Personal Injury Lawyers in Philadelphia

During a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer from Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida, you present information that helps your attorney determine the cause of the personal injury incident. Before determining the cause, your legal counsel discovers the type of personal injury incident that produced your injuries.

With more than 35 years of litigation experience, the personal injury attorneys at Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida have compiled a list of the most common types of incidents that are reported in the City of Brotherly Love.

Car Accidents

With a labyrinth of roads and highways twisting and turning in Philadelphia, it is not a surprise to learn that car accidents sit at the top of the list of the most common types of personal injury cases in the region. Two of the busiest interstates in the nation (76 and 95) meet in the heart of Philadelphia, which means the sheer volume of traffic alone is reason enough for the area to experience a high number of car accidents. Vehicle collisions produce a wide variety of injuries, some of which are serious or even life-threatening such as brain trauma and spinal cord damage.

When you meet with a personal injury lawyer from Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida, your attorney examines the evidence to determine whether the other party violated a traffic law that led to the crash in which you sustained one or more injuries.

Medical Malpractice

Several world-renowned hospitals and healthcare centers operate in greater Philadelphia, such as the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Although the city is known for its high quality of medical care, healthcare providers still make mistakes that cause patients harm. Some of the most common types of medical malpractice cases include misdiagnosis, surgical errors, and prescribing the wrong medications. Going up against a healthcare provider is a daunting task for a victim of medical malpractice. With the legal support of an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can build a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. 

Slip and Fall Incidents

The recent success of local teams like the Eagles and Phillies has attracted sold-out crowds to their respective venues. Arenas and stadiums represent one of the most common locations where victims slip and fall. Several factors can cause slip and fall accidents, with negligence playing the most common role. Slip and fall accidents also are common at grocery and convenience stores where beverage stations are the prime sources for causing slick floor surfaces. A slip and fall accident can generate severe injuries, such as a compound fracture of one or both wrists.

If you file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages, should you expect the case to reach the trial phase of the litigation process? Despite the publicity given to high-profile personal injury cases, the fact remains that most personal injury cases never see the light inside of a courtroom. Instead, both parties agree to negotiate a settlement. If the Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida personal injury lawyer representing you recommends negotiating a settlement, your attorney follows a three-step process in an attempt to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Calculate a Reasonable Value for Compensation

The word “reasonable” is often defined differently by different parties. What does reasonable mean for calculating the value of a legal settlement? Calculating a fair value for compensation begins when your attorney adds up every tangible expense, from medical bills to the receipts associated with property damage. Your personal injury lawyer also calculates an accurate value for lost wages. What gets tricky is trying to calculate a value for non-economic damages, such as the damages caused by the development of mental and emotional distress issues.

To calculate a reasonable value for non-economic damages, your personal injury lawyer uses a formula that factors in the value of economic damages.

Send the Other Party a Demand Letter

The next step toward avoiding a costly and time-consuming trial involves sending the defendant a demand letter. Your attorney also can request to negotiate a settlement with the appropriate insurance company, which requires the submission of a demand letter as well. The demand letter sent should include the names and contact information of the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s legal representative. Next, a detailed description of what transpired before, during, and after the personal injury incident should be accompanied by the physical evidence collected at the scene of the personal injury incident. After the detailed description of what happened, your attorney presents the value of the compensation sought, as well as an explanation as to how your personal injury lawyer calculated a reasonable value for compensation.

Negotiations

The other party, whether it is the defendant or the appropriate insurance company, can either accept or reject the initial offer listed in the demand letter. If the other party rejects the initial offer, the other party can submit a counteroffer that you and your attorney either accept or reject. Several rounds of counteroffers might follow until both parties reach a settlement or decide to move on to the trial phase of the litigation process.

Negotiations can occur during any phase of the litigation process, but they typically unfold during the discovery phase when both parties exchange physical evidence and the statements provided by witnesses. 

The most effective way to move the negotiation process along at an acceptable pace is to prove the other party committed at least one act of negligence. Your personal injury lawyer must demonstrate the presence of four elements.

Duty of Care

Proving duty of care is usually the easiest element of negligence to prove. Duty of care means another party assumes responsibility for your well-being. For example, a healthcare provider assumes a duty of care to deliver superior medical services to nurse patients back to full health. Another example concerns businesses that operate in every industry. They have a duty of care to ensure both customers and visitors remain safe while on the premises.

Breaching the Duty of Care Doctrine

Element number two frequently is the element that is the most difficult to prove. It involves showing the judge hearing your case that the other party committed an act that violated the duty of care doctrine. In other words, element number two requires your personal injury lawyer to prove the other party committed one or more acts of negligence. For a medical malpractice case, your attorney must submit physical evidence the healthcare provider committed an act that caused you harm.

