Answering Your Personal Injury Questions
During initial consultations at Palillo Law, our clients often ask similar questions. To help you get started on your recovery journey, we have answered the most commonly asked questions below.
What Types of Injuries Qualify for a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury claims encompass a wide variety of accidents and situations. Typically, a claim arises when you suffer serious bodily harm or lose a loved one due to another party’s careless or negligent actions. Claims can stem from motor vehicle crashes, fatal accidents or slip-and-fall injuries. An attorney can review the specifics of your accident and determine if you have a valid personal injury case
How Much is My Injury Worth?
The goal of a personal injury claim is to secure compensation that adequately covers your expenses resulting from the accident, including medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses. The value of your claim depends on the extent of your injuries.
Do I Really Need to Work with a Lawyer?
You may be tempted to avoid working with an attorney to minimize legal fees and recover compensation more quickly. However, insurance companies rarely offer to settle for the true cost of your injuries. What may seem like a fair offer could be far less than the amount you need to cover your ongoing costs. An experienced personal injury lawyer will simplify the process, help you obtain maximum compensation, and protect your rights.
Personal injury cases are accepted on a contingency basis. You do not pay us any attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. You face no financial risk when you file a claim. Initial case consultations are free and can be conducted in our office, at your home, or in the hospital.
What Can I Expect When I Work with Palillo Law?
We believe that legal assistance should be accessible and straightforward, so we do everything in our power to make the experience easier for you. This may mean speaking with an attorney before visiting our office or setting up appointments as soon as possible after your first phone call. During an initial consultation, you can discuss the details of your accident and your recovery options with an attorney. We will also provide detailed information about our contingency fee structure.
What Evidence is Most Important to Prove Negligence in a Personal Injury Case?
There are four legal elements to a New York negligence claim. To hold a person or business responsible for your injuries, you must prove all four elements.
The other party must have a duty of care. That may involve following traffic rules while driving or warning about hazards when inviting visitors into a private residence.
Proving a breach of duty is also necessary. You must show that the other party failed to do what other reasonable people might do in the same situation.
You must show causation, which is that the breach of duty is what caused your injuries and property damage losses. Finally, you must show that you sustained actual damages, such as medical expenses.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Personal Injury Case?
You may be eligible for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages include your medical bills, lost wages, lost future earning potential and property damage losses. Your noneconomic losses may include your pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent disfigurement or loss of enjoyment of life.
In rare cases, you could be eligible for punitive damages that serve as a punishment for the defendant. You generally need clear evidence that the other party was grossly negligent or acted with malicious intent.
How Should I Deal with Insurance Companies After an Accident?
You need to proceed with caution when dealing with an insurance company after getting hurt. You may need to provide basic factual information to your insurance provider and the company covering the party at fault.
Anything beyond that, such as providing a recorded statement, could put you at risk of diminished compensation. You do have the legal right to retain an attorney to assist you while communicating with the insurance company. It is often beneficial to be skeptical of initial settlement offers to ensure they adequately address your losses and are reasonable, given the applicable policy limits.
Can I Still Pursue a Claim if My Injuries Weren’t Immediately Apparent?
Yes, you still have the right to file an insurance claim or lawsuit if your injuries were not obvious initially. You generally have up to three years from the date of the incident itself to take legal action. It is possible to extend that legal timeline in cases where you did not discover the condition until after the statute of limitations had passed.
Do You Still Have Questions?
If you still have questions, we invite you to schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim. Arrange yours by email or call 917-920-6601.