What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Attorneys Take?

Personal injury lawyers manage what are known as tort cases. These focus on a failure to act or an action that was taken that resulted in harm to a person. Although most often known for handling car accident cases, personal injury attorneys are qualified to represent clients in a wide range of claims, such as product liability, workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, wrongful death, and more.

We offer a no cost, no obligation consultation at our Jacksonville law office for any personal injury case, including the specialties listed below:

Auto Accident Attorney: There are hundreds of thousands of car accidents in Florida each year and more than a quarter of a million injuries resulting from those crashes, making these accidents the most common type of personal injury claims. And, with more vehicles on the road and more distracted drivers, accidents are on the rise. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, motorcycle accident, or an accident involving another type of motor vehicle, it’s critical to have an experienced legal team on your side. At Harrell & Harrell, P.A., we’ve helped our clients with more than $10 million in settlements in motor vehicle accidents.

Truck Accident Lawyer: These types of personal injury cases can be complex since there may be a number of parties involved, such as the driver of the truck, the owner of the truck, the owner of the freight or payload, and others. Another factor that can make these cases more complex is that trucking is heavily regulated in the U.S., with a long list of laws and rules that govern truck drivers’ behavior, recordkeeping and more. Our truck accident attorneys are well versed in the legal requirements for commercial trucking and have decades of experience handling truck company negligence cases.

Pedestrian Accident Attorney: The injuries sustained when a pedestrian is involved in an accident with a vehicle can be particularly severe. Because pedestrians have no protection in an accident, a crash with a careless or reckless driver can change a victim’s life forever. Our pedestrian accident lawyers will seek all of the damages to which you may be entitled, including loss of your present and future income, medical bills, therapy costs and more.

Slip and fall accidents: These types of personal injury cases must be carefully investigated, since the circumstances surrounding them aren’t always straightforward. Sustaining an injury on someone else’s property is not enough to make a premises liability claim since it may or may not involve negligence. These cases are also complicated by the involvement of multiple parties, such as a property manager and a property owner, and by the fact that some of the victim’s injuries may not be readily apparent in the immediate aftermath of the accident. At Harrell & Harrell, P.A., our slip and fall accident lawyers can help you determine the strength of your case.

Medical Malpractice Attorney: Medical professionals are expected to adhere to a certain accepted standard of care. When they haven’t, and an injury to a patient results from negligent actions such as improper treatment or a failure to diagnose, victims may have a medical malpractice or medical negligence claim. There are a number of specific requirements that such a case must meet, so it’s essential to consult with a personal injury firm that has specialized experience in medical malpractice law.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer: Nursing home negligence cases are among the most devastating to families. When a nursing home that you’ve trusted with your loved one’s care fails to provide appropriate care, a nursing home abuse lawyer will fight for your loved one’s rights. At Harrell & Harrell, P.A., we have attorneys on our team who are experts in nursing home abuse and nursing home accident cases. Contact us for a free, private consultation with one of our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers.

How Much Does A Personal Injury Attorney Charge?

This is often one of the first questions we hear from prospective clients and it’s one of the most important. If you’ve never hired an attorney, you may be hesitant to call on one when you have a legal issue for fear that you won’t be able to afford representation. At our personal injury law firm in Jacksonville, we begin your injury or accident case without you having to pay any fees or costs. Instead, our fee comes from a percentage of your successful settlement or court-ordered judgement after a trial. That percentage, in accordance with a Supreme Court of Florida-approved standard, is 33-1/3% of any case settled or 40% of any award after a lawsuit is filed and litigation commenced. If we do not win your case, you owe no costs or fees to us. Our work on your case will not begin until you have had the opportunity to review and sign a contingency fee agreement.

What To Know About The Costs of Your Case

• Costs are separate from fees and are the expenses that are incurred to pursue and prepare your personal injury case from beginning to end.
• The costs that we will incur can vary greatly. Generally, the more severe the injury, the more costs there will be, and some injuries require more time for researching liability than others. Since personal injury attorneys advance these costs, it’s important to hire a firm such as Harrell & Harrell, P.A., that has the financial resources to cover any costs that are necessary, which may be tens of thousands of dollars.
• Examples of costs include fees for investigation, filing fees, locating witnesses, copies of accident reports or medical records, travel expenses, fees for consultants, and the cost of taking depositions and serving subpoenas. Costs to prepare transcripts and trial exhibits will also be included, as will administrative costs such as postage.
• Expert witnesses are often critical to the success of a personal injury case. His or her time to review and prepare a report on your case and testify at trial may represent a significant expense. The testimony of an expert witness can help a jury understand complex concepts, such as how the negligent actions of another person led to your injuries.
• Taxes are not generally paid on monies you receive from litigation. At Harrell & Harrell, P.A., we are obligated to work toward making any award or settlement as free from taxes as possible.
• Anytime you consult a Jacksonville personal injury lawyer, it’s important to ask whether costs will be deducted before or after the lawyer’s percentage fee is determined, since this will affect the total amount of fees and costs that you may pay. Also, be sure to ask about the firm’s contingency fee, which may be as much as 40%.

