Waikoloa Village Hawaii Personal Injury Lawyer

Today, we are all leading busier lives than ever before. The number of obstacles and challenges we have to navigate on a day-to-day basis continues to grow. With so much to accomplish in very little time, accidents are happening at an increasing rate. The resulting injuries can be devastating and life-altering. In addition to physical injuries, a serious accident can empty your bank account, and negatively impact your mental health as well. 

Various Types of Personal Injury Accidents 

At the law firm of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner, our personal injury attorneys specialize in helping their clients get back on their feet after a serious accident. Our firm represents clients involved in many different kinds of personal injury accidents, such as: 

Motorcycle Accidents 

The Aloha State is a virtual paradise for motorcyclists. Boasting a temperate climate year-round and miles of scenic roadways, it is no surprise that Hawaii has more than 34,000 registered motorcycles. Unfortunately, the state’s roadways are not always safe for bikers. Many motorists are not mindful and don’t share the road fairly with riders. If you were hit by a negligent driver, our motorcycle accident attorneys can help you get fair compensation for your likely catastrophic injuries. 

Slip and Fall Accidents 

Property owners and landlords have a legal responsibility to make sure their premises are free of defects and hazards. If you or a member of your family were injured after a slip and fall accident that occurred because of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, you could be eligible for financial compensation. Our Hawaii personal injury lawyers can help protect your rights and secure financial compensation for your injuries and other damages.  

Pedestrian Accidents 

Thanks to the sunshine and beautiful weather, there is never really a bad time to go for a walk in Waikoloa Village. The climate and scenery provide an excellent incentive to get out and explore on foot. Nonetheless, pedestrian safety is often compromised by disrespectful or aggravated drivers. Pedestrian accidents are not uncommon in Hawaii, unfortunately. 

When 4,000 pounds of steel collide with a defenseless jogger or walker, terrible injuries are almost always the result. Reach out to the Hawaii personal injury lawyers at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner to find out about your legal options. 

Rideshare Accidents 

Many people are surprised to learn that accidents involving rideshare vehicles, such as Uber and Lyft, are quite different from other car accident cases. It is vital to obtain legal representation from a skilled rideshare accident attorney who is familiar with current rideshare liability laws and has experience successfully handling these kinds of claims. 

Fortunately, for anyone harmed due to another person’s negligence, legal recourse is available. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will be able to fully investigate your accident and help you construct a strong case to make sure you collect the financial compensation you are entitled to.   

Ways a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help 

There are many ways in which our qualified Waikoloa Village personal injury lawyers help our clients achieve a favorable outcome for their personal injury cases. 

Assessing Eligibility For Compensation 

Our seasoned Hawaii personal injury attorneys have decades of experience handling almost every type of personal injury case. Their knowledge, background, and resources are invaluable when it comes to calculating the financial compensation you could potentially be owed.  

Negotiating With Insurance Companies 

All insurance providers are tricky. Major insurance providers can be merciless in their attempt to pay less than what an injured party rightfully deserves. Having a personal injury attorney who knows and understands the law inside and out, as well as what your claim is truly worth, will make it impossible for an insurance provider to take advantage of you. 

Gathering Evidence 

In a personal injury case, there are lots of tiny details that may appear insignificant to the untrained eye. With an experienced personal injury attorney by your side, however, those small but crucial details will not go unnoticed. Our attorneys know where to look to ensure you have the most solid evidence possible when presenting your case. 

Preparing Your Case 

Having an experienced attorney prepare your case is essential when you file a personal injury claim. You need to ensure you are as prepared as possible. Our attorneys know how to build your case to result in the maximum possible recovery, financially and otherwise. 

Schedule Your Free Consultation Today 

Since our law firm opened its doors in 1971, the personal injury lawyers at Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner have helped recover millions in civil lawsuits for our clients who have been injured across a variety of practice areas. Our personal injury attorneys are able to investigate your accident, organize medical care, make sure you understand your rights, prove liability, and pursue a successful personal injury claim. Contact Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner today to schedule your free consultation by calling (808) 537-2525 or filling out our online form.  

What Should I Do After a Personal Injury Accident? 

Every personal injury case begins with an accident. Regardless of whether it was a motor vehicle accident or a slip-and-fall, the first thing you should always do after any kind of injury accident is to seek medical care. Below are the steps you should follow after the accident. 

Seek Medical Treatment 

No matter what type of accident takes place, the first and most important thing you should do is seek immediate medical attention. Even if you think you are unharmed, you should still be medically evaluated. Not all injuries have symptoms that manifest right away. This is true of many minor injuries and several serious ones as well.  

It is essential to keep documentation that shows all of your medical expenses, as this is an important part of your claim. You will also need to record any visible injuries such as scrapes, bruises, and cuts by taking pictures of them. These pictures will also play an important role in the successful outcome of your claim.   

