Being hurt or losing a loved one due to the negligence or carelessness of another can be devastating. At Thomas, Conrad & Conrad Law Offices, our personal injury lawyers help you understand your rights and hold responsible parties accountable. Since 1982, we’ve helped thousands of injured victims throughout the Lehigh Valley get the maximum compensation they deserve for their damages and losses.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
When a person suffers physical, emotional, or financial harm due to someone else’s negligence or intentional actions, they may be entitled to file a personal injury claim for damages. A personal injury lawsuit is a civil action in which a plaintiff must prove that the person or entity that caused them harm was at fault. Our seasoned legal team is well-versed in handling many types of personal injury claims and includes some of the best personal injury attorneys in the Lehigh Valley. We give you a straightforward assessment of your case and advise you of the most effective course of action for moving forward.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
Accidents
Although car crashes are the most common type of accident that results in personal injury lawsuits, there are countless ways in which someone can be injured or killed due to no fault of their own. Collisions involving pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicycles can cause catastrophic injuries that require costly medical treatment and long-term care.
When tractor-trailers are involved in a crash, cases become much more complicated, require extensive investigation, and may involve dealing with multiple insurers and large trucking companies. Drunk driving crashes also cause serious injuries and fatalities every day. If you were hurt by a drunk driver who was overserved at a bar, filing a dram shop claim may help you hold the establishment accountable for their negligence.
Neck, spine, and brain injuries can lead to paralysis, traumatic brain injury, and other issues that have a long-lasting impact on a victim’s quality of life and ability to earn a living. The cost of hospital stays, multiple surgeries, rehabilitation, ongoing nursing care, and other necessary services and treatment can reach into the millions of dollars. In cases where someone has lost a loved one in a motor vehicle crash, our personal injury attorneys may be able to help their family file a claim for wrongful death.
Whether your injuries are minor or severe, our personal injury lawyers at Thomas, Conrad & Conrad Law Offices act as your staunch advocates. We handle all aspects of your case so you and your family to focus on your recovery during the personal injury claims process.
Premises Liability
Property owners, businesses, and homeowners are responsible for keeping their premises safe for all who enter. Premises liability claims are often the result of someone being hurt due to:
- Damaged sidewalks, parking lots, stairs, and other areas in disrepair
- Uncleared ice and snow
- Spills on the floor
- Loose carpeting or rugs
- Tripping hazards, such as merchandise on the floor
- Uneven floorboards
- Dog bites
- Pool accidents
- Amusement park accidents
Slip and fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability claims. For example, if someone trips and falls because of a spill on the floor in a grocery store or if a child is bitten by a dog on a neighbor’s property, the injured person may be entitled to bring a personal injury claim to recover compensation for their injuries. Our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience handling premises liability claims and work to achieve the best possible outcome for your case.
Intentional Liability
Our personal injury attorneys also represent clients who have been victims of intentional harm, which usually involves a criminal act like assault. In addition to facing criminal charges, a person who causes someone else physical or emotional harm may also be held civilly liable, which means that the injured victim may be able to recover compensation for damages.
Proving Negligence in Personal Injury Claims
Most personal injury lawsuits involve negligence. To prove negligence, four essential elements must be present, including:
Duty of care – The alleged wrongdoer (defendant) owed a legal duty to the injured party
Breach of duty – The defendant breached that legal duty
Causation – The defendant’s actions or inaction caused the plaintiff’s injury
Damages – The plaintiff suffered harm or losses as a result of the defendant’s actions
Each of these elements must be proven for a successful recovery in a personal injury claim. Establishing fault and proving negligence can be challenging, especially if you’re unfamiliar with personal injury law. Some steps we often take to prove negligence include:
- Conducting an investigation
- Examining an accident scene and property damage
- Speaking to witnesses
- Obtaining documents like phone records and police reports
- Reviewing photos and videos
- Hiring accident reconstructionists
Our accident attorneys understand how to prove liability and pursue all possible sources of compensation. We thoroughly investigate your case, gather evidence, and put it all together to create compelling arguments that demonstrate who was responsible and how their negligence caused your injuries and damages.
