Personal Injury FAQ

What is Personal Injury?

“Personal injury” is the type of law we focus on at The Crosley Law Firm. It is an area of legal practice and a broad term that means any kind of accident or occurrence by the negligence or wrong doing of others that leads to bodily injury.  A good amount of personal injury FAQs can be answered with a few examples of where personal injury can occur:

• brain Injury
• car, truck (including 18-wheeler), motorcycle and bicycling, plane and helicopter accidents
• birth Injury
• wrongful death cases
• products liability (injury from any defective product)
• medical malpractice
• bad medication
• mesothelioma (asbestos) cases
• injury from defective medicines/prescriptions
• military malpractice

See our “Areas of Practice” tab for a more in-depth explanation of some of the personal injury cases we handle. If you believe you have been personally injured by another party, CONTACT US TODAY!

How Do I Choose a Personal Injury Attorney?

 

The first thing to consider when selecting an attorney is the attorney’s level of success handling difficult and complex personal injury cases. An attorney with a “general practice” typically does not have the experience or expertise to handle a serious personal injury case. You are best off with a lawyer that devotes their practice to representing personal injury plaintiffs.

Essentially, you need an attorney that can competently handle your case. If your case involves significant damages and complex issues, it will require extensive time, energy, and resources to bring to court. Make sure your attorney is prepared to and can handle this type of case.

Another important consideration is that you should feel comfortable with your attorney and the law firm’s staff. You should feel a high level of trust that your lawyer is the type of person who will listen to and be available for you. You need to feel as though your case is as important to your attorney as it is to you! A lawyer that is not committed to your case is not going to get the best results for you.

At The Crosley Law Firm, we accept Personal Injury cases ONLY and are dedicated to representing our clients’ interests. We have the experience, expertise and significant resources to accomplish desired results. At the same time, we have compassion for our clients and a passion for pursuing justice on their behalf. Our proven track record speaks for itself. CONTACT US TODAY!

 

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case? If So, How Much is it Worth?

If you have been injured due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another, under the law you may be entitled to compensation for past and future out of pocket damages, including medical expenses, loss of wages, and loss of earning capacity. You may also be entitled to reasonable and fair compensation for what the law calls “general damages”, which include such things as pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.

In assessing whether you have a case and its value, some factors to be considered include the nature and extent of the injuries, degree of pain and/or emotional suffering, degree of disability, and length of time and extent to which the injury will affect your life. Our firm’s attorneys are experienced at evaluating cases and their estimated value. To have your case reviewed for FREE by one of our attorneys, CONTACT US TODAY!

 

What are Contingent Fee Cases? Does The Crosley Law Firm Take These Types of Cases?

As a general rule, accident and personal injury litigation (which is what we specialize in at the Crosley Law Firm) is frequently handled on a “contingent fee” basis. A “contingent fee” arrangement is a method that allows individuals who have been injured or seeking personal injury damages (such as those resulting from an auto accident or a medical malpractice case) to obtain legal representation, even if they do not have money to pay for a lawyer at the outset of a case.

 

The Crosley Law Firm takes all qualified cases on a “contingent fee” basis. This means we advance all expenses and costs of the law suit.  You do not pay legal fees unless and until we settle or win your case in court. Once your case is paid out by award or settlement, attorney’s fees are deducted, then client expenses and costs are deducted. The balance of the award or settlement goes to you, the client.

 

What Are The Crosley Law Firm’s Attorneys’ Fees?

 

If we accept your case, our law firm will represent you on a contingent fee basis (explained above).  Our typical fees range from 25-40 % of the total recovery we obtain by settlement or verdict.  Often, the fee range is dependent on the complexity and type of case, and whether or not a lawsuit must be filed in your case.  Fee structure is agreed to prior to our firm taking your case. If you would like further information on our fee structure, feel free to CONTACT US.

 

What About Costs . . . . Does The Crosley Law Firm Pay Them?

 

Costs are separate from attorneys’ fees. When we accept your case, we will advance all costs required to bring your case to a successful conclusion. This includes items such as travel expenses, obtaining and reviewing medical records, investigation and deposition expenses, filing fees and other expenses associated with trial preparation and court costs.

