When an accident strikes, getting compensation for your injuries can mean the difference between massive debt and justice. Our attorneys can help you seek medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering for a range of accidents.
Whether you were hurt in a car crash, a slip and fall, or some other accident, we can help. Our lawyers are not afraid to take on big corporations, hospitals, or insurance companies to get you the damages you deserve.
For a free evaluation of your case, call The Reiff Law Firm’s Allentown, PA personal injury lawyers at (215) 709-6940.
What is the Process of a Personal Injury Claim?
Personal injury cases start with your initial accident. At the scene, you can collect evidence about who caused the accident, where it happened, and what conditions might have contributed to the injury.
You should always call 911 after a car accident for police and ambulance response and get immediate medical attention for any injury case. If you need to go to the hospital, do that first before worrying about evidence collection.
From there, you can call a lawyer and have us help you build your case, collect other evidence, and file your claim.
Many cases involve insurance claims, but these often result in low payments that will not cover you in full. Instead of accepting that, we can negotiate and even file in court when needed.
If your case goes to court, it will go through many preliminary stages involving filings, motions, and hearings to progress the case. Then we get to the “discovery” stage, where depositions are taken and evidence is exchanged. If your case has not settled, the last part will be the trial.
Do I Need to Testify in My Tobyhanna Township Injury Claim?
Whether your case involves an insurance claim, a lawsuit, or both, it will usually involve some kind of testimony from you.
Insurance cases often involve a recorded statement, where you are asked to give your side of what happened. Our personal injury lawyers recommend avoiding these where possible, and we can instead communicate with insurance for you.
Injury cases typically allow parties to take depositions in their legal offices, which are a lot like in-court testimony in that they go on the record and objections can be heard. However, there is more opportunity to speak with your lawyer about how to answer and take breaks. Plus, there is no jury present.
If your case does go to trial, your in-court testimony will be incredibly important evidence. You know best what you saw, what happened to you, and how your injuries affected you. This information is vital in proving fault and proving your damages.
However, there is no testimony if your case settles before trial.
What Evidence Will My Lawyers Need?
Our attorneys need all the evidence you can provide us. Any bills, records, or communications you are given can be vital in building your case. If you were able to take photos at the scene of the accident or you had cell phone, dashcam, helmet cam, or security footage of the accident, this will also be incredibly helpful.
We can collect other records and evidence ourselves. We can reach out to police for crash reports, businesses for incident reports and security footage, and other homes and businesses near the accident scene for more security footage.
We can also request other records, reports, appraisals, and expert opinions to help prove your case.
The last thing we need from you, as noted above, is your testimony. Your own story in your own words is very powerful. Plus, your testimony about how the injury affected your life going forward is the core evidence needed to prove pain and suffering.
What Damages Can I Claim in My Injury Case?
Personal injury cases deal with your bodily injuries as well as the related expenses. Most damages come in the form of bills and expenses related to the injury, while pain and suffering damages can pay for the injury itself.
Medical Expenses
Medical bills are one primary area of damages. You can claim hospitalization costs, follow-up care bills, and therapy bills alike. You can also claim the cost of diagnostic testing and imaging, workups, assessments, and medication.
Lost Wages
If your injury kept you from work, any past and future lost earnings are on the table. Many injuries cause disabilities that will keep you from your full earning potential for weeks, months, or even the rest of your life. That can also be accounted for in your damages.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering and other “non-economic” damages cover the things that have no monetary value. This includes…
- Your physical pain and discomfort
- Mental anguish
- Grief
- Embarrassment
- Emotional distress
These damages are proven through your testimony, statements from family and doctors/therapists, and other records of your recovery. Some details can even be observed directly, such as when the jury sees the scars on your face or the crutches you need to get around.
Should I Settle My Personal Injury Case?
At our law firm, we are not afraid to take cases to trial. This means that settlement does not have to be your only hope of getting your case paid.
Insurance companies and defendants often seek to reduce their liability by offering lowball settlements or leaving off areas of compensation you need. We can negotiate with them, but they are not always willing to work with us to get you full damages.
When that happens, our lawyers will bring the full force of our in-court experience to bear. We will aggressively pursue compensation in court and fight to see your case paid in full through a jury award.
We are not afraid to take on big companies, giant insurers, or powerful defendants, and we have a track record of success in court.
Call Our Tobyhanna Township Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Call (215) 709-6940 today for a free case review with the personal injury lawyers from The Reiff Law Firm.
