Personal injuries can severely impact your and your family’s daily life. If someone’s negligent or neglectful behavior caused you harm, fight back and hold the responsible party liable for your injuries.
Contact qualified Pittsburgh accident lawyers to evaluate your case and determine whether you have grounds to pursue legal action. Learn how we can help by contacting one of our Pittsburgh injury lawyers today. Call us day or night for a no-obligation confidential consultation.
Personal Injury Cases Are Complex
When you suffer personal injuries because of someone else’s negligence, it’s important to know that many different types of claims are involved. There are medical malpractice cases, product liability cases, premises liability cases, construction accidents, slip and fall cases, trucking accident cases, and car crash cases, just to name a few. Each type of case requires a unique strategy and approach.
In addition to determining whether you have a valid claim, you must decide where to file your lawsuit. If you live in Pittsburgh, you might choose to sue in state court.
However, if you reside in another city or state from where the accident occurred, or the at-fault party resides, you may be able to sue in federal court. This decision depends on several factors, including the complexity of your case, the amount of money you hope to obtain, and your preference for a venue.
The experienced attorneys at our firm understand how complicated personal injury litigation can be. We take pride in helping injured people receive fair compensation for their losses.
Our lawyers work hard to make sure we keep our clients informed throughout every step of the process. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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Damages You Could Win in Your Personal Injury Case
Personal injury cases are complex, with dozens of injuries that could occur during an accident. Some people might suffer minor cuts and bruises, while others might lose limbs or suffer a fatality.
In addition, many factors go into determining how much compensation you deserve. These include the severity of the injury, the amount of money you spent treating it, whether or not you missed work due to treatment, and what type of pain you suffered.
If you are injured because of someone else’s negligence, you can file a claim against them to recover monetary damages for your losses. Contact us today if you want to know more about how much you could win in a personal injury lawsuit. We offer free consultations, and our legal team will answer your questions.
Economic Damages
The term “economic damages” refers to all monetary losses caused by an accident, except those covered by another category. These types of compensatory damages could include:
- Medical expenses: The cost of medical care after an accident is often referred to as “medical expenses.” This includes costs such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital bills, ambulance rides, physical therapy, and other related services.
- Lost wages: Lost wages refer to any income you would have earned if you had been able to continue working instead of being out on disability. For example, if you could not work for two weeks after an accident, this would be considered lost wages.
- Property damage: Property damage refers to anything damaged by an accident, including cars, homes, and businesses.
- Punitive damages: Punitive damages punish negligent individuals who harm innocent victims. They are meant to serve as a warning to future offenders.
- Wrongful death: Wrongful death occurs when someone dies due to an accident. When this happens, the deceased’s family members may be entitled to financial compensation for their losses.
- Burial expenses: Burial expenses are incurred when a person dies from an accident. These costs include funeral arrangements, burial plots, caskets, and other items needed to bury your loved one.
- Out-of-pocket expenses: Out-of-pocket costs are additional expenses you incur because of an accident. Examples include car repairs, home repairs, and replacement clothing.
- Rehabilitation costs: Rehabilitation costs are incurred when you need help recovering from an injury. These costs include physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling sessions, and other related treatments.
If you suffer injuries in an auto accident, knowing what type of damages you might be entitled to recover is important. Contact us today to learn more about your rights.
Non-Economic Damages
In addition to economic damages, you may also be entitled to non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are intended to compensate you for intangible losses, including:
- Pain and suffering: Pain and suffering refer to the emotional distress you feel from dealing with an accident’s effects. It also includes the mental anguish you experience when dealing with the aftermath of an accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Loss of enjoyment of life refers to the loss of happiness or pleasure from living a normal life. You may be compensated for this type of damage if you miss out on activities you used to enjoy due to an accident.
- Emotional distress: Emotional distress refers to the stress and anxiety you feel due to an incident. In some cases, this may include feelings of anger, sadness, fear, or frustration.
- Disfigurement: Disfigurement refers to any permanent changes to your body due to an injury. For example, scars, missing limbs, disfigurements, and other similar conditions can qualify as disfigurements.
