Personal Injury
Suffering injury is hard and can disrupt or change the course of your life. A motor vehicle collision, a slip-and-fall, a workplace accident and nursing home neglect are examples of unplanned events that lead to tragedy and even death.
Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury cases compensate individuals who suffer injury from an accident caused by a person who fails to use “reasonable care” to prevent the accident. What “reasonable care” is varies on a case-by-case basis. A personal injury is a civil wrong, as opposed to a criminal act, which gives you the right to sue the wrongdoer for damages. A wrongful act can cause physical or psychological injuries, or both.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, there are various types of damages you may be allowed to recover that are generally categorized as economic and non-economic damages.
- Economic damages. Economic damages is the term used to describe compensation awarded to victims who have incurred expenses as a result of their injuries. Examples of economic damages include compensation for current and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and property damage. In wrongful death cases, survivors may also be awarded economic damages to cover burial, funeral and estate administration expenses, value of lost services to the family, value of loss of comfort to the surviving spouse and value of loss of guidance to children.
- Non-economic damages. Non-economic damages refer to money that is awarded to victims as compensation for non-monetary losses. Examples of non-economic damages include pain and suffering, loss of life’s pleasures, scarring and disfigurement, disability and impairment, and loss of consortium (which is compensation to your spouse for the loss of the services and companionship suffered by them as a result of the accident).
- Punitive damages. Punitive damages are only awarded in cases where the Judge or Jury believes the defendant had acted with reckless indifference or an intent to harm. These damages are not awarded to compensate for any loss the victim has suffered, but rather to punish the defendant and deter others from acting in a similar manner.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injuries can result from a variety of circumstance, including:
- Car collisions
- Bus, truck, and motorcycle collisions
- Slip, trip, and falls
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Construction mishaps
- Defective or dangerous products
- Medical malpractice
- Dog bites
- Vaccination injuries
- Wrongful death
Contingency Fee
As your personal injury lawyers, we represent you on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not have to pay us any legal fees unless and until you win your case. If we win, we are paid a percentage of your recovery as our fee. If you don’t win, you owe us no fee. Unless we agree otherwise, if you don’t win, you owe us no costs either.
Going to Trial
Most cases settle out-of-court; however, if the parties in a personal injury case cannot agree to an out-of-court settlement, the case will proceed to trial in a court of law. This can be a lengthy process. This can be in a state or federal trial court, although most personal injury lawsuits are heard in state court, and the decision is subject to review by an appeals court. Adam Soll will be with you the entire way through this process.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about what happened to you, a family member, or another loved one, CALL US for a free consultation.