Personal Injury
Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have experienced a loss as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to receive compensation for any injuries, property damage, and pain and suffering you may have endured. The best way to achieve the results you want and get the reimbursement you deserve is to turn to a dedicated personal injury lawyer.
Personal Injuries occur frequently in the United States, and many of them occur as a result of someone else’s negligence. There is a reflection of that in the number of personal injury cases filed each year. One recent year saw 135,657 such cases filed with U.S. district courts.
Knowing what constitutes a personal injury case and what you can expect from the process of filing a claim is vital. If you live in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, consider turning to experienced lawyers like us at Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq.
What Is Considered a Personal Injury Case?
A personal injury case is a civil action brought on by an injured person against the person, people, or entities who caused the injury. The goal of personal injury cases is to recover financial compensation for medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost wages that resulted from the injury.
Personal injuries are the result of someone else’s carelessness, negligence, or recklessness. To succeed in winning the compensation you deserve, you need to prove that the other person or entity is responsible for the injuries. This means demonstrating that they acted in a negligent way or were otherwise at fault.
Having a personal injury attorney on your side makes it easier to prove liability, meaning you have the chance to receive compensation sooner. It is important to note that not every accident or injury you suffer will qualify. If you could have avoided the injury by taking reasonable care, for example, it may not apply.
To ensure that you are getting the best chance of succeeding in your personal injury claim, turning to lawyers with years of experience in this field is vital.
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
There are many types of personal injury cases. The type of personal injury claim you file depends on the details of your specific case.
CAR ACCIDENTS
Perhaps one of the most common types of personal injury cases is car accidents. If you or a loved one were in a collision that was not your fault, you may be able to get compensation for the injuries, property damage, and other losses you sustained. To be able to file a car accident lawsuit, you have to know your rights.
New Jersey is a no-fault state when it comes to car accidents. This means that after a crash, the parties involved file claims with their personal injury protection insurance. To be able to file a lawsuit against the negligent party, the injured party has to meet the serious injury threshold unless you have an unlimited right to sue.
Serious injuries in New Jersey apply to:
- Dismemberment
- Death
- Loss of a fetus
- Displaced fractures
- Significant scarring or significant disfigurement
If your injury does not fall into these categories, you can still get compensation from your insurer, but you may not be able to file a lawsuit. Pennsylvania has a similar type of serious injury threshold, only allowing those who have sustained significant injuries or who have full tort insurance to file.
Whether you meet the serious injury threshold or not, it is vital to turn to auto accident lawyers if you have been in a car, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle accident.
DOG BITES
If you received an injury from someone else’s dog, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is a claim you bring against the owner of the animal, both for the bite and any other resulting accidents. For example, if a dog bit you and you fell and broke a limb trying to get away, they may be responsible for that.
To file this kind of lawsuit, you need to demonstrate that you sustained injuries from a dog and that the owner is accountable. New Jersey and Pennsylvania both have strict liability laws, which means that dog owners are liable as long as you were on public property or legally on private property when the dog bit you.
The exact claims you can make depend on the unique factors of a case. Personal injury lawyers like us can help file dog bite claims that take your circumstances and needs into account.
SLIP-AND-FALL ACCIDENTS
If you fall on someone’s property, it may be possible to file a personal injury claim. To do so, you need to prove that the property owner was at fault. These can be tricky cases because the person who occupies the property is not always the person who owns it.
You have to know whose responsibility it was to maintain the space and what kind of failures on their part were negligent. If they were aware of a danger and did nothing to fix it or warn of it, they may be liable. Some common examples of hazardous conditions that lead to slip-and-fall accidents are:
- Poor lighting
- Wet floors
- Bulging carpets
- Potholes
- Unsalted, icy areas
- Loose flooring material
To know if you can file a claim, turn to a slip-and-fall personal injury lawyer for help.
PRODUCT LIABILITY
If you receive an injury because of a faulty product, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. The liability for a product can affect many people and entities along the chain of manufacture and sale. The degree of culpability increases if the people involved had knowledge of the potential to cause harm and still sold the item.
The kind of evidence you will need to provide will depend on the type of product and where along the chain of manufacturing the defect that led to the injury occurred. To navigate these cases, a product liability personal injury lawyer can help you determine all of the details of the lawsuit.
WORKER’S COMPENSATION
People who sustained an injury at work typically do not have to file a civil lawsuit. Instead, they turn to a separate worker’s compensation system. Employers have to buy worker’s compensation insurance, and this is what covers any injuries or illnesses you get while on the job.
One of the best parts of worker’s compensation is that you will likely not have to prove your employer was negligent. Although most people would not be able to sue, there are some exceptions to this. If your employer intentionally caused you pain or if they do not have enough worker’s compensation coverage, you may be able to sue.
SEXUAL ABUSE
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, you may have the right to get compensation for economic damages as well as the pain and suffering you have endured. Sexual abuse can result in the need for medical treatment as well as mental health care, all of which can be expensive and time-consuming.
