If you’re injured by another party’s negligence, you’ll file your personal injury claim with the involved insurance provider. In order to bring a successful claim, you’ll need to prove the other party’s negligence, and your settlement should reflect your related economic and non-economic damages. These refer to your physical, financial, and emotional losses. While the legal process involved is complex, our experienced Johnstown personal injury attorneys at Silverman, Tokarsky & Forman, L.L.C., welcome the opportunity to help.
Your Johnstown Personal Injury Claim
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims throughout Pennsylvania is a brief two years, which means that filing a lawsuit is generally barred beyond this point. Because building a strong claim and advancing it to a fair settlement is a difficult process that can take a considerable amount of time to accomplish, it’s important to keep this time limit in mind. If your Johnstown case ultimately goes to court, you’ll likely file it at the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas in Ebensburg.
Factors that Affect the Value of Your Claim
There are several key factors that tend to affect the value of personal injury claims in PA.
The Matter of Liability
The more clearly you’re able to establish the other party’s negligence, the better positioned you’ll be to recover on the full scope of your losses. For example, if a drunk driver caused you to be seriously injured as a result of running a red light and T-boning you in an intersection, the matter of their fault is unambiguous.
Personal injury claims, however, aren’t always this clear. Your formidable personal injury lawyer will take the steps necessary to gather strong evidence in support of your claim.
The Severity of the Injury
The more serious your injury is, the more considerable your damages and, therefore, your settlement amount is likely to be. Some injuries, like broken bones and spinal cord injuries, can be clearly established. Others, like soft tissue injuries, are more difficult to prove, and you can expect the insurance company to push back in terms of covered losses.
Consistency of Care
Your reaction to the accident in question will also be a variable in relation to the value of your claim. For example, seeking immediate medical attention and taking your doctor’s advice and instructions seriously translates to a more powerful statement than delaying treatment does. Gaps in care can have a negative effect on your settlement.
The Effect on Your Life
In your personal injury claim, you can address all the following:
- Your current and ongoing medical bills
- your lost income and earning potential
- Your physical pain and emotional duress
Highlighting the degree to which the accident has affected your life in each of these categories is paramount.
Reach Out to Our Experienced Johnstown Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Our savvy Johnstown personal injury attorneys at Silverman, Tokarsky & Forman, L.L.C., have reserves of imposing experience obtaining just compensation that honors our valued clients’ rights, and we’re here for you, too. Learn more by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 814-536-8600 today.