Submitting compelling physical evidence and the statements given by witnesses form the evidential foundation of proving the second element of negligence.

The Personal Injury Incident Caused You Harm

Proving that a personal injury incident has caused you harm involves submitting copies of medical records that demonstrate you sustained one or more injuries as the result of the personal injury incident under investigation. The insurance company or the attorney representing the defendant might claim you sustained your injuries from another incident. For instance, let’s assume you got involved in a vehicle collision that produced a dislocated shoulder. The other party’s attorney might claim you sustained the dislocated shoulder injury while participating in a sporting event.

Financial Losses

To receive just compensation to recover financial losses, you must show the personal injury incident cost you money. Copies of bank statements and medical bills go a long way toward convincing a judge or insurance adjuster that a personal injury incident has put you in financial distress. If you missed work because of the need to recover from your injuries, copies of timekeeping records prove you lost wages.

The personal injury lawyer that you hire from Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida provides several types of legal support, one of the most important of which involves ensuring you file a civil lawsuit before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Each state has established a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit, with most states granting plaintiffs between two and four years to take legal action. However, a few states have set a deadline as long as six years and as short as one year. Pennsylvania grants plaintiffs two years to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. The clock starts ticking on the filing of a personal injury lawsuit on the date of the incident. The only exception to the rule concerns a personal injury incident in which a victim sustained one or more injuries that develop delayed symptoms.

Although two years is more than enough time to build a strong case, you should act with a sense of urgency for two important reasons. First, you are obligated to take care of all the expenses associated with your case. Medical bills can quickly run into thousands of dollars, all of which you must pay off regardless of whether you have received compensation from an insurance company or a legal judgment. Second, your personal injury lawyer needs to speak with witnesses as soon as possible after a personal injury incident. Witness accounts tend to be more reliable the closer they are given to the date when you sustained one or more injuries as the result of the negligence of another party.

If you fail to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages before the expiration of the statute of limitations, you can expect the court clerk processing your claim to remove it from the judicial docket.

Get the legal support that you deserve from a highly-rated personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia by scheduling a free case evaluation today with Morgan & Morgan New York, LLC, A Professional Limited Liability Company formed in the State of Florida.

If you have been injured in an accident, the most important priority is getting medical attention. If you suspect that someone else may have been at fault, the very next step should be to set up a consultation with an attorney to discuss your options. At Morgan and Morgan, you can discuss your situation with one of our specialists and see if you have a case for free.

It’s important to speak to an attorney as soon as possible. Here are a few reasons why:
 

• The statute of limitations may expire: A statute of limitations is essentially a deadline. Each state has its own statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim. This means that if you fail to file your claim within the statute of limitations, you lose your chance to bring your claim at all. It’s best to contact an attorney immediately following the accident.
• You may be uncertain about the circumstances of your accident: When accidents happen, there can be many factors at play, and the circumstances can be complicated. You may wonder if the other party was entirely at fault, or if you may also be liable, at least partially, for your injury. Before you make any statements or sign anything with an insurance company or with opposing legal counsel, it’s important to consult your own attorney. Doing so can save you from costly mistakes that may jeopardize your case in the long run.
• You’re worried about how you will provide for your family: Many people who find themselves unexpectedly involved in an accident are also unable to work. They may be temporarily unable to work, or they may be permanently disabled. Medical expenses can pile onto your other bills. It can be overwhelming to try and imagine how you will face those expenses, provide for your family, and try to recover from your accident. A knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney can help you know what to expect, so you can plan ahead with peace of mind.

Speaking to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an injury is important. It can be the difference between a successful claim where you receive the compensation you deserve and a stressful, difficult process where you walk away with far less than you are truly entitled to. 

To ensure that you maximize your chances of recovery, you want a legal team that knows how to fight for you. Morgan and Morgan is that team, with a hard reputation of fighting for clients just like you for over 30 years. We are proud of our reputation for winning billions on behalf of clients across the country, and we would be honored to fight for you too. Contact us at any time. 

