People are injured in a variety of ways. If you were hurt because of another person or entity’s recklessness, you might be entitled to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or a settlement agreement. The Reiff Law Firm has the skill and financial resources to litigate even the most complicated personal injury lawsuits.
Our Hazleton, PA personal injury lawyers handle all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims, including car accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and products liability claims. If you or a loved one was injured, call the Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 to schedule a free consultation.
Common Personal Injury Claims in Hazleton, PA
There are many reasons personal injury claims are filed in Hazleton. Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of personal injury lawsuits in Pennsylvania. Accidents are not limited to cars – trucks, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts, motorcycles, buses, ATVs, and even pedestrians are involved in crashes throughout the area. When tons of metal and glass collide, the injuries are often devastating.
Another common cause of injury comes from slip and fall accidents. These are accidental falls that occur because of defective sidewalks, dangerous spills, ice, and other hazards that could cause an unsuspecting person to lose their footing. Often, these types of claims result in premises liability lawsuits. Property owners and managers have a responsibility to keep their premises safe. If they fail to do so, they could be held accountable for any injuries that occur.
Medical malpractice is another large field of personal injury litigation. Mistakes by doctors, healthcare providers, nurses, and other medical professionals often result in serious adverse medical consequences. Patients are injured by surgical errors, misdiagnoses, failure to diagnose, medication mistakes, and other diagnostic and administrative mistakes.
Additionally, our experienced Hazleton personal injury lawyers handle injury claims arising from construction accidents, defective product injuries, amusement park accidents, injuries from domestic abuse, and other incidents where someone is injured through no fault of their own.
Talk with Our Hazleton Attorney Before Speaking with an Insurance Company
If you have an insurance claim, you should report your accident to your insurance provider. However, you should not engage in any settlement conversations, sign any documents, or offer anything other than the basic facts surrounding the incident. Insurance companies have teams of attorneys and adjusters whose sole purpose is to limit the amount the insurance company is required to pay.
It is crucial to retain the assistance of our Hazleton injury lawyer before talking with your insurance provider. Having a knowledgeable attorney working on your behalf will serve multiple purposes, including protecting your rights, guiding the negotiations, and helping to ensure you do not say anything that could jeopardize your case.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit or Agreeing to a Settlement
It is not uncommon for a personal injury claim to settle without the need to file a lawsuit. Neither the plaintiff nor the defendant’s counsel can guarantee how a jury or judge will decide a case. Part of our job as your attorney is to properly value your case, including calculating the actual damages and evaluating the case’s merits. Knowing the value of your case is a vital part of the process in determining if a settlement offer is reasonable.
We will work with all insurance companies involved in your case to try and achieve a fair settlement offer. However, despite our best efforts, a reasonable offer might not be presented. If that is the case, our office has the willingness, resources, and skill to take your case to trial. Sometimes, the threat of a lawsuit or the filing of a complaint compels an insurer to offer a significantly higher settlement amount than they originally offered.
Proving Liability and Negligence in Hazleton, PA Personal Injury Lawsuits
Determining fault and liability is essential for a successful personal injury claim. Proving either will be highly dependent on the facts of your case. In some situations, determining fault is not complicated. However, when multiple parties are involved or the chain of events leading up to the injury is contested, establishing fault becomes a challenge. Our Hazleton attorneys will thoroughly investigate the incident by gathering official reports, eyewitness accounts, expert testimony, and medical records to help determine exactly how your injury occurred.
After determining fault, an injured plaintiff must show that the defendant’s conduct was negligent. First, our attorney must show that you were owed a duty of care. The level of care depends on the relationship between the parties involved in the case. The duty of care between a surgeon and their patient, for instance, is significantly different than the duty of care between two strangers walking down the street.
Next, an injured party must demonstrate that a breach of that duty occurred. Once again, proving this will depend on the circumstances of your case. Generally, if the behavior deviates from what a reasonable person would have done under the same conditions, the conduct was negligent.
After determining the conduct was negligent, the injury must be directly linked to the breach of duty. In addition to actual causation, the injured party must have incurred actual damages. Damages could be economic, such as medical expenses or lost income, or noneconomic, such as pain and suffering.
Call Our Hazleton, PA Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
The attorneys and staff at Reiff Law Firm are committed to providing severely injured individuals with professional and compassionate representation. Our personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia and Hazleton, PA will work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome, either through diplomatic negotiations and a settlement agreement or by vigorously litigating your case in court. To schedule a free appointment to review your legal options, call the Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940.
