Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer – Basic Things You Need To Know

What is personal injury law, exactly, and how can a personal injury attorney in Philadelphia help? Personal injury law deals with a pretty simple premise: a defendant acts negligently and a plaintiff suffers an injury as a result.

These cases can arise almost anywhere, and sometimes victims aren’t sure whether their injury makes them eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. It’s important to have an experienced lawyer in Philadelphia on your side who knows how to handle a personal injury case in your state.

If you or someone you love in Philadelphia has been injured, contact a personal injury lawyer in PA immediately to find out about your rights.

Most personal injury cases, regardless of the type of claim, are based on the idea of negligence. There is a fundamental assumption in the law that every person owes every other person the duty to act in a way that a reasonable person would in the same situation.

Failing to uphold this “reasonableness standard”, either because of an action a person took, or an action that they failed to take, is where an argument that a defendant acted negligently stems from.  This is the underlying similarity in personal injury cases: a person suffered harm that they would not have otherwise suffered because of the negligence on the part of another person or entity.

How Much Money Is My Philadelphia PA Personal Injury Case Worth?

Since personal injury claims arise from a variety of situations, it’s difficult to put a precise figure on your claim.  In other words, without knowing the details of the victim’s injuries and the conditions that led to the accident, it’s nearly impossible for a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia to estimate the amount of damages that a plaintiff will be able to recover. 

However, the law does allow recovery for a wide range of situations, many of which may not be readily apparent to the injured party. The law entitles you to recover economic damages (meaning those that have a precise dollar amount, such as a hospital bill or a paycheck), and non-economic damages (meaning those that don’t have an objective monetary value, such as pain and suffering or the loss of enjoyment of life).

By contacting a Philadelphia PA personal injury lawyer, you may find that you are eligible for multiple forms of economic and non-economic compensation, such as:

• Hospital bills and related medical expenses
• Lost past wages
• Future Income Lost
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium, or loss of companionship.

An experienced personal injury attorney in Philadelphia will always consider a range of issues when making determinations about what damages to seek for you. A PA personal injury lawyer can also advise you about the kinds of damages you’re likely to be eligible for when you file a personal injury claim.

Frequent Questions That May Arise When Consulting With A Personal Injury Law Firm In Philadelphia:

• What Should I Do After Experiencing A Personal Injury?

In the moments after an accident, you may be disoriented and unsure of the appropriate steps to take.  As soon as you’re able, it’s important to contact a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia. Depending on the type and severity of your injury, insurance adjusters may be contacting you and urging you to accept a settlement for your claim.  Having an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney on your side is essential to a successful personal injury lawsuit. 

• Do I Have A Case?

After you suffer an injury because of another person’s negligence, you’re likely wondering if you should file a lawsuit.  You’re not alone, and each day injured persons wonder if they have a valid personal injury claim.  It’s nearly impossible to provide a set of guidelines for whether you have a valid case, but in general, if you were injured because of the negligence of someone else, you may very well have a legal claim against the person who injured you. Because every situation depends on the specific facts surrounding the case, you should always consult a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia to review the facts of your situation.  

• How Long Does a Philadelphia PA Personal Injury Claim Usually Take?

Depending on the type and severity of your injury, it’s very difficult to estimate how long your case will take.  Some cases are more complex than others and thus take more time, while other cases involve particularly unreasonable defendants and/or insurance companies who can prolong the process by weeks, months, and even years.

In these cases in particular, it’s essential to have a dedicated personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia on your side.  When you have a Philadelphia personal injury attorney working on your behalf, the defendant and/or insurance company is often more likely to be reasonable and may agree more readily to an out-of-court settlement.

You need an attorney knowledgeable and experienced in PA law to fight for your rights and to show the defendant that you’re serious about your case.  

• Do I Need A Lawyer For My Personal Injury Case?

It’s always important to have an attorney in Philadelphia on your side that has extensive experience with personal injury claims, even in the most straightforward cases. It’s especially important to hire a personal injury lawyer in PA when the defendant and/or the insurance company might start causing trouble for you.

Are you concerned that the defendant is going to make the case especially difficult?  Is the insurance company unwilling to budge when it comes to compensation for your injuries?

Even more important, perhaps, is having a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia with attorneys who can deal directly with an insurance company on your behalf. Never accept an insurance company’s settlement offer until you’ve spoken to an experienced PA personal injury lawyer.

Insurance companies are not on your side their primary goal is to pay as little as possible and to maximize the profits of the insurance company. By retaining the services of a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia, you can learn about your rights and how to protect them.

• How Long Do I Have To File A Personal Injury Claim?

Under Pennsylvania law, the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits is two years.  That means you’ll have two years from the date of your accident in which to file a claim. 

When it comes to medical malpractice cases, you’ll typically have two years from the date of your injury (except for minors who have 2 years from their 18th birthday), or two years from the date at which you discover your injury, to file a claim.

Depending on the specifics of your case, the statute of limitations might be different for your particular injury.  

• Can I Recover Damages Even If I Was Partially At Fault?

Pennsylvania law allows injured persons to recover even if they were partially at fault for the injury, as long as another person’s negligence caused the accident.  In other words, an injured person should ask himself or herself whether he or she would have avoided the injury but for another person’s negligence.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that when dealing with comparative fault, the injured party’s compensation may be reduced proportionally based on his or her share of the fault.  There’s no hard and fast number for this, but rather a jury looks at each case separately and determines comparative fault on a case-by-case basis.

This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Logic Publishers is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often.

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