Thousands of people become victims of personal injury but choose to suffer alone and burden themselves financially and emotionally because they lack knowledge about personal injury law. Additionally, after knowing about personal injury law, people commit various mistakes that receive less compensation or no compensation. One such mistake is not consulting Philadelphia, PA personal injury attorneys.
Personal injury law allows people who incurred economic and non-economic injuries or damages due to someone else’s negligence to get financial compensation. Any careless behavior resulting in injuries of you or loved ones can be held liable under the personal injury law.
Below are the top five common questions about personal injury claims.
- What types of accidents fall under personal injury law?
Any injury you sustained as a result of someone else’s negligence falls under personal injury. Some of them include:
- Motor vehicle accidents include car accidents, motorcycle accidents, semi-truck and truck accidents, buses, commercial vehicles, trains, aircraft, and more.
- Premise liability includes slip and fall, dog bite, escalator accidents, elevator accidents, deck collapse, amusement park accidents, and more.
- Nursing home abuse and negligence.
- Medical and dental malpractice.
- Products liability like defective products, dangerous toys, products, medical devices, etc.
- Which type of compensation am I eligible for under personal injury?
You are eligible to seek compensation for all the economic and non-economic damages under personal injury. Economic compensation includes past and future medical costs, loss of earnings, future loss of earnings (in case of permanent disabilities), costs related to canceled trips, household expenses, cost of special healthcare service, rehabilitation cost, etc.
On the other hand, non-economic damages include mental anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.
- Can I pursue a personal injury claim without an attorney?
There is no limit to how you can pursue your personal injury claim. You can file for compensation independently without an attorney. However, it is advisable to take an attorney’s help to ensure your rights are protected and you get maximum compensation. Going further without an attorney can land you with a denied claim or less claim than the deserving amount. Furthermore, the insurance company may turn the table around by pointing fingers at you.
- Do all the personal injury cases go to trial?
This may be surprising, but most personal injury cases settle outside the court and do not go to trial. If the insurance company offers a fair settlement, your case is unlikely to go to court.
- Why should I hire a personal injury lawyer when I can file the claim independently?
As mentioned above, the insurance company uses various tactics to blame you, so they do not have to pay higher compensation. An attorney will represent your case, talk to the insurance company on your behalf, help in gathering evidence and proving negligence of the other party, comply with the statute of limitation, negotiate with the insurance company, and more.
A successful settlement offer.
Your attorney will eliminate various hassles, including going to the trial. If possible, the attorney can negotiate a better settlement offer that compensates for all your damages, including economic and non-economic damages.
If you become a victim of product liability, do not suffer the damages alone in fear that the company is powerful enough to deny your claim. As a consumer, you hold the right to hold them accountable for their negligence with the help of an experienced attorney.