- Mental anguish: Mental anguish refers to the emotional pain you feel from witnessing another person get hurt. This includes feeling sad, angry, frustrated, or worried.
- Inconvenience: Inconvenience refers to the life disruption you face due to an event. For example, if your vehicle was involved in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation for the time spent getting to and from work.
- Embarrassment or humiliation: Embarrassment or humiliation refers to the embarrassment you feel due to an accident. For instance, if you were injured while driving, you could be compensated for the embarrassment you felt when people saw the damage to your car.
- Loss of consortium: Loss of consortium refers to the loss of companionship, love, affection, society, and support that comes with marriage or living together. In some states, loss of consortium claims is allowed even if only one person was harmed during an accident.
- Loss of companionship: Loss of companionship refers to the loss of company, comfort, and assistance from spending time with someone else. If you lost a loved one in a fatal accident, you might be able to claim damages for loss of companionship.
Contact our Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation if you have been injured in an auto accident.
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GoSimon.Personal Injury Cases in Pennsylvania Have a Deadline
If you are hurt because someone else did something wrong, there is a deadline for filing a lawsuit against them. In Pennsylvania, it is called the statute of limitations. You must sue within a certain time after becoming aware of your injuries.
You do not have much time to file a lawsuit. If you wait too long, your claims could be barred. To avoid losing your chance to recover damages, consult a lawyer immediately.
What You Need to Know About Dealing with Insurance Companies
Insurance companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying out claims. They often try to delay payments, push for unnecessary medical tests, and even deny legitimate claims altogether. Insurance companies sometimes use unethical tactics, such as threatening to sue injured individuals.
They will also tell you they need more information before paying you. However, this is simply a tactic designed to buy them time. They want to investigate your claim so they can deny it later. The longer they drag things out, the less likely they will pay.
To get paid what you deserve, you need to hire a personal injury attorney who knows how insurance companies operate. Our team has years of experience fighting insurance companies and getting settlements for our clients. Here are additional tips on how to deal with insurance companies and prepare for your claim:
Do Not Make Statements About Your Case Without Talking to a Lawyer First
Don’t speak to anyone about your case without talking to a lawyer first. If you do, you might inadvertently give up information that could hurt your chances of winning. For example, if you tell your doctor about your accident, they might write down what you told them.
This could lead to evidence being used against you later. Similarly, if you talk to family members or friends about your injuries, they might mention something that could harm your case.
In addition, if you sign releases or consent forms, you might give away crucial information. These documents are usually drafted by insurance companies and contain terms that limit how much money you can receive. If you don’t understand the terms, ask whether you want to sign them.
Keep Your Medical Records Safe
Make sure all medical records remain safe. This includes any notes made by doctors, nurses, or other health care providers. It also includes copies of bills, prescriptions, and test results. If you lose these records, you will likely lose your ability to prove your injuries were caused by another person’s negligence.
Don’t let doctors or nurses take copies of your X-rays or scans. Instead, ask them to send you copies directly via email. Also, ensure that no one else has access to your medical files. If you lose your records, you won’t be able to prove that you suffered from certain conditions.
Hire an Expert Witness
A good expert witness can provide valuable testimony regarding your injuries. Experts can testify about the severity of your injuries, the extent of your pain, and the impact of your injuries on your daily life. They can also explain the risks associated with your condition.
Consider Settling Before Going to Court
Settlements are always beneficial. You can save time and money by settling your case early. However, settlements are only possible when both parties agree to them. Insurance companies often refuse to settle unless they know exactly how much money they will have to pay in damages.
Contact us immediately if you think an insurance company is trying to avoid paying you. We’ll help you negotiate a fair settlement.
Don’t Accept a Low Settlement Offer
Insurance companies are usually out for blood. They want you to settle quickly and cheaply, even if it means accepting less than what you deserve; however, there are ways around this. Here are some tips to help you negotiate a fair settlement:
You probably already know about insurance company tactics if you’ve been injured in an accident. You might think settling for less money is better than fighting in court. But it doesn’t always work like that. They often try to cut deals with victims that give them far less. And if you decide to take them to court, you could lose everything.
