Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC

Bailiwick Office Campus

252 W. Swamp Road Suite 15
Doylestown , PA 18901

Phone: 215-348-2088

Fax: 215-348-7069

Dedicated and Compassionate Personal Injury Attorneys

Founded in 1985, Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC is an established law firm with four offices throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, including Doylestown. Our attorneys are committed to helping the members of our community, and over the years we have been fortunate to develop a consistent record of securing favorable results for our clients. After any type of accident, it is important that you speak with a Doylestown injury attorney as soon as possible.

We are here when you need us for:

We offer free initial consultations, so it costs you nothing to have your questions answered and learn how to protect your legal rights. In addition, since we handle all personal injury and wrongful death cases on contingency, you pay nothing unless we help you secure financial compensation. If you’d like a Doylestown personal injury attorney to look over your case, call us at (215) 348-2088, or contact us online.

Personal injury claim form with eyeglasses and pen laying on top of claim form

Examples of Personal Injury Claims

In addition to those noted above, each Doylestown personal injury attorney at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC, offers skilled representation for various types of personal injury claims, including truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, inadequate security, intentional injury, product defects, medical negligence, and more.

These claims are often more complicated than they appear on the surface, and as such, there is significant value in working with an experienced Doylestown personal injury attorney for guidance.

For example, in a truck accident case involving a commercial trucker, you may not only have a claim against the driver, but you may also have a claim against the employer, as well as the warehouse that improperly loaded the cargo (causing the truck to be imbalanced and difficult to control on the road).

Gathering Evidence — What Will Your Doylestown Injury Attorney Collect?

Our experienced Doylestown injury attorney will conduct a comprehensive, thorough investigation into the evidentiary record, gathering the documentation necessary to successfully pursue your claims.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of evidence that may be collected by your Doylestown injury attorney.

Witness Statements

Testimonial evidence is a critical part of the evidentiary record, and your attorney will gather this evidence by identifying, connecting with, and interviewing witnesses.

For example, if you were injured in a rear-end accident at a red light, a witness may be able to corroborate your narrative of the events and therefore legitimize it.  This can strengthen your claims significantly and put you in an advantageous position during early negotiations.

Audio and Visual Recordings

Though eyewitness testimony (and public documentation) is useful, audio and visual recordings can serve as extremely persuasive evidence in your favor.  In fact, video footage can completely undermine a defendant’s narrative in some cases.

Though you may have been too severely injured to make these recordings at the time of the accident, your attorney can speak to eyewitnesses and secure photos/audio/video of the event.  There may also be nearly cameras (public and privately-owned), the footage of which can be obtained with a proper request.

Police Reports and Other Public Documentation

Following an accident, there is a great deal of documentation that can be quite valuable for your case.  For example, police reports may include a range of information about the incident that would otherwise be difficult to confirm — location, contact information of the parties involved, the extent and type of injuries, the models of the vehicles (if applicable), and much more.

Similarly, public records can be reviewed to identify trends that could legitimately impact your legal arguments.  For example, suppose that you were violently attacked in a retail parking lot, and you discover that there were five other similar attacks in the same parking lot over the past year.  Given these facts, it may be possible to hold the business owner liable for providing inadequate security.

Medical and Work Records

Medical and work-related records are critical, as they are necessary to prove that you have suffered an injury and demonstrate the severity of the injury (and its impact on your ability to earn).  We understand that making these comprehensive record requests can be exhausting both physically and emotionally.  An attorney can act on your behalf to request and gather these records and ensure that the necessary documentation has been obtained.

Don’t Be Afraid to Settle Your Injury Claim with the Help of a Personal Injury Lawyer

Negotiating a settlement gives you full control over compensation.  There is uncertainty that accompanies all litigation — no matter how airtight you may believe your case to be, there is always a chance that the court does not find the defendant liable, or that the jury awards you significantly less damages than you believe that you’re entitled to recover.

How does settlement help reduce uncertainty?

Suppose that you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, and you make a claim for damages totaling $200,000.  Now, perhaps the defendant has admitted their liability.  The only uncertainty left is damages.  The jury may not agree that all your medical expenses were “necessary” or that your future wage loss claim is accurate.  Perhaps the jury awards you only $100,000.  You might have been able to do better had you settled the claim.

During settlement negotiations, the defendant is concerned that they will be held liable for the full amount of claimed damages at trial, while you might be concerned that the jury will award you less than what you are actually entitled to recover.  Thus, settlement negotiations allow you to make a compromise that minimizes the uncertainty for both parties.  In the above example, you might have been able to convince the defendant to compromise for $150,000 — less than your maximum potential, but more than the “floor.” A personal injury lawyer from our firm will advise you on your options and will be at your side every step of the way.

