Personal Injury

Each year, millions of people in the United States are injured in accidents. Many of these accidents are unfortunately caused by preventable carelessness. The law protects those harmed by negligent parties and allows the injured to seek compensation for their suffering. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident resulting from negligence or intentional harm, you may be entitled to receive just compensation for your physical and psychological injuries.

To protect your rights and make certain that you are taking all of the necessary actions in the recovery process, you should contact a qualified personal injury lawyer. Our law firm handles all personal injury cases including claims for damages arising out of:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Slip / Trip and Falls
• Dog Bites
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
• Defamation

The firm will take the time to learn every aspect of your case and assess whether or not you should take an initial settlement offered by the insurance company. We have the foresight and skill to look at the road ahead and consider future damages which may harm you for years to come including pain, emotional trauma and subsequent injuries. With this knowledge, the we can properly evaluate the full extent of the damage and help to determine if the initial settlement is fair and adequate.

if the firm feels the initial settlement offered was unjust and inadequate, we will aggressively pursue damages against the individuals or companies that caused the harm. This claim may be based on:

• Negligence—When the injury was a direct result of the defendant’s improper actions or inactions.
• Causation—When the actions of an individual or company cause the injury.
• Malicious intent—When the injury is the result of intentional harm. When this is the basis of the claim, a criminal case is usually involved as well.
• Products Liability—When a product does not meet adequate safety standards.

Following our initial meeting with you, we will attempt to reconstruct the accident and gather evidence to support your claim. We work with medical professionals, forensic experts, and private investigators that can conduct a detailed investigation and produce an independent analysis of your accident.

In too many cases, a person's rights are permanently forfeited because the injured person believed what he or she was told by the insurance company. Insurance companies will employ significant resources to challenge your claim in order to maximize their profits and cut down on expenses. With powerful legal teams and years of experience, these large corporations often have the edge when dealing with the injured. In such circumstances, you take a tremendous risk if you don’t have legal counsel and representation on your side.  We however, can help to level the playing field and obtain the edge. We will work diligently to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

While we unfortunately cannot undo injury or suffering, we can help obtain significant damages for our injured clients. We are dedicated to obtaining the very best recovery possible for you through experienced, professional and aggressive representation.
 
Automobile Accidents

Car accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injury.  Even though many auto accidents are minor fender-benders, they can result in a shocking number of severe and chronic injuries.  In addition to disability, victims often experience substantial pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, medical expenses and property damage.  Sadly, many car accident victims never receive the full amount of damages to which they are entitled.  Very often, car accident victims, unaware of the full value of their claims, accept the first offer from their insurance company.

The insurance company wants to settle your case as soon as possible – and for as little money as possible. After an accident, you need time to determine just how serious your injury is, what medical treatment or physical therapy you need, and how much your lost wages will be. Therefore, it is crucial to retain qualified attorneys as soon as possible to achieve maximum compensation. Never talk to the insurance company prior to obtaining legal representation.

The firm can help you:

• Establish liability by preserving evidence and interviewing witnesses
• Ensure you receive the proper medical care as you recover from your injuries
• Help you understand the law, including statutes of limitations
• Collect the necessary medical records and help you document your injuries properly so that you receive full compensation
• Ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are rightfully entitled
• Negotiate a settlement that takes into account all future medical and financial needs.

In cases of malicious intent - such as situations where a company knowingly markets products it knows are defective and such defects cause injuries, victims may be entitled to punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. We can help determine which damages you are eligible for and can help you build an effective case. 

Car accidents are not an everyday experience.That is why we will guide you through every step in the process. We will get to know you and your situation well, because the better we know you, the better we can represent you.
 
Slip/Trip and Fall

All property owners, residential and commercial, have the duty to ensure safe environments for all visitors. If you have been harmed by a hazardous condition on another’s sidewalk, personal residence, restaurant, mall, hotel, office building school, park, theater, museum or other property, you may be eligible to file a premises liability claim and receive compensation for your injury. 

