Aliso Viejo Personal Injury Lawyer

Aliso Viejo Personal Injury Attorney

Corrales Law Group provides personal injury legal services to the dynamic community of Aliso Viejo, located in the heart of Orange County. Our lawyers are dedicated to helping residents injured due to accidents and negligence. From traffic accidents on the busy 73 Toll Road to injuries sustained in local recreational areas like Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park or around Aliso Viejo Town Center, an Aliso Viejo personal injury lawyer from Corrales Law Group can work to ensure that you receive the justice and compensation you deserve.

How Corrales Law Group Can Help You

Corrales Law Group focuses on providing personalized services and tailored legal guidance.

Since 2012, Corrales Law Group has been dedicated to serving the Aliso Viejo community. Founded by siblings Peter and Janice Corrales, our firm focuses on personal injury law, fighting for victims against large corporations. Our team is fluent in Spanish and committed to client communication, providing consultations and in-home visits.

If you are hurt in an accident or a fall due to the negligence of another person, you should file a claim and try to obtain money to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages as soon as possible after the accident. You want to do this before you lose relevant evidence or miss the statute of limitations, which limits how long you have to seek compensation for your injuries.

You increase your chances of obtaining compensation for your damages if you file your claim while fresh evidence of your injuries is available. Your medical records and bills should clearly show the nature and extent of your injuries. Filing a claim right away may also increase the likelihood that an insurance company will pay for your damages. You should talk to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after you are hurt by scheduling an initial consultation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Aliso Viejo

Personal injury covers a wide range of accidents, and our attorneys handle nearly all of them for Aliso Viejo residents, including:

• Car Accidents. Aliso Viejo sits along the 73 Toll Road and near the 5 and 405 freeways, where heavy traffic and speed differences lead to frequent crashes. Fault for crashes on these roads and others often comes down to reviewing police reports, traffic camera footage, and witness statements to show who caused the collision.
• Motorcycle Accidents. Riders face a higher risk of catastrophic injury than passenger-vehicle occupants because they have little to no protection in a crash. These cases often involve overcoming a driver’s or insurer’s bias against motorcyclists, so strong evidence of the other driver’s fault is essential.
• Truck Accidents. Commercial trucks passing through Orange County often involve multiple potentially liable parties, including the driver, the trucking company, and the cargo loader. Because trucking companies keep detailed logs and maintenance records, an early investigation can uncover evidence that supports your claim.
• Bicycle Accidents. Aliso Viejo’s network of bike trails, including routes through Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, means cyclists regularly share the road with vehicles at crossings. Drivers who fail to yield or misjudge a cyclist’s speed are frequently at fault for these collisions.
• Rideshare Accidents. Injuries in an Uber or Lyft raise separate insurance questions, since coverage can change depending on whether the driver was logged into the app at the time of the crash. Identifying which policy applies is often the first step toward recovering full compensation.
• Bus Accidents. Determining liability for a bus accident can be challenging, but as a rider you may have the right to a fair recovery after a crash. Public transit claims can involve a government entity, which means shorter deadlines may apply to your case.
• Premises Liability and Slip and Fall. Property owners in Aliso Viejo must keep walkways, parking areas, and stairs reasonably safe for visitors. Proving your case usually requires showing the owner knew, or should have known, about the hazard and failed to fix it.
• Dog Bites. Under California Civil Code section 3342, dog owners are strictly liable for bites in most circumstances, regardless of the animal’s prior history. This makes it easier to recover compensation, since you generally do not need to prove the owner was careless.
• Construction Accidents. Workers and bystanders hurt on job sites may have claims separate from workers’ compensation, depending on who was at fault. A subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner may share liability alongside the injured worker’s employer.

If your situation does not fit neatly into one of these categories, our attorneys can still evaluate it. California negligence law is broad enough to cover many situations where one party’s negligence causes another person harm.

Who Is at Fault After an Aliso Viejo Accident

California personal injury claims are built on the legal concept of negligence. To recover compensation, an injured person generally must show four things: 

1. The other party owed a duty of care
2. That duty was breached
3. The breach caused the injury
4. The injury resulted in actual damages

California is a pure comparative negligence state. That means  an injured person can still recover damages even if they were partly at fault for the accident, as long as they were not 100 percent responsible. Compensation is simply reduced by the injured person’s percentage of fault. For example, someone found to be 20 percent at fault for a crash can still recover 80 percent of their proven damages.

Possible Compensation After an Aliso Viejo Accident Injury

Damages in a California personal injury case generally fall into two categories, economic damages and non-economic damages. In rare cases, punitive damages may be possible.

Economic Damages (also called Special Damages)

Economic damages include things such as:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage

Non-Economic Damages (also called General Damages)

Non-economic damages include things that are harder to value, but are significant to your recovery. Examples include physical pain and emotional suffering. While non-economic damages don’t have receipts or invoices, you must have evidence to support your damages claim.