Our Doylestown Personal Injury Attorney Also Helps with Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Alternative Dispute Resolution, often referred to as “ADR,” includes any means of resolving a dispute, such as an automobile accident that results in a personal injury, outside of the court system where a judge or jury does not render a decision.

Pennsylvania law allows for various types of ADR. However, the two most common types of ADR in Pennsylvania are arbitration and mediation.

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is a formal type of ADR in which a neutral party, or the “arbitrator,” acts as a judge and a jury.  All parties involved in the dispute present their arguments and supporting evidence to the arbitrator who then makes his or her decision based on these arguments and evidence.

Arbitration can be either “binding” or “non-binding.” In binding arbitration, the parties must accept the arbitrator’s decision as a final resolution to the dispute. In non-binding arbitrations, any party can choose not to accept the arbitrator’s decision, and can appeal it, at which point the dispute proceeds to litigation in the court system.

Arbitration can also be either “mandatory” or “voluntary.” In mandatory arbitration, the parties have agreed to participate in either binding or non-binding arbitration before the dispute occurred. In voluntary arbitrations, the parties are free to refuse to participate, at which point, again, the dispute proceeds to litigation in the courts.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a less formal type of ADR in which a neutral party, or “mediator,” works with the parties involved in the dispute to find a compromise and settle the claim. The mediator meets with the parties individually to hear their side of the dispute. During these meetings, the mediator provides an objective opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of each parties’ case, and may even attempt to predict what the outcome would be in a trial. 

Based on the mediator’s opinion, the parties try to reach a compromise upon which a settlement can be based. If a satisfactory compromise is reached, the parties settle the case usually with a written agreement.  If such a compromise can’t be reached, the dispute proceeds to litigation.

What Are the Advantages of ADR?

Whether ADR can resolve disputes between parties depends mainly on how contentious the issues are. Parties that are dead set on “punishing” the opposing party are not likely to accept ADR (except with mandatory binding ADR), while parties that keep an open mind and are genuinely interested in finding a workable compromise are more likely to agree to ADR. Some of the benefits of ADR include:

  • Cost. Litigation can become expensive; most types of ADR are cheaper.
  • Time. Litigation can drag on for months or even years; ADR can be done in as little as a day.
  • Stress. Litigation generally causes a fair amount of stress and anxiety throughout the lawsuit.
  • Certainty. Litigation is unpredictable, especially when juries are involved. 
  • Privacy. Litigation is public record; ADR allows you to keep your private matters private.

5 Reasons to Choose Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC for Your Doylestown Personal Injury Attorney

You have a choice when it comes to your legal representation, and we appreciate that you are considering Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC. Here are five reasons to choose our lawyers for your personal injury or wrongful death claim in Doylestown, PA:

1. Our Experience in Personal Injury Claims

Our attorneys have represented thousands of clients over the past thirty-plus years. As a result, we almost certainly have handled your type of case. Our attorneys’ knowledge, training and experience in local accident claims is one of the key distinguishing features that sets us apart from other law firms serving clients in Doylestown, PA.

2. Our Recognition in the Legal Community

Our civil trial accident attorneys are both competent and capable. They have been named Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, and are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. These are honors bestowed on only a select number of attorneys who meet the standards of some of the most widely-recognized ratings organizations serving the legal profession.

3. Our Reputation Among Our Clients

Perhaps more importantly, our Doylestown personal injury attorneys are widely respected by our clients. We are proud of our client testimonials, and we strive to provide the same level of service to each and every client we serve.

4. Our Willingness to Go to Trial

At Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC, all of our attorneys are experienced litigators who do not hesitate to take cases to trial. Some firms will refer your case out to another law firm if they cannot settle your case.  While we work hard to settle every case as quickly as possible, if you do not receive a fair settlement offer you can rest assured that we will vigorously enforce your rights in court.

5. Our Commitment to Client-First Legal Representation

Finally, we believe in client-first legal representation. It is your case, and we want you to be completely satisfied at every step along the way. Our Doylestown personal injury lawyers are here when you have questions, and we want to get to know you personally so that we can maximize your financial recovery.

Contact Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with a Top Doylestown Injury Attorney

If you have been injured or lost a family member in an accident in Doylestown, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. To speak with one of our personal injury attorneys about your claim, please call 215-348-2088 or request an appointment online today.