Personal injury cases can help you and your family pay for medical bills, cover lost earnings, and take the time to get back on your feet after an injury. However, getting compensation is not always easy.
Our lawyers can represent you, fight in court to get your damages paid, and work to collect the evidence needed to build a strong case. Never try to handle your case on your own; work with an attorney who can calculate the true value of your damages and lead you to full compensation.
For a free case review, call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. by dialing (201) 777-1111.
How a Lawyer Can Help with My Injury Case
Our attorneys help our clients by handling the case for them. While you recover, we are collecting evidence, negotiating with insurance companies, and filing briefs in court.
We work to collect strong evidence that will prove your case, including camera footage of the events, if available, witness statements, and police/incident reports. We can assemble this into a strong case.
From there, we can go back and forth with insurance companies to try to settle for a fair value. Initial offers are often far too low, and only through this negotiation can you get a fair settlement.
If a settlement proves impossible, we can fight the case in open court.
Do I Need to File a Lawsuit for Damages in an Injury Case
Insurance claims can be successful after negotiations. You usually should not take an initial settlement offer, as insurance companies offer just enough to stop the case but usually not enough to cover your damages. Instead, a lawsuit might be necessary.
When you go to court, your case is heard by a neutral judge and jury, not an insurance representative. There, the evidence speaks for you, not the insurance adjuster’s biases.
However, you can still settle after going to court. Even late “courthouse steps settlements” are common, and most cases settle before ever getting to trial.
However, if a trial is necessary, we can put on your case, call witnesses, and present evidence to the jury to prove your case.
What Do You Need to Prove in an Injury Case in Elmwood, NJ?
New Jersey injury cases are typically based on a claim of negligence. This means you need to prove not that the defendant hurt you on purpose or meant to injure you but that they did so by failing to follow some legal duty they owed you.
Legal duties are often based on reasonableness. These stem from some relationship between you and the defendant, such as property owner and guest or doctor and patient.
Other duties stem from laws meant to keep people safe. The most common example of these is traffic laws. If someone violates a law meant to keep others safe, they can be held liable for the resulting injuries.
Evidence Needed in an Injury Case
In order to meet the burden of proof and prove your claim by a preponderance of the evidence, we need to produce evidence that usually comes in the following forms:
- Eyewitness testimony
- Victim testimony
- Photos
- Video
- Medical records
- Hospital bills
- Other receipts and financial statements
- Vehicle appraisals after car accidents
- Projected medical care needs
- Pay stubs
- Projected inability to work
- Expert reports
- Doctor reports.
Our personal injury attorneys can help collect and assemble this evidence into a strong case.
How Much is My Elmwood Part Injury Case Worth?
The economic damages – that is, all damages with a monetary value – can be calculated by assembling all bills and financial records.
In most injury cases, we account for medical bills and other expenses stemming from your accident. This can also include things like the cost of childcare while you are in the hospital or the cost of home accommodations to deal with a disability. It also accounts for property damage, such as car repairs after a car crash.
We also account for lost earnings and income. This often requires looking into your pay stubs and financial statements and analyzing what you made before the injury. Then, we can look at what lost abilities you have, how long disabilities will last, and the effects on your earnings.
Many people can work with accommodation or reduced hours, but if you face total disability, we can calculate that as well.
Calculating Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering and other “non-economic” damages are based not on bills and receipts but rather on the personal harm you face. This looks at how much you should be reimbursed for mental anguish, emotional distress, physical pain, and more.
These damages are available in most cases, but there are limits in car accident cases. There, you can only claim these damages if you faced “serious injuries” or had a car insurance policy with no limitation on lawsuits.
Calculations usually involve one of two methods:
- The Multiplier Method, where we choose a multiplier based on the severity of your injuries. Then, we multiply your other damages by that number.
- The Per Diem Method, where we choose a per-day pay rate for your pain and suffering. This rate is often chosen using your daily wages as a starting point, then adjusting up or down based on your injury’s severity.
These calculation methods are just a starting point and can be adjusted.
Is it Worth Getting a Lawyer for My Injury Case
Elmwood Park is home to thousands of families whose lives can be upended by a serious injury case. In any case where you face a debilitating disability or extensive medical care costs, you should always call a lawyer.
Even with moderate or mild injury cases, your case is often serious enough to get a lawyer. Our attorneys can analyze your case and make a cursory investigation into your damages and what you might be able to claim in your case. Calling us for a free case review has no obligations and can give you a personalized look at what your case might be worth.
In any case, know that your claim is serious enough to go to a lawyer if you faced any time away from work, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
Call Our Elmwood Park Personal Injury Attorneys Today
Call (201) 777-1111 for a free case review with the personal injury attorneys at Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C.