If you have been injured in Santa Cruz or the surrounding area because of another party’s negligence or wrongdoing, you are entitled to seek compensation for your damages.
You deserve to have the best possible legal team representing you to ensure your rights are protected and you receive the full compensation you are owed.
At Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers, our dedicated Santa Cruz personal injury lawyers will help you navigate the complicated legal process and deal with the pushy insurance companies so you can focus on your healing and your family.
We understand the stress and worry about paying the bills and supporting your family after an accident. We are here to fight for you and help you get your life back on track.
Call us at (866) 572-0166 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free consultation. We will listen to you, answer your questions, explain your options, and help you take the next steps to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle
At Jacoby & Meyers, our Santa Cruz personal injury attorneys have been helping injured Californians for decades. During this time, we’ve represented clients who were hurt in a wide range of incidents, including:
- Car accidents – If you’ve been injured in a vehicle collision, a Santa Cruz car accident lawyer can guide you through the claims process and fight for your rightful compensation.
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and falls
- Dog attacks
- Construction accidents
- and more
If you or a loved one have been hurt in a preventable accident, our attorneys can help.
What To Do If You Are Injured In a Santa Cruz Accident
There are many types of personal injury cases and the best steps to take after an accident depend largely on the kind of accident you have. However, there are certain things you can do for any personal injury incident to help protect your health and your right to seek compensation for your damages.
Some of the things you should consider doing after an accident are:
- Immediately get medical attention. Even if you don’t think your injuries are serious, get evaluated. Many injuries are not apparent immediately but can cause long-term pain and disability.
- Follow your doctor’s orders and stick to your treatment plan.
- Report the incident by notifying the proper authorities and the owner or manager of the property, if the accident occurred on private property such as a business or another person’s home.
- Document everything. Take photos or videos of your injuries, the accident scene, and anything that seems relevant to the accident.
- Keep a journal and document how your injuries impact your life, including your pain level each day.
- Stay off social media. The things you post may be used against you to try and deny or devalue your claim.
- Do not talk to an insurance company without consulting with your attorney first.
- Contact an experienced Santa Cruz personal injury lawyer right away.
These tips, along with any others your attorney gives, can go a long way in helping protect you and your rights.
Proof You Need in a Santa Cruz Personal Injury Claim
To be successful in a California personal injury claim you need to prove these elements:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care. (For example, in California all drivers owe a duty of care to act reasonably and responsibly to avoid harming others. That includes driving safely and obeying traffic laws.)
- The defendant breached that duty of care by their negligent or wrongful actions.
- The defendant’s negligent or wrongful actions caused your accident.
- You suffered actual damages because of the defendant’s breach of duty.
The duty of care is the foundation of your California personal injury case. An experienced Santa Cruz personal injury lawyer will know how to present the best evidence to prove these elements
Some common types of evidence your attorney may use to prove your claim include:
- Photographs and video evidence that document an accident scene and your injuries. This may include nearby surveillance camera footage that captured the incident or the moments just prior to or after the incident.
- Medical records that detail your injuries.
- Police reports of an accident scene or of an incident reported to the authorities.
- Eyewitness testimonies can provide an account of the incident and if the witness is a stranger to all the parties, their testimony offers an unbiased account of what happened.
- Expert witness testimony may be used to support your claim. Expert witnesses could include medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, and others depending on the facts of your case.
- Medical bills and invoices or receipts for out of pocket expenses incurred because of the accident.
- Information about the defendant. This could vary widely depending on the type of personal injury case you have.
Knowing where to look for the best evidence and how to collect it is one of the most important keys to the success of a personal injury claim.
The Santa Cruz personal injury lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers have a deep understanding of personal injury law and know how to identify and collect the strongest evidence to support your case and to recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
You Should Act Quickly After a Personal Injury Incident
You must file your claim seeking damages before the statute of limitations runs. The statute of limitations sets your deadline for filing. If you miss your deadline, you will not usually be able to recover any compensation for your injuries.
In California, the general statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is two years. However, there are exceptions to the two-year rule.
If you file a claim against a government entity in California, you have a much shorter deadline and you must follow a specific procedure for filing your claim.
The two-year statute of limitations could be tolled or extended under a few circumstances.
You must consult with a qualified Santa Cruz personal injury lawyer to learn what the deadline is for your specific case.
Another reason you should act quickly is that important evidence to support your case can be lost or diminished over time. It is vital to collect and preserve that evidence as soon as possible.
The dedicated personal injury attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers immediately investigate our client’s accident to determine causation and fault. After that, we gather all the important evidence as quickly as possible to help build your strongest case.
Contact a Santa Cruz Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you have been injured because of another party’s negligence or wrongdoing, you are entitled to seek compensation for your damages. Even if you were partially at fault, you may be able to recover from the other at-fault parties.
You need an experienced Santa Cruz personal injury lawyer by your side to fight for your rights and recover the maximum compensation you deserve. At Jacoby & Meyers, we have been winning big for our clients for more than 50 years and we want to help you too.
Call us at (866) 572-0166 or complete our online contact form today to schedule a free consultation.
Call or text 888-522-6291 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form