When someone acts recklessly or carelessly and causes injuries to others, there are legal processes in place to hold them accountable for the harm they cause. Even if you know that someone else is at blame for an accident that injured you, it can be difficult to pursue payment from them without the help of an experienced legal professional.
In situations like this, support from a Pennsauken personal injury lawyer is vital to preserving your best interests. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we will work tenaciously on your behalf to get you the compensation you need, just as we have for thousands of clients like you. For example, we recovered $1.6 million for a client who was hit by a drunk driver and sustained serious back injuries, requiring surgery. We are committed to getting you the money you need to move forward with your life, so call us today to get started.
Determining the Value of a Personal Injury Claim
The potential value of an injury case is dependent on the type of losses you sustained, including how your harm will negatively impact your life. You can only seek compensation for losses that are a direct result of another person’s negligence. For example, if a car crash aggravates a pre-existing chronic injury, you could potentially recover financially for any additional medical care you need or any additional pain that you suffer from. You cannot recover for treatment you require for this prior condition that you would have needed independent of the accident. Compensation can include both past and future losses, such as:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional and psychological suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Medical bills
- Personal property damage
- Lost working ability and work income
- Disability-related expenses, like the costs of buying a wheelchair and installing wheelchair ramps in a private home
A comprehensive personal injury claim may include damages that will not occur for months or even years after the conclusion of your case. These could include pain and suffering, long-term loss of your ability to earn the wages you received before you were injured and loss of life’s pleasures due to injury-related pain and limitations. A Pennsauken personal injury attorney can clarify the specific losses you can include in your claim.
Determining Fault After a Serious Accident
Holding someone financially liable for past and future consequences of a personal injury requires proof that they were legally negligent. This means showing that they directly caused your losses through a reckless, careless, or intentional violation of a duty of care. This “duty” can take different forms in different situations. The relative severity of someone’s negligent behavior has no direct bearing on the right of someone injured to file suit. An overtly illegal act to a simple moment of carelessness could serve as equally valid grounds for a claim.
As an experienced personal injury lawyer can explain, it is often important for people pursuing personal injury claims in Pennsauken to establish that they bear little or no blame for an accident. Otherwise, New Jersey Revised Statutes §2A:15-5.1 would allow a court to reduce the amount of compensation an injured person receives based on the percentage of total fault they bear. They may be prevented from getting any money at all if they are primarily at fault for an accident. Our knowledgeable attorneys can help fight back against unfair accusations of blame from the at-fault party or their insurer.
Getting Around Common Legal Roadblocks
The fact that you were hurt in an accident caused by someone else does not make you immune from being found partly to blame for causing your own injuries through your own negligent behavior. In fact, a court can reduce the total compensation available to you—or even deny you compensation altogether—based on the percentage of comparative fault they assign to you.
In addition, Pennsylvania law limits most people who get hurt through the negligence of another to just two years after their injury first occurs to file suit, or else they will be time-barred from ever seeking civil compensation for that particular incident. After suffering a personal injury in Pennsauken, contact a skilled lawyer as quickly as possible.
Speak with a Pennsauken Personal Injury Attorney About Your Case
Effectively pursuing compensation after a serious accident can be challenging in various ways, especially if you try to pursue much-needed compensation by yourself. Even if you are sure that someone else is to blame for your injury, proving the extent of their liable in civil court or during settlement negotiations will be very difficult without help from dependable legal counsel.
Fortunately, that help is available from a seasoned Pennsauken personal injury lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers. Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and the rest of our winning team are ready to get to work for you. Give us a call today to learn more about your options in a free consultation.
