Getting hurt in an accident can lead to many complications. The recovery process might involve expensive surgeries and rehabilitative treatment. Depending on the severity of your accident, you may even suffer permanent injuries and severe emotional distress. Additionally, financial difficulties often arise if you lose time from work due to your injuries and recovery.
If another person’s negligence or recklessness caused your accident, you have the right to seek compensation from the at-fault party. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we have won tens of thousands of personal injury cases with significant settlements and verdicts.
In one recent case, Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and our experienced injury lawyers won a $400,000 settlement for a client who slipped in a doctor’s office and suffered severe back injuries that required surgery. In another, we recovered $10 million for a client that was catastrophically injured after he ran out of gas on a major highway before he was rear-ended by a truck. Over $21 million was recovered for clients that were injured in a Union County bus crash on I-80. If you were recently in an accident, you should speak with a Lewisburg personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to begin working on your legal claim.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury claims are used to hold people and businesses responsible for the consequences of their careless or reckless actions. As the person seeking compensation (the plaintiff), you must prove that someone else (the defendant) behaved negligently, causing your accident. The most common types of personal injury cases involve:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Workplace accidents
- Injuries from using a defective product
- Injuries caused by a medical professional
- Fires, explosions
- Exposure to toxins
Consulting an injury attorney, such as Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers in Lewisburg, as soon as possible after an accident can help you determine whether you have a valid claim against the at-fault party.
Types of Compensation Awarded in Accident Claims
The money the negligent party pays to you after an accident is called “damages.” An appropriate damages award should compensate you for all your harm and losses from an accident caused by another party. In a personal injury case, you may receive economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover all the costs you incur as a result of your injury. This includes the cost of surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and accommodations for permanent injuries. These damages also cover the income you lost because of your injury. If the effects of the accident will be long-term, you may also recover your future financial losses and reimbursement up front for your future medical costs related to your injuries.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are awarded to compensate you for the impact of the injury on your quality of life. In Lewisburg, you may seek damages for pain and suffering, emotional anguish, disability, loss of companionship, and disfigurement.
Punitive Damages
In certain cases, a jury might find the defendant’s conduct so outrageous that they award you punitive damages. Although punitive damages are uncommon in personal injury cases, a seasoned lawyer can help you fight for this type of compensation. Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers has recovered punitive damages in numerous cases, including over $2 million for its clients injured in a Union County crash caused by a fatigued driver.
Time Limits Governing Injury Claims in Lewisburg
According to 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §5524, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit seeking damages for personal injuries. If your child was injured in an accident before the age of 18, you can bring a lawsuit on their behalf. However, if you do not sue before your child turns 18, your child still has two years from their 18th birthday to file a case.
Sometimes an injury is not apparent right away. For example, you may become exposed to a toxic substance, but not discover your injuries until months or years after the initial exposure.
If you didn’t discover the cause of your injury until years later and this delay was reasonable, you may have two years from the date you learned of it to bring your lawsuit. This is called the “discovery rule.” An experienced injury attorney at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can explain whether the discovery rule might apply in your particular case.
Consult a Lewisburg Personal Injury Attorney Today
In the difficult period after an accident, it is beneficial to have a professional’s help. Our Lewisburg personal injury lawyers will use their knowledge and skills to help you obtain fair compensation from the negligent parties. The sooner you contact our legal team, the easier it will be for us to build a robust case for you. Schedule a free consultation with Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers at our Lewisburg office, or if easier for you, we’ll come to your home or hospital room today.
