Pukalani, Hawaii Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or someone you love has been injured because of someone else’s negligence in Pakalani, you should work with an experienced Hawaii personal injury attorney to secure financial compensation.

At Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner, our attorneys have established their outstanding careers by holding businesses and people responsible for their acts of recklessness and negligence. Since our firm was established in 1971, we have helped clients collect the maximum amount of financial compensation for their serious injuries or the wrongful death of a family member. Our team works hard to achieve positive outcomes for every client we represent.

If you or a family member has recently sustained a personal injury and is looking for reliable legal advice, we are ready to help.

What Types of Personal Injury Cases Do You Handle?

Our firm handles multiple types of personal injury cases and related practice areas ranging from pedestrian accidents to wrongful deaths. Other cases we handle include:

Birth Injuries

Every day, parents trust healthcare professionals to keep their newborns healthy and safe during the birthing process. When doctors, nurses, medics, or other medical providers fail to meet the medical standard of care, mothers and their infants risk being seriously injured. If you or your baby were injured due to a provider’s negligence, you could be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim.

Types of Birth Injuries

The two primary types of birth injuries are:

Traumatic injuries: These injuries involve physical trauma to the baby or mother. They typically happen during the birthing process and could include shoulder dystocia, use of excessive force, Erb’s palsy, brachial plexus injuries, fractures, and injuries caused by forceps and vacuums.
Oxygen deprivation: If the attending physician is not careful, the baby’s brain can be deprived of oxygen throughout delivery, labor, and pregnancy. Insufficient or no oxygen to the brain, known as hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries, often have life-changing consequences, such as cognitive deficits and permanent brain damage. They can also produce conditions such as cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Birth injuries are also classified as either labor and delivery injuries or in-utero injuries. No matter what led to your baby’s birth injury or at what gestational age their injury took place, the personal injury attorneys at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner are here to get the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Medical Negligence & Birth Injuries

If medical malpractice occurs at any time during pregnancy or delivery, it can have serious, life-changing consequences. A lot of birth injuries are the result of problems with blood flow. As soon as an issue is discovered, nurses and doctors have to take immediate steps to increase the supply of oxygen to the baby, up to and including performing a cesarean section.

According to Hawaii personal injury law, doctors or any other medical professional who fails to take the necessary actions could be held legally liable for any subsequent injuries.

Some examples of medical malpractice that can cause neonatal and birth injuries include:

Delayed birth
Delaying a C-section/Failing to perform a C-section
Inappropriate use of labor-inducing drugs, such as Pitocin
Failing to monitor fetal heart rate
Inappropriate use of forceps or vacuum
Failing to diagnose or treat complications, like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, maternal infection, etc.
Failing to detect indications of fetal distress

If you believe your child was injured due to the mismanagement of their labor or delivery, contact a Pakalani birth injury lawyer from Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner for a free case evaluation. We will review the details of the accident and determine if you have a valid case for pursuing economic recovery for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain, suffering, and upcoming medical needs.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain injuries are extremely unpredictable and often leave their victims with compromised cognitive function, short-term memory loss, and unable to handle the demands of basic daily tasks.

In serious cases, those who suffer from traumatic brain injuries require costly, full-time professional care. Impairment of this level can leave the sufferer unable to hold a job and endanger their financial future. When someone’s negligence or unlawful conduct causes a traumatic brain injury, personal injury law allows the injured party to file for financial compensation.

Catastrophic Injuries

If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury or other catastrophic injuries, the Pakalani traumatic brain injury lawyers at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner can make sure that you understand all of your legal options We have the tenacity and the experience to fight for the recovery you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Damages that are usually recoverable in a catastrophic injury case include:

Medical testing
Hospital bills/Medical bills
Anticipated medical expenses, such as medications and home care
Cognitive therapy/Rehabilitation
Pain/Suffering
Lost income/Lost anticipated income

Even though your catastrophic injury case might be worth a great deal, without effective representation, you are going to have a hard time securing the full value. When you consider the enormous hospital bills, lost earnings, and emotional suffering you and your family have endured, you have every right to file suit and use every resource at your disposal to win the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Auto Accidents

The Pukalani car accident lawyers at the personal injury law firm of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner have represented numerous car accident victims during our decades of practice. We understand that this is an overwhelming experience, and we have the resources to handle even the most challenging and severe cases. We are not afraid to take on cases that require research, creativity, and extensive preparation to secure a fair recovery.

Our Pakalani car accident attorneys take immense pride in the thoroughness of their investigative efforts and the results they achieve. When it comes to our clients, we offer free consultations to examine all potential avenues of recovery to ensure a successful outcome for your personal injury case.

We commonly consult with professionals to reconstruct the crash, employ biomechanics to find out if the vehicle has any defects, and highway engineers scour the roadway for any hazardous conditions.

Many car accidents involve intoxicated or otherwise irresponsible drivers who either have no insurance or insufficient insurance to compensate you for your damages completely. This is why it takes a lawyer with decades of experience who understands Hawaii’s complex car insurance laws to find additional sources of coverage like uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

Drivers Under the Influence

Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol put everyone in danger. Every year, several thousand people are injured or killed in alcohol or drug-related car accidents. Like most other states, Hawaii has strict laws in place that are designed to prevent this kind of behavior.

If you or a loved one were recently injured in a car accident that was caused by an intoxicated driver, the award-winning attorneys at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner can help you pursue the justice and financial recovery the law entitles you to.

