Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney
The cost of an automobile accident can be significant: costs associated with hospitalization, surgery, medical equipment, and lost wages can impact individuals and families for years to come. At the Law Offices of John A. Gallagher, we work closely with medical economists and life care planners in determining the full financial impact of an automobile accident on a car accident injury victim.
Modified comparative negligence
Since Pennsylvania is a modified comparative negligence state, if a person is found to be more than 51% at fault, he or she cannot recover damages. If a driver is less than 51% responsible, his or her damages will be reduced by the percentage of their fault. For example, if the court finds you were 30% at fault and your damages totaled $10,000, under modified comparative negligence you would only recover $7,000. Insurance companies are aware of this and use accident investigators, engineers, medical experts, and other specialists to limit their liability: if some or most of the fault in a car accident can be shifted to you, an insurer won’t have to pay you as much.
We have the knowledge and investigative tools needed to counterbalance the resources and strategies used by insurance companies to minimize claims payments. If you’ve been injured in a car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle accident, contact automobile accident attorneys at the Law Offices of John A. Gallagher today.
Negligent Drivers and Automobile Accidents
Our personal injury lawyers represent people injured in accidents involving the following:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian knockdowns
Recovering Damages – Dealing with Insurers
Insurance companies employ a number of strategies to reduce the amount they have to pay in claims. Often, a claims adjuster will call an injury victim shortly after an accident, posing as a sympathetic voice interested in gaining information to process an accident report. In actuality, the claims agent is interested in gathering any information that can be used to assign blame to you or minimize your injuries. Once you hire our office, insurers must contact our attorneys and go through our office when they need to communicate with you.
Additionally, if the person who hit you was uninsured or underinsured, our office can evaluate your policy to determine if you’re covered. If you have uninsured / underinsured coverage, your insurer is required to compensate you for policy-eligible losses. If your insurer tries to deny coverage or delay payment to you, our attorneys can write a demand letter and begin preparing a bad faith insurance practices case against your insurer.
Contact Our Car Accidents Attorneys Today
Before you agree to sign anything or make a statement to an insurer, contact automobile accident attorneys at the Law Offices of John A. Gallagher today to schedule an appointment and discuss your case.