Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

Understanding Personal Injury Laws in Pennsylvania

Personal injury falls under the law of torts and is designed to address wrongs committed against a person that result in injury or financial loss.

Within this legal doctrine, there are different types of wrongful conduct, including the following:

Negligence

This is the most common area of tort law. It applies to any situation where someone causes harm by acting in an unreasonably unsafe manner. Common examples of negligence include car accidents, pedestrian accidents, “slip and fall” injuries, and medical malpractice. In order to pursue a personal injury claim, you need to prove the four key elements of tort law, which are duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and actual damages.

Intentional Torts

An intentional tort occurs when an individual knowingly commits a wrongful act that results in harm. That happens when someone commits assault, battery, false imprisonment, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These cases are often easier to prove with the support of witness statements or surveillance footage.

Strict Liability

With a strict liability claim, you do not have to prove the defendant was careless or intended to cause harm. Parties can be held accountable simply for engaging in a highly dangerous activity. This applies to product liability where a seller is liable for injuries caused by a defective product. It can also apply to a dog owner whose pet has a history of biting.

What Are the Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Philadelphia?

Any incident that resulted in one individual suffering harm due to another’s negligence may qualify as a personal injury accident.

In Philadelphia, common types of personal injury cases include:

• Birth Injuries
• Brain Injuries
• Car Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Child Injuries
• Negligent Security Incidents
• Dog Bites
• Hotel Injuries
• Internet Sex Crimes
• Medical Malpractice
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Slip and Fall Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Train Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Sexual Assault
• Work Injuries
• Mesothelioma

Pennsylvania law allows you to recover compensation for accident-related losses provided you’re able to prove that another party’s intentional act or recklessness harmed you.

If you want to better understand whether your injury incident qualifies you to receive compensation, get in touch with our law office to speak with a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia now.

How Can a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Help You?

Every insurance company makes it easy for policyholders to submit a claim through their website. However, that doesn’t mean the claim will automatically be approved or that you’ll get the full amount of compensation that you’re asking for. This process can become complicated when you are attempting to file a claim with the at-fault person’s carrier.

No matter who you’re filing with, you’ll benefit from the support of Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan. When we agree to work with a client, it is because the merits of their claim are strong. Our goal is to step in as your legal advocate to secure the maximum compensation you’re entitled to while you recover.

This is how our firm can help:

We Investigate Your Claim

At your first meeting with our team of personal injury attorneys, you’ll present the basics of your claim. If we move forward, we’ll conduct a thorough investigation that will involve collecting vital evidence such as police reports, surveillance footage, and any witness statements.

We Deal with Insurers

Once your claim is filed, you’ll be assigned an insurance adjuster. They will conduct their own investigation into the accident, which will involve communication with you. That could mean asking you to make a recorded statement or providing an immediate estimate of your losses. We’ll step in to handle all communications with the adjusters.

That way, they can’t twist your words or devalue your claim.

We Calculate Damages

The main reason for filing a personal injury claim is to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. It is vital to understand the full scope of your losses.

You will only have one opportunity to secure your compensation. Once you accept a settlement, you won’t be able to file it again. That is why you need to consider any potential loss that might be beyond the date you accept a settlement.

We’ll work carefully with you to calculate all your current and future losses. We’ll also ensure those calculations are valid and supported by evidence.

We Negotiate Settlements

Once we have a clear understanding of your total losses, we’ll begin negotiations with the insurance company. This can involve a few rounds of “back and forth” communications until we settle on a fair number. Throughout the negotiations, we’ll keep you fully informed.

We won’t accept a settlement unless you agree.

We Represent You in Court

While many cases settle during negotiations, there are instances in which the insurance company refuses to be fair or denies the evidence.

In those instances, we might recommend filing a civil lawsuit against the insurance company and the at-fault party. The moment the lawsuit is filed, it gets assigned to a judge and court, and the trial is scheduled. We have decades of combined litigation experience. We’ll be able to take all the evidence we’ve gathered and pivot to presenting it to a jury.

If you or a loved one was recently hurt due to someone else’s actions, you owe it to yourself and your family to speak with the Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan team.

Why Is It Important To Act Quickly After an Accident?

Pennsylvania has a two-year statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim. This means that you must file your lawsuit within two years from the date of the accident or incident. If you miss this deadline, you could lose your right to seek compensation altogether.

This is why it’s critical that you act quickly after an accident to preserve evidence, witness testimonies, and other crucial details that can help your case.