settlement efforts have failed, the San Diego personal injury law firm proceeds to file a lawsuit. There are also cases where the lawyer may decide that going to trial is the best option for his client. When the lawsuit is filed, the case can take up to 2 years before it goes to trial. This depends on how busy the courts and the judges are.

Trial

There is no specific time as to how long trial can last. It can take days, weeks or even months. The length of the trial may be longer because most courts conduct trails for half a day. Judges take the afternoon to handle other issues. In most cases, the trial date can be postponed depending on the availability of the judge. You should not panic when the trial gets rescheduled. This is standard practice. The best you can do here is hope that it does not drag for too long.

While the length of a personal injury case cannot be predicted, having a San Diego personal injury lawyer working on your case can help to speed up the process. If he has a good team of associates, they will conduct investigations in a speedy manner. The lawyer will strive hard to ensure that your case is resolved within the shortest time possible.

Q4. How long does a personal injury case take to settle?

Settling a personal injury case is complex work. It’s not something that many people understand. Some think it’s an instant process, and others think it takes 5 years, or some outrageous amount of time. If you think you’ve got a claim, here’s a great article discussing some of the things that go into settling a case.

In personal injury claims, the plaintiff has to prove that the accident and defendant caused the injuries. This is harder than it sounds. It begins with detailed medical records, and also requires witness statements, and more. Depending on the type of injury, it might even require experts to testify on your behalf. Often, you’ll have to get ongoing medical treatments in order to memorialize the extent of your injuries and to show evidence your injuries are real.

Many San Diego personal injury attorneys will advise their clients to wait until they have recovered from their injuries before settling their case. It’s recommended that you have a medical prognosis in place that explains what happened, your current medical condition, and what ongoing treatments you need. This can help an attorney fight for medical damages you’ve incurred, and will incur in the future. It also means you won’t end up settling for less than what you are owed. Personal injury claims are complex, and the time it takes to settle your claim will depend on the complexity of the claim. Gathering medical evidence can be challenging, especially when the opposing insurance company wants to appoint their own medical experts to assess your injuries. Most severe personal injury cases take a long time to litigate and settle. It’s advisable that in situations like this, you opt for some form of lawsuit financing in order to help you cover your short term bills.

When it comes time to settle there’s no straight forward formula. Each case is unique, and settlement offers often take weeks, or months, to finalize. It all depends on the extent of your injuries, how they are treated, and what long term implications the injuries have. One of the biggest problems when it comes to personal injuries is the time it takes for the other party to accept responsibility. Often, many insurance companies will refuse to accept liability right away. In some cases, the other insurance company will refuse liability – which means you’ll need to hire an attorney to represent you and investigate on your behalf. The investigation itself can take time, and you won’t get a settlement offer until the investigation is done, and damages are established. Sometimes, the insurance company won’t give you an offer until they are forced to negotiate under threat of litigation by an attorney. Bottom line, it’s imperative that you hire a personal injury attorney who can work with you. Even though 90% of personal injury cases are settled during the “negotiation,” phase – sometimes the insurer will fail to negotiate in good faith. For situations like this, you’ll need a San Diego personal injury lawyer to help. Many cases take anywhere from a few days, to a few weeks, depending on the complexity of the claim. It’s important to remember this is “extra time,” where you don’t have compensation and have to keep paying bills.

Q5. What’s my personal injury case worth?

When it comes to understanding the value of your personal injury case – there’s no national average. The value of your case will depend on a number of factors which all come into play. Some factors are not objectively quantifiable, and will be at the discretion of the judge. In some states, for example, the judge will determine your final “value,” based on your level of fault in your injuries.

One major factor is your medical bills before filing a claim. The judge often looks at this in order to assess the severity of the injuries you suffered. This is something that also helps a judge understand how negligent the defendant was. Another variable is the overall amount of property damage you suffered. For example if your car was destroyed during the accident, this is something which is factored into your final settlement offer/verdict.

Q6. What is a personal injury claim

 

Personal injury claims are a type of civil tort. It’s a common form of civil litigation, and is when one party injures another. Depending on the nature of the claim, a plaintiff may be entitled to financial compensation. Personal injury claims can be filed for a variety of things, such as car accidents, defective products, slip and fall, and more. Personal injury claims include compensation for more than just your physical injury – it can include compensation for pain and suffering, and even punitive damages. It can include compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more.

Q7. What if i’m injured at work?

If you’re injured at work, you may be eligible for compensation. First, you have to find out if you have a claim under your employers workers compensation program. Many employers have to maintain workers compensation insurance to protect their employees. This covers lost wages, and more. You may be eligible for this type of compensation if you’re injured at work. If you decide to pursue a worker’s compensation this claim – this can prevent you from filing a personal injury claim. Part of the workers comp agreement is that you will not file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer. If your workers comp claim is denied, you can take legal action and file a personal injury claim.

Q8. How are personal injury claims settled

If you want to settle your personal injury claim, there’s somethings which have to happen first. The first is determining the circumstances that surround the claim. For example, did the accident happen where there’s a clear party at fault. The “where” is very important when it comes to personal injury claim. The next step is to see what level of medical care you need. That means photographs, medical records, medical treatments, and more. It’s important that when you get injured you immediately get medical care, visit a hospital, etc, since it permanently memorializes your injuries. Once you start getting medical treatment, you must keep track of your out of pocket expenses.

Another variable to look at is the amount of lost wages you’ve suffered.

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