Lost wages come into play as well. Many survivors of sexual assault have to deal with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, all of which can affect their future jobs. When filing a claim, this has to be taken into consideration.
Non-economic damages are another important aspect of filing a sexual abuse claim. Your emotional distress is crucial in these kinds of cases. By reaching out to a personal injury lawyer with experience in sexual abuse claims, you can get the right guidance.
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Types of Serious Personal Injuries
Severe personal injuries are those that interfere with your daily life, lead to long-term suffering or disability, may be permanent, or require significant medical treatment. These are the ones that can offer the highest compensation.
Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most serious. These can include hits, blows, or penetrating head injuries that disrupt normal brain function. They can affect:
- Memory
- Concentration
- Movement
- Coordination
- Balance
- Sensations
- Emotions
Another type of serious personal injury is spinal injuries. The spinal cord relays messages between the brain and the body. Damage can interrupt that communication. These injuries are either complete, which means there is no sensation under the point of the injury, or incomplete, which means there is some sensation.
Burns are another type of serious injury. These tend to leave significant scars and can require treatment at burn treatment facilities.
Fractures are common and potentially serious. They can result in compound breaks that pierce the skin or internal organs. A bone that shatters into three pieces or more is also very dangerous. Not only does this kind of fracture require a lot of hospital time, but it usually means months of physical therapy.
Internal injuries are also very serious. Organ damage or internal bleeding can be life-threatening and impossible to detect before severe damage is done unless you receive medical treatment. In some cases, you may also experience the loss of an organ.
Amputations are also serious. They affect your present as well as your future, leading to disability and lost future wages. All of this is a concern when filing a personal injury claim after an accident.
Another type of severe injury is disfigurement. This can mean scarring, loss of limbs, or anything else that affects your appearance. These injuries require plastic surgery and reconstructive procedures, all of which are costly and cause even more trauma.
Mental health injuries are also important to consider. Even if you cannot see the damage they cause, they impact your entire life. It is not unusual for people who have lived through a serious accident to have anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Personal Injury Statistics
On average, 39,000 people suffer fatalities from road accidents each year. Half of all auto vehicle personal injury cases typically settle within 14 months.
The construction industry also sees its share of personal injury claims, with an average of 958 serious personal injuries leading to claims. It is important to note that, generally, people with lawyers representing them end up with payouts that are about three times higher than those who do not.
About 91% of those who have an experienced personal injury lawyer helping them receive a payout, while only 51% of those who file a claim without a lawyer receive compensation. About half of those who filed accidental injury claims received between $3,000 and $25,000.
Steps To Take if You Have Been Injured in an Accident
The first thing you want to do is get medical attention. Even if you feel fine or only see minor injuries, you want to have professionals check you. You may not notice serious injuries like internal bleeding right after the accident occurs, or you may not really feel other injuries while adrenaline is still coursing through you.
Not only will this step keep you safer, but it will also leave a record of everything from bruises to organ damage. You also want to take lots of pictures and videos, if possible. Get shots from every angle of where the accident occurred and include any items that were involved.
If there were witnesses, gather their contact information or have someone do it for you if you are incapacitated. If you have been in a car accident, you also want to take photos of license plates.
You need to then reach out to a personal injury lawyer. The sooner you do this, the better. You can lose a lot of evidence without even realizing it, but a lawyer by your side can guide you through the process.
Do not wait to file a claim with your insurance company. If you are not sure how to do this, a personal injury lawyer can help. Remember never to accept any kind of settlement from your insurance company without first speaking with your attorney.
Why Hire GGL?
At Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, we are here to fight for your rights. Whether you have been in a slip-and-fall accident, car crash, construction site accident, or any other personal injury accident, we are ready to assess your case and guide you through the process of getting compensation.
We have been in practice for more than 30 years, and we focus on personal injury law. We prepare every case for trial, therefore maximizing your chances of getting the kind of settlement you deserve.
Because we know how stressful and lengthy the process is, our entire team is highly communicative with each of our clients. We offer no-nonsense guidance. When you turn to us, you always get a fair and true assessment.
If you have suffered an injury because of someone else’s negligence, you have the right to fight for compensation. Contact GGL online today or call 1-800-923-3456 to speak with one of our attorneys.
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Recent GGL Wins
Medical Malpractice
A 30-year-old pregnant woman went into labor. The doctor failed to take proper steps in the baby’s delivery, making the mother wait in the hallway for ten hours while the baby’s heart rate began to drop. The baby was delivered via C-Section; he was blue from lack of oxygen resulting in Cerebral Palsy.
$14 Million
Verdict
Construction Accident
Mediation award resulting from an industrial explosion causing disfiguring burns and severe orthopedic injuries.
$7.8 Million
Verdict
Auto Accident
31-year-old man who was cut off by another car causing his car to flip over. He sustained head injuries, facial injuries, and half of his pinky finger was amputated.