Personal Injury Lawyers

The days and weeks following an accidental injury can be extremely difficult. While you are dealing with the realization that you suffered an injury, you are also dealing with doctor’s visits, medical bills, loss of income, property damage claims, and taking care of your family. It can be too much to handle. Allowing our legal team to handle your claim takes a great weight off your shoulders. You can focus on getting better while we protect your rights and deal with the legal matters required to file an accident claim.

Some accidents result in severe or traumatic injuries. The losses and damages caused by severe injuries can be significant. While you are recovering and focusing on how your injury will impact your future, the insurance company is searching for any reason to deny your claim or undervalue your claim. An attorney protects you from unfair insurance tactics used when you are most vulnerable.

For example, an insurance adjuster may pressure you to provide a written or recorded statement. The adjuster may pressure you to sign a medical records release. He may even tell you that he cannot process your claim until you complete these steps.

You are not legally required to sign a medical release or provide a statement to file an insurance claim. The insurance company is searching for information it can use against you, so it tries to get you to admit something in a statement that it might use to deny your insurance claim. It wants to comb through your entire medical history searching for prior injuries or conditions it can claim is the primary cause of your current condition.

An Erie personal injury attorney protects you from these potential land mines in a personal injury case. You may be required to make a statement or provide medical records at a later time. However, your attorney will determine when and under what circumstances statements and records are submitted to the insurance provider.

You must prove that the other party caused the incident that resulted in your injuries and damages before you can recover compensation for your insurance claim. In a few cases, the cause of the accident is clear, and an insurance company will accept liability.

However, if the insurance provider denies liability for the claim, you must provide clear and convincing evidence that the other party is responsible for causing the accident. An Erie personal injury attorney understands all the legal elements involved in proving fault and liability under Pennsylvania’s personal injury laws.

Claims related to personal injuries and wrongful deaths must be filed within a specific period after the injury. If you do not file a personal injury lawsuit before the deadline, you typically lose your right to recover compensation from the party responsible for your injuries. Pennsylvania’s Statute of Limitations sets the deadline for filing personal injury claims.  In many cases, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit.

However, the two-year limitation does not apply in all cases.  Several exceptions modify the time to file a claim. For instance, if a government entity or government employee is involved, you may be required to file a notice of claim within just a few months to protect your right to file a lawsuit. In the case of a minor, the time to file may be extended in certain cases.

Because the factors in your case may modify the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit, it is best to contact an Erie personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident or injury.