Erie personal injury lawyers. MP2 is there for you!

If you have been injured in an accident, reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. In the wake of a serious accident, you are likely facing a lot of challenges. You are dealing with physical injuries, stress, missed work and an uncertain future. At the same time, filing a personal injury lawsuit can help you obtain much-needed compensation for the injuries you have sustained. Reaching out to an Erie personal injury as soon as possible starts the process.

When you bring an Erie personal injury lawyer onto your case, the lawyer will handle all of the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on your recovery. An attorney will gather all necessary evidence and other necessary documentation to file a claim. From there, your lawyer will prepare a complaint and present it to the insurance company.

While attorneys provide an incredible benefit, it is not uncommon for accident victims to initiate a claim independently. However, when confronted with the prospect of negotiating with the insurance company, many accident victims later decide to contact a lawyer. An experienced attorney can come in at any point in the process to help you with your case. So, even if you already filed a claim and want help dealing with the insurance company, it is not too late to contact a lawyer.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when considering a personal injury case is the statute of limitations. A statute of limitations defines the amount of time that you have to file a lawsuit. In Pennsylvania, you have just two years to file a claim. In the vast majority of cases, this two-year period begins on the date of the accident. If you fail to file a claim within the statute of limitations, the court will likely dismiss your case, leaving you with no way to recover compensation for your injuries.

Filing a lawsuit after a car accident is a complex process; however, the first step is to prepare a complaint and file it with the appropriate court. A complaint is a legal document in which you explain why you are filing the lawsuit. In a personal injury case, for example, you would include a basic overview of your case, including:

• The defendant’s negligent acts
• How the defendant’s actions resulted in your injuries
• A description of your injuries
• A specific statement of the damages you are requesting

Once you file the complaint, you must then serve a copy of the complaint to the at-fault party, who will be referred to as the defendant.

When thinking about filing a personal injury lawsuit, it is crucial to work with a knowledgeable attorney with specific experience handling cases in your area. Court rules vary by city, and making even a tiny error will, at best, result in delay and, at worst, end up in the court dismissing your case.

An attorney will not only ensure that your case is filed on time but will also take care to present all the information compellingly. This is important because, as soon as the insurance company receives your complaint, it will begin putting together a settlement proposal. The stronger case you make in your complaint, the better the likelihood that the insurance company will return with a fair offer.  

Most Erie personal injury cases end in the parties coming to an agreement. However, that is not always the case. If an insurance company refuses to extend a fair settlement proposal, your lawyer can prepare to take your case to trial, so a jury can decide what amount of compensation is fair for what you have been through.

If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler accident, a personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights and how to pursue them effectively. After an accident, you are dealing with your physical injuries, the mental stress of the accident, missed work and uncertainty about what the future holds. A personal injury lawsuit can provide you and your family with much-needed compensation after a serious truck accident.

For many accident victims, the thought of pursuing a personal injury lawsuit is overwhelming. However, it does not have to be. Reaching out to a personal injury lawyer can provide you with an immediate sense of relief, knowing that your case—and your future—are in good hands.

While you probably have not filed a lawsuit before, your lawyer will be familiar with the process and can effectively advise you at every step of the way. Your lawyer will also investigate the accident, including locating physical evidence and tracking down witnesses to the accident. Your lawyer will also gather all your medical records and help you determine whether you may need additional medical care in the future. From there, an attorney will prepare a complaint that they will use to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.

Your lawyer may be able to work out a settlement agreement that covers all your accident-related costs, avoiding the need for a trial. However, if the insurance company is unwilling to extend a fair proposal, your lawyer can scrap fruitless negotiations in favor of taking your case to trial.

Workplace accidents are unique in that they involve the intersection of personal injury law and workers’ compensation law. The general rule is that you cannot file a personal injury case against your employer after a workplace injury; however, you can file a claim against a third party who caused or contributed to your injuries.

Workers’ compensation provides limited benefits to employees who are hurt on the job or suffer from an occupational illness. To bring a workers’ compensation claim in Pennsylvania, you do not need to prove that your employer was at fault. However, under Pennsylvania law, a workers’ compensation claim is typically your sole remedy against your employer. This means that if you were hurt on the job, you can file a workers’ comp claim, but you probably cannot file a personal injury claim against your employer.

However, many workplace accidents involve the negligence of someone other than an employer. For example, if you were injured in a car accident caused by another driver while on the job. In these cases, state law allows you to pursue a personal injury case against the negligent party. You can file a workers’ compensation claim (against your employer) and a personal injury claim (against a third party). However, if you succeed in both, you may need to pay back some or all of the workers’ compensation benefits you received.

