San Francisco Personal Injury Lawsuits - Common Misconceptions

The personal injury attorneys of The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. in San Francisco want to dispel myths, San Francisco personal injury law suit misconceptions, misunderstood accident laws, and misinterpreted products liability laws.  We believe the public should understand that lawsuits are serious business with real daily life implications, not just for the injured parties but for the safety and well-being of everyone.  United States citizens have a right and an obligation to protect themselves from drunk or careless drivers, corporations that leak toxic substances or sell defective products, doctors who are incompetent and insurance companies who do not want to pay as promised.

Do not believe the bad press hype about personal injury litigation.

The Cartwright Law Firm frankly resents bogus charges that personal injury lawyers are out just to make money for themselves. However, far worse is the unjustified implication that our laws are so prejudiced against big business, our courts are so corrupt, our judges so lazy and our juries of citizens so malleable that any lawyer can flim-flam a huge, undeserved damage award for a fictional injury.

Too many people believe that bringing a lawsuit after an accident indicates that the plaintiff –the injured person-- has no sense of personal responsibility.  What about the personal responsibility of the defendant, whose carelessness, neglect, or disregard for the law caused the accident that brought about the injury? 

Set aside misconceptions about the purpose of personal injury litigation.

The truth is that good personal injury attorneys, like those who practice with The Cartwright Law Firm, as well as the civil actions they pursue, have an important purpose in restoring people’s lives and protecting the public.

San Francisco personal injury litigation saves families from economic ruin when members meet untimely, unexpected and wholly preventable accidents that destroy their property, seriously injure their bodies, threaten their livelihoods, or even take their lives.  However, often the real issue is protection of other citizens from continuing negligence.  It is important to everyone that we force people and corporations acknowledge wrong-doing and make restitution.

Do not believe the myth of easy money.

Very few people would find that physical injury, the months of medical treatment, the inability to work and meet obligations, the strain on the family, and the complexity of the legal process an easy way to make money.  To the contrary, laws governing who can sue for damages, what they must prove in order to be eligible for damages, and how much compensation they can receive are quite strict.  Calculations to decide the amount of damages in a serious injury case are extremely complicated.  Judges and juries must hear expert witnesses about medical costs, income lost, pain and suffering.

No one could believe that the legal mechanisms of civil lawsuit discovery –the process of assembling all the facts of an accident-- could be anything other than difficult for a lawyer and devastating for his client who is already suffering from injuries, who is out of work, and who may be disabled for life.

Do not believe that any insurance company, even your own, is on your side.

Insurance companies do have an obligation to protect individuals and their families from the results of catastrophic accident and injury. However, insurance agents, whether they represent an injured party or the defendant who caused an accident, actually put priority on the interest of their shareholders.  Insurance companies routinely suggest low settlement amounts, gambling that an injured person will, in distress and grief, accept their offer without consulting an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney.

Unreasonable is not usual.

The most harmful misconception about personal injury law is that monetary awards in catastrophic injury cases are out of proportion to the suffering and loss of the plaintiffs.  Measure the amount awarded to the plaintiff against the real expenses of care for the injury, mobility equipment, home modifications, tuition for job-retraining, and all the other changes a family may have to endure. 

Personal injury lawsuits are often settled out of court, but when they do go to court, they are decided by a jury. Your neighbors, ordinary citizens from all walks of life fulfilling civic duty, decide the fair amount of compensation for an injury. 

Punishment is justified.

It is true that punitive damages are sometimes awarded to punish a defendant for particularly deplorable conduct leading to injury.  The purpose of punishment is prevention.  No one else should ever have to suffer because of the defendant’s negligence again.

Ethical, experienced personal injury attorneys make a difference.

The Cartwright Law Firm does not seek out or bring frivolous lawsuits for personal injury.  We are caring and concerned.  We are also committed to the morals of personal responsibility.  We are not hesitant, nor should you be, to be tough on negligent, careless, law-breaking individuals or corporations or insurance companies. Our goal is to help members of our community who are needlessly and unexpectedly injured in accidents caused by negligence get the monetary compensation they and their families need to recover.

• Personal Injury
• What To Expect From The Process

Contact The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. for legal representation for your personal injury or wrongful death case. If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation with The Cartwright Law Firm, call us at 866.968.1584, or complete our quick contact web form.