Is It Worth Hiring A Personal Injury Attorney?

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident or harmed by another person’s recklessness or carelessness, a personal injury attorney can help you seek compensation for damages. Although there is no law that requires you to have an attorney handle your claim, a personal injury lawyer can guide you through every step of the complex claim process.

As with most personal injury law firms, the Jacksonville, Florida attorneys at Harrell & Harrell, P.A., work on a contingency basis, which means that you don’t pay us any fees unless we win your case. We also offer free consultations to determine the strength of your case, so there is also no cost to meet with us for a case review.

If you’ve been injured in an accident and are considering whether you should hire a personal injury lawyer, these are just some of the advantages of having an experienced attorney at your side:

• We handle the insurance companies: Insurance companies are powerful and have vast resources, including teams of attorneys. Without expert attorneys representing you, it’s easy to be taken advantage of and settling for less than you’re entitled to. We have decades of experience dealing with insurance companies and their lawyers and know just what to expect from them when one of our clients files a claim. They exist to protect their interests—we exist to protect yours.
• We put an entire team to work on your case: You won’t have only one lawyer on your case: You’ll have the support of our licensed accident investigators, vocational rehabilitation expert, our full-time staff of medical professionals, and others who help us build a comprehensive case.
• We know how to calculate the true costs of all of your losses: When you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, the effects can reach into every part of your and your family’s lives. Your current and future employment, unforeseen future medical costs, and the toll on your mental or emotional well-beingare just some of the factors that must be considered when determining the total damages involved in your case.

When to Consider Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

You may be able to benefit from having a personal injury law firm handle your case if:

• You’ve sustained injuries that have caused a permanent disability or that will require long-term treatment and care.
• Multiple parties were involved in your accident, which can complicate insurance claims.
• The insurance company will not offer a settlement or a fair one.
• You have severe injuries but the insurance company will not recognize the degree of severity, which can reduce the amount of compensation you rightfully deserve.

So how do you know if you need a personal injury lawyer? Your first step should be contacting an experienced personal injury law firm. At Harrell & Harrell, we offer free, no-obligation consultations at our Jacksonville office that can help you determine if working with a personal injury attorney is your best course of action. Keep in mind that Florida statutes of limitation may require you to promptly file a claim, so please don’t hesitate to schedule your consultation now.

What Questions Should I Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Your choice of a personal injury attorney to handle your case can be one of the most important factors in a successful outcome. No two personal injury law firms are the same, so you should take your time interviewing attorneys you are considering hiring. To help, here are questions you should ask an attorney:

1. What areas of practice do you specialize in?
Most firms focus on particular areas of law, such as corporate, tax, business litigation, or criminal defense. Some very large practices offer a wide range of services. If you’ve been injured in an accident, look for attorneys who specialize in personal injury law. They are likely to have more experience in personal injury, greater resources dedicated solely to personal injury cases (such as on-staff medical experts), and deep knowledge of your state’s personal injury statutes. When your financial future and well-being are at stake, you want specialists on your team.

2. Have you handled a personal injury case similar to mine?
Many types of cases can fall under personal injury law, from wrongful death and class actions, to truck accidents and nursing home abuse. Not all personal injury lawyers have experience in every area of practice, so it’s important to ask if the firm has specific experience in cases similar to yours.

3. What settlements and verdicts have you gotten for cases like mine?
A law firm’s record of success in helping personal injury clients is an important indicator of what it may be able to do for you. Ask for specific examples of the cases a personal injury lawyer has resolved by settlement or verdict, particularly in cases that have elements in common with yours.

4. How long will it take to resolve my case?
An experienced personal injury lawyer knows that every case is different, and each will take varying lengths of time to resolve. An attorney should be able to give you a general idea of how long it will take based on his or her experience with cases such as yours, but there are many factors that can and will affect the duration of your case.

5. How much will I get if I win?
As with the time frame question above, there is no single answer that can be given at an initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer. If an attorney cites specific dollar amounts before thoroughly reviewing your case, they may not have your best interests in mind. The course of a personal injury case can change at any time, so look for a personal injury lawyer who will give you a realistic answer to this question and honest assessments along the way.

6. Do you have the financial resources to take my case?
Because most personal injury law firms work on a contingency basis—you don’t pay any fees unless the firm reaches a settlement or verdict on your behalf—the firm must bear the costs that are incurred as your case is being managed. Since these costs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars for just one case, a personal injury law firm must have the financial resources and stability to cover them.