Given the complexities involved in workplace injury claims, it is a good idea to reach out to an Erie personal injury lawyer to discuss your options. Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations to prospective clients and handle cases on a contingency basis. This means that you will pay nothing up front, and the lawyer will not bill you for their services unless they can recover compensation on your behalf. 

It is best to file a personal injury claim as soon as possible. Under state law, accident victims must bring a personal injury case within two years. In the vast majority of cases, this two-year period begins on the date of the accident. However, if you did not discover that you were injured despite reasonable diligence, the two-year period may not start until you learn of your injuries. Additionally, if you were a minor at the time of the accident, you may have additional time. However, if you wait too long, the court will dismiss your case, leaving you with no way to recover for your injuries.

While you have up to two years to file a claim, the sooner you reach out to an attorney, the easier it will be for them to prepare a strong case for recovery. As time passes, evidence is harder to locate, and witnesses are harder to track down. Not only that, but a witness’s memory may fade. This can make proving your case more difficult.

Additionally, when you file a personal injury case, you may learn certain things you should have done. For example, if you did not follow up on a doctor’s referral to a surgeon or a physical therapist. The longer you wait to contact a lawyer, the more room you give the insurance company to argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim them to be.

While the weeks and months after an accident are undoubtedly a difficult time, it is imperative that you do not delay in reaching out to an attorney. Chances are when you do, you will realize that the process is not as taxing as you feared it would be. A skilled lawyer will be able to take over all the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on your recovery and getting your life back on track.

In Pennsylvania, a personal injury case must be filed within two years of the date that the injury accident occurred. However, there is a "discovery rule" that may, in certain situations, allow an extension of the time for filing a personal injury lawsuit or claim. 

If your case happens to fall under the discovery rule, the statute of limitations begins to run at the time that the plaintiff knows, or should have known, that they sustained an injury and that another's negligence caused the injury.

Yes, you can still file a personal injury claim if you were deemed to be partly to blame for an accident. One thing to know is that Pennsylvania follows the comparative negligence law that says each party in a negligence claim or lawsuit is assigned a percentage of the fault for the accident. For instance, if you are deemed to be over 50 percent at fault for the accident, you cannot seek compensation for any damages. 

The degree of fault determined is an important part of any personal injury claim, and it directly relates to the amount of compensation you may receive for injuries. So, if you were deemed to be 30 percent at fault for an accident, you would then only receive 70 percent of any award.

It is difficult to provide an exact figure for what your personal injury case is worth. Generally, court awards and/or settlements can range from approximately $3,000 to $75,000, with an average payout of roughly $52,900. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the amount paid may be more or less, but it is certainly not predictable, nor is there a set amount for every single injury. 

Most approximate amounts for injuries are base figures that vary depending on the facts of the case, the insurance company's cooperation or lack of cooperation, and whether you had an attorney representing you or not. How much an insurance company may concede to pay tends to relate to:

• The type and severity of injuries sustained in an accident
• Serious injuries mean higher medical costs, a longer period off work, lost wages and other related damages
• Insurance policy limits can result in lower settlement offers
• Insurance companies are not readily willing to pay "more" for a claim
• The accident victim hiring a lawyer
• The lawyer attempting negotiations with the insurance company
• The lawyer planning to go to court

Plaintiffs with attorneys often walk away with as much as three times the compensation compared to what they may not get if they attempted to handle negotiations themselves.

Most people involved in an accident do not know what to do after an accident, how to deal with insurance companies, what insurance they have, and how to get a fair settlement from an insurance company. 

Without legal representation, you could lose the money you deserve in damages. Insurance companies prefer to diminish or deny claims. The only way to get them to pay what you deserve is to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. Plaintiffs represented by an attorney tend to get higher amounts because an attorney is fighting for you. 

Depending on the type of personal injury accident you were involved in, such as a car, bus, truck or motorcycle crash, Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state, which means each driver has to buy fault or no-fault auto insurance. Drivers have the option to opt-in or opt-out of no-fault insurance rules.

If you opted in, you receive benefits from your own insurance company after a crash, no matter who was at fault. If you opt-out, you must prove fault to file a claim with the negligent party's insurer. Drivers must choose their auto insurance when buying the policies and must stick with it until they are eligible to switch plans at the end of the contract period.

For these and other reasons, it is best to deal with a Pennsylvania personal injury attorney and let them deal with the law while you heal.

You can sue for a slip and fall accident if you are not an employee at the location where your accident occurred. If you are an employee, you can file for workers' compensation.

