There are a lot of factors that go into the determination of how much money you are entitled to. For instance, in Pennsylvania, you can expect to be reimbursed for medical expenses, missed work, and pain and suffering. A lot can also depend on what insurance policies you have. The best and easiest way to find out this information is to sit down and talk with an attorney.

Most if not all personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that your attorney does not get paid unless you get paid. This protects the client from taking on additional financial risks in an already stressful time.

You have 2 years, which means after the date of the injury the clock is ticking. In Pennsylvania, under 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 5524 any “action to recover damages for injuries” must be started within two years. While there are rare exceptions, claims filed after 2 years are likely to be dismissed.

The sad reality is, your Insurance company is not going to look out for your best interests. They don’t make millions (or billions) of dollars by paying out large settlements to victims. If you want to make sure you are getting treated fairly, you need someone on your side who speaks their language. Who knows the tricks and “charts” they can use to make it seem like they are taking care of you when really they are just trying to shuffle your case off their desk. Don’t become a statistic, you have paid them good money, its time for them to honor their half of the bargain and take care of you when you are hurt.

This is also not an easy answer. The short answer is that it depends. Usually, there is a good amount of negotiation that goes on before a case is even brought to the level of filing a complaint. As stated above, the victim in a personal injury claim only has 2 years to file their complaint. Once the complaint is filed it depends on the complexity of the case. There may be discovery, depositions, and even a trial. It is important during this time period that you have an attorney you trust to be working in your best interest and keeping you appraised of the status of the case.

As the medical bills start to pile up after an accident you may be wondering who will pay for it all. This answer depends on the type of case:

Automobile Accidents:
In Pennsylvania, automobile accidents are handled under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law. This is a No-Fault law, which means regardless of who caused the accident your insurance will still provide coverage. Medical payments will be covered up to the amount of your limit. Once you have reached that limit your medical coverage would pay for the rest. Passengers in the vehicle would be covered by the vehicle’s no-fault insurance and pedestrians should be covered by the striking vehicle.

In most cases, your health insurance company will seek to be repaid for any medical bills they paid if you get a settlement from the insurance company of the individual or entity that was at fault. If you wind up having to pay any out of pocket medical bills from an auto accident, those bills should also be covered as part of the settlement. It’s highly likely however the insurance of that at-fault party won’t make a payment until a settlement is reached.

Work Place Injuries:
When it comes to workplace injuries you can look to your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy for coverage, no matter whose fault the accident was.

Slip and Fall:
Typically it will be your own health insurance coverage who is responsible. You can then file a lawsuit and seek reimbursement for past medical bills you’ve paid, future medical costs, and other damages.

There are two types of damages in civil cases, the first and easiest to prove are special damages. This means all the bills and expenses that you incurred because of the accident. These are easily accounted for. The more difficult questions to resolve, and the ones that often need an attorney, are general damages. The insurance companies have charts and equations that let them calculate what a case is worth. This allows them to ignore the human involved in the case. That’s where your attorney can help you by calling experts to testify to what recovery would look like, how much pain a person would be in, and generally, what level of suffering a person being injured would have to endure. This is where your attorney can provide the most guidance, and frankly, help you cut through the red tape to get to your fairest compensation.

You want an attorney you can trust, an attorney who will fight to get you what you deserve. Accidents can be devastating physically, emotionally, and financially. You want to be able to trust the voice on the other end of the phone is the voice that is fighting for you, not some person you have never, or will never meet until they tell you to sign on the bottom line for a settlement. Hyde takes his cases personally, he shows up and meets with his clients and spends time with them explaining what to expect. If you want an ally, a person who will fight for your rights, get Hyde on your side.