Every day, hundreds of people get injured across the country, some suffering from severe, long-term injuries. Unfortunately, many of those injuries happen due to someone’s negligence, and they could’ve been prevented. If you’ve been injured and it’s someone else’s fault, you may be able to bring a personal injury case against them and recover compensation for your injuries. While you may have heard about personal injury lawsuits, you may have some misconceptions about them.
Some of the most common personal injury claim misconceptions include:
Many people who may have a valid personal injury claim don’t seek legal help because they believe attorneys’ fees will be too expensive. The truth is, most personal injury lawyers work cases on what is known as a contingency basis. That means that you don’t have to pay anything out-of-pocket. Rather, you pay a percentage of your settlement or financial recovery to your attorney at the conclusion of your case.
Another common misconception is that all personal injury cases take a long time to resolve. In reality, it’s nearly impossible to determine just how long a lawsuit will take because all personal injury cases are different. While some complicated personal injury claims may take months or years to complete, others are resolved much faster than that. A personal injury lawyer will do everything possible to ensure that your case is completed as soon as possible.
While it may seem logical that when someone’s negligence causes you harm, they should have to pay for your damages, that isn’t always the way it works out. There is no guarantee that you will win, even when the other party is proven to be at fault. Their attorney can claim that mitigating circumstances should be considered, and those factors might reduce or even nullify the reward. A good attorney will never guarantee anything, and they will be honest about how your case is progressing.
It’s important to realize that your insurance company and the other party’s insurance company aren’t concerned with your best interests. Instead, they are concerned with their bottom line. Depending on how serious your injuries are, you may potentially rack up large medical bills while losing wages at the same time. Thus, you need an experienced lawyer to ensure that your claim is handled correctly and that you have the best chance to get the compensation you deserve.
Understandably, some people would like to wait until their injuries are healed, and they are feeling better to get started with a personal injury claim. However, the idea that there is plenty of time to bring a personal injury case against a negligent party just isn’t true. There is a limited amount of time during which you can file this type of lawsuit. Generally speaking, in Pennsylvania, personal injury cases have a statute of limitations of two years from the date of injury. In some cases, that timeframe may be extended, but being able to do so is complex and limited. If two years have passed, a personal injury attorney can advise you about the likelihood of the court accepting your claim. Also, claims acted on soon after an injury often have a greater chance of success. Waiting could lead to the loss of evidence, inability to locate witnesses, and other things that could be detrimental to your case.
While this is technically true, doing so isn’t recommended. Providing your own legal representation is never a good idea, regardless of the context. In personal injury lawsuits, it’s been consistently found that individuals who hire attorneys to represent them in their claim secure higher settlement values and verdicts than when individuals represent themselves to insurance companies or in court.
If you’ve sustained injuries resulting from someone’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your monetary damages and pain and suffering. For the best outcome in your lawsuit, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent you. Ross Feller Casey attorneys have a proven track record of winning personal injury lawsuits, many with multimillion-dollar recoveries, for clients just like you.
Our legal team will thoroughly investigate your case with the help of our on-staff team of Ivy League-educated physicians and guide you through the entire personal injury claim process. You don’t have to go it alone – Ross Feller Casey can help. Our attorneys have the experience and the resources to ensure you receive the best possible outcome for your case. Contact Ross Feller Casey today to set up an appointment for a free case review. Because we handle cases on a contingency basis, you won’t pay anything until your case is settled or won.
Disclaimer: Ross Feller Casey, LLP provides legal advice only after an attorney-client relationship is formed. Our website is an introduction to the firm and does not create a relationship between our attorneys and clients. An attorney-client relationship is formed only after a written agreement is signed by the client and the firm. Because every case is unique, the description of awards and summary of cases successfully handled are not intended to imply or guarantee that same success in other cases. Ross Feller Casey, LLP represents catastrophically injured persons and their families in injury and wrongful death cases, providing legal representation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.