Recent Blog Posts

How Much in Damages Can I Get for my Personal Injury Case?

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:29:00 GMT

An experience Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles can assess your case and collect all damages you are eligible to receive. There are many factors that are taken into account when calculating damages and the plaintiff is required to show evidence that such damages are just. See below for most factors used to determine the damages amount.

At the Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin an experience lawyer will review a number of factors to determine the potential maximum recovery you may obtain from your personal injury. These include:

Medical and other Health Care Bills:

Doctors' bill, Ambulance bill, Hospital bill, Private Nurses, Medicine, Medical Supplies, Travel for medical treatment, Wheelchairs, Walkers, Future Medical Expenses

Property Damage:
- Car Repair, Rental Car, Towing

Income you may have lost due to yourpersonal injury:

Lost Wages, Special Training(Occupational), Loss of Earning Capacity

Life-changing Disabilities:

Pain and Suffering Experienced:

It is crucial that plaintiff keep all documentation from all services they received, documents recording all of the injuries and detailed description of the injuries suffered. In short, the stronger the evidence the higher the likelihood you will receive the entire amount of damages you are demanding.

At the Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin our attorney has the necessary expertise to assign a value to each of these different components of your claim. Please contact our office for a free consultation.

An experienced car accident attorney can look at all these factors to help you understand what your case may be worth.

Pain and suffering is how the law defines the physical and mental anguish the injured person has suffered as a result of the accident. The Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin can find ways to help measure this anguish for the jury or for a negotiated settlement in a manner that is favorable to you.

If you have any questions please call the Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin.

DMV Requirements When Involved in an Accident

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:11:00 GMT

Many people don't know that if they are involved in a traffic accident that they must fill out a special form for the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Every day in Los Angeles there are many accidents that occur, at time most of the accidents are minor and people prefer to handle it amongst themselves. But read carefully the requirements below. The DMV then require theSR1 form to be filled out are when:

If you are involved in a vehicle accident that occurred in California, you must report it to the DMV if:

There was property damage of more that $750 ($500 for accidents prior to January 1, 2003) or
Anyone was injured (no matter how minor) or
Anyone was killed.

The SR1 form must also be reported to the DMV within 10 days of the accident. The DMV also states that each and all parties must fill out the SR1 no matter whose fault the accident was. Contact the Law Office of Loren M. Merlin and they will handle your car accident, so you do not have to worry about reporting your accident to different state agencies. No matter what county inCalifornia, Los Angeles, San Fernando, Orange County etc. SR1 should be filled out and sent to the DMV.

Please be advised that failure to report your accident to the DMV can result in suspension of your driving privilege. The lawyers of theLaw Office of Loren M. Merlin will aggressively work to represent the needs of accident victims. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident you should contact our office immediately because we will be primarily focused on protecting and benefiting your interests in your car accident.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:08:00 GMT

All types of accidents pose legal challenges to victims and their families. To assist victims and wrongful death survivors through the complex process of personal injury litigation, attorneys must establish liability and prove the amount of damages suffered by the client.

Tricky cases involve, hit-and-run drivers. This is because they pose difficulty when no citizen steps forward to prevent the perpetrator from escaping without being identified. There are times during ahit-and-run when the victim may not recover from anyone because the wrongdoer cannot be identified. But there are sometimes other options for identifying the wrongdoer such as; detection, including security camera images and eyewitness accounts that can provide crucial clues about the driver's identity. At the Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin in Los Angeles, creative attorneys can pursue possible alternative sources of recovery, such as the victim's own insurance or other parties who may have contributed to the accident; for example, those creating poor lighting, unsafe road surfaces, conditions which obstruct the driver's visibility and other hazards.

A good word of advice is that the injured parties' rights are often impacted by how fast they act to retain a qualified personal injury lawyer to investigate and explore all avenues for recovery.

The lawyers of the Law Office of Loren M. Merlin will aggressively work to represent the needs of accident victims. If you or someone you know has been injured in acar accident,hit-and-run, work accident or any type of injury you should contact our office immediately for a free case evaluation.

Dirty Insurance Company Investigation Tactics

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:13:00 GMT

After being injured in a serious accident, the last thing people worry about is the insurance companies giving them a hard time. Many insurance company adjusters and or investigators are trained to manipulate people to invoke statements that may harm people's chances of receiving full compensation. You must understand insurance companies are in a business to make money!

An example of this is the fact that insurance companies are turning to the internet to investigate claimants. Years ago, it would cost an insurance company thousands of dollars to hire a private investigator to follow a claimant around, to determine the legitimacy of an injury claim. Now with the boom of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc…), investigators are spying on the claimants. Items that insurance companies are looking for are; pictures, videos and postings regarding vacations, travel schedules, or outdoor activities are often used to raise doubts about the validity of an injury claim. It is important to be very conscious of this and act accordingly.

We have noticed that many insurance companies conduct routine online searches to gain access to injury victims' profiles, using their email addresses, names and other identifying information.

After being involved in any serious injury, it is a good idea to be aware of the information that is available to the public, online. Just think of recent news of celebrities getting in trouble with the law, and they can on one hand make statements in front of a judge and later on pictures posted on the internet directly contradict and undermine the celebrity. Expect to be investigated, spied on, and checked out!

The Los Angeles lawyers of the Law Office of Loren M. Merlin will aggressively work to represent the needs of accident victims. If you or someone you know has been injured in acar accident, work accident or any type of injury you should contact our office immediately for a free case evaluation.

Important Notes and Documents After a Car or Truck Accident

Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:15:00 GMT

Being involved in a car accident or truck accident is a traumatic event. Drivers never plan their day around the possibility that they will be involved in a car accident. Consequently, most accident victims are unprepared and are left wondering what they should do following a collision. It is understandable to have the urge to leave the accident scene as soon as possible. But the best advice is to use your common sense; gather and keep a record of the following information:

Document the Accident Details
One of the first things you should do, especially if you have sustained an injury, is to write down everything you can think of concerning the accident. What street, direction, speed, time, information of all parties involved, etc. This includes a continuing detailed account of any injuries you have suffered and how they may have affected your daily life.

Think About Your Injuries
You should include daily notes concerning any pains and discomforts you feel are a result of the accident. Don't forget to include any anxiety, loss of sleep or other problems that are not as obvious.

Keep Writing
Also, keep notes concerning the details of the accident, even if you think of something months down the road. Forming a case and proving who was at fault can be a difficult task. Again, these notes will help you and your attorney win your case.

It may not be clear what documents and information is needed after a car accident, which is why it is important to consult an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer following an accident. The lawyers at the Law Offices of Loren M. Merlin will aggressively work to represent your needs and protect your rights. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, you should contact our office today for a free case evaluation.

Welcome to my Los Angeles Personal Injury Law Blog

Loren Merlin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:52:00 GMT

Welcome to our new Los Angeles Personal Injury Blog! Check back soon for updates.