Pittsburgh Personal Injury Attorneys

A serious injury can change your entire life in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, you have significant medical expenses, property repairs and other costs that can be impossible to pay while you are missing work. On top of that, the physical pain and emotional trauma of an accident may leave you uncertain of where to turn. And when a personal injury happens because of the negligence or reckless actions of another party, victims deserve to receive just compensation.

Unfortunately, it is usually not easy to recover full and fair compensation when someone suffers an injury that someone else caused or contributed to. Normally, you will be dealing with an insurance company who will do whatever they can to minimize the amount they pay out to claimants. For this reason, you need strong legal counsel by your side fighting hard to protect your legal rights and interests.

At Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., in Pittsburgh, we are here to help. We have in-depth experience handling many types of injuries, ranging from soft tissue injuries in motor vehicle accidents to devastating disfigurement to wrongful death. Our lawyers have extensive knowledge of personal injury law, and we have a successful track record with even the most complex cases.

We routinely go up against well-funded adversaries such as large corporations and their insurers, and we are not intimidated by their vast resources. We are skilled litigators and strong negotiators. In many cases, it is in our client’s best interests to secure a settlement that fairly compensates them for their injuries without the need for litigation. That being said, if the other side is not willing to negotiate in good faith, we are ready and able to pursue full damages at trial and upon appeal.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle

The types of injury and accident cases we handle include but are not limited to:

• Nursing Home Abuse
• Premises Liability
• Industrial Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Heavy Machinery Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Gas Explosions
• Fire Injuries
• Drilling Accidents
• Fracking Water Pollution
• Defective Products
• Defective Drugs
• Serious Injuries
• Boating Accidents

A serious injury case is far more complicated than a standard accident. The injuries sustained are permanent and debilitating, and they will impact the life of the victim and those around them for years to come and in many cases, permanently. With cases like these, it is very important to work with lawyers who understand the complexities involved, what is needed to accurately value the claim, and how to successfully recover maximum compensation.

Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim in Pennsylvania

When someone suffers an injury that was the fault of another person or party, they are eligible for damages to compensate them for their losses. Compensatory damages can be divided into two general categories:

• Economic Damages: These are direct monetary losses the victim incurs, such as hospitalization costs, costs for surgeries and other types of medical treatment, rehabilitation expenses, the costs for ongoing medical care, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, and funeral and burial expenses (in the case of a wrongful death).

• Non economic Damages: These are losses that are real but intangible and more difficult to quantify. Examples of non economic damages include physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, diminished quality of life, disfigurement, and permanent disability.

In rarer cases in which the actions of the party responsible for the injury were willful, malicious, fraudulent, or grossly negligent, punitive damages may be awarded. Also known as exemplary damages, punitive damages are not meant to compensate the victim, but rather to punish the wrongdoer and help discourage them (and others) from committing similarly egregious actions in the future.

In a personal injury claim in which the injured party is partially at fault, Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence laws would come into play. An injury victim can still recover damages in Pennsylvania even if they share some of the blame for the underlying accident, as long as they are not more than 50% at fault. If an injured party is 51% or more at fault, they can be barred from recovering any compensation at all.

It is important to note that, even though you can still receive compensation if you are partially to blame, your damage award would be reduced in proportion with the percentage of fault you share in the underlying accident or event. For example, if your total losses equaled $200,000 and you are determined to be 20% at fault, your damages would be reduced by $40,000, giving you a total of $160,000.

You can be certain that the insurance company for the responsible party will look for any reason they can find to pin some of the blame for your injury on you, so they can reduce the amount of damages they have to pay. This is another reason why it is so important to work with strong legal counsel and to get attorneys involved as early as possible in the process. Otherwise, your right to recover full compensation may be jeopardized.

Here are some things you should consider before you hire a personal injury attorney:

Experience.

Choosing an attorney who has experience handling cases similar to yours is essential.  There may be plenty of attorneys willing to take your case.  An experienced attorney will be able to properly analyze your case and provide reliable advice to help you receive a fair settlement.  During your initial consultation with an attorney, you will want to ask how long the attorney has been practicing, how long has their firm been in existence and what experience do they have with the type of case that you have, as well as the courts and judges in the local area where your case will be heard.

