Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer

What a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Does

A crash causing serious injuries or one that suddenly takes the life of a close family member can seriously throw your life off track.

Your own personal physical impairments and also your mental anguish can make it where you’re constantly in and out of surgery, doctors’ visits, or therapy sessions. All of this may make it so that you’re unable to work, meaning you cannot pay your essential bills. And, if a parent, spouse, or another close relative senselessly died in a crash, it may mean that you’ve been deprived of that person whom you counted on to cover your household finances and whom you looked to for counsel and companionship.

While no amount of compensation is likely to help you forget about what happened to you and certainly won’t take away the pain you endured and perhaps continue to do so, it is what our legal system in Pennsylvania allows car accident victims or their surviving loved ones to recover when they sustain losses.

Thus, when working with a Philadelphia car accident lawyer, you can expect us to help you in the following ways:

• Take time to listen to what happened to you
• Thoroughly investigate your case to determine if you have a valid car crash claim
• Compile any evidence necessary to prove your case
• Bring in auto accident reconstructionists, medical experts, actuaries, and others, as needed, to better understand causation and losses
• Identify all potential liable parties and all sources of compensation
• Craft a demand letter chronicling how your accident occurred, your losses, and the settlement award you’re requesting
• Negotiate with insurance adjusters if and when they make an offer to ensure you receive maximum compensation
• File your lawsuit and litigate your case in court if an insurance company’s settlement offer is unjust

Understanding Liability Accident Cases

Pennsylvania is one of a few no-fault insurance states. This generally would mean that you’d need to file a claim with your own insurer to recover compensation if you were hurt in a crash. However, if you’ve suffered serious injuries or someone close to you has died, it’s likely that your losses exceed your own policy limits. You can likely hold that other party who struck you financially liable for your losses.

There is one more aspect regarding liability that you should be aware of as someone who had a wreck in the City of Brotherly Love, which is that we have a modified comparative fault system in place. What impact does that have on you as a car crash victim? It prevents you from recovering compensation if you’re deemed 51% or more at fault for the collision. This is often why a Philadelphia car accident lawyer will advise their clients to watch what they say and do after a wreck. It can impact their ability to recover compensation.

Damages Recoverable by Car Wreck Victims in Pennsylvania

At Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, we’re generally able to recover compensation for accident-related losses, such as the following, through the filing of an insurance claim or injury lawsuit:

• Medical expenses: This may include surgical bills, physical therapy costs, follow-up doctors’ visits, prescription medications, assistive devices, etc.
• Lost wages: Included in this category may include pay you’ve already missed because you were unable to work as well as any compensation you may not make in the future if you have to switch to a different, lower-paying career, work less, or can’t remain employed at all and also if the car crash claimed your loved one’s life.
• Noneconomic losses: This is a catchall category of sorts for the often unseen harm individuals suffer in crashes that victims endure behind closed doors. This may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of companionship, scarring, etc.

Additionally, you may be entitled to recover compensation to pay for property damage if your vehicle was damaged. Punitive damages may also be available in rare cases if the negligent acts that caused you to get hurt or your relative to lose their life were particularly reckless or ill-intentioned.