So how do you avoid getting taken advantage of? Keep track of every phone call, email, and meeting. Write down dates, times, and notes. This way, you can prove later that you did everything possible to reach a fair agreement.
Finally, don’t settle just because someone offers you a quick deal. Take the time to determine what you’re entitled to under the law. Only then can you make an intelligent decision.
Make Sure You Seek Medical Attention
Insurance companies are notorious for trying to deny legitimate medical expenses. They argue that you didn’t seek proper treatment because you didn’t go to see a doctor.
This is why it’s important to document everything you do. Keep receipts, notes, and copies of bills. If you don’t, insurance companies can use this against you.
Get Help From an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to navigate the insurance industry. They will know what questions to ask during negotiations and how to negotiate with insurance companies. Additionally, they will know how to determine the best strategy for pursuing a claim.
The Types of Cases Firm Handles in Pittsburgh
Our attorneys in Pittsburgh represent people throughout Allegheny County in lawsuits based on practice areas such as:
- Motor vehicle accidents: If you’ve been involved in a car crash, trucking accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, slip, and fall accident, or other motor vehicle accident, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the person responsible. Our lawyers will work with you to determine whether you have a case.
- Wrongful death: When someone is killed due to the fault of another party, it can cause tremendous grief to the surviving family members. Our wrongful death lawyers will investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident to determine if there was any wrongdoing by the driver or owner of the vehicle causing the fatality.
- Medical malpractice: If negligent care provided by doctors harmed you, nurses, dentists, hospitals, nursing homes, physical therapists, chiropractors, optometrists, pharmacists, or others, our Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers can help you seek justice.
- Product liability: If you suffered harm from a defective product, our lawyers will review all aspects of the situation to determine if you have a valid claim.
- Construction defects: If you were hurt while working on a construction site, our lawyers will examine the facts of your case to determine if you have grounds for a lawsuit.
- Dog bites: If a dog bites you, you should immediately call 911 and go to an emergency room. You may need stitches and medication to treat your wound. In some cases, surgery may be required to remove the infected tissue.
- Slip and fall: If you slipped and fell at a business establishment, restaurant, hotel, shopping mall, apartment building, public park, school, church, or other location, you may be entitled to compensation for injuries sustained as a result of the fall.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries occur when the spinal cord is damaged in an automobile accident, motorcycle crash, sports-related injury, work-related injury, or another incident. These types of accidents often lead to paralysis and permanent disability.
- Limited tort: Limited tort refers to situations where the defendant’s negligence caused only minor damage to property but resulted in serious bodily injury or death. Limited torts include slips and falls, dog bites, and car crashes that do not involve substantial property damage.
- Labor and employment: Labor and employment law covers many different issues, including discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, wage disputes, and more. Our attorneys represent employees discriminated against based on race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, and other protected classifications.
- Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation laws provide benefits to injured workers regardless of fault. When you suffer an injury at work, you can file a claim with your employer’s insurance company. Your employer must pay benefits until your condition has stabilized.
- Brain injuries: Brain injuries can cause cognitive problems such as memory loss, confusion, and impaired judgment. They also affect emotions and behavior. It is important to seek help early after suffering brain injuries, so they don’t worsen over time.
- Nursing home abuse: Nursing homes are required to provide adequate care for residents. However, nursing home residents are vulnerable to physical, emotional, and financial abuse from staff members. Contact us today if you believe your loved one was abused in a nursing home.
Contact us today for more information about filing a lawsuit after being injured.
Contact Simon & Simon Personal Injury Lawyers in Pittsburgh
The accident attorneys at Simon & Simon, PA, are dedicated to getting compensation on behalf of injury victims throughout Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania. We have recovered millions in settlements for clients injured due to the at-fault party’s negligence.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, we can help you obtain the money you are entitled to receive for damages. This includes damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call or contact us online today.
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