FAQ

As personal injury lawyers, we consider it our mission to recoup the maximum value for you and your loved ones. To do this, it is important that you contact a law firm that focuses solely on personal injury law, and can be there for you throughout the entire process. At Dunnion Law, we are proud of our record of success in thousands of California personal injury cases and are committed to fearlessly leading our clients through the legal wilderness.

We handle many types of personal injury cases, including car accidents, bus accidents, boating accidents truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, bad faith insurance, hit and run accidents, catastrophic injuries, dog bites and wrongful death claims. We can walk you through any circumstance if you have been injured in any way through the negligence of another individual.

Experience.

Over 40 years ago we began our journey with a single goal: to fight for the value of our clients who have been wronged by another. Since then, in every California County, we have held countless multinational corporations, trucking companies, and insurance companies financially responsible for the harm and injuries caused to our clients.

We are dedicated to representing injury victims in California and protecting those individuals from injustice.

Aggressive.

We believe in the fundamental principle—enshrined in California law—that when you hurt someone, you are responsible for all of the damage you caused. Insurance companies, however are out to save money and minimize your compensation. Our personal injury lawyers hold them accountable through aggressive, passionate, and fierce advocacy.

Compassionate.

Every attorney at the firm is dedicated to fighting solely for injured victims of negligence and careless actions. We believe that an injury, whether it be from an auto accident, slip and fall, animal attack, hit and run or elder abuse is truly disruptive to all aspects of your life. In addition to holding insurance companies responsible for these damages, we take pride in helping you shoulder the tremendous burden the injury has created. We take care of the legal burden so you can focus on recovering from your injury and loss.

Immediately. We want to ensure that your case is handled with care and diligence from the moment of your accident or injury. Additionally, when it comes to personal injury claims, there is a statute of limitations in California that determines how long you have to file a claim, depending on the type and cause of your injury. With this in mind, we encourage you to contact us as soon as you can so we can ensure that your claim is filed within the statute of limitations.

Additionally, within moments after an accident, whether you know it or not, you make decisions that have an impact on your case and financial recovery. Perhaps it is the other driver asking you not to make a collision report with the police. Perhaps it is the insurance claims adjuster asking if he or she can assess the damage to your vehicle, or if you could sign a routine form. At every step there are potential pitfalls that a personal injury lawyer can help you avoid. Some are minor, and some are underhanded and potentially catastrophic to your case. Either way, remember that if you are dealing with a claims adjuster, he or she has handled identical cases countless times before—and his or her job is to pay as little as possible, even if it means taking advantage of your trust. Our accident attorneys are here to prevent them from taking advantage of you, and to keep you well informed and supported throughout the legal process.

No matter the accident or injury you’ve sustained, we are here to help you successfully recover from your loss and damages. If you have contacted Dunnion Law searching for a personal injury lawyer, we will conduct an initial call to discuss your needs and your case. Once we have determined what your needs are, you will then speak to one of our highly experienced personal injury lawyers who will ask you a series of questions regarding your case, so they can understand how to best support and lead you to where you need to be.

Our personal injury lawyers have a hands-on approach and speak to you from the very beginning without having to go through numerous additional personnel. This allows us to be engaged and dedicated to you from the very beginning to the very end. Upon acceptance of your case, we will introduce you to the rest of your personalized legal team who will work tirelessly to lead you through the legal process with the determination and commitment to get you the compensation you deserve.

No, California is considered a fault state when it comes to car accidents. This means that a person must be proven to be at fault before there is legal liability. If you’ve been in a car accident due to the fault of another, you will need to prove that person is at fault or prove their negligence before you can proceed with your case. California also adheres to the law that if you too are proven negligent then your case will be reduced accordingly. You can, however still be compensated for a large percentage of damages. Due to the complexities of these cases and California state law, it is best to contact one of our accident lawyers in order to get a clear sense of your potential compensation, and speak with us to get answers to your questions and concerns.

When you’ve been in an accident, your routine, daily life, and employment can be affected. We understand this and we fight to get you the compensation necessary for the losses you’ve suffered.  If you attempt to settle your case without a personal injury attorney, it's almost certain that your settlement will not be equal to the injuries you’ve sustained. You will need experienced personal injury legal representation on your side to negotiate a just settlement. With more than 300 years of combined experience, our attorneys know how to avoid the tricks and ploys used by insurance companies to reduce your claim's value.

