Injuries that cost you in medical bills and keep you from working can take a huge economic toll on your life. Do not let the person who caused your injuries get away with what they did to you and your family. Instead, get justice by taking your case to a personal injury lawyer.
Our attorneys can hold the responsible parties accountable in a court of law, getting you and your loved ones the financial damages you need. These damages can cover any expenses – such as medical bills and lost wages – but they can also cover pain and suffering and other “non-economic” damages you faced because of the accident. We also help families of deceased accident victims seek compensation.
For a free assessment, call The Reiff Law Firm immediately at (215) 709-6940.
Common Issues Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help with in Aston, PA
In an injury case, there are often a few common legal issues that our personal injury lawyers will have to deal with. We can help with any and all of these issues, and more:
Determining Who to Sue
Sometimes the biggest issue in your case is figuring out who was at fault and who should be sued in your case. Sometimes parent companies and corporations make it hard to tell who was responsible along the chain of manufacturing, distributing, and selling a defective product. Sometimes it is unclear whether a negligent doctor worked as a hospital employee or in private practice. Sometimes determining whether a truck driver was an independent owner-operator or an employee of a larger trucking company will change the case entirely.
Our lawyers can answer legal questions like these as well as the more basic one: who caused my accident? Sometimes drivers take off after a hit and run or property owners cannot be immediately determined after a slip and fall. In any case, our attorneys can interface with law enforcement, talk to witnesses, check public records, and send investigators to find answers.
Gathering Evidence
Our lawyers and investigators can also find evidence needed for your case. We can talk to witnesses who saw the accident happened, seek out camera footage from security systems, and research records. When the case goes to court, we can also ask the court to subpoena records and make witnesses come in for depositions, where we can talk to them and learn more about what evidence and information they have.
Building Your Case and Narrowing Issues
When a case starts, there are a lot of questions and legal issues. However, as the case moves on, the issues get narrowed. In some cases, the issue of liability might not even be at issue because the evidence is so overwhelmingly against the defendant, meaning that the trial will focus more on damages than liability. Either way, we also need to write complaints and present exhibits and evidence to the court, requiring us to know the case inside out, have answers for every question the judge asks, and overall have a strong case to take to court.
Trial Prep
Nothing is scarier than knowing your financial future depends on just a few days in court. Our attorneys can prepare you and your friendly witnesses for trial, going over the important things you need to discuss during your testimony, what evidence we have, and whether there are any parameters you are willing to accept for a last-minute “courthouse steps” settlement. We will work to see that you are ready for trial day when it comes.
What to Prove in an Injury Case in Aston, PA
In your case, we need to prove that the defendant was “negligent” in causing your injuries. Assault and battery are the common “intentional injury” torts, and nearly every other case will be based on four elements of negligence.
Duty
First, we need to show that there was something the law required of the defendant. If they had no legal duty that they owed you, then we cannot say that they could have done anything “wrong” to cause your injury. Sometimes the law is specific about what needs to be done or avoided, while other times the law just requires people to act “reasonably” in the given situation.
Breach
There must also have been something that they did or failed to do that caused them to “breach” that legal duty – to violate the law. In most cases, this is going to be something like failing to act as they reasonably should have in that situation. For example, a property owner who leaves a loose floorboard on their staircase should have reasonably warned you about it or nailed it back in place, and failing to do so could be a breach of that duty. Lack of skill, inattention, or carelessness can all be the cause of a breach. Specific violations of the law can also supply the breach element, such as speeding.
Causation
If the defendant’s breach of duty was not the thing that caused your injuries, then we cannot hold them responsible. If outside factors were at hand, there might be multiple parties at fault, whereas we might not be able to sue anyone if you were ultimately the one who caused the accident. In some cases, true “freak accidents” occur, and we cannot sue the weather or forces of nature for your injuries. However, even something like a car accident in inclement weather could still be the other driver’s fault if they failed to reasonably adjust their driving to the weather conditions, for example.
Damages
You must have been hurt to sue for injuries. “Damages” for your case can include purely financial harm – such as the medical care bills to treat an injury. However, all injury cases involve at least some level of pain and suffering as well, and more serious injury cases involve more pain and suffering.
Evidence in Personal Injury Cases in Aston, PA
When you sue for injuries, your testimony will be the core evidence of what happened. Any objective evidence you have to back up your story – photos, other witness testimony, camera footage, corresponding injuries, or testimony from an accident reconstruction expert – will build a stronger case.
Much of the evidence you need will be in the defenses’ control, but we can subpoena records, security camera footage, and other evidence from them.
Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Aston, PA for a Free Case Review
Call The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 for a free evaluation of your potential injury case.