Fees and costs.

Most personal injury attorneys represent injured parties on a contingent-fee basis.  This means that they do not get paid unless they are successful in pursuing your case and you receive compensation.  Pursuing a personal injury case will also require costs to be incurred during the litigation of the case.  These costs can include fees your medical providers charge for your records and reports, court filing fees, expert witness fees and investigation costs.  These costs are generally paid by the attorney, and you should only have to repay them if at the end of the case you receive money through a settlement or an award.  It is important for you to understand how the fees and costs involved in your case will be handled before you hire an attorney.  There should be no confusion about the fees and costs.  The attorney should be willing to take the time to explain the specifics of their fee agreement and answer any questions you have.

Practice.

Personal injury is a large practice area, and there are many types of cases that will be considered “personal injury cases”.  Some areas of personal injury are unique and require extra knowledge and expertise.  Understand what type of case you have so you can find an attorney who specializes and has experience in cases similar to yours. You should ask the attorney how many cases they have handled that are of a similar nature to your case.  Cases involving local or state entities have special 6 month notice requirements. Health insurance plans have a right to be reimbursed the amount of medical expenses paid on your behalf from your settlement and must be part of your case in some types of personal injury cases but not others. Not all personal injury cases are the same and it is important to hire an attorney who has handled similar types of cases in the past.

Communication.

Personal injury cases do not resolve overnight.  You may be hoping for a large sum of money paid to you quickly.  Unfortunately, personal injury cases take time, and that means that you will be dealing with the attorney and law firm you hire for an extended period of time.  It will be important for you hire an attorney who places priority on communicating with you.  During your initial conversation with an attorney, you should ask how often you can expect updates on your case; whether the attorney would be willing to communicate with you by email as well as over the phone and whether the attorney has a legal assistant or paralegal to assist you with questions if they are not available.  It is very important to have a level of trust and confidence in the attorney that you hire as you will be relying on their advice and recommendations throughout the course of your case.

Size and resources.

A law firm’s size, experience and connections with doctors and medical experts relevant to your case are important factors to consider.  Certain types of personal injury cases are very costly to litigate and involve considerable amounts of time devoted to reviewing records and taking depositions.  You will want to ensure that the attorney and law firm who you hire have the resources to afford to litigate your case and the staff necessary to effectively engage in the litigation process.

Times When you Should Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

We know that a lot of people do not contact a lawyer right away after injury, and at this point, you may be further into the process. If this is the case, a lawyer might still be able to help you, especially if you are running into some difficult roadblocks.

Here are some instances when it would definitely be a good idea to get in touch with a personal injury attorney:

Your Injuries are Severe and Potentially Debilitating

If you have suffered serious injuries that will keep you from your regular activities for a while and maybe even for the long term, then it is a very good idea to have an attorney handle your case. One reason is because the added stress of dealing with the insurance company is not something you need when you are trying to focus on getting recovered.

Another reason is that the value of your claim could be very significant, especially when you include noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life. The insurer will want to pay as little as possible for these losses, and they are not likely to give you a fair valuation for them. Experienced personal injury attorneys negotiate regularly with insurance company representatives, and they know what it takes to secure a favorable settlement.

There is a Dispute Over Who was At Fault for the Accident

If it is not clear who is liable for the accident, then you should definitely consider obtaining strong legal counsel. In a case like this, you will likely end up dealing with comparative negligence laws. Each state does this differently, but in Pennsylvania, you are only entitled to damages if you are less than 51% at fault for the underlying accident. A skilled personal injury attorney will work hard to ensure that liability is assigned fairly and that you are in a position to recover maximum compensation.

There are Multiple Parties Involved in the Accident

If you were in an accident in which there were multiple vehicles or a commercial truck, there could be more than one party that is at fault, and there could also be several injured parties. This creates two potential issues for you to be aware of. One is that there might be more than one party that you can file a claim against to recover compensation (e.g., the truck driver, the driver’s employer, the cargo/shipping company, a vehicle product manufacturer, etc.). The other is that if there are multiple individuals that were injured, you could be running up against insurance policy liability limits.