At Dunnion Law, our injury lawyers have collaborate internally, and have a proven reputation for success in fighting for top-dollar settlements. We have secured top compensation for multi-million dollar verdicts, as well as thousands of cases in the six-figure range. Yet, each case must be completely and thoroughly analyzed in order to determine the settlement amount you are owed. 

Before you visit our personal injury lawyers, we recommend you bring in as much documentation as possible. Once our injury lawyers have started on your case, they will take care of and file all of your documentation appropriately. The more information you have beforehand, the better, although under most circumstances the information you remember is often enough for us to provide some guidance for your case. If you have documents available, the most helpful ones are:

• Traffic Collision Report, either the entire report or just the first page, known as the “face sheet”.
• Your insurance coverage information: Insurance company name, the type of coverages purchased, and the amount of coverage purchased, if any. It will also be important to know if you have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage, and Medical Payments coverage through your auto insurance.
• Medical records of incident-related injuries and diagnoses.

 

If you’ve been in a car accident you may initially feel shocked, scared or panicked. Although we can’t take those feelings away we can let you know that everything, in time, will be okay. At the first sign that an accident has occurred, the first thing you need to do is stop, call the police and stay put. It is crucial that you don’t make any movements that may make your injury worse.

If you are able to, take pictures of the accident including where the cars are stopped, your surroundings, injuries, and damage. If there are any witnesses, be sure to take their names and contact information. Along with the witnesses, be sure to take the information of any and all parties involved in the accident. When speaking to other drivers and witnesses, remember not to admit fault or claim responsibility for the car accident. This could hinder your case.

After the accident, be sure to contact your doctor in order to diagnose and determine all injuries sustained. This information will help your case as it proceeds. Keep all of this information in a designated file so that you and your car accident lawyer can easily access and locate all important information. Once you meet with our personal injury lawyers, you can then provide all the information and take comfort knowing that we will diligently work toward a successful recovery. 

A vehicle can be an essential part of a person’s everyday life. If your vehicle is under repair or unavailable, a rental car could be a necessity. Determining who pays for a rental car after an accident depends on who is at fault, how clearly they are at fault, and the insurance coverage of the involved parties. Our personal injury team at Dunnion Law will work with you to look into your specific case and determine the details of a car rental for you so you can get back to what matters most and focus on your recovery and health. 

For personal injury claims in California, there is a time limit placed on the amount of time a person has to bring their lawsuit to court. This is called the “statute of limitations.” If you have sustained injuries in an accident, it is crucial that you file legal action within the appropriate time frame and within the statute of limitations for California. For this reason, our personal injury lawyers are always ready and available to take on your case. There is the chance that if you do not act in time, you may lose your right to pursue financial compensations for your damages.

The statute of limitations varies from state to state and may even vary based on the type of claim. In order to be sure that you are filing your claim within the allotted time frame, let our personal injury lawyers know the date of your accident and they will be able to provide you with California’s statute of limitations based on your specific case. 

Our clients trust us to advise and guide them about whether to accept an injury settlement or not. It is best to speak to one of our personal injury lawyers who can inform you with knowledgeable and experienced insights. But, in any case, you should not settle until meeting with our team. If at a later date, you need further medical treatment, or your injuries keep you from work, you will not have the option to seek additional compensation. It is likely that your offer from the insurance company is not what you truly deserve. Insurers take advantage of unrepresented individuals who are not aware of the true value of their case. With our knowledgeable, experienced personal injury attorneys, you can be assured that you will be compensated to the maximum extent possible.

In order to determine how long a car accident settlement takes, depends on the specifics of each accident or injury. The varying factors in your case will affect the length of time to obtain a settlement. Our number one goal in every case is to ensure you have confidence and peace of mind once you entrust us with handling your case. This includes putting intense pressure on the insurance company to settle injury claims only when the full value is being offered.

Our goal is to ensure that a settlement fully addresses the extensive medical costs you may face, and that the party at fault compensate you for the pain and suffering you've been forced to endure now and in the future.