Punitive Damages in Rare Cases

In cases involving especially reckless or intentional conduct, such as drunk driving or a property owner who knowingly concealed a dangerous condition, a court may also award punitive damages, also known as exemplary damages..

Punitive damages under California Civil Code section 3294 are meant to punish the wrongdoer rather than compensate the injured person, and they require clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud.

These awards are uncommon and are decided separately from the economic and non-economic damages discussed above.

What To Do After You Leave the Accident Scene in Aliso Viejo

The days and weeks after an accident matter just as much as the moments right after it happens, and what you do can strengthen or weaken your claim. If possible, it’s important to:

• Follow your doctor’s treatment plan and attend every follow-up appointment, since gaps in treatment can be used to argue your injuries were not serious.
• Keep a simple daily record of your pain levels, missed workdays, and how your injuries affect everyday tasks to support your damages claim later.
• Be careful with social media, since insurance adjusters often look through a claimant’s posts for anything that could downplay their injuries.
• Avoid signing anything from the insurance company, including a quick settlement offer or medical authorization form, before your attorney reviews it.
• Save every medical bill, repair estimate, and pay stub showing missed work so your attorney can calculate the full value of your claim.
• Talk to an attorney early, since the sooner your case is reviewed, the more time there is to gather evidence and track important deadlines.

Navigating the Initial Consultation

When you have your initial consultation with your personal injury lawyer, you want to make sure that you are as prepared as possible. You should ensure that your lawyer has all the information necessary to properly review your case. Important items that you can bring to your lawyer are any police or accident reports or investigations that have been done on your crash. Oftentimes, the report will have the parties involved and describe what happened, including who may be at fault for what occurred.

Photographs of any injuries you sustained, along with medical records and bills, can show what medical treatment you received and how long it might have taken you to recover. For example, you can bring pictures of the scene where the accident happened, your injuries, and the damage to your property as evidence of what happened. Doing so can help you or your lawyer understand your damages and injuries. Trying to explain what occurred can be complicated without visual evidence.

Additional documents to bring to your consultation include copies of your health and automobile insurance policies and your correspondence with your insurer about your claim and the accident. These documents can help you and your lawyer understand your coverage, what your carrier says about your insurance and any communications they’ve had with you about the accident.

The Role of Expert Witnesses in Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases often benefit from the testimony of expert witnesses. These professionals can provide knowledge and insights that are crucial for establishing liability and proving the extent of the injuries you sustained.

Whether it is a doctor detailing your injuries and medical needs or an accident recreation specialist explaining how a crash occurred, an expert’s testimony can provide crucial evidence in a case. Here at Corrales Law Group, we work with a nationwide network of independent, credible experts so our clients can have the assistance to support their claims. Our attorneys take the time to vet experts and thoroughly prepare them so they can explain highly technical information to judges and juries in a way that helps win cases for our clients. This kind of preparation has helped attorneys at Corrales Law Group secure results for personal injury clients across Orange County, including settlements and verdicts ranging from hundreds of thousands to multiple millions of dollars.

Where an Aliso Viejo Personal Injury Case Is Filed

Aliso Viejo does not have its own courthouse. Personal injury lawsuits arising in Aliso Viejo fall under the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, and civil matters, including personal injury claims, are generally filed and heard at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

FAQs About Personal Injury Law

What If the Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement?

If you’ve been injured and the insurance company for the person who hurt you offers you a settlement, then you need to consult a personal injury attorney before accepting the settlement. Oftentimes, that first settlement offer is lower than what you are entitled to receive. You cannot file a claim later if you’ve already accepted a settlement.

What Is a Serious Personal Injury?

A serious personal injury is any injury that impacts your day-to-day life by altering your normal function or making your daily routine difficult to accomplish. Typically, a serious injury requires the intervention of medical personnel and can take a long time to treat and recover from.

• Burns
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Fractures
• Permanent disability
• Permanent disfigurement

Because these serious injuries result in large medical bills and lost wages, those who suffer them deserve significant compensation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in California?

In many cases, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government entity is involved, you must present a claim within six months instead. Because these deadlines are strict, it is best to talk to an attorney as soon as possible.

How Much Is My Aliso Viejo Personal Injury Case Worth?

There is no set formula that applies to every case. The value of your claim generally depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical costs, lost income, the insurance coverage available, and your own percentage of fault, if any. An attorney can review the specific facts of your accident and give you a realistic range based on similar cases handled in Orange County.

Contact an Aliso Viejo Personal Injury Lawyer

At Corrales Law Group, we believe in holding those responsible for your injuries accountable. Our experienced attorneys are here to provide the legal knowledge and support you need. Call us today for a consultation, and let us work together to secure the compensation you deserve.