When you get hurt in an accident, you need medical and legal help. Get the medical care you need and then call a lawyer.
Before you even try to file an insurance claim, you should have a lawyer on your side. You may be able to obtain some evidence at the scene of the accident – such as photos of the scene, or witness contact info – but you should never try to negotiate with insurance or give them any information until you have representation. If needed, we can go beyond negotiations and even take your case to court.
Call The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 to get a free case review with our personal injury attorneys.
The Process of Filing an Injury Case
From the moment you get hurt, your case has already started. What you do next may affect whether you can get compensation, and whether it is full, complete compensation.
What to Do After an Accident
First, do not admit fault. Then, if you can, get contact info for everyone involved, including witnesses, then focus on getting medical attention. If you were in a car crash, you also need to report the accident to the police. Do this when you call for an ambulance.
Getting the treatment you need is also vital, and bringing a claim without documenting your injuries and getting them treated can be difficult.
Calling a Lawyer
From there, you should call a lawyer; do not try to handle the case on your own. Call as soon as you can so we have the most time to work on your case before filing deadlines or before evidence is lost or forgotten.
Insurance Claims
Our personal injury attorneys can help you file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance. Insurance policies commonly cover these kinds of accidents:
- Accidents at a business are covered under the business’ liability insurance
- Accidents at someone’s home are covered under homeowners or renters insurance (if they have it)
- Auto accidents are covered by car insurance
- Accidents at work are often covered under Workers’ Compensation insurance.
Our lawyers can help you file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance – except for Workers’ Compensation – and negotiate with them, to try to get your claim paid without going to court. However, this often results in low-dollar offers you should never accept, and some insurance companies will refuse to bring the settlement value up.
Going to Court
We can file a lawsuit in many cases, though there may be restrictions with some car accidents and some workplace accidents that we need to overcome to get access to the courts.
When you go to court, it puts the decisions about fault and what laws apply in the hands of a neutral judge and jury. This can often increase the damages that are paid since it is no longer up to the insurance company to decide how much to pay.
What Damages Can You Claim?
In any injury case, the following three areas of damages are most common. However, other damages and expenses discussed below may also be available.
Medical Bills
The cost of treating your injuries may be one of the biggest costs you face, especially with severe injuries and ongoing disabilities. This can cover the cost of
- Hospital stays
- Emergency treatment
- Surgeries
- Imaging and testing
- Casts, splints, etc.
- Wheelchairs, crutches, etc.
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Mental health therapy and counseling
- Occupational therapy
- And more.
Lost Wages
If your injury keeps you from working, you should be reimbursed for the lost income you face. This can cover times you were out of work while healing, as well as times out of work or making reduced wages in the future because of a persistent disability.
We often compare the prospective income you would have made until retirement age, then compare that to your current prospective wages now that you have the injury to deal with, and claim the difference as damages.
Pain and Suffering
Additional damages can be paid for the intangible harms that have no monetary value:
- Pain
- Suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement/severe scarring
- Embarrassment
- Discomfort
- And more.
Other Damages
On top of these, some injury cases involve additional expenses and economic damages you face because of the circumstances of the injury and the effects on your life. You can also claim compensation for things like
- Property damage
- Vehicle damage and lost value
- Childcare expenses while healing or hospitalized
- Home services you cannot perform now
- Other incidental damages or losses.
Your spouse can also get “loss of consortium” damages for the effects your injury has on them.
FAQs for Injury Cases in Lehighton, PA
Where Do You File Your Case?
You typically file injury cases in the Court of Common Pleas for the county where the accident happened. However, some cases can be filed in other counties where the defendant does business, e.g., when filing against big companies.
When Should You Call a Lawyer?
You should call a lawyer as soon as you can after the accident. It is never too early; we can work on monitoring damages and collecting evidence right away.
When Do You Have to File Your Case?
Most cases should be filed far earlier than this deadline, but you ultimately have up to 2 years to file most cases under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for personal injury.
What Kind of Lawyer Do You Need?
Our attorneys handle all kinds of injury cases, from car accidents and slip and falls to complex product injuries and medical malpractice cases. Whether your injury happened at work, at a store, or on the road, we can help.
We also handle wrongful death cases so you can recover damages for a loved one’s untimely death.
How Do You Pay for an Injury Lawyer?
In personal injury cases, our lawyers typically work on a contingency fee. This means there is nothing to pay up front; you only pay us out of the winnings in your case, and only if we win.
This helps injury victims afford representation without needing to pay for any of their legal services while they face medical bills and lost time at work.
Call Our Lehighton Personal Injury Attorneys Today
For a free case review, call The Reiff Law Firm’s personal injury attorneys at (215) 709-6940.