When required, it may also include expenses for expert witnesses (ie: doctor, engineer, specialists, etc). Our law firm uses some of the most experienced experts to help give our clients the best opportunity for successful resolution of their case. These experts can be expensive at times, so we like to keep our clients informed when we hire experts and incur major expenses on their case.

 

Will The Crosley Law Firm talk to me about my case for FREE?

 

YES!  If you want to talk to one of our lawyers about a case, please do not hesitate call our office.  After you have answered a few basic questions with one of our staff members, one of our attorneys will be happy to discuss your case for FREE, either on the telephone or in our office.  Generally, it will take only fifteen to thirty minutes for us to decide whether or not we can help you. You can also click here to submit a FREE ONLINE CASE REVIEW.

 

Will The Crosley Law Firm Take My Case?

 

Our practice is devoted exclusively to representing Plaintiffs in a variety of personal injury claims. We carefully evaluate each case on the basis of its merits and other important factors. We are happy to review your case for FREE and let you know quickly whether we are able to take your case. Call our office or click here to submit a FREE ONLINE CASE REVIEW.

 

If The Crosley Law Firm Takes my Case . . . . What Next?

 

One of our goals is to make the whole process as easy as possible for you. After we agree to take your case, we will immediately take action to protect your interests in the case.

This may include contacting any insurance companies and other parties, notifying them that we represent you and requesting that they direct further communications about your case to us.  You will be protected from their attempts to obtain recorded statements or obtain private information about you and your medical history without contacting us first.

We will immediately preserve any evidence in your case and obtain information from key witnesses. This is important, as witnesses may forget significant facts, move, or pass away. Obtaining and preserving evidence immediately can, at times, be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful result in a case.

 

Once we obtain facts of the case and determine the nature and extent of your injuries and all relevant damages, we will generate a “demand” and present it to the at-fault party and their insurance company. The demand is an extensive summary of the evidence, including facts of the case, analysis of the applicable law, a summary of all past and future out of pocket losses, and an analysis of all past and future damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, and disfigurement. The demand is supported by relevant medical records, medical bills, witness statements, and expert opinions. The demand is essentially an in-depth overview of your case and an offer for settlement for a dollar amount that you and our attorneys agree to in advance, based on the factors and nature of your case.

A thoroughly prepared demand package is the best way to avoid litigation and promptly settle a case. In fact, the majority of our cases settle at this stage, prior to a lawsuit ever being filed. For those cases where it is necessary to go further in order to obtain justice for our clients, the next step is to file an actual lawsuit.

 

How Does the Litigation Process Work?

 

Litigation begins when a lawsuit is filed and defendants are served with a summons and complaint. A complaint is a legal document that summarizes the plaintiff’s (injured person’s) claims against the defendants. Each defendant is then required to file an Answer to the Complaint.

The next step in the litigation process is called “discovery”. During discovery, both sides use formal procedures to obtain information from each other. These procedures include written questions, or requests to produce documents and other relevant information. Witnesses may also be placed under oath and asked questions before a Court Reporter, who documents the interview in what is called a “deposition”.

After both sides have completed “discovery”, they are ready to try the case in a court of law. Prior to actual trial of the case, however, the parties typically try to settle the case through a process called mediation. If a case is well prepared, it usually will settle at this stage without ever having to go to trial.

 

Should I Talk to the At-Fault Party’s Insurance Company?

 

We recommend that you DO NOT speak to the at-fault party’s insurance company or sign any documents they present you unless you have first consulted with an attorney (your attorney). Insurance companies make their money by paying out the least amount possible for claims.

“Friendly” insurance adjusters are well-trained investigators that seek to obtain information that may very well damage or hinder your case. Unfortunately, these adjusters often misrepresent the truth and the law to unsuspecting accident victims.

DO NOT provide insurance companies any information or sign any documents without first consulting The Crosley Law Firm or a qualified attorney.

 

For answers to questions you may have, feel free to call the Crosley Law Firm, P.C. (toll free at 1-877-535-4529) or send us an email by using the form below.