What is a Personal Injury Claim (and Do I Have One in Allentown, PA)?

Filing a personal injury claim provides an opportunity to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost earnings, and various other types of financial and non-financial losses. While every case is unique, settlements and verdicts in personal injury cases can be substantial, and for accident victims and their families, filing a successful claim can be critical for their long-term physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

So, when can (and should) you hire an Allentown personal injury lawyer to represent you?

What is a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim is a type of civil lawsuit that seeks financial compensation for the financial and non-financial costs resulting from traumatic accident-related injuries. Adult accident victims can file personal injury claims against the parties that are responsible for their injuries, and parents can file personal injury claims on behalf of their children.

While filing a personal injury claim involves asserting your legal rights, they rarely end up in court. In the vast majority of cases, seeking financial compensation for accident-related injuries involves dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Dealing with the insurance companies is a complicated process; so, even if your case isn’t likely to go to court, it is still important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side.

As we mentioned above, accident victims and families who have personal injury claims can seek financial compensation for their financial and non-financial costs. Amounts recovered for these costs are referred to as “damages.” Common financial damages in personal injury cases include:

• Medical bills
• Other out-of-pocket costs
• Lost income
• Lost future earning capacity

Common non-financial damages in personal injury cases include:

• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of companionship, consortium, and enjoyment of life

Another key aspect of personal injury claims is that they allow victims and families to seek compensation for their present and future losses. In many cases, serious traumatic injuries can lead to a lifetime of financial and non-financial costs. If you have a claim—and if you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent you—your lawyer will take all of the necessary steps to ensure that you are seeking the full compensation you deserve.

When Do You Have a Personal Injury Claim?

Accident victims and families in Allentown can file personal injury claims in a wide range of circumstances. With that said, the vast majority of personal injury claims involve a handful of common types of accidents. In most cases, clients rely on our personal injury lawyers to help them seek just compensation after:

Car Accidents

Many of the personal injury cases we handle involve car accidents. Car accident victims and their families can file personal injury claims on numerous grounds. While speeding, running red lights and stop signs, and driving while distracted or impaired are among the most common grounds, victims and families can also file claims based on roadway hazards, negligent entrustment, and various other legal issues.

Truck Accidents

Commercial truck accidents resulting in serious injuries can provide various grounds for victims and their families to seek just compensation as well. In most cases, filing a personal injury claim after a truck accident will involve seeking to hold the truck driver’s employer legally accountable.

Motorcycle Accidents

Despite common perceptions, most motorcycle riders are not reckless or dangerous. Instead, when motorcycle accidents happen, negligent drivers are frequently to blame. When negligent drivers collide with motorcycle riders or cause motorcyclists to go down, they can (and should) be held fully responsible under Pennsylvania’s personal injury laws.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Negligent drivers can (and should) be held fully responsible for pedestrian and bicycle accidents as well. The same issues that lead to collisions between vehicles also lead to collisions with pedestrians and cyclists. Since pedestrians and cyclists do not have much (if anything) in the way of protection, it is not uncommon for these accidents to result in serious, long-term, and expensive injuries.  

Premises-Related Accidents

Along with vehicle-related accidents, personal injury claims can also involve premises-related accidents. This includes slips, trips, and falls, as well as accidents involving dangerous construction zones, malfunctioning elevators and escalators, and other hazards. From commercial property owners to homeowners, all types of property owners can be held accountable, and, as with auto accidents, seeking financial compensation typically involves filing an insurance claim.

Again, while these are the most common types of personal injury cases, victims and families can hire a lawyer to help them seek just compensation after various other types of accidents as well. These include boating, ATV and UTV, workplace, and product-related accidents, among others.

What Should You Do if You Have a Personal Injury Claim?

If you have questions about your legal rights after any type of accident in Allentown, you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer promptly. Once you hire an Allentown personal injury lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be able to:

• Launch an investigation focused on gathering key evidence while it is still available;
• Explain the steps you need to take (and mistakes you need to avoid) to protect your legal rights;
• Evaluate all potential grounds for seeking financial compensation;
• Calculate the financial and non-financial damages you are entitled to recover; and,
• Take appropriate legal action on your behalf.

Unlike hiring a lawyer in other scenarios, hiring a personal injury lawyer does not require any out-of-pocket costs. Nearly all personal injury lawyers (including ours) represent their clients on a contingency-fee basis. This means we earn a fee only if our client’s case is successful, ensuring our interests and our clients’ interests are fully aligned.

Request a Free Consultation with an Allentown Personal Injury Lawyer

Do you need to know more about filing a personal injury claim? If you have questions about your legal rights after a serious accident in Allentown, we invite you to get in touch. To request a free consultation with an Allentown personal injury lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C., please call 888-777-7098 or contact us online today.