Need an Injury Lawyer Pennsylvania
People who are injured in accidents caused by the negligence of other parties are entitled to compensation for their damages in Pennsylvania.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Pennsylvania had the sixth-highest population in the nation. In addition to major cities like Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, the Keystone State is home to several other communities that attract millions of annual visitors.
Whether it is urban locations or more rural settings, people can suffer serious injuries in all kinds of accidents in Pennsylvania that are caused by another party’s negligence. It is important for any person injured in an accident to make sure he or she has legal representation before speaking to any insurance company.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Pennsylvania
Need an Injury Lawyer Pennsylvania represents residents of and visitors to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Northampton, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Altoona, York, Wilkes-Barre, Chester, Williamsport, Easton, Northampton, Lebanon, Hazleton, and many other surrounding areas of Pennsylvania. Our firm can conduct an independent investigation into your accident to determine all negligent parties and will work to help you get justice.
In some cases, particularly severe injuries not only involve significant medical expenses for the immediate care victims require, but also the several weeks, months, or even years of therapy and rehabilitation that follow. Worse yet, some injuries can also leave victims unable to return to work.
The insurance companies for negligent parties in many accident cases will typically reach out to victims and attempt to get them to accept settlement offers instead of pursuing legal action. You should avoid making any kind of recorded statement to an insurer.
Even when an insurance company representative seems completely sincere in his or her concern for your well-being, it is important to keep in mind that insurers are businesses that have a singular goal of ensuring they pay as little as possible to resolve all claims. An experienced personal injury lawyer can make sure that you receive all of the compensation you are entitled to.
You do not need to worry about how you will be able to afford an attorney because Need an Injury Lawyer Pennsylvania represents clients on a contingency fee basis. In other words, our firm provides legal representation at no cost to you unless you receive a financial award.
Personal Injury Laws in Pennsylvania
Under 42 PA Cons Stat § 5524, a person has two years to file a legal action to recover damages for injuries to him or her or for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act, neglect, unlawful violence, or negligence of another. Additionally, 42 PA Cons Stat § 7102 provides that Pennsylvania uses a modified comparative fault system for determining negligence in personal injury cases.
Under this statute, a plaintiff whose negligence contributed to his or her injuries can still recover damages so long as his or her share of the negligence does not exceed that of the defendant’s. This is known as the “51 percent” bar rule, as a plaintiff cannot recover anything if he or she is determined to have been 51 percent or more at fault for his or her injuries.
In all other cases, the percentage of fault attributed to the plaintiff will ultimately be deducted from his or her final award. For example, a plaintiff who is awarded $10,000 by a jury but is found to have been 25 percent at fault for his or her injuries will ultimately receive $7,500.
Most personal injury actions will require plaintiffs to prove the four following elements by a preponderance of the evidence, the requirement that more than half of the evidence supports a legal claim or something is “more likely than not” true:
- Duty of Care — A defendant had a legal or moral duty of care to conduct him, her, or itself in a reasonable manner
- Breach — The defendant breached the duty of care
- Causation — The defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff’s injuries
- Damages — The plaintiff suffered physical or financial harm as the result of these injuries
Common Accidents in Pennsylvania
Need an Injury Lawyer Pennsylvania helps the victims of various accidents in the Keystone State. Some of the most frequent types of accidents we handle include:
- Car accidents
- Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or a prohibited substance accidents
- Truck accidents
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Uber accidents
- Bus accidents
- Wrongful death
Types of Damages in Pennsylvania Personal Injury Cases
The financial awards people receive in civil cases are referred to as compensatory damages. Damages are intended to restore a victim as close as possible to his or her state before the accident .
Compensatory damages typically come in two forms, special damages and general damages. Special damages are otherwise known as economic damages and are typically much easier to calculate. Special damages typically include awards for medical bills, lost income, and other out-of-pocket expenses.
General damages are otherwise known as noneconomic damages and are typically much more subjective. Common general damages include pain and suffering, disfigurement, and disability.
In certain cases involving particularly egregious, reckless, or deliberate misconduct by a defendant, a jury may also award punitive damages. Punitive damages are somewhat rare and are intended more to punish a defendant and hopefully discourage others from engaging in similar misconduct.
Under 42 PA Cons Stat § 8528, actions affecting governmental units in Pennsylvania are subject to a damage cap of $250,00 for any one plaintiff or $1 million in the aggregate. State law also provides that punitive damages in a medical malpractice case cannot exceed 200 percent of the compensatory damages awarded.
Personal Injury Attorney in Pennsylvania
Did you sustain catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Pennsylvania? Need an Injury Lawyer Pennsylvania represents people in communities all over Philadelphia County, Allegheny County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Chester County, York County, and Berks County.
You can contact our firm 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take advantage of a free consultation that will allow our Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys to provide a complete evaluation of your case.
