Practice Areas

The South Bay law firm of Vernon C. Krol & Ronald C. Koerner represents individuals throughout Southern California who have been the victims of serious accidents and catastrophic injuries due to the negligence or intentional actions of another party.  Our practice is concentrated on serious accidents involving pedestrians, bicycles and motorized bikes, and uninsured motorists.  We also represent victims of dental malpractice or people injured by defective products.  In addition, whenever necessary we pursue wrongful death actions on behalf of family members who have lost a loved one. 

Negligence

Negligence refers to the breach of a duty of care which causes injury to another.  Drivers have a duty to operate automobiles with ordinary and reasonable care.  This duty is owed to other drivers as well as any party with a legal right to be on the roadway, such as bicyclists and pedestrians in designated areas.  When a motorist's negligence is the actual and legal cause of another's injuries, the injured person may sue to recover compensation for items such as medical expenses and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.

Defenses

Traditionally, if the plaintiff contributed to the accident through his or her own negligence, the defendant was relieved of liability.  However, many states have modified this strict rule by adopting a form of comparative negligence, which restricts a contributorily negligent plaintiff's ability to recover but does not abolish it altogether.  Under California's rule of pure comparative negligence, a percentage is assigned to the plaintiff and defendant, allocating to each a portion of the negligence.  A plaintiff can then recover against a defendant for whatever portion the defendant is responsible, even if the plaintiff is more than fifty percent responsible.

Assumption of the risk is another defense, which applies when a plaintiff voluntarily engages in an activity known to involve risk, such as skateboarding.  In these instances, it is important to differentiate whether one was engaging in recreation or transportation, and also whether the harm was one that is often incurred in the sport or is outside that realm (e.g. falling off a skateboard is an inherent risk in the sport, but being hit by a car is not).

Statute of Limitations

In order to provide certainty and finality, many states have adopted statutes limiting the timeframe during which a lawsuit may be brought.  In California, a personal injury lawsuit must be initiated (a complaint must be filed) within two years of the date of the incident.  If this timeframe passes without a lawsuit being brought, the plaintiff may not thereafter sue.  Special rules apply to medical and dental malpractice cases, where the injury may not be immediately apparent.

Working out of our South Bay office, our practice serves clients throughout Greater Los Angeles, Southern California, and nationwide.  If you have been involved in a severe accident or seriously injured as a result of dental malpractice or a defective product, contact the trial lawyers in the law offices of Vernon C. Krol, Inc. & Ronald C. Koerner, A Professional Association today.