Personal Injury

Serious injuries often not only cause physical trauma but also result in emotional and mental anguish and significant financial hardships. Most of these injuries arise out of accidents caused by careless or reckless behavior, and many people who suffer harm in accidents can recover damages from the party that caused the accident in a personal injury lawsuit. If you suffered serious harm due to someone else’s carelessness, the San Mateo personal injury lawyers at Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP can assess the circumstances surrounding your accident and advise you on your potential claims. Our skillful attorneys have more than 75 years of collective experience assisting victims in personal injury lawsuits in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While a variety of circumstances can lead to serious injuries, some causes are more common than others. For example, many injuries arise out of motor vehicle collisions, such as car, motorcycle, or truck accidents. Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents frequently cause bodily harm as well, and they typically arise out of liquid or debris on a floor, or steps or sidewalks that have fallen into disrepair, causing a dangerous condition. Dangerous or defective products, assault and other intentional acts, attacks by animals, and medical negligence also may cause injuries.

Although various events can cause bodily harm, the underlying issue in most situations in which a person suffers injuries is negligence. Thus, most plaintiffs in lawsuits arising out of accidents set forth negligence claims against defendants. This means that a personal injury attorney in San Mateo must first show that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances, but the defendant behaved in a manner that represented a breach of the duty. The plaintiff’s attorney must also show that the defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff actual harm. This involves proving that the defendant’s actions were a substantial factor in bringing about the plaintiff’s harm and that the plaintiff would not have suffered harm absent the breach.

To successfully establish liability for negligence, a plaintiff must prove each element of negligence by a preponderance of the evidence. In other words, the plaintiff must present evidence demonstrating that it is more likely than not that the defendant caused the plaintiff’s harm. Typically, this evidence will consist of eyewitness testimony, police reports, photographs or videos, and medical records. Depending on the cause of the plaintiff’s harm, the plaintiff’s attorney may need to engage an expert to testify regarding issues that fall outside the scope of the jury’s understanding.

A San Mateo personal injury attorney can help a plaintiff seek damages for the financial harm sustained due to his or her injuries, such as the cost of any medical treatment that the plaintiff needed to undergo, out of pocket expenses, and lost wages. A plaintiff will typically be awarded damages for the intangible harm caused by his or her injuries as well, such as the emotional distress, anguish, pain, and suffering endured due to the injuries. If a plaintiff was married when his or her injuries occurred, the plaintiff’s spouse may be able to recover compensation for loss of consortium.

People and businesses that fail to take reasonable precautions should be held accountable for any injuries caused by their carelessness. If you were hurt in an accident caused by someone else’s negligent acts or omissions, you should speak to an attorney regarding your right to pursue damages from the party that caused your harm. The trusted personal injury lawyers at the San Mateo firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP, possess the skills and experience needed to help you strive for a strong result under the facts of your case, and we will advocate aggressively on your behalf. You can contact us at (650) 345-8484 or through the form online to set up a meeting to discuss your case.