Hire A Personal Injury Attorney 

Most who get injured in a personal injury situation mistakenly wait for a full medical diagnosis or a preliminary offer from the insurance carrier before they decide they want to contact a lawyer. The reality is that you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible after your accident.  

Hiring a personal injury lawyer can seem intimidating. That is why we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to all potential clients. No attorney is going to take a case that doesn’t require an attorney, so you risk nothing by having us review your case and telling you the best way to proceed. There are numerous ways that hiring effective legal counsel can give your claim an advantage, so it’s worth making that phone call. 

The worst-case scenario is that you get some dependable legal advice at no cost. The best-case scenario is you securing a settlement award that is much higher than one you would have achieved on your own.  

How Can I Prove Liability For My Injuries? 

Earning full financial compensation for accident-related injuries hinges primarily on successfully showing that another person, persons, or business were responsible for your injuries due to their negligence. Negligence is established by proving that four specific elements were present during your accident. Your personal injury attorney knows how to prove these elements. The four truths that must be proven are: 

Duty 

The first element that must be established in a successful injury claim is the presence of a legal duty or responsibility. The individual or company against whom the claim is being filed must have had some form of duty they were required to fulfill. For example, all drivers owe a duty of care to other drivers. For them, the duty of care involves following all driving laws, not driving while under the influence, and foregoing any distractions while they are behind the wheel. 

Violation of Duty 

After you show that a duty of care existed, you will then have to prove that the duty was violated when the respondent failed to meet their responsibility. For example, a driver who was drunk while driving clearly violated their duty of care to other drivers on the road. 

Cause in Fact 

After the violation of duty has been determined, you need to show that it was the cause or at least a partial cause of your accident. Another element of this is whether the respondent should have reasonably anticipated the results of their negligence. It is possible that if the accident was not necessarily foreseeable, they will be assigned a lesser degree of liability for their negligence. 

Damages 

Lastly, it must be shown that damages such as physical pain or emotional trauma were brought about by the accident. These damages are what you are ultimately compensated for. Your lawyer will be able to evaluate your damages during your initial consultation. 

The Value of Your Claim 

The precise value of your case and the amount of compensation you receive cannot be guaranteed. There are dozens of factors that can affect compensation and are unique to each case. For instance, because of Hawaii’s modified comparative negligence laws, if you are found to have contributed to your accident by more than 51%, you will be barred from collecting damages. The only way to know for sure whether you even have a claim and what the value might be is to contact our Hawaii personal injury lawyer. 

What Kind of Damages Might I Be Entitled To Receive? 

Each accident is unique and occurs under different circumstances. There is no one set of damages that applies across the board. Some of the damages that are typically seen in personal injury cases include: 

Property Damage 

If you experienced property damage during your accident, you will most likely be able to collect compensation. Property damage is usually estimated by analyzing the damaged asset’s market value before and after the accident. The claimant will typically receive fair market value for an asset. 

Medical Bills 

The most common form of damages in a personal injury claim is compensation for medical bills. Medical costs include surgery, hospitalization, medical devices, and prescription medications. You might be eligible to obtain financial compensation for projected future medical costs related to your injuries.  

Lost Income 

Serious injuries might prevent you from being physically able to work and earn a living. In this case, you could be entitled to compensation for your lost income. Most of the time you can also recover lost income for any vacation, sick, or personal time you were forced to use during your recovery. 

Diminished Earning Capacity 

If your injury is long-lasting or permanent, your ability to perform your job could be diminished or eliminated. If you are no longer able to work or are severely restricted in the type or amount of work you are able to perform, your lawyer can help you pursue damages for loss of or diminished earning capacity and lost anticipated earnings. Damages for loss of earning capacity will be primarily dependent on a doctor’s diagnosis and prognosis.  

Loss of Fellowship 

Loss of fellowship may be claimed when a family member is severely injured or killed. Damages may be sought for a loss of comfort, love, sexual relations, companionship, or affection that the injured or deceased is no longer able to supply. Loss of fellowship is generally only seen in cases involving death or serious and lasting injuries like incontinence, paralysis, or amputation.

Wrongful Death 

When a loved one is killed in a negligence-based accident, Hawaii law has provisions that permit surviving relatives to seek financial compensation. Wrongful death damages may include compensation for hospital bills, funeral and burial costs, lost income, and more. 

Punitive Damages 

Occasionally, courts will award punitive damages for certain kinds of injury claims. Dissimilar to other kinds of damages, punitive damages are not awarded for an expense or loss incurred due to an accident. Instead, they are awarded as a form of punishment for the offender and to dissuade others from similar behavior.   

Call Our Waikoloa Village, HI Law Offices 

It is crucial that you begin the personal injury process by reaching out to a Hawaii personal injury lawyer for advice as soon as you can. The personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner know the claims process inside and out and have the resources to help you circumvent common mistakes and obstacles to obtain the financial compensation you need and are entitled to.  

Contact the law firm of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner today to schedule your free consultation by calling (808) 537-2525 or filling out our online form.