By Dennis L Plank, Attorney
While accidents happen, not all accidents warrant a legal response or a personal injury lawsuit. However, some injuries are the result of careless or irresponsible behavior.
When people, businesses, organizations, corporations, or government agencies do not take reasonable care to keep people safe and free from harm, they are legally responsible when someone is hurt as a result of their negligence.
When you or a loved one are injured because of someone else’s carelessness, you may want to consider a personal injury lawsuit. In Pennsylvania, you have legal recourse to seek financial compensation for resulting medical bills, expenses, loss of work, loss of future work, for resulting legal expenses, and in some cases, for pain and suffering.
What Exactly is a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
When you are harmed in an accident and you believe that the application of reasonable safety measures could have prevented your injury, you should explore your legal options. Sometimes personal injury lawsuits require a trial, but more often, an experienced personal injury attorney can settle without a trial by negotiating a financial settlement early in the process.
In a formal personal injury lawsuit, an individual, referred to as a plaintiff files a complaint against the person, business, corporation, organization, or government agency that is responsible for their injury (the defendant) Usually the plaintiff is represented by a lawyer, and the defendant often hires a personal injury attorney to defend them against claims.
However, many personal injury cases do not start as a formal lawsuit. A personal injury attorney at Going and Plank, for example, would pursue a settlement with the insurers or attorneys representing the defendant. A settlement is a form of negotiation, which allows the defendant to forgo a lengthy lawsuit in favor of the immediate payment of an agreeable sum of money. If a settlement is not reached quickly, sometimes the process is moved into an alternative dispute resolution process like mediation and arbitration.
What Kinds of Accidents are Eligible?
Many types of accidents and injuries are covered under personal injury laws, including injuries sustained in car, truck, motorcycle, bus, or bike accidents. Pennsylvania laws also protect you if you suffer injuries as a pedestrian. Injuries sustained as a result of drunk driving may also fall under personal injuries statutes. If you’ve been injured in a vehicle accident, we offer free consultations to evaluate your potential personal injury lawsuit.
Per Pennsylvania laws, your ability to seek pain and suffering damages in auto accidents, even those resulting in death, may be affected by the type of auto insurance you hold. Consult a Going and Plank lawyer for more details.
If you’re injured on public or private transportation including buses, trains, boats, or airplanes, you may be eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. You should contact Going and Plank for a free evaluation of your case.
Personal injury claims can also be made if you have been hurt in an office, in a factory, on a construction site, or on any company-owned or government-owned property, including harm resulting from tripping, falling, or slipping due to incomplete or inadequate property maintenance, including potholes. In some cases, attacks by domesticated animals are also covered. Going and Plank offers free consultations to discuss your case.
What Types of Injuries Qualify?
Every case is different, and not all people who have sustained injuries in Pennsylvania and Lancaster County will be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. Some people identify injuries immediately, but others don’t realize the extent of their injuries until days or weeks after the accident.
You should contact The Law Offices of Going and Plank in Lancaster to schedule a free consultation to find out if you can be compensated for the time and money lost as a result of the following types of injuries:
- Bone fractures
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Development of back pain
- Development of neck pain
- Chronic pain
- Nerve damage
- Deep lacerations
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Severe burns
- Cranial or skull damage
- Brain injury, cognitive impairment, or harm to mental acuity
- Loss of body parts
- Damage to mobility or dexterity
- Damage to eyesight
- Damage to hearing
- Dental damage
- Injuries that prohibit you from doing your job, or require you to find a new profession
- Death
How Quickly Must You Decide to File a Lawsuit?
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases allows plaintiffs two years, from the date of the injury, to file a personal injury lawsuit. Often the extent and impact of your injuries may not be immediately apparent. That’s why Pennsylvania law allows 24 months to allow victims to assess the impact of your injury, such as long-term medical issues, loss of ability to work, money lost because of time off work, and medical bills.
However, if you are thinking of initiating a personal injury lawsuit against a government agency, such as a city, a county, or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, exceptions apply, and the law is not as generous on timelines. You must file an intent to sue a government agency within six months of your injury or accident.
Does Going and Plank Offer Free Evaluations for Personal Injury Lawsuits?
Going and Plank does offer free consultations to discuss your personal injury lawsuit. You can quickly get a sense of whether your case is valid, and what kind of compensation you may receive, without incurring fees or requiring a down payment. Our legal teams work on your case on a contingency basis. That means that if we take your case, you pay us with a percentage of the monetary settlement that you receive. If you don’t receive money from your case, you won’t be charged for the work done on your behalf. Contact us today to discuss your personal injury lawsuit, and make sure you’re compensated fairly.
Want to find out more about personal injury lawsuits in Pennsylvania? Read these articles and blogs:
Steps to Take After a Traffic Collision
Personal Injury: Know the Legal Language
What is a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Or click here to discover an even wider range of legal topics in our legal blog.
