Accidents happen – but so many serious injuries are avoidable. If you or a loved one was injured in an accident that could have been avoided, the person responsible for the accident can often be sued in a court of law. This lawsuit can help you get compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering so that you can get your life back on track.
After a serious injury, it is important to talk to an attorney about your case to see what you might be entitled to in damages. The responsible party or their insurance company may contact you about settling your case, but settlement may not be the right answer. Before accepting anything less than what you deserve, talk to the Abington personal injury attorneys at The Reiff Law Firm. Our lawyers have combined decades of experience handling personal injury cases and offer free consultations on new cases. For your consultation, contact our law offices today at (215) 709-6940.
Suing for Personal Injury Cases
If you are injured in any type of accident, you can usually sue any responsible parties. In some cases, there is no one to blame, but many accidents only happen because of someone’s negligence. For something like a car accident, there is another driver who can clearly be held liable. If you sustain injuries on someone else’s property, the injury may seem random, but it may be the property owner’s responsibility to ensure guests are not injured. The same is true for slip and falls and product injury cases – someone is often at fault, even if they were not present during the accident.
To successfully sue for an injury case, you must prove that the other party owed you a duty and breached that duty, which caused your injuries. This type of case is known as a “negligence” case. By demonstrating that they failed to uphold their duty, you show that the other party is responsible for your injuries.
There is no “general” duty that people owe each one another, other than to refrain from intentionally harming them. However, the relationship you have with the person might create a duty. For example:
- Other drivers on the road owe each other a duty to drive with reasonable care and skill.
- Product manufacturers owe customers a duty to carefully design and manufacture the product.
- Property owners owe their guests a duty to warn of or repair hidden dangers.
- Healthcare professionals owe their patients a duty to provide adequate levels of care.
Other situations may create other duties as well. Any time that someone fails to fulfill their duty or fails to use the adequate care and skill, they can be held responsible for any injuries or damage that breach causes. In many cases, that means you could be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering resulting from the injury.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
There are many broad categories of common personal injury cases. Many of these cases have typical claims and arguments that injured parties and their attorneys make, as well as specific legal histories that have developed that type of case. Some of the common types of personal injury cases in PA include:
Car Accident Cases
Pennsylvania is a “choice no-fault” insurance state, meaning that your insurance may be “limited tort” or “full tort.” This affects your ability to sue. Limited tort insurance is “no-fault” insurance, which can cover injuries regardless of who is at fault, but it limits your ability to sue only for expensive or permanent injuries. Full tort insurance allows you to take the other driver to court in any case. Talk to an attorney today about your right to sue and what your case may be worth after a serious car crash.
Products Liability Cases
Product injury cases or defective product cases are far too common. When a manufacturer puts a product on the shelves or sells parts to auto manufacturers, we presume that they are safe. However, many products suffer from dangerous designs or errors during the manufacturing process which make the final product dangerous. Other products may be very dangerous as part of the inherent design, but they offer no warnings to help keep users safe. Our attorneys take manufacturers and producers to court for injuries caused by product defects, including auto defects.
Medical Malpractice
Doctors, hospitals, and the rest of any medical staff are held to strict standards for the expected level of care they should provide. Physicians who make an injury worse, fail to diagnose an illness, or make surgical mistakes can be held liable for their errors. In many cases, the victim of medical malpractice can suffer serious complications or death.
Wrongful Death
Losing a loved one before their time is tragic. If you have lost a loved one in an accident, talk to an attorney today. You may be able to recover expenses for their funeral and burial, as well as recover lost wages they provided your family and other damages.
Abington Personal Injury Lawyers Offering Free Consultations
If you or a loved one was injured or if you lost a loved one to a serious accident, talk to an attorney today. You may be able to recover substantial compensation for serious injury cases. The Reiff Law Firm’s Abington, PA personal injury lawyers represent the victims of the cases listed above and many other personal cases. For a free consultation, contact our law offices today at (215) 709-6940.