In general, a personal injury case is a lawsuit that someone files to seek compensation after they have been injured or harmed in some way—usually as a result of someone else’s negligence or intentionally harmful behavior.  Some of the various types of cases that personal injury lawyers handle include:

• Medical malpractice: Most people visit a doctor or other medical provider for help and healing following an injury. Understandably then, it can be shocking and unsettling when that medical provider actually causes an injury instead. Certainly, there are cases in which medical procedures are unsuccessful—and sometimes, that isn’t the fault of anyone in particular. In other situations, however, a medical provider’s negligence may have directly caused the patient’s injury. When that occurs, there may be a valid basis for a personal injury claim.
• Premises liability: When we visit a store or a business or when we are invited onto someone else's property, we have a reasonable expectation that the property will be safe. Often, however, customers experience slip-and-fall accidents inside of a store or on an icy sidewalk that hasn't been properly shoveled and salted. When those hazards are present as a result of the negligence of the property owner, you may have the right to file a personal injury claim to recover from your injuries.
• Motor vehicle accidents:  Each year, thousands of personal injury claims are filed as a result of motor vehicle accidents, be it in cars, motorcycles, or even semi-trucks. If you are the victim of any type of motor vehicle accident that was caused by the negligence of another driver, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a personal injury claim.
• Boating and aviation accidents: While perhaps not as common as motor vehicle accidents, boating and aviation accidents can and do occur, and when they happen, the resulting injuries can be severe. If those accidents were the result of negligence, recovery may be available by filing a personal injury suit.
• Products liability: As a consumer, you have the right to expect that the products you purchase will be designed and manufactured with reasonable care and will be safe to use as intended. Sometimes, however, a product, drug, or a medical device can be manufactured in a way that falls short of this expectation. It could be that the product itself is defectively designed, or in other cases, there may have been a defect in the manufacturing process. Regardless, if you have been injured by a defective product, a personal injury lawyer may be able to help. 
• Wrongful death: Losing a loved one is tremendously painful. There is no amount of money or compensation that can replace a loved one or fill the empty space left behind. However, it's important to know that if you've lost a loved one as a result of someone else's negligent or intentionally-harmful behavior, you may be entitled to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for your loss. 

There are a variety of types of personal injury cases, and the laws regarding each type of case can be complex. That’s why it’s important to have a legal team on your side who knows and understands the law and how best to fight for you. At Morgan and Morgan, we are that team. We understand personal injury law, and we have decades of experience helping countless clients recover the compensation they deserve.

A primary reason people may be reluctant to hire a lawyer is out of fear of paying legal fees. But the lawyers of Morgan and Morgan work on something called a contingency basis. This means that your personal injury lawyer will not be paid any money or legal fees unless you win your case or settle outside of court. You can even get a consultation for free, before you even have determined whether you have a case.
 
Below is a breakdown of typical legal expenses and how they’re handled: 
 

• How much money will I receive? This will vary from case to case. Each accident happens under different circumstances, and as a result, no one case is like any other. The amount of damages you recover will depend upon many factors. Ultimately, however, your attorney will likely receive a percentage of your settlement or damages award. 
• How are the fees determined? Often, attorneys will handle personal injury cases on a “contingency fee” basis. This simply means that the lawyer’s fees for representing the client are ultimately “contingent” upon the client receiving a settlement or award. In contingency fee situations, if the client doesn’t receive a favorable outcome and recover compensation, then the attorney collects no fees. Often, a contingency fee will be calculated as a certain percentage of a settlement or award, and the exact percentage may vary depending upon the firm, the particular attorney, and the circumstances of your case. In a case where settlement is reached almost immediately, the fee may be slightly different than a case that requires years of ongoing litigation. As a result, discussing these matters and determining exactly what percentage your attorney might charge ahead of time is always an important conversation to have. 
• When will the lawyers be paid? In many personal injury cases, an attorney is only paid if, and after, a settlement or award of damages is reached. 
• Can I afford it? Ideally, in a contingency fee situation, very little, if any, money comes out of your pocket until you recover a settlement. This certainly makes hiring an attorney more affordable and more financially reasonable than you might initially expect.

As you consider the cost of hiring legal help, it is important to remember that not all law firms are equal. At Morgan and Morgan, we don’t get paid until you do. We don’t settle for less, and neither should you. When you win, we win. As our client, we believe you deserve nothing less. We are for the people, and we’re here for you. 

Don’t navigate a complicated legal process alone. Instead, team up with America’s leading plaintiffs’ firm. By doing so, you’ll dramatically increase your odds of recovering the full compensation you’re owed.

With more than $20 billion won for our clients and an army of over 500 trial-ready attorneys on your side, Morgan & Morgan is the clear choice. Complete your free, no-risk case evaluation today.

Los abogados de lesiones personales de Morgan & Morgan entendemos lo importante que es resolver todas sus preguntas legales en el idioma en el que usted pueda entender mejor. Por eso contamos con una sección de Preguntas Frecuentes en nuestra página de abogados.com. Recuerde que en caso de ser victima de un accidente y necesitar ayuda legal, usted cuenta con los abogados de Morgan & Morgan. Siendo el bufete de abogados de lesiones personales más grande de los Estados Unidos, contamos con los recursos y la experiencia que usted necesita para defender sus derechos. ¡La justicia es derecho de todos!