To recover compensation for their injuries, a victim usually needs to prove that the defendant was negligent. This means that the defendant failed to act with the appropriate level of care in the situation, and the victim was injured as a result. Proving negligence is a highly fact-intensive task, since the standard of care varies depending on the circumstances. Our San Mateo personal injury attorneys understand how to gather and present the evidence needed to establish liability.

Our firm has helped victims across the Bay Area bring claims based on brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns, organ damage, and other catastrophic injuries. The stakes are high in these cases, since the victim may never fully recover from these injuries. Thus, the lives of the victim and their family members may be changed forever. In many cases, expert testimony from doctors, vocational experts, and other professionals can help explain the scope of the victim’s injuries and their impact on the victim’s future.

After a tragic accident claims a victim’s life, their family members may not know where to turn. California law allows certain people to bring a wrongful death claim in these situations, including a surviving spouse, domestic partner, or child. In addition, certain people who were financially dependent on the victim may be able to bring a claim, such as the victim’s parents or stepchildren. The victim’s estate may recover certain types of damages, while the victim’s family may recover other damages. The personal injury attorneys at our San Mateo firm will fight for the full range of damages to which you may be entitled. For example, the estate may recover compensation for the victim’s medical bills, lost income, and burial and funeral expenses, while family members may recover compensation for the loss of their loved one’s financial and moral support, affection, and guidance.

Careless driving causes serious collisions each day in the Bay Area. For example, a driver may fail to yield at an intersection, speed recklessly, text while driving, or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When a driver fails to take the proper precautions to protect the safety of people around them, a victim can hold them liable for damages. These usually include compensation for the victim’s medical bills and lost income, in addition to their pain and suffering. Future items of loss also may be recovered in many cases.

The weight of a commercial vehicle results in a devastating impact when it strikes a passenger car. A victim of a truck accident can sue the truck driver who caused the accident, and they often can hold a trucking company accountable as well. A trucking company may be directly liable for a crash if it failed to properly train or supervise the driver, or if it retained a driver who was unfit or unqualified to operate a truck. Moreover, the trucking company may be indirectly liable if the crash occurred while the driver was on the job. The personal injury lawyers at our San Mateo firm will bring all the at-fault parties into the litigation after a truck accident.

Motorcyclists have an equal right to use the road, but drivers of standard vehicles often fail to respect this right. A driver may fail to yield to a motorcyclist at an intersection or maneuver aggressively in the presence of a motorcyclist, among other dangerous behaviors. Sometimes a driver or their insurer will try to argue that a motorcyclist was at fault for an accident. This would trigger the pure comparative negligence rule in California, which reduces a victim’s compensation award in proportion to their percentage of fault. We know how to fight back against unfair allegations of negligence by a motorcyclist so that their right to compensation is fully preserved.

Bicycles offer an environmentally friendly and frequently enjoyable way to travel around the Bay Area. Like motorcycle riders, however, bicyclists have no protection from the elements. They tend to suffer especially serious injuries when a careless driver strikes them. For example, a driver may fail to check their blind spots for bicycles or fail to notice a bicyclist when they are making a turn. You should promptly consult our San Mateo personal injury lawyers if you suffered injuries in a bicycle accident so that we can start building your claim.

Drivers must yield to pedestrians in California at any marked or unmarked crosswalk. They also need to exercise reasonable care when they see a pedestrian in the roadway to avoid a collision. Pedestrian accidents can be catastrophic, since the human body is not built to withstand the impact of a car or truck. Compensation awards thus may be substantial in these cases, accounting for a broad range of physical, emotional, and financial harm. If a victim dies from their injuries, their family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.

People trust bus drivers to operate their vehicles carefully as part of their job. However, bus drivers are human and can make careless mistakes, such as failing to check blind spots, making improper turns, speeding, or driving while distracted. Passengers on the bus and people in other vehicles struck by the bus may have claims against the driver and the entity that operated the bus. While some buses are operated by private entities, many buses are operated by the government. Special requirements apply to claims against the government, and the personal injury attorneys at our San Mateo firm can navigate these obstacles on your behalf.

The Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay provide many opportunities for recreation on the water. If an operator of a boat fails to handle the vessel properly, serious injuries can result. Inexperienced, poorly trained, distracted, or intoxicated operators can make errors that lead to a collision or an incident involving sinking or tipping. In other cases, a defective component of a boat may cause a fire or another type of accident. When this happens, a victim may have a claim against the manufacturer of the component.

The construction industry poses an elevated level of risk to people who work in it. Construction workers may fall from heights, suffer crushing injuries from heavy equipment, or suffer blows from vehicles or falling objects. If the accident occurred on the job, a construction worker should be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits, which provide medical coverage and partial wage replacement. In addition, a victim may be able to pursue a third-party personal injury claim with the assistance of a personal injury lawyer in San Mateo if someone other than their employer caused the accident. A third-party claim can result in additional compensation, such as damages for pain and suffering.

Among the most challenging types of injuries are traumatic brain injuries, which can affect a victim’s cognitive and emotional condition as well as their physical health. Brain injuries are often divided into closed head injuries and penetrating head injuries. Closed head injuries occur when the brain is jolted by an impact, but the skull remains intact. Penetrating head injuries occur when an object breaks through the skull. Symptoms of brain injuries may not appear immediately, so victims should monitor their condition after an accident for signs such as disorientation, memory loss, mood changes, and severe headaches.

Many car accident victims suffer from whiplash and herniated discs, which are common types of spinal cord injuries that may be caused by a sudden impact. In more serious cases, victims may experience a type of paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. Paraplegia affects the body below the waist, while quadriplegia affects the body below the neck. Spinal cord injuries are often classified as complete or incomplete, which describes the loss of communication between the nerves below the injury and the brain. The personal injury attorneys at our San Mateo firm provide compassionate representation to victims who are coping with these life-altering injuries.

Insurance companies, other attorneys, and former clients understand that the law firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos is committed to the success of injury victims in the San Francisco Bay Area, including in these cities and counties:

San Mateo

Redwood City

Foster City

San Bruno

Burlingame

Palo Alto

South San Francisco

Daly City

To learn more about your rights and get a free initial consultation, contact our law firm at (650) 345-8484 or online. We have experience representing clients in a majority of all Northern California counties, including San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Sacramento County, and more.