Types of Damages
The specific damages you may be entitled to recover will depend on the circumstances of your case. Common damages awarded in personal injury claims include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Loss of past and future earnings
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Embarrassment and humiliation
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship and consortium
If a defendant’s actions were particularly reckless or intentionally wrongful, an injured victim may be entitled to punitive damages, which are intended to punish the defendant for their acts and deter others from doing the same.
Calculating Damages
It can be easy to underestimate the physical, emotional, and financial impact of being hurt in an accident. Calculating economic damages like the cost of medical bills, lost time from work, and property damage can be fairly straightforward. However, it’s more difficult to put a price on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. In addition, figuring out the cost of future medical expenses and income loss can be tricky and often requires the expertise and knowledge of medical and financial professionals.
Our personal injury lawyers look at factors such as the scope of your injuries, the length of your recovery, the physical and emotional pain and anguish you experienced, and how they have affected your quality of life. Insurance companies often try to offer undervalued settlements or deny claims. You can rest assured that our personal injury attorneys put an accurate value on your claim, fight for your rights, and negotiate vehemently on your behalf.
Wrongful Death Claims
If a loved one’s death was caused by a wrongful act, negligence, or violence, a wrongful death claim and/or survival action may be appropriate. In Pennsylvania, a wrongful death lawsuit must be brought by the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate on behalf of the estate’s beneficiaries. If a claim isn’t filed within six months of the date of death, a beneficiary of the estate can then file a claim on behalf of all beneficiaries of the estate.
These cases are complex. Our personal injury attorneys understand that the emotional and financial repercussions of losing someone in an accident can be devastating. It can be overwhelming to deal with filing a claim and negotiating with insurance companies when you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Our wrongful death lawyers take some of the weight off your shoulders and provide the compassionate yet tenacious legal support you need to get through challenging times.
Statutes of Limitations for Personal Injury Lawsuits in Pennsylvania
Statutes of limitations set a time limit in which an injured victim can file a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent party. The statute of limitations for wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits in Pennsylvania is two years after the injury or death. If your action is not filed within this two-year period, your case will probably be dismissed and you’ll be out of options for recovering compensation.
If you’re unsure about when to hire a personal injury lawyer after an accident, the answer is always as soon as possible. As time goes by, valuable evidence can be lost and memories fade. A personal injury attorney will evaluate your case at no cost and get the ball rolling in a timely manner if you have a viable claim.
What to Do After an Accident or Injury
If you believe you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, it’s vital to speak to a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer right away. Do not admit fault, give a statement, sign anything, or accept a settlement from an insurance company before seeking the counsel of an accident attorney.
Whether you’ve been involved in a slip and fall or a car crash, take pictures and video of the area in which your injury occurred. Collect contact and insurance information from all involved parties and information from witnesses. Make sure to get a copy of any police or incident reports at the scene if you can. Photographs, video footage, police reports, and witness statements are crucial pieces of evidence that can be used by your personal injury attorney to back up the facts of the circumstances surrounding your claim.
Most important, seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if you believe your injuries aren’t serious. Symptoms of certain injuries may not appear right away, and failing to get the medical treatment you need can be deadly. Medical records also provide documentation of your injuries and treatment and are vital when filing a personal injury claim.
Our Personal Injury Lawyers Have a Proven Track Record of Success
Our team includes some of the best personal injury lawyers in Pennsylvania. We won’t hesitate to take your case to court if a reasonable settlement cannot be reached with an insurer. Recent recoveries in our non-vehicular personal injury cases include:
- Our experienced litigators represented a Monroe County minor child who was awarded $188,000 after trial for injuries suffered after being struck by a rock thrown by a neighbor child.
- We recovered $470,000 for a Northampton County client in a premises liabilityaccident case.
- Our personal injury lawyers recovered $190,000 in a dog bite case for a local woman whose hand was broken when her dog was attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull.
Contact an Eastern PA Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Case Evaluation
If you’ve been hurt or have lost a loved one in an accident, you don’t have to suffer alone. Our personal injury attorneys at Thomas, Conrad & Conrad Law Offices are here for you. We care about you and your family. Our dedicated team is committed to helping you get the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact us online or call 610-867-2900 to schedule a free consultation today. We proudly serve personal injury clients in several locations throughout the Lehigh Valley.