If you have experienced a personal injury in Philadelphia, PA, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. A Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can help you recover all of your damages after your accident.
The legal team at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers has over 80 years of combined experience helping accident victims recover compensation for their injuries. We’ve recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injured individuals and their families. Our successes have earned us recognition as Super Lawyers and Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
If you are seeking compensation for your injuries, contact our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers for award-winning legal representation. We offer free consultations to potential clients and utilize contingency-fee arrangements for our services. Call us at 215-398-4779.
Learn more about personal injury law with this FAQ by our experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers.
What is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law allows a person to file a civil lawsuit in court to recover damages and losses after another party causes them harm.
There are a number of situations where personal injury law may apply:
- Accidental, negligent, or careless behavior
- Intentional acts of harm
- A defective product that causes injury to the user
- A defamatory statement causing harm
In the state of Pennsylvania, you must prove there was a wrongdoer whose negligence or carelessness caused you injury.
Most personal injury cases are based on negligence, which requires proof that:
- The at-fault party owed you a duty of care
- The party breached this duty
- Their breach caused your accident
- You suffered damages
Hiring a personal injury lawyer can help you determine whether you have a personal injury case and under what cause of action. Your lawyer will investigate your accident and gather evidence of the other party’s fault.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
You can file a claim or lawsuit without a personal injury attorney, but it is rarely a good move. When you represent yourself, you are not given special treatment.
Insurance companies may take you less seriously if you do not have legal representation during your personal injury claim. They may undervalue your claim, minimize the extent of your injuries, and even blame you for your accident — all in an attempt to settle your claim for less than you deserve.
A Philadelphia personal injury attorney will conduct their own investigation into your accident to gather evidence and identify liable parties. Your attorney will handle all negotiations and communications with the insurer and refuse to settle for less than the value of your case.
Here are some other valuable services a personal injury attorney will provide:
- Work with experts to strengthen your claim
- Calculate the full value of your damages
- Keep track of filing deadlines for your injury lawsuit
- Handle the cumbersome administrative tasks that come with an injury claim
- Take your case to court if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement
When you first contact a personal injury lawyer, they will likely provide you with a free initial consultation. Your lawyer will want to know all the details of your case to determine how best to proceed. During this initial consultation, you should bring with you any relevant documents and information pertaining to your case, such as paperwork, medical reports, insurance information, etc.
Your lawyer will walk you through whether or not you have a case and design the best plan of action going forward. At Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers we operate on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we secure a win for you.
What if I Was Injured in a Car Accident?
If you were injured in a car accident, Pennsylvania’s no-fault insurance laws would apply to your case.
Each driver in Pennsylvania is required to have the following amounts of liability coverage:
- $15,000 for injury or death of one person in an accident
- $30,000 for injury or death of more than one person in an accident
- $5,000 for damage to property of another person
- $5,000 first-party medical expenses per accident
If you were injured in a car accident, you will first make a claim against your own insurance coverage to recover compensation for medical expenses and other out-of-pocket expenses — regardless of who was at fault. If your losses exceed these benefits, you can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurer to recover your damages.
You may also be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit for serious injuries. A lawsuit might result in greater damages than an insurance claim, including non-economic damages
What if I Was Injured While At Work?
Workplace injuries are among the most common sources of preventable injury in the US. They commonly include slip and fall accidents. If you experienced a personal injury at your workplace, there are several steps you should take.
First, you should notify your employer of your injury and file a written report of your accident or injury. You may be eligible for workers’ compensation if you are unable to return to work and are not being paid in the interim. However, you must report your injury to your employer within 21 days or risk forfeiting your right to benefits.
For most employers in Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation coverage is mandatory, provided that employees are not covered under other workers’ compensation acts, such as railroad workers and federal employees. If you were injured at work, you should talk to your lawyer to discuss whether you qualify for workers’ compensation.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice is any situation in which a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional fails to provide the proper standard of care and injures a patient. Medical malpractice cases may be brought against a hospital, clinic, or any other medical institution.
Medical malpractice claims typically require expert medical testimony to prove that a medical provider violated the relevant standard of care during your medical treatment.
What if I Was Injured Due To a Defective Product?
When it comes to a liability lawsuit concerning a defective product, there are several different factors to consider in Pennsylvania:
- Negligence
- Strict Liability
- Breach of Warranty
- Misrepresentation
Negligence is when a party fails to act reasonably in designing, manufacturing, or marketing their product to consumers. Breaches of warranty refer to situations where a party makes promises about the quality of their product that later turn out to be untrue. Misrepresentation refers to inaccurate statements or claims about the safety or reliability of a product.
Finally, strict liability refers to a manufacturer’s responsibility to safely design, manufacture, and market a product. Suppose a product has a defect in its design, manufacture, or marketing that makes it unreasonably dangerous for use. In these cases, an injured consumer can hold the manufacturer or distributor strictly liable for damages caused by the product.
If a defective or dangerous product injured you, your lawyer will identify the liable parties and hold them responsible under the relevant causes of action.
What is a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
In the state of Pennsylvania, a wrongful death is defined as any death that occurs due to wrongful actions or negligence. Certain surviving family members can recover damages through a wrongful death claim if another party intentionally or negligently kills their loved one. Eligible claimants typically include spouses, children, or parents of the decedent.
If the decedent has no surviving spouse, children, or parents, the decedent’s personal representative may file a claim for wrongful death on behalf of the estate.
Damages in a wrongful death claim include:
- reasonable hospital, nursing, medical, funeral expenses
- expenses of administration necessitated the death
- Lost wages of the decedent
- Loss of household services/companionship
If you are filing a wrongful death claim on behalf of a loved one, you are likely undergoing extreme emotional or physical duress. An experienced attorney will be able to gather evidence and build a case to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Contact Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have questions about your personal injury case, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced Philadelphia injury attorneys for a free consultation.
Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers will handle your case with compassion and skill. We’ve been recognized among Pennsylvania’s 10 Best Law Firms for Client Satisfaction. We will use our decades of experience and skills to help you recover the money you deserve after your accident in Philadelphia.