Because of these additional complications, you will want a personal injury lawyer working on your behalf. Your lawyer will thoroughly evaluate the specific circumstances of your case and explore every potential legal avenue in order to get you the compensation you deserve. Your lawyer will also work to make sure that you receive your fair share of a potentially limited amount of available compensation.

The Insurance Company is Treating you Unfairly

As we touched on earlier, the goal of an insurance company is to pay as little as possible in damages that have been caused by their clients. This means that no matter how friendly and courteous their representative is, their interests are not aligned with yours. This can lead to a number of problems if you choose to handle your accident injury claim on your own.

One scenario that comes up frequently is the insurer giving the injured person an unacceptable settlement offer. They may insist that this is all that your claim is worth, and since you pose no credible threat of taking them to court (if you are handling the claim in your own), they have no real incentive to give you a better offer.

How Can a Lawyer Get Me A Better Personal Injury Settlement?

There are a number of things that an experienced lawyer will do to put you in a better position to recover maximum compensation for your injuries:

• Investigate and Build a Strong Case: Your attorney will go to work on your behalf to investigate the circumstances that led to your injury and gather all of the important facts and pieces of evidence needed to substantiate your claim. An established firm that has developed relationships with credible experts in various fields will also be able to call on one or more of these experts (when needed) to bolster your case.
• Accurately Calculate Full Damages: Oftentimes, accident injury claimants do not realize how much their case is worth and/or how to figure out the appropriate amount to ask for from the insurance company. Insurers know this too, and they frequently try to take advantage of claimants by offering a low settlement amount. If you work with an experienced attorney, this will not happen, because they will be able to accurately calculate the totality of your losses, including damages for noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering.
• Negotiate Directly with the Other Side: Dealing with the insurance company can be a major hassle, especially when you are in a lot of physical pain and trying to recover from an injury. When you have an attorney working for you, they will handle all the communications with the insurance company, and they will try to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.
• Prepare to File a Lawsuit if Needed: If the other side refuses to present a reasonable offer, your attorney will be ready to pursue full damages against them at trial. Litigation is expensive and time consuming, and it is not anyone’s first choice, but sometimes it is necessary to compel the defendant to pay you the compensation that you are owed. In many instances, just the credible threat that the defendant might lose in court is enough to bring them to the table.

How Much Better Will I Do If I Hire a Lawyer?

The answer to this question will of course be different in each case depending on the specific circumstances, but generally, claimants who have legal representation can expect to do quite a bit better than those who don’t. This was borne out in a survey of readers conducted by NOLO, the well-known online legal directory. According to the survey:

• More than 90% of those who had legal representation received a settlement or award, while only about 50% of those without an attorney received any compensation.
• Those with legal representation received an average of $77,600 in compensation, while those without representation received an average of $17,600.

Even when you account for the average attorney contingency fee of about one-third, readers with legal representation still received nearly 3 times as much in compensation as those without an attorney.

What You Can Expect from Us

When the lawyers at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C. handle your personal injury case, you can expect that we will schedule your free and confidential consultation in a place that is convenient for you — whether that be your house, your office, your hospital room or your union hall. During our first meeting, our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys will collect the necessary information about you, your injuries and the facts surrounding your injury.

Our attorneys are also there to answer your questions. Many people want to know how long it will take to go through the legal system. While it is impossible to predict the future, we can help you develop an accurate idea of what to expect.

When we take your case, we take care of all of the legal work, so you can focus on your health and other personal matters. We want you to take care of yourself, attend your doctor appointments and inform us if there are any significant changes in your condition. And all along the way, we are always by your side, providing the skilled legal representation and moral support you need during this difficult time.

Contact Us for A Free, Confidential Consultation

Contact Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., and take the first step toward a fair physical and financial recovery. Please call 412-391-9860 or toll-free at 866-466-5789 to schedule your free consultation with one of our attorneys. You may also send us a message through our website contact form or stop by our Pittsburgh office in person at your convenience.