“Slip and Fall” injuries are a major cause of premises liability and commonly occur from uneven or slippery surfaces but can also be the result of:

• crumbling stairs
• wet floors
• exposed electrical wiring
• raised flooring
• falling debris
• obstructed pathways
• poorly lit walkways

Although premises liability law seeks to protect parties who are injured as the result of the property owner’s negligence, it is often difficult to prove liability especially if the owner has corrected the hazardous condition. To ensure that the proper grounds for your claim are met, you should contact us to help you collect compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even emotional trauma.

We can assess your injury and assist you in determining whether the property owner failed to maintain his or her property and/or properly warn of hazardous conditions. For your claim to be successful,  generally it must be shown that the property owner knew about the hazardous situation and failed to correct it in a timely manner, and that the action or inaction of the property owner caused the condition which led to your injury.

Once liability has been established, we will work with you in proving a direct causal relationship between the hazard on the property and the injury that you suffered.  A myriad of other factors including visitor status must also be considered when filing a premises liability claim. Visitor status explains your reason for the visit to the property. If you are an invited guest your claim may hold more weight in court, whereas a trespasser may not be able to receive any compensation for their injuries.

We consider all of these factors and will represent you aggressively so you can take care of what is most important—recovering from your injury and regaining your health.
 
Dog Bites

Every year, millions of Americans are bitten by dogs.  Dog bite claims fall under the umbrella of personal injury law, where the injured party has the legal right to seek compensation for injuries caused by another party's actions or negligence.
If you are involved in a dog bite incident, it is important to first establish if medical treatment is necessary. Gaining pertinent information about the dog, its owner, and any witnesses is also crucial. You should also report the incident to local police or animal control authorities.

Dog bite laws vary by place and circumstance and are subject to a limitation on the time you have to file a legal claim. In general, a dog bite victim has the right to seek injury compensation from any party whose negligence caused the dog bite attack, any party in violation of leash or restraint laws, and any party who knowingly harbors a dog with a history of biting people.

If a dog has bitten you, you may be entitled to recover damages as a result of this injury. Determining your legal rights, however, can be complicated.  It may be unclear who you should bring a claim against and the damages to which you are entitled. To ensure that you receive just compensation, contact us to discuss your situation and your legal right to compensation for your injuries
 
Wrongful Death

When someone dies due to the fault of another person or entity, the survivors may be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. Damages often include compensation for the survivors' loss, such as lost wages from the deceased, lost companionship, and funeral expenses.
Wrongful death claims can arise out of car accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, and more. Persons, companies, and even governmental agencies can be held liable for either negligence or intentional conduct that caused the death.
If a loved one has passed away from as a result of an accident caused by negligence or intentional conduct, please call the Kohan Law Group to arrange for a consultation.

Defamation
"Defamation" is a general term for any statement that damages one's reputation. When written, it is called "libel." When spoken, it is called "slander." 

Defamation law attempts to ensure that those who suffer from another's statement may have legal recourse, while still preserving our cherished freedom of speech.

Generally, a defamatory statement must be spoken or written, and:

1. Published, meaning that a third party (someone other than who made the statement or who the statement was about) heard or saw the statement; 

2. False - (Opinion statements are almost never considered defamatory, because they are hard to prove false);

3. Injurious - There must be a showing of damage to reputation, except in cases of defamation per se. Statements that are defamatory per se do not require a showing of damages, as it is understood that the statements is so damaging by its very nature that damages are presumed. Some statements that would be considered defamatory per se include those relating to a plaintiff's business or profession, a statement that a plaintiff has committed a morally repugnant crime, and even statements relating to a plaintiff having a sexually transmitted disease. Of course, these statements must be false.

4. Unprivileged - In certain circumstances, statements cannot be considered defamatory, even if false. For example, statements made in court are considered privileged in order to encourage testimony (the fear of defamation liability might discourage testimony).

Additionally, celebrities and public figures who are defamed have to prove "actual malice" in addition to the above factors. However, most of us are not celebrities or public figures, and can suffer much more greatly from defamatory statements. If you believe that a statement or writing made about you may be damaging to your reputation, contact us so it can be dealt with immediately.