Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury

Most accidents are preventable and would not occur if not for some degree of negligence. Anyone who is injured in an accident due to another party’s careless or reckless acts has the right to seek damages in a civil lawsuit. If an injured person’s claims against a negligent party are successful, the injured person may be awarded compensation for economic harm, such as the cost of medical treatment, lost wages caused by the injuries, and out-of-pocket expenses, as well as compensation for the pain and suffering caused by the injuries. It is important for anyone who wishes to pursue damages to consult a personal injury attorney in Philadelphia promptly, since under Pennsylvania law, personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of the harm.

Car Accidents

The roads and highways in and around Philadelphia frequently experience a high volume of traffic. Unfortunately, many of the drivers traveling in this area are impatient or distracted and cause car accidents due to their inappropriate driving behaviors. Car accidents may cause cervical strains and sprains, concussions, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and other injuries. In most cases, a party seeking to recover damages following a car accident will allege that one of the drivers involved in the accident was negligent. Proving liability under a theory of negligence requires the victim to prove the existence of a duty owed by the defendant, a breach of the duty, and actual harm that was proximately caused by the breach.

Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks are regularly used by companies to transport goods throughout the country, and commercial trucks are often on the roads with other vehicles. Commercial truck drivers differ from other drivers in that they must obtain additional training and certifications to operate their trucks. Additionally, truck drivers must abide by the obligations imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations regarding safe driving practices. If a truck driver fails to adhere to the duties imposed by the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code and the FMCSAR and causes a collision, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney can help hold the driver liable for any harm caused by the accident. If the driver was working for a trucking company at the time of the accident, the trucking company may be held liable as well.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles lack the external structure of other vehicles, and when motorcyclists are involved in accidents, their injuries are often severe or even life-threatening. Motorcycle accidents frequently occur when other drivers follow too closely behind a motorcycle and strike the motorcycle from behind, or fail to notice a motorcycle prior to changing lanes. In many lawsuits arising out of a motorcycle accident, the defendant driver will argue that the injured motorcyclist was negligent. We can help you counter allegations of comparative fault. Even if an injured person was partially at fault for an accident, he or she may still recover damages, as long as his or her fault did not exceed the defendant’s fault.

Bicycle Accidents

Many people in the Philadelphia area ride bicycles for recreation or transportation, and Pennsylvania has enacted laws to help protect bicyclists. For example, drivers attempting to turn left must yield the right of way to a bicyclist who is traveling toward them, and drivers must provide sufficient space when passing or following bicyclists. When a driver causes a bicycle accident, he or she should be held liable for the damages caused by the accident. In cases in which a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can establish that the driver violated a statutory duty, the bicyclist may be able to pursue a negligence per se claim against the driver. In other words, the bicyclist can assert that the driver’s violation of the statutory duty constitutes negligence as a matter of law.

Pedestrian Accidents

In Pennsylvania, pedestrians are afforded rights under the law, which include the right of way while walking in a crosswalk or through an intersection with a walk sign. Sadly, however, even if a pedestrian is carefully proceeding with the right of way, they can be struck by a careless or inattentive driver. When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, it often causes catastrophic injuries, such as broken bones, amputations, organ damage, and sometimes death. The economic harm caused by a pedestrian accident can be significant. Many people injured in pedestrian accidents need extensive medical care and are unable to work.

Premises Liability

People regularly enter property owned by another person or entity for business or personal reasons. Regardless of why a person enters a property, the owner of the premises generally has a duty to protect the person from harm. The precise duty that a property owner owes a person entering the property depends on whether the person is an invitee, licensee, or trespasser. For people who lawfully enter a property, the property owner has a duty to protect them from dangerous conditions of which the property owner is or should be aware. In many cases in which a person is injured on someone else’s property, the condition that caused the injury is remedied shortly after the accident. Thus, a personal injury lawyer in the Philadelphia area often will need to gather circumstantial evidence to prove fault in a premises liability claim.

Workers’ Compensation

Under Pennsylvania law, a person who suffers an injury while at work can seek workers’ compensation benefits from their employer if the injury arose out of the person’s employment. Workers’ compensation benefits can include the cost of medical treatment and wage loss benefits. It is not uncommon for an employer or the employer’s workers’ compensation insurer to attempt to avoid paying a person benefits by arguing that the person’s injuries were not work-related, or that their condition is not as serious as they are asserting. Thus, it is prudent for anyone injured at work to consult an attorney to protect their right to recover workers’ compensation benefits.

Contact a Dedicated Personal Injury Attorney

If you sustained injuries due to someone else’s negligence or on the job, you should consult an experienced attorney regarding your potential claims. At Shaw Law, we are adept at assisting injured people in the pursuit of damages, and we will work tirelessly to help you seek the best legal outcome achievable under the facts of your case. Our personal injury attorneys represent people in Philadelphia, as well as other cities throughout Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks, Northampton, Luzerne, Lehigh, Lackawanna, Dauphin, Berks, and Chester Counties. You can contact us through our online form or at (215) 987-0200 to schedule a free consultation.