Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind, or emotions, and many types of injuries that are caused by the negligence of another person can be classified as a personal injury case. Common types of cases include motor vehicle accidents, spinal cord injuries, slip and falls, and head injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, the negligent party can be responsible for monetary compensation. Damages in an injury case are measurable costs which can cover medical expenses, lost earnings, and property damages. General damages include less measurable costs such as pain and suffering and emotional distress.

Severe Injury

When someone is injured due to the carelessness or negligence of another person, he should speak to an attorney who is experienced in personal injury law. At the Heslin Law Firm, we handle the following injury types: 

The Value of Your Case

Determining the value of your case depends on a many factors. First, we need to determine who’s at fault. This can be rather easy or difficult. The client needs to prove that his injury was caused by the fault of another. In most states, an injured party may pursue a claim even if he is partly responsible for the sustained injuries due to the principle of comparative negligence. So, if the injured person is found to be 30% responsible for his injuries and the jury finds the case to have a $80,000 value, the injured party’s award would be reduced by the comparative fault (30%) resulting in an award of $56,000. However, in other cases, fault is assessed by public policy grounds, which typically results in a finding of strict liability.

Damages

Second, we need to determine what the damages are. In the case of negligence, there are two types of damages that are recoverable: economic and non-economic. Economic damages have a dollar amount attached to them. They may include the following:

  • Medical expenses to date, including future expenses that are likely to be incurred from the injury
  • Lost wages, as well as the loss of ability to earn equal or more income in the future due to the injury
  • Past and future costs of special services or medical devices that assist with daily living
  • Cost of vocational or other training that might be necessary in order to assist someone with a permanent injury

Non-economic damages cover that which do not have a dollar amount. These may include the following:

  • Pain and suffering to date, including future suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment in life’s activities normally experienced by the injured party
  • Emotional distress

Economic damages have a science behind them. Medical bills and associated costs can be obtained via healthcare providers, and the cost of future expenses can be determined through the injured party’s current physician. Past lost wages can be calculated through tax returns or pay stubs. Future loss of income can be judged by a rehabilitation expert. However, there is no general formula to calculate the dollar value of a severe injury to a person’s body or the loss of one’s enjoyment of life. However, an experienced lawyer knows what injuries have been awarded in similar cases.

Why Hire Our Philadelphia Law Firm?

The Heslin Law Firm has been providing top legal representation to clients all throughout Philadelphia for over 30 years. We understand that dealing with the financial, physical, and emotional cost of an injury can be overwhelming. Thanks to someone else’s carelessness, your quality of life has been negatively impacted, and spending your time trying to handle the situation isn’t something you should have to do.

When you hire an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer, all aspects of your case will be handled. This means, you no longer need to deal with the insurance adjusters. We will sit down with you, carefully evaluate the facts, and provide legal advice on how to proceed.

Each claim varies, but generally speaking, we will seek financial compensation that pays for medical bills, lost wages, future lost wages, and pain and suffering.

To ensure a fair and just financial compensation, we will employ medical experts and other professionals to assist us in evaluating facts and details of your case. In order to make sure you receive a full compensation, we need to determine how much your case is worth, so you can fully recover both physically and financially from the injury you sustained.