Personal Injury FAQ
When you are injured, you should never have to navigate the legal system alone. At Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC, we are here to answer all your personal injury questions and help you secure compensation and justice for your accident injuries.
Don’t see your question below? We offer free consultations for you to discuss your case. Contact us online or call our office at 800-797-9730 to get started. We represent accident victims in Charleston, Parkersburg and communities across West Virginia.
What Are My Options When I Am Injured In An Accident?
When you are injured due to someone else’s neglect or recklessness, you have several ways to collect compensation for your injuries:
- Work with the other party yourself. Accepting an early settlement offer from the other party may seem like a nice deal, but we advise against this, as it will likely mean you are leaving money on the table. If the other side knows you are declining legal representation, they may try to shortchange you.
- Negotiate through an attorney. Many personal injury attorneys are able to negotiate a favorable settlement offer without having to go to trial. An experienced lawyer knows what offers are fair, and can give you an honest assessment of when to accept to decline a settlement.
- Take your case to trial. Litigating your case in court is often a last resort, but it is sometimes necessary to recover full compensation for your accident. Always trust an attorney with proven trial experience, in the event your case does make it to court.
How Long Does It Take To Receive Compensation After An Accident?
A personal injury case – whether you were injured in a car accident or by a defective product – may take months or even years to resolve.
Every case is unique, so it is difficult to say how long it will take for you to be compensated. It may be tempting to settle with the other party early, but doing so may result in a lower recovery. Our goal is to fight for the best possible result for every client, while doing our best to keep the legal process as efficient as possible.
How Much Does A Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
At Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC, we take cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that if we take your case, you do not pay for our services unless and until we secure compensation for your injuries. And even then, we only receive a fraction of your settlement or verdict. Our consultations are free as well, so there is no risk to get started and begin exploring your options.
Am I Entitled To Compensation For Pain And Suffering?
When you sustain life-altering injuries, you will be facing more than just monetary expenses. You will likely suffer emotionally and psychologically following your accident as well. In these cases, you may be entitled to compensation for non-economic losses such as pain, suffering and mental anguish.
The amount of pain and suffering compensation you receive will vary widely depending on the details of your particular case. For medical malpractice cases, state law limits non-economic damages to a maximum of $250,000 (rising to $500,000 for catastrophic medical malpractice).
Can I Sue If I Am Partially To Blame For The Accident?
In West Virginia, as long as you are found to be less than 50% at fault for the accident, you can recover compensation for your injuries. However, the amount you receive will be lower depending on how much fault is assigned to you.
For example, you are riding your motorcycle without a helmet and get struck by a car who sped through a red light. The accident is mostly the other driver’s fault, but you may be partially to blame if you receive any injuries that could have been prevented by you wearing a helmet. If the court decides the other party is 80% at fault and you are 20% at fault, then you may only be able to recover 80% of your total damages.
As your law firm, we will fight to maximize your compensation and limit the amount of fault the court assigns to you.