The success of a drunk driving case hinges on meticulous preparation and thorough documentation of your damages. This includes the cost of medical treatment and care, such as surgery and physical therapy, bills for any vehicle repairs, proof of the income you lost while recovering, and any future damages you are likely to incur. Victims may also recover damages for their physical pain and emotional trauma.

Will a DUI Criminal Case Negate My Personal Injury Case?

Driving under the influence is a crime. However, even though drunk drivers are charged in criminal court, a criminal case will do nothing to compensate you for your injuries or wrongful death. To successfully recover compensation, you must pursue a civil claim against the intoxicated driver or any other party determined to be liable.

Some fundamental differences between the two types of cases are:

Civil suits require plaintiffs to prove their case using a less stringent burden of proof, known as a preponderance of the evidence, than is needed in a criminal case which must be beyond a reasonable doubt.
Civil claims are not associated with any criminal case and are dealt with by a separate justice system.
Civil claims may be decided via an out-of-court settlement. A criminal case may not.
In the majority of civil lawsuits, respondents are represented by their insurance provider.

If you were injured by a drunk driver who has been criminally charged, reach out to us today so we can review your case in a free consultation.

Product Liability

A product liability claim is a civil suit that seeks to hold an entity, like a designer or manufacturer, liable for damages caused by their product. Product liability claims can be filed on the grounds of strict liability or negligence over problems such as:

Insufficient instructions
Manufacturing flaws
Failing to warn
Failing to use an alternate design proven to be safer
Design flaws

A product liability suit allows you to pursue economic recovery of your damages. This recovery is intended to compensate you for your hospital bills, lost wages due to inability to work, pain, suffering, projected damages, and various other economic and non-economic damages resulting from your accident.

The legal team at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner has represented numerous clients against companies that put products with hazardous defects on the market. We have the resources you need to obtain full recovery for your damages. If you feel your injury could have been prevented had a designer or manufacturer conducted themselves more responsibly, we can help you recover financial compensation. We always keep our clients’ best interests in mind and strive for the best possible outcome.

Our lawyers are prepared to thoroughly investigate your accident and determine if you are justified in bringing legal action. Some common examples of defective or dangerous products that incur manufacturer liability include dangerous children’s toys, airbags that don’t deploy, and prescription medications with dangerous side effects.

How Will Liability For My Accident Be Determined?

Determining who is liable for your injuries and other damages is an important factor in the success of your case. In personal injury cases, it is common to allege that more than one party is responsible for your injuries.

Our experienced lawyers have access to the resources necessary to investigate your crash and determine all potentially liable parties thoroughly.

If you or a family member were injured, responsible parties could include:

Public entities
Vehicle owners
Product manufacturers/Product designers
Employers
Repair Services
Landlords/Property Owners
Reckless drivers/Negligent drivers

The most form of liability that a Pakalani personal injury attorney will commonly invoke is negligence.

How is Negligence Proven?

To show that a respondent is liable, you will have to prove to the court that:

The respondent had a duty of care to avoid causing injury and harm to others
The respondent violated that duty
As a result of the respondent’s violation, you were injured or harmed in some way

In some cases, a more rigorous legal standard known as strict liability is involved. Cases that invoke strict liability typically involve defective or dangerous products.

According to personal injury law, the three primary categories of product liability flaws are manufacturing, marketing, and design flaws. Anyone involved in the production chain could be held responsible for any injuries resulting from a defective or dangerous product. This includes marketers, manufacturers, retailers, shipping companies, and more.

It is not uncommon for liability to be shared by multiple parties after an industrial accident.

How Long Do I Have To File A Claim In Hawaii?

Hawaii law entitles you to recover damages if you were injured due to another’s negligence. In most cases, the state’s statute of limitations is exactly two years from the cause of action. However, some factors can complicate your case and modify the time you have to file.

Our team will see your case through from beginning to end, skillfully building your claim, fighting for compensation, and keeping your best interests in mind while you focus on getting better.

What Damages Can I Recover?

If you are going to file suit and navigate the insurance claims process on your own, the insurance provider is going to undervalue your damages leaving you with a heavy financial burden. You need an experienced attorney who is not scared to fight back. A complete investigation by a Pukalani personal injury lawyer from Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner, as well as any necessary experts, will ensure that all pertinent evidence pertaining to your damages is collected. Documentation such as medical records, pay stubs, proof of being unable to work, any planned upcoming medical procedures, and proof of other costs can all act as confirmation of your losses.

Based on the circumstances surrounding your case, you might be able to recover:

Specific Damages: Specific damages include current and anticipated medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, necessary replacement or repair services, modifications to your vehicle and home, etc.
General Damages: These include physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of fellowship, and inconvenience.

Calculating the value of a personal injury case is complicated. Issues concerning liability, the injuries sustained, and the unique circumstances of the accident vary significantly from case to case. It takes a skilled personal injury attorney with decades of experience to estimate the value of your case correctly.

The personal injury attorneys at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner have an established track record of getting our clients the financial compensation they deserve. We offer a free consultation and work on a contingency fee basis, so you never pay anything out of pocket.

Contact a Pukalani, HI Personal Injury Lawyer Today

A personal injury case is an overwhelming experience. The key to a successful outcome lies in proving who was liable for the accident. Although no legal case comes with a guarantee, our law firm has proven its ability to handle any legal issue thrown at us and successfully establish fault in personal injury cases repeatedly. We understand what it takes to construct a compelling case, one that the court will find convincing, thereby ensuring you get the full amount of financial recovery you both need and deserve.

Contact the Pakalani personal injury attorneys at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner by calling 808-537-2525 to get started on your case.