We advise that it is best not to tell the insurance company anything without first talking to your personal injury lawyer. If you must speak to the insurance company, do not consent to being recorded, and limit the conversation to your vehicle damage and the location of your vehicle so the damage can be assessed. It’s important to know that you don’t need to feel pressured into admitting you caused the accident or that you could have avoided it. It is advised that you don’t discuss your injuries or how you are doing, as it can take days or weeks for the full extent of your injuries to manifest themselves, and the insurance company may use your comments against you later. We want to make sure you are compensated fully, and insurance companies are determined to do just the opposite. 

As your personal injury lawyer, we meet with you to have discussions and delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding your accident. From these conversations, we help to bring you clarity at a time when you could be confused and unsure about what happened. It can however be difficult to determine fault in a car accident. It may be that not every personal injury claim results in legal action. For instance, there are many injury cases in which an accident victim believes that no other person is responsible for the damages.

While certain areas of personal injury such as, medical malpractice and distracted driving, directly point to responsible individuals or entities, other situations can make it difficult to point to a liable party. For example, when a person is injured in a slip and fall accident, the victim may believe that their injuries were not caused by any person. However, upon more detailed inspection, an experienced accident lawyer may find that property or business owners should be held responsible for these damages. If you have been injured in an accident and do not know if any person or entity should be held liable for your damages, contact our team of personal injury lawyers as soon as possible for our legal advice and expertise. 

A traumatic brain injury or TBI occurs when a head injury causes damage to the brain. Half of all TBIs are from car accidents. A traumatic brain injury can result from a blow, a jolt or any form of a hard hit to the head. The concerns with TBIs are that symptoms may not appear until days or weeks following the accident. A doctor will need to do thorough exams and testing to assess for a potential TBI. If you have been in an accident and have been diagnosed with a TBI or think you might have one, contact your doctor for further help regarding treatment and recovery. We are dedicated to helping you get the compensation they deserve from suffering an injury as devastating as a traumatic brain injury.

We define catastrophic injuries as those that are so serious they leave a victim permanently damaged. These injuries could include broken bones, amputation, burn injuries, internal injuries, paralysis, spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Catastrophic injuries usually have an effect on a person’s short-term and long-term functional capabilities. No matter what the cause of your injury may be, if you sustained injuries that will undoubtedly cause long-term effects or damages, you may have suffered a catastrophic injury. We can put an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side to help you pursue maximum financial compensation for your injuries and to ensure you have the support you need, moving forward. 

A hit and run accident can leave you scared, nervous and worst of all, injured. We are here to make sure your mind is at ease so you can focus on your mental and physical recovery. If you’ve experienced a hit and run accident or pedestrian accident then it is in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer. In recent years, California has had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in all of America. No one expects to be involved in a hit and run accident, but if it does happen to you – try your best to get the driver’s license plate number and to enlist the help of witnesses to get the license plate or vehicle information. If the driver has remained at the scene and is cooperative, then the process will be much easier. If not, you will need the help of onlookers and witnesses.

If you are severely injured and cannot get this information, don’t worry. There are CCTV and security cameras located at most intersections and buildings which may have recorded your accident and can provide details. It is also important to contact police within 24 hours of the event. After all of these steps are taken, your next step would be to contact a personal injury attorney in order to assess your case and provide support through this difficult time. 

A dog bite or dog attack can cause both short and long term damage. As more and more people invest in dog ownership, the probability of a dog attack increases. As personal injury lawyers, we are here to help you take legal action. If you have been attacked by a dog or have experienced a dog bite, you may be entitled to compensation. The first thing you will need to do if you’ve been attacked by a dog is assess the injury. If your injury is severe, you will need to visit a doctor as soon as possible. In California, the statute of limitations for a personal injury is two years. This means that you have two years after the bite occurs to file a case.

We urge you to contact our personal injury lawyers as soon as possible to avoid having to deal with time restraints on your dog bite case. If a dog bites you, the owner of that dog is considered liable if the bite or attack took place in a public place or lawfully in a private place. Under California dog bite laws, the dog owner cannot escape liability and is responsible for all damage caused by the dog bite. Our personal injury lawyers have worked on numerous liability and dog bite cases. If you’ve been the victim of a dog bite or dog attack, calling us can help provide you with the legal representation you deserve.