Merced Personal Injury Lawyer

Were you hurt in an incident caused by someone else’s negligence or carelessness? At the law firm of Fowler | Helsel | Vogt, our attorneys understand how frustrating this can be, especially if you sustained injuries due to circumstances that weren’t in your control. 

Our law firm has handled local cases and served as a Merced personal injury lawyer for victims like you since 2010. Our attorneys have 40 years of combined experience. We’re here to advocate for your rights. 

Understanding Your Rights After Getting Hurt 

An injury can leave you wondering if you’re in a position to file a legal claim. You might know that another person, business, property owner, manufacturer, or party contributed to what happened, but knowing something was wrong is different from proving responsibility. 

In California, state laws generally recognize that people and parties are expected to uphold a duty to use reasonable care. This is in an effort to avoid causing harm to others. Civil Code section 1714 states that a person can be responsible for injuries caused by either:

• A lack of ordinary care 
• A lack of ordinary skill

In a negligence case, the facts center around these details: 

• Whether the defendant owed a duty
• If they failed to use reasonable care
• Whether the plaintiff’s injuries were caused as a result

A personal injury lawyer in Merced can determine which legal theory fits your circumstances. It’s important for personal injury attorneys in Merced to understand your injuries because they can affect which rules, parties, and evidence are involved in your case. 

Your lawyer can also assess the full scope of your losses instead of focusing solely on the medical bill sitting in front of you. 

The Types of Cases Our Merced Personal Injury Law Firm Handles

Let’s take a closer look at the personal injury cases our attorneys can take on:

• Merced car accident lawyer: A collision can leave you dealing with injuries, medical expenses, lost income, and damage to your vehicle all at once. When another driver causes a crash through distracted driving, speeding, impaired driving, unsafe lane changes, or other negligent conduct, our attorneys investigate what happened and help injured people pursue compensation for their losses.
• Merced truck accident lawyer: Commercial truck crashes can cause serious injuries because of the size and weight of these vehicles. Our attorneys investigate factors such as driver negligence, inadequate maintenance, unsafe loading, and other conduct that could have contributed to a collision while pursuing compensation for injured victims.
• Merced motorcycle accident lawyer: Motorcyclists can suffer severe injuries when another driver fails to see a rider, turns into the motorcycle’s path, changes lanes without checking, or otherwise drives unsafely. Our attorneys investigate motorcycle crashes and work to hold responsible parties accountable for the injuries and losses they cause.
• Merced pedestrian accident lawyer: A pedestrian struck by a vehicle can suffer serious injuries even when the collision happens at a relatively low speed. When a driver fails to yield, speeds, drives while distracted, or otherwise causes a pedestrian collision, our attorneys investigate the circumstances and help injured pedestrians pursue compensation.
• Merced dog bite lawyer: A dog attack can result in painful wounds, scarring, medical treatment, and lasting emotional distress. California has specific laws concerning liability for dog bites, and our attorneys help victims understand how those laws apply to their circumstances and pursue compensation from the responsible party.
• Merced premises liability lawyer: Property owners and other responsible parties have legal duties concerning reasonably safe conditions on their property. When dangerous conditions such as unsafe walkways, slippery surfaces, inadequate lighting, defective stairs, falling objects, or inadequate security contribute to an injury, our attorneys investigate the circumstances and determine who could be held responsible.
• Merced slip and fall lawyer: A fall caused by a dangerous condition can lead to anything from a painful injury to a condition that affects your ability to work and care for yourself. Our attorneys investigate whether a property owner or another responsible party knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to take reasonable steps to address it.
• Merced construction accident lawyer: Construction sites can involve serious hazards, and an injury caused by another company or third party could support a personal injury claim. Our attorneys handle third-party construction accident claims and investigate contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and other parties whose conduct could have contributed to an injury.
• Merced catastrophic injury lawyer: A catastrophic injury can affect your health, independence, ability to work, and quality of life for years to come. Our attorneys help injured people pursue compensation that accounts for the full impact of a serious injury, including medical treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and other losses supported by the claim.
• Merced wrongful death lawyer: Losing a loved one because of another person’s negligence can leave a family facing grief alongside unexpected financial and personal losses. Our attorneys help eligible family members understand their rights under California’s wrongful death laws, investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, and pursue compensation through an appropriate claim.
• Merced rideshare accident lawyer: A crash involving a rideshare vehicle can raise additional questions about which insurance coverage applies and who is responsible for the collision. Our attorneys investigate the circumstances of the crash, identify potentially responsible parties, and pursue available compensation for injured clients.

The circumstances surrounding an injury are different in every case, and the party responsible for your losses is not always immediately obvious. Our Merced personal injury attorneys can review what happened, explain the laws that apply, and help you understand your options.

These Deadlines Can Affect Your Ability to Recover Compensation

Even a valid injury claim can be affected by legal filing deadlines. In California, the general personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date you sustained your injuries, although there are exceptions to this expectation. 

Claims involving government entities have different procedures and much shorter initial deadlines. For example, a person seeking compensation from a government agency for an injury generally must submit an administrative claim within six months of the injury. 

If your claim is denied, another deadline applies for filing a lawsuit. Because the applicable deadline depends on your circumstances, it helps to call Merced personal injury law firms ASAP so that your lawyer can let you know which deadline is relevant to your claim. 

Contact Fowler | Helsel | Vogt ASAP for Legal Help From Our Merced Personal Injury Attorneys

Legal cases are difficult enough as it is, but they can feel even harder if English isn’t your first language. You should be able to understand what’s happening and communicate comfortably with the people representing you. At Fowler | Helsel | Vogt, our team is bilingual. 

With staff who speak both English and Spanish, we can speak with you in your language of choice. Our personal injury law firm in Merced also communicates by both phone and text, so our clients have an accessible way to ask questions and receive updates along the way. 

As Merced personal injury attorneys who live and work in the Central Valley area, we have longstanding connections within the community. We apply an intentionally down-to-earth approach to every case we handle. For help from our lawyers, contact us today.