Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Facts
If you have been injured in some way as a result of an accident or medical malpractice, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney can help. Injury cases can be tricky, as they are unlike property damage, which allow you to simply compare market values. When the damage is to a person’s body, it can be difficult to compute (and prove to a judge or jury) how much he or she has lost. Your lawyer can determine whether you should be compensated and by how much, and support you through every stage of the claims process. Here’s a look as what a personal injury attorney does and how he or she may be able to benefit your case.
Most Common Personal Injury Cases
- Road traffic accidents: The average personal injury attorney is kept most busy by traffic accident claims, which is not surprising considering that, on average, there are more than 6 million car accidents per year in the U.S. This includes injuries to drivers, as well as to motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. A personal injury lawyer can help you collect evidence and compile all the records and paperwork he or she needs to prove your case.
- Work-related injuries: In general, work-related injuries are either traumatic or involve a repetitive stress injury such as a back injury from lifting or carpal tunnel syndrome from typing too much. Often, this type of claim involves negotiations with the victim’s company. Having a lawyer manage this can help ensure the best possible results.
- Assault claims: While these claims may also fall under criminal law, there are still a great deal of bodily injury claims each year, which are often linked to other issues, such as domestic violence and alcohol abuse. In these cases, the personal injury lawyer often deals with a claim for emotional distress as well as physical injury.
- Slip and fall claims: These types of accidents are fairly common, accounting for millions of injuries every year: usually spine, neck, head, and/or hip related. Slip and fall claims can be tricky to prove in court, as the personal injury attorney must prove that the owner of the premises in question somehow failed to remedy a potentially dangerous condition.
- Products liability: These types of injuries only account for around 7 percent of all personal injury cases, with an estimated 20,000 products liability claims being filed each year. Product liability claims can involve anything from faulty medical devices to toys and pet products that are unsafe.
Benefits of Retaining a Personal Injury Attorney
Having a personal injury attorney on your side can make all the difference when it comes to settling your case favorably. Not only is your lawyer well-versed both in personal injury law and insurance law, but he or she can also determine a fair approximate value of your injuries and support that demand if you end up in court. Retaining an attorney can have the added benefit of increasing the overall value of your case. Not only can this make the opposing party more willing to negotiate with you (as simply having a lawyer demonstrates your willingness to go to court), but settlements tend to be higher overall when there is a claimant attorney involved.