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If you currently have a personal injury case or are thinking about starting one, you may wonder how long the entire process will be. Could it go on for months, or even years? This is a valid question that any victim would ask their Washington, DC personal injury lawyer.
The answer generally depends on your individual case, the severity of your injuries, and the state or jurisdiction where your personal injury occurred. For example, getting in front of a judge in rural Pennsylvania may take a shorter amount of time than in an overpopulated city, such as New York City. While there is no simple answer to the question, “How long will my personal injury case take?”, there are a few elements that can affect the timeline of your case
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Being involved in a personal injury case may seem like a long process to go through. However, it is necessary and worthwhile if you have been significantly injured in an accident that was the result of another’s negligence. You may experience a loss of income through not being able to work and medical expenses that are piling up. Pursuing a personal injury case is the best possible route to get your life back on track. Basically, the sequence of events in a personal injury case is:
The five most common types of personal injury cases filed in Washington DC are:
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are roughly 5 million car accidents per year in the United States. There were about 42,000 fatalities resulting from those crashes.
While a car accident cannot always be avoided, many are caused by the negligence of one driver. Some of the most typical causes of car accidents are:
Car accident claims can involve many different vehicles – cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, and even pedestrians. If the accident was caused by a negligent driver, the victim has the right to file a personal injury lawsuit.
When someone is injured by slipping and falling on private or public property, they may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit. Slip and fall accidents are deceptively dangerous. It’s easy to think that a fall is no big deal. However, many people suffer traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and hip injuries.
Slip and fall accidents can cause a victim to miss work for several days or weeks, leaving them without a paycheck on top of piling medical bills. About 3 million people over the age of 65 are treated in emergency rooms for slip and fall accidents every year. If you were the victim of a slip and fall accident due to poor conditions on public or private property, reach out to a Regan Zambri Long personal injury lawyer today.
Medical malpractice remains the third leading cause of death in the United States of America. This type of personal injury lawsuit deals with patients who have been victimized by a negligent healthcare provider. We understand that mistakes can happen, but when there is a lack of competent care in the medical field, it can leave a patient with severe injuries, worsening illness, or even death.
The most common types of medical malpractice are misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries, medication errors, and failure to treat the patient. If you experienced an injury due to a medical professional’s negligence, you have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Unfortunately, workplace injuries are extremely common and happen every day to hardworking Americans. Businesses routinely fail to keep their work environment safe for their employees. Serious injuries sustained from workplace accidents can lead to permanent disabilities, forcing the worker to leave his or her job. When this happens, the worker is left without a regular income, while having to deal with physical pain and medical expenses.
It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure their business environment is safe and hospitable for all their workers. If they fail to create a safe workplace and one of their employees suffers an accident because of their negligence, the employee has every right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer and company.
A wrongful death personal injury lawsuit is brought about when a negligent personal injury leads to the death of a loved one. The rules and regulations regarding wrongful death personal injury claims vary from state to state. During your free case evaluation, you will be informed of Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC’s wrongful death claim requirements.
A wrongful death claim will help the surviving family with medical treatment expenses their loved one received, funeral costs, lost wages, and other financial obligations that have fallen on them since the death of their loved one. A Regan Zambri Long wrongful death lawyer will work to recover fair compensation for you and your family.
Other types of personal injury cases are:
Of course, this list is not comprehensive. Personal injury claims can be anything if negligence was involved. If you were injured, but do not see your specific claim on this list, do not let it worry you. Reach out to a personal injury lawyer at Regan Zambri Long. Your free consultation will pair you with an experienced personal injury attorney who will be able to guide you through the claims process and give you a reasonable assessment of your case.
There are a few factors that could impact your case’s settlement timeline:
There is no exact estimate or guarantee when it comes to personal injury claim damages. The amount you are awarded largely depends on the severity of your injuries. Our lawyers at Regan Zambri Long will do everything in our power to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
There are three types of damages your lawyer will fight for in the personal injury claim process:
Economic damages refer to money paid to the injured party for expenses with objective monetary value. In other words, if one of your expenses has a receipt attached to it (i.e. medical bills, prescriptions, rehabilitation, lost wages, etc) then your claim can cover all those expenses. A Regan Zambri Long lawyer will also make sure any future expenses are taken care of, as well. So, if you have an injury that will require months or years of physical therapy, your lawyer will consider that and make sure you recover enough damages to cover future expenses.
Non-economic damages refer to money paid to the victim for subjective, non-monetary losses. These can include pain and suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of enjoyment of life, and inconvenience. These types of damages are harder to prove, so you will need a lawyer who is experienced in settlement negotiations.
Punitive damages are rare in most personal injury cases. While economic and non-economic damages are meant to award the victim compensation for losses, punitive damages are meant to punish the offender.
The plaintiff (the person who brings about the lawsuit) must prove that the defendant (the negligent party) acted in reckless behavior that he or she knew would likely cause harm to someone else.
If you feel like your case involved a negligent offender who engaged in willful or wanton misconduct, speak to a Regan Zambri Long attorney. Our lawyers understand the DC Metro Area laws and are very familiar with the court system. We will make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
If you have been injured in an accident, get in touch with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to begin your claim. With so many factors that go into your case, you need an experienced attorney that will work their hardest on your behalf. Our attorneys offer a no-cost, initial consultation and can offer more insight into your unique personal injury case timeline. Contact Regan Zambri Long PLLC today at (202)960-4596 or fill out an online form to get started.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington, DC? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.
