Robert M Mansour

Areas of Practice

Admitted to Practice Law

Professional Memberships

Law Office of Robert M. Mansour

Location

28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy #110
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Located in Los Angeles County, CA.

Firm Overview

Robert Mansour, a Santa Clarita lawyer, recently joined LawyerCentral.com. Robert is a personal injury attorney serving Santa Clarita, California.  For over 13 years, he worked as a defense lawyer for a major insurance company.  Now, he represents victims of accidents.  One of his biggest challenges is explaining to clients what they can "reasonably" expect from the insurance company when it comes time to settle their injury case.

Robert explains, "So many lawyers out there promise the moon on these accident cases.  Some do so because they have inflated views of injury cases or they simply tell the client anything to get the case.  Clients need to have realistic expectations.  Having worked in the insurance industry, I know how these cases are evaluated."

Here, Robert provides additional information to assist with evaluating a personal injury case.

Oftentimes, my clients are very concerned with what their case is worth. In their minds, it is usually worth a great deal. Part of my job is to bring my clients down to planet earth. I will not make false promises or inflate your expectations. No one will ever be able to see the case through your eyes. That being the case, you must get out of that mindset. You can think your case is worth a million dollars all day long, but it doesn't really matter what you think. What matters usually is what a jury is apt to think or before that, what an insurance adjuster assigns to the case.  However, people still ask me, "How much is my case worth?"

The best way to determine how much your injury claim is worth when you are injured in a car accident is to look at how an insurance company would value your claim. An insurance carrier will first look at the types and amounts of damages suffered and then at percentage of fault.

This includes medical expenses incurred to treat an injury, such as doctor’s visits; hospital expenses; emergency room expenses; fees for chiropractic care; physical therapy; and any type of medical devices that may be needed for your recovery, such as neck braces or crutches.

Medical expenses are typically used as a benchmark for determining the reasonableness of damage awards. Keep in mind that you may have a very serious injury, but without medical records and expenses, your case may very well be compromised. That is why I cringe when clients call me 6 weeks post accident. They tell me of the serious injuries they had but they still have not seen a doctor!

Future medical expenses are recoverable if the injured party can show that he or she is likely to need continued medical care as a result of the accident or injury. This amount may be determined by the advice and opinions of your doctors and/or other medical specialists seen for treatment. Generally speaking, the future medical expenses must be "reasonably certain" to be incurred.

Pain and suffering damages may be granted for physical pain resulting from an accident or injury. A jury will look at the nature of the injury, the severity of the pain, and how long you are likely to be in pain to determine the amount of damages. Remember that NO ONE will see this case through your eyes. A jury's valuation of your case may differ greatly from your own evaluation.

If you are unable to work because of your injury, you may recover the amount of money you would have earned if you have not been injured. Lost wages should be documented where possible. If you have a business that suffered, you might have to show an earnings track record before the accident and your earnings after the accident. If there is a disparity, you might be able to prove that as an element of your case.

You may recover damages for lost earning capacity if you can show that your ability to earn money in the future has been impaired. Past earnings will be used to determine an appropriate damage award, but a jury will likely focus on what you might have earned had the accident or injury not occurred. Again, speculation isn't going to cut it. You will need to demonstrate to an insurance adjuster or jury that your numbers have a strong foundation.

Car accident victims may be able to recover compensation for the value of property that was damaged, including your vehicle and its contents. This also includes loss of use (i.e., rental value for the period of time you were without a car). Please remember that defendant (or their insurance company) is not obliged to buy you a new car! They are only supposed to put you back in the position you were before the accident happened.

Finally, every client has to make a decision at some point. They can either take the offer being made or generally speaking, file a lawsuit against the other party. In some cases, filing a lawsuit makes sense. However, you need to take into consideration the costs of filing a lawsuit. Even though you may recover more money from a jury, you may actually end up with less money when all is said and done.

Robert Mansour is a Santa Clarita lawyer who can help you get compensated for your car accident or other injury case. He serves the entire Santa Clarita Valley including Valencia, Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, Canyon Country, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, and surrounding communities.

Robert Mansour, a personal injury and wills & trusts lawyer, recently joined the National Attorney Directory on LawyerCentral.com.

As a former insurance company defense attorney, Robert Mansour is a Santa Clarita Personal Injury attorney who sees personal injury cases from a unique perspective. Having worked for the defense for so many years, Robert has a keen understanding of the information necessary to prove your case. He can advise you exactly what to do and exactly what NOT to do.

Robert reminds his personal injury clients of what to do if involved in a serious auto accident.

1) If your vehicle sustained damages, take plenty of photos of the damage to your car and the other car – if you can. Many cell phones have cameras, or if you don’t have any kind of camera, have a friend or family member buy a cheap camera from a nearby store and take as many photos of the scene and the vehicles as you can. If you call them from the scene, ask them to bring a digital camera with them.

2) If you have visible injuries (bruises, scrapes, cuts, etc), have a friend or family member take photos of those injuries ASAP! You can talk to people about your injuries all day, but showing them photos is an entirely different story!

3) Be civil at the scene of the accident. There is no need to fly off the handle. Things you say and do at the accident scene often come back to haunt you. Don’t apologize for the accident unless you are 100% sure you are at fault.

4) The insurance company for the other party will likely want to take your statement by phone or otherwise. You are under no obligation to do so. In my experience, there is very little (or nothing) to be gained from giving a statement. At least talk to a lawyer first. The insurance company representative will often act interested in your case, sympathetic, etc…but in my experience, they are usually trying to “box” you into a story so you can’t argue otherwise in the future.

For example, they will ask, “How do you feel?” Then you will say, “Well, considering all that happened, I feel OK.” Then a few days later when you can’t move due to sore muscles, or worse, you may decide to file a claim. They will say, “Well, we took your statement the day after the accident, and you said you feel “OK” so we don’t understand why you’re changing your story!”

5) Finally, if you were injured in the accident (or even if you’re not sure!), by all means seek medical help (at least an exam) as soon as possible. Most people try to “tough it out” or “see how they feel” before deciding to see a doctor. One of the biggest reasons personal injury claims fail, or get short-changed, is because the individual waited too long before seeking medical attention. How long is too long? In my experience, insurance companies will give you a very hard time and discount (or even deny) any injury claim if you wait longer than one week. Remember your actions speak louder than words.

Robert Mansour is a lawyer in the Santa Clarita Area. He handles personal injury cases, including car accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall and much more, in the Santa Clarita area including Newhall, Valencia, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Saugus and Canyon Country. Call the Law Office of Robert M. Mansour today for a free consultation. Robert used to work for the insurance companies...and now he works for you! Robert is also a Wills and Trusts Attorney in Santa Clarita.