If I Hire an Erie Personal Injury Attorney, Will I Have to Go to Court?
Pennsylvania personal injury laws provide a way for you to recover compensation for injuries, losses, and damages caused by another party. An Erie personal injury attorney can help you file an injury claim. By filing a personal injury claim, you may receive compensation for your:
- Loss of Income
- Medical Bills
- Property Damage
- Disability and Impairment
- Scarring and Disfigurement
- Physical Pain
- Mental and Emotional Distress and Anguish
- Loss of Consortium
- Ongoing Medical and Personal Care
- Future Loss of Income
The types of damages and the amount you may receive depends on the facts in your case. While some personal injury claims settle without an attorney, we advise that you at least take advantage of our free consultation to decide if we can assist you. Insurance companies have large teams of professionals, including attorneys, adjusters, and investigators working for them, you deserve a legal team working for you to protect your best interests.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Pennsylvania
In most cases, you begin by filing an injury claim with the insurance provider for the party who caused your accident. For a traffic accident, that would be the car insurance company. If you fell at the grocery store, it might be a claim against the store’s owner or the property owner. The insurance company investigates the claim to determine if its insured is liable for your damages.
By hiring an Erie personal injury attorney, you have someone on your side performing an independent investigation to determine the cause of the accident and the parties liable for your damages. Your attorney is actively gathering evidence that proves the other party caused your injuries while you focus on your recovery.
What Will The Insurance Company Do?
The insurance company may deny the claim, leaving you no choice but to file a personal injury lawsuit to fight for your right to be compensated for your injuries. However, in many cases, the insurance company offers a low settlement to tempt you to settle your claim. If the company knows that it may be liable for a significant amount of money, it may try to settle your claim before you consult an attorney or finish treatment. Don’t fall for this tactic.
Negotiating with the Insurance Company
Your attorney prepares a settlement packet to send to the insurance company that outlines liability and damages. The settlement demand is for full compensation of all damages. We do not send the settlement demand until you have completed treatment because we want to ensure all damages are included, including future damages and compensation for permanent disability.
In most cases, we can negotiate a fair settlement without the necessity of filing a personal injury lawsuit. However, if the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith, we may recommend filing a lawsuit.
Filing a lawsuit does not mean you are going to court. A lawsuit has many different phases in which the case may settle before a trial is scheduled. However, if you do need to file a lawsuit, we will be there with you to provide support, guidance, and legal counsel throughout each phase of the lawsuit. Our goal is to obtain a fair and just amount for your injury claim in a timely and efficient manner.
Contact an Erie Personal Injury Attorney Now for a Free Case Review
Take advantage of our free case review to learn more about filing an injury claim in Pennsylvania. Call The Travis Law Firm at (800) 401-2066 to schedule your free legal consultation with our Erie personal injury attorney.