Portuguese Speaking Lawyer for Accident Victims
As the national language of Brazil and Portugal, Portuguese is spoken as a first or second language by over 270 million people in many countries throughout the world, including the United States. Many of these people live in Southern California and have a strong presence in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. However, a language barrier presents all kinds of challenges, like navigating the legal system when you are the victim of an accident.
Kenmore Law Group has attorneys, paralegals, case managers, and other professionals that are fluent in Portuguese. That means you can obtain legal advice in your preferred language and make decisions that are in the best interest of you and your family members. We are more than ready for the challenge of representing you if another individual or entity has caused you harm and suffering. Our Portuguese-speaking accident lawyers are experienced in all types of injury claims, such as:
- Car accidents
- Accidents while driving for Uber or Lyft
- Slip and fall / trip and fall
- Dog bites (injuries from animals, in general)
- Struck by falling object
- Medical malpractice / birth injuries
- Lawsuits against government agencies / employees
- Assault and battery, including sexual assault
- Health issues from toxic chemical exposure (mesothelioma, cancer, infertility, birth defects, etc.)
- Accidents involving defective products
- Airport / airplane accidents
- Workers’ compensation for workplace injury
How to Prove that Someone Else is Responsible for Your Injuries
Responsibility for harm to another individual, also known as liability, is the foundation of any personal injury claim. It’s crucial to understand what responsibility means in a legal sense and how it applies to your accident. As a general rule, there are certain precautions that we take in order to avoid hurting others. For example, you would ask for someone to drive you home if you’ve been drinking at a party in order to avoid the possibility of a car accident. Another example is fixing and maintaining your property and keeping it free from hazardous conditions. If there is a condition that cannot be easily resolved, you could place clear and visible signs to warn others of the danger.
When you are injured due to another party’s failure to exercise reasonable care, you have the right to seek monetary compensation such as medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. Now, what happens in the event that the other party is not 100% responsible, meaning you share some degree of responsibility for the accident? You may still have grounds for a lawsuit thanks to California’s comparative fault law, also known as comparative negligence.
Under this system, each party is assigned a percentage of negligence, i.e., how much they are at fault for the accident. Even if you are partially responsible, you may still be entitled to some amount of damages based on the defendant’s percentage of fault. Whether you should pursue a lawsuit or not in these cases is a topic you’ll need to discuss with an experienced attorney. No matter what type of legal issues you are dealing with, a Portuguese-speaking accident injury lawyer is available to assist you here at Kenmore Law Group.
24/7 Assistance from Legal Professionals that are Fluent in Portuguese
The laws exist to protect us in the event we are injured by an act of negligence or misconduct. The challenge is to make sense of these laws, as well as the procedures to file a successful claim for damages. Those with limited English-speaking skills are clearly at a disadvantage when it comes to the legal system. That’s why it’s imperative that you find an attorney that can advise you of your legal rights in Portuguese.
At Kenmore Law Group, “justice for all” is a principle that guides us in everything we do. We have attorneys from diverse backgrounds, who are fluent in many languages such as Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese, Arabic, Korean, Hungarian, Romanian, Urdu, and of course, Portuguese. Our goal is to secure the highest possible settlement for you and your loved ones, while ensuring that you are fully aware of each decision you make throughout your case.
Our legal team is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you are welcome to call us anytime.
Legal Assistance for Uber and Lyft Drivers
A good number of rideshare drivers in the Los Angeles area are of Brazilian or Portuguese descent, and sadly, many of them are unaware of the compensation that’s available to them. This allows companies like Uber and Lyft to get away with not paying claims when one of these drivers is injured in an accident.
To be clear, your first source of reimbursement after an accident is your own insurance company or that of the other driver. However, both Uber and Lyft offer supplemental coverage that can provide you with further compensation. This is very important if you’ve suffered extensive injuries and damage to your car, which is not unusual among rideshare drivers. The level of coverage depends on your status at the time of accident. If you were logged into the app and had a passenger in the car, you would be covered for up to $1 million for any injuries or property damage. If, on the other hand, you were available to accept a ride but weren’t carrying a passenger at the time, you are covered for up to $100,000 for injuries and $25,000 in property damage.
Just because the coverage is available doesn’t mean that Uber and Lyft will pay out your claim. In fact, they will do everything in their power to deny you payment or get away with paying you as little as possible. Those who are fluent in English are specifically targeted by insurance agents, as they are the easiest to manipulate. We are here to defend you and fight for every penny of the settlement you deserve if you’ve been in an accident while driving for Lyft or Uber.
Accident Injury Settlement Values – What is my Lawsuit Worth?
Answering this question requires a thorough examination of your accident, as well as your financial and emotional losses. The best we can say right now is that most of our injury claims fall within the values of $25,000 to several million dollars. We know that this is a very wide range that doesn’t give you a great sense of what you can receive from your own lawsuit. That’s why we urge you to give us a call and schedule a free case review with one of our attorneys.
What is the Average Timeline to Settle these Cases?
The process of settling a case may be as short as 30 days, or as long as 2 or more years depending on many circumstances. The defendant’s willingness to admit fault, the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life, and the degree of negligence that led to your accident are just some of these factors. We will work tirelessly to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf, hopefully within 6 to 8 months. If more drastic action is needed, we will file a lawsuit in order to recover your damages. Though a settlement is still possible, getting to that point can take one or more years.
How long do I have to File a Claim for Compensation?
The deadline to file a personal injury claim is two years in most cases, beginning from the date of your accident or the day you discovered an injury from the accident. But you should be aware that the timeline is shorter for cases involving workplace injury or negligence by a government entity. Workers’ compensation claims, for example, must be filed within one year from the day you were injured. If it’s a government employee or agency that’s responsible for your accident, you must initiate an injury claim within six months. This is why it’s important to contact a lawyer right away and confirm the amount of time you have to file your lawsuit.
Do You need a Second Opinion?
Perhaps you are reading this article due to concerns you have about a pending accident claim. We speak with a lot of clients at other law firms, who are unhappy with the lack of time and attention from their attorneys. As a result, they have no idea what’s going on with their case, or find that certain actions have been taken on their behalf without their full knowledge or consent. We are available to help you with these issues during a free second opinion consultation. There is no pressure to leave your current firm by meeting with us, as our main goal is to educate you on your rights and legal options. If you would like a second opinion on your case, please contact us as soon as possible.
Contact Kenmore Law Group
Most people are aware of the difference that an experienced attorney can make when they’re struggling to recover from an accident. Your medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma – these are all compensable damages, but achieving justice is an uphill battle when English is not your primary language. At the same time, you’re not sure how you can afford an attorney when you’re out of work and the bills are piling up.
At Kenmore Law Group, we never charge upfront for legal services. We get paid by the defendant at the same time you do, which means we don’t get paid unless we win your case. On top of that, we have a Zero Fee Guarantee, which means you pay nothing in the event we fail to recover your settlement award.
Please take this opportunity to give us a call and learn about your available legal options from a Portuguese-speaking accident injury lawyer.