Personal Injury Lawyers That Care

Personal injury lawyers help victims who have been injured due to another party's negligence. You could go through your whole life following the rules and living carefully but still be blindsided by serious injuries due to someone else's reckless behavior.

How Is Personal Injury Defined?

Personal injury is legally defined as an injury inflicted on the body, mind, or emotions. Unexpected accidents can cause a great deal of financial, physical, and emotional difficulties. In order to have a smooth recovery, victims in these cases require various forms of compensation. When this happens, personal injury lawyers work to compile evidence and win verdicts or settlements for their clients.

Negligence Definition

In order to file a personal injury lawsuit, your legal representation must prove that another party was negligent during your accident. As members of a structured society, we have responsibilities to avoid behaving in ways which endanger other people. A failure to meet these responsibilities is legally defined as negligence.

For example, we are expected to clear our walkways of snow and ice after a big storm. If we fail to do so and our neighbor slips and falls outside of our home, we would be considered negligent and may be required to financially compensate our neighbor for damages caused by the accident.

What Kind Of Damages Can I Receive?

If another party is deemed to be negligent in your accident, you may be eligible for the following forms of compensation:

• Medical expenses
• Past and future lost wages
• Property damage
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of consortium (in wrongful death cases)
• Incidental expenses (such as necessary caretakers or home alterations)
• Disfigurement

Pennsylvania is a comparative negligence state. This means that the actions of both the defendant and the plaintiff will be evaluated during a civil trial. A corresponding percentage will be assigned to determine how much the plaintiff's negligence contributed to the accident.

As long as this number is less than 50%, then the plaintiff will be eligible for compensation. The final payout will be adjusted based on this percentage. For example, let's say you were deemed 10% negligent in a trip and fall case because you were looking down at your phone. If you receive a $10,000 verdict, that amount would be reduced to $9,000 because of comparative negligence.

Types Of Injury Cases

There are several different categories for injuries caused by negligence, including:

Motor Vehicle Injuries

According to PennDOT, there were over 127,000 total crashes in Pennsylvania in 2015. In over 59,000 of these accidents, at least one person was injured. In over 1,100, there was at least one fatality. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the US and cause some of the most debilitating injuries. Types of car accidents include:

• Head-on collisions
• Sideswipes
• High-speed collisions
• Rear-end collisions
• Rollovers

Negligence can take many different forms. Some specific common examples include:

• Texting while driving accidents
• Drunk driving accidents
• Distracted driving accidents
• Defective auto part accidents
• Accidents with uninsured motorists

Other types of motor vehicle accidents include:

• Truck Accidents
• Train Accidents
• Bus Accidents

If you were involved in an accident and believe another driver's negligence contributed to your subsequent injuries, we recommend contacting an experienced car accident attorney as soon as you can. You don't deserve to fight this struggle alone.

Slips, Trips, & Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are the second leading cause of accidental death in the US. Many of these incidents could have easily been avoided if a property owner had fulfilled their duty of care. All property owners are required to keep their properties free of hazards which could cause an injury. Common examples of slip and fall hazards include:

• Ice and snow
• Wet floors
• Uneven surfaces
• Inadequate lighting
• Potholes
• Broken steps and staircases
• Wet leaves

These cases are often complicated and require thorough research and evidence gathering. If you think you may have a case, gather important documents such as medical bills and photos of your injuries and the scene before consulting with a personal injury lawyer.

Dog Bite Injuries

Each year, roughly 750,000 Americans require some form of medical treatment for dog bite injuries, both physical and psychological. The seriousness of the injuries determines your legal options. Severe injuries allow for full compensation, while non-severe ones only allow compensation for medical expenses. Dog bite cases are complex, and they usually require the assistance of an attorney who is familiar with Pennsylvania's dog laws.

Construction Worker Injuries

Construction is the most dangerous industry for workers in America today. One out of every ten construction workers can expect to be injured each year and one out of five workplace fatalities occur at construction sites. Common types of accidents include:

• Slips, trips, and falls
• Heavy machinery
• Ladders
• Cranes
• Toxic exposure
• Falling tools and debris
• Scaffolding
• Structural collapse

According to the Workers' Compensation Law, employees are not permitted to sue employers for workplace injuries except in cases of gross misconduct. However, construction sites are often made up of many third parties (such as subcontractors and architects) who may be held liable in personal injury cases.

Birth Injuries

There are approximately 76 infants born with injuries on a daily basis. Many of these injuries result from unavoidable circumstances, but many others are caused by medical negligence. Common birth injuries include:

• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
• Brain damage
• Cerebral palsy
• Erb's palsy
• Should dystocia
• Brachial plexus injuries
• Hypoxia
• Spastic quadriplegia

Medical malpractice differs from personal injury, but many of the same principles apply. In either case, determining liability is all about proving negligence.

Check Out Our Other Offices:

• Delaware County Personal Injury Law Office
• Jenkintown Personal Injury Law Office