3 Steps to Recovering Damages After a California Earthquake
In life, many things are out of our control, and earthquakes are one of them. These natural disasters can be minor or catastrophic, but regardless of the severity of the earthquake itself, injuries may still occur, leaving victims with extensive losses. If you have been injured in an earthquake in California, you may wonder whether you are eligible to recover compensation for your losses. While an accident that is strictly caused as a result of a natural disaster like an earthquake would not provide you with the ground to file a claim, some earthquake-related injuries may result from human negligence. In these cases, you can take steps to recover damages.
At NK Law Group, our California personal injury law firm has experience helping victims of earthquake injuries that may have resulted due to human negligence. To get help recovering damages and getting justice for your claim, contact our legal team at NK Law Group today.
How Can You Recover Damages After a California Earthquake?
Being injured in an earthquake can be traumatizing. While you may assume because these natural disasters are out of our control, that you are unable to collect damages. However, if a negligent party was partially or wholly responsible for the direct losses you experienced after an earthquake, you may be eligible to file a claim and collect compensation. The steps you need to take to collect damages after a California earthquake are as follows:
Identify the Cause of Your Accident
If you were injured in an earthquake entirely as a result of the natural disaster, you would not have a strong case to pursue damages due to earthquakes being uncontrollable. However, there are certain situations where earthquake injuries may actually be the result of human negligence. These scenarios include the following:
- Poor building design: The property owners or managers failed to comply with seismic building codes and retrofit older structures, leading to unnecessary injuries and losses.
- Failure to clean up debris or make repairs: Not all earthquake-related injuries occur during the event. In fact, just as many injuries can happen when residential or commercial property owners fail to properly and fully clean up debris from the earthquake.
To get help identifying the cause of your earthquake injury, a California lawyer may be able to help.
Hold the Liable Party Responsible
Once you have identified the cause of your injuries and losses after a California earthquake, you must identify the liable party and collect evidence to hold them responsible for their negligence. For your case to succeed, you must prove the at-fault party’s liability. This can be done by providing evidence of the four factors of negligence:
- The liable party owed you a duty of care
- The duty of care owed to you was breached
- The breach of duty led to your injuries
- You suffered losses as a result
To get help collecting this vital evidence, retain the help of a personal injury lawyer in California as soon as possible.
Calculate How Much You Are Owed in Compensation
You can calculate your compensation by assessing the damages you may be eligible to collect. The damages you may be able to retain include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
A trusted lawyer can help you calculate how much you may be owed in compensation by going over the specific details of your claim.
Retain the Help of a California Earthquake Injury Lawyer Today
NK Law Group is a California personal injury law firm dedicated to helping clients who have been injured in an earthquake. Our trusted legal team is passionate about providing clients with the trusted representation they deserve when they believe their injuries resulting from an earthquake may have been preventable if not for another party’s negligent actions.
To schedule a free consultation for your earthquake injury case, contact our California legal team by filling out our contact form or calling us at (510) 519-9497. We look forward to helping you obtain the compensation you deserve.
EXPERTLY REVIEWED BY
Naseer Khan, Esq.
June 16 2023
Top-rated personal injury attorney Naseer Khan, Esq. has over a decade of experience advocating for injury victims in California. As an award-winning attorney and a member of the American Association for Justice, Khan has a stellar track record of success and devotion to justice for his clients.