Most of us will suffer a personal injury at some point during our lives. Many such incidents that result in personal injuries are the consequences of the negligence or intentional actions of other parties.
Whenever another party is liable for an incident that results in a personal injury, the injury victim may seek payment for medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other damages. An Altoona personal injury lawyer from Marcus & Mack may be able to help you pursue a claim against the at-fault party for your injuries and losses.
Contact us today for your free consultation to find out your options for seeking compensation and help navigating the claims process.
With a history that dates back to 1977, Marcus & Mack has served injured clients throughout Pennsylvania for nearly 50 years. During that time, we’ve gained a reputation for delivering assertive, compassionate, and personalized legal representation that gets results.
Some notable settlements and verdicts we’ve achieved for past clients include:
These case results don’t guarantee an outcome, but you can rely on us to fight hard to help you obtain the maximum compensation possible.
Other aspects we feel set us apart from other personal injury law firms in Pennsylvania include:
At Marcus & Mack, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means we charge nothing upfront to represent you, and we only accept attorney fees if we win your case. Under this arrangement, you can get the quality, effective legal representation you need for your Altoona personal injury claim without worrying about how to pay for an attorney.
In Altoona, various types of accidents can result in personal injuries, including:
Personal injury cases may involve many legal principles, and establishing liability requires a thorough understanding of the specific circumstances surrounding the accident. After an accident in Altoona, seek the advice of a personal injury attorney to assess your options and pursue compensation for your injuries.
Any injury that results from an act of negligence could lead to a claim for damages. These injuries must require medical treatment for a legal claim to be worth pursuing.
Some examples of the injuries resulting in legal claims include:
Pursuing an injury claim starts with compiling the medical records related to these conditions. An experienced local attorney could review the facts of an accident and the ensuing medical records to determine the value of a personal injury claim.
If you work with an attorney to successfully navigate a personal injury claim in Altoona, you could receive various types of compensation, also known as damages. The specific types and amounts of compensation can vary based on the circumstances of your case, the severity of your injuries, and other factors.
Here are common types of compensation you might receive:
In rare cases, if the defendant’s actions were particularly egregious or reckless, the court may award punitive damages. These are meant to punish the defendant rather than compensate the plaintiff and are not always awarded.
Document and provide evidence for all your damages when pursuing a personal injury claim. Consulting a personal injury attorney from Marcus & Mack can help you understand the potential compensation you may be entitled to based on the specifics of your case.
While no two personal injury claims are exactly alike, each of them follows the same general process. After hiring an attorney, a plaintiff’s case typically begins with a thorough investigation of the accident. This includes preserving and obtaining evidence related to the cause of the injury as well as identifying the extent of the claimant’s damages.
After investigating the accident or injury-causing event, the plaintiff’s attorney typically sends the at-fault party a demand letter. This letter offers a financial settlement in exchange for the promise not to file an injury lawsuit. Often, these letters result in the eventual settlement of an injury claim.
Claims that do not settle can result in a lawsuit. These lawsuits go through the discovery process first. Discovery involves the two parties exchanging copies of the evidence they possess. If the case does not settle while litigation continues, it will eventually be resolved through a trial.
At trial, both parties present their evidence, witnesses, and arguments. A judge or jury will make a decision based on the presented facts and applicable law. If the court finds in your favor, it will issue a judgment and award you compensation.
Either party may appeal the court’s ruling if they can establish that judicial or procedural errors affected the verdict.
A significant portion of personal injuries are also the result of the intentional actions of defendants. Assaults, sexual offenses, kidnappings, and even intentional infliction of emotional distress are all examples where a plaintiff alleges that a defendant intended to cause harm. Here, it is also likely that a defendant faces related criminal charges.
While a conviction in criminal court can result in the defendant paying a fine or serving a jail sentence, it may be necessary for a victim to pursue a separate but related civil claim for damages to recover compensation for emotional trauma and pain and suffering.
A conviction in a criminal case can serve as conclusive evidence in a civil claim. A legal concept called “res judicata” states that a court cannot reexamine a question that another court has already answered.
For example, if an assault leads to a conviction in criminal court for Defendant A, Defendant A cannot argue in civil court that this assault never occurred.
On the other hand, an acquittal in criminal court does not mean that a civil case will not succeed. A well-practiced personal injury lawyer in Altoona could help to explain the interactions between criminal and civil court cases.
Every personal injury lawsuit in Altoona must abide by the Pennsylvania statute of limitations. Generally, a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit in Pennsylvania must file their lawsuit within two years of the day the injury occurred. Exceptions to this general rule do exist, and an experienced attorney can explain those exceptions to you and determine if they apply to your claim.
The consequences of noncompliance with the statute are severe. A plaintiff can expect the defendant to request that the case be dismissed immediately if it is brought after the time limit expires.
Outside of a handful of exceptions, the courts will generally dismiss these cases with prejudice. Thus, you need to contact an attorney right away to discuss any deadlines that apply to your case and have your attorney file in time.
Yes, so long as you’re not more than 50% responsible. According to Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence rule, courts must evaluate the actions of all parties to an accident to assign fault. If the court believes that you’re more than 50 percent at fault for an incident, that court cannot award any compensation.
A knowledgeable Altoona personal injury attorney could help to explain the concept of comparative negligence and how it affects a claim for damages. An attorney can also advocate for you if the insurance company tries to place undue blame on you for the accident or your injuries.
Robert S. Marcus Personal Injury Attorney in Altoona
The purpose of a personal injury claim is to help you recover damages to pay for the costs and adverse effects the accident and your injuries have had on your life.
An Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer from Marcus & Mack could measure those losses, gather the evidence necessary to prove that the defendant was at fault and represent your interests during all settlement negotiations and court hearings.
Contact us today at (814) 942-9443 to speak with a dedicated attorney and begin working on your claim. Your needs are our top priority, and we promise to do all we can to help you obtain the full compensation you deserve.
By: Ashley M.
1216 11th Ave Suite 219
Altoona
PA
16601
Phone: (814) 942-9443