Common causes of slips, trips, and falls resulting in injuries include:

• Uneven flooring
• Broken stairs
• Holes in the floorboards
• Wet flooring
• Spilled liquids
• Loose carpeting or tiles
• Cracked, torn flooring
• Missing warning signs
• Inadequate lighting or no lighting
• Cords, wires or cables stretched across the floor

To prove a slip, trip, fall case against a property owner, the victim/plaintiff must show that:

• The owner created the conditions
• The owner knew about the conditions and negligently failed to remedy it
• The condition had been in existence for such a long time that the owner should have found and corrected it

There are three different approaches to dealing with slip and fall cases depending on whether the accident happened in a residential situation, a commercial location or on government property, where special rules apply. Your slip and fall attorney at Placidi, Parini, Grasinger & Page can differentiate those for you when you visit their offices to discuss your case.

The amount awarded in a slip and fall case varies. Each accident is different, with different injuries. The amount would also be determined based on how serious an injury sustained in a slip and fall is.

For example, Plaintiff A fractured a wrist after tripping over torn carpet at a restaurant. The plaintiff did not require surgery or hospitalization and recovered quickly. Plaintiff B slipped and fell on broken stairs at a store. Plaintiff B sustained a traumatic brain injury, a broken shoulder and a cracked pelvis and needed surgery.

One case is far more severe than the other, and the awards would likely vary accordingly. On average, a slip and fall case can be worth from $125,000 to $595.000. However, any award is primarily based on the severity of the injuries and the circumstances of each case.

If you slip and fall while at work, you will need to file a workers' compensation claim. The first thing you will need to do after your accident is to notify your employer. Make sure that your employer is notified verbally and in writing.

Reporting a workplace slip and fall accident to your manager is critical. You need to make sure that they knew an accident happened, when it happened, where it happened and what injuries you sustained. You need to report it to make sure your compensation claim is validated.

Create a clear paper trail of your accident. Include written and photographic evidence that the accident happened, the scene, the injuries, the names of witnesses and all medical documentation.

After the accident, make sure to get medical attention for your injuries. Document your doctor visits and keep records of medications and treatments. Keep a clear record of all your symptoms, how you feel, how it is being treated, how you intend to recover, your treatment plan and all medications and expenses, and other therapies you have been told you need.

A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit filed when someone dies due to a defendant's intentional act or negligence. These claims permit the estate and/or the survivors to file a lawsuit against the legally liable party for the death. Each state's wrongful death laws vary, but in many instances, the lawsuit is filed by a representative of the deceased.

A wrongful death claim can be filed in various situations, such as:

• When a victim was killed intentionally
• When a victim died as a result of medical negligence or malpractice
• When a victim was killed in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle, train, plane or bus accident involving negligence
• When a faulty product killed a victim

Negligence is an essential factor in determining wrong death claims. To prove negligence caused a person's death, the plaintiffs must prove that the defendant owed the deceased a duty of care, that this duty was breached, and that the breach was the direct cause of the death and that the death resulted in damages the plaintiff (estate representative) is trying to recover.

Compensation that a survivor may be able to receive include:

• Loss of consortium, companionship and love
• Value of services deceased would have provided
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of care, guidance that deceased provided
• Loss of deceased's expected income
• Funeral/burial expenses
• Medical treatment costs victim incurred before death
• The deceased person's pre-death pain and suffering

There are several steps to take in a wrongful death lawsuit. They are:

• Find out first if you are eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit. To be eligible, your loved one's death needs to be determined to have been caused by another's negligence.
• Next, speak to an experienced wrongful death attorney immediately. You can discuss your case and receive advice tailored to your situation.
• Once you have a lawyer, they will start investigating your situation. They will work with medical personnel, police and accident reconstruction specialists and begin to build a case.
• Next, the value of your case is determined. Armed with available details of the wrongful death, your attorney can determine what your case is worth.
• Your attorney will then draft and file your case.
• Once your case is filed, pre-trial and negotiations can begin. This may involve court motions, exchange of information with the defendant's attorneys, etc. Your attorney may negotiate for you to increase the settlement offer.
• If the case does not settle, then it goes to trial.

To recover damages in a wrongful death case, Pennsylvania requires that the lawsuit be filed promptly. If the suit is not filed within the stated time frame, you may be prohibited from seeking damages.

In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the death. There are exceptions to that rule. The exceptions include filing a wrongful death lawsuit against a government agency and in cases where a victim's cause of death is not clearly apparent until months later.

If the party responsible for a wrongful death in Pennsylvania is a city, county, state or an agency of those entities, the plaintiff must file a notice of intent to file a lawsuit within six months of the accident. If a notice of intent is not filed within that time frame, the victim may be prohibited from suing the government entity.