Elmhurst Personal Injury Lawyer

Accidents happen in a split second, but the effects of serious personal injuries can last for years. At Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP, our team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers wants you to know that we are here for you. If you are struggling with pain and disability following an accident, then the future might seem hopeless. You might doubt you can return to work or enjoy leisure activities with your family. We don’t know what the future holds. But we know you have critical legal rights to sue a person for personal injury claims if they injured you, and you shouldn’t wait too long.

Contact us. An Elmhurst personal injury lawyer with our firm can review the facts of your case and analyze who might be at fault for the pain that you feel. We offer a free, confidential meeting at our law office.

Accidents Our Elmhurst Personal Injury Attorneys Tackle

Our law firm is prepared to step up and represent anyone hurt in the following accidents:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle collisions
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and falls
• Fires or explosions
• Premises liability claims
• Construction site accidents
• Dog attacks
• Defective product cases
• Medical malpractice claims
• Work accidents

Each case requires an individual assessment of its merits. For most accidents, our legal team analyzes whether the defendant was negligent and hurt you because they failed to exercise reasonable care. With other accidents, our Elmhurst personal injury lawyer might consider additional factors.

Steps in a Personal Injury Claim

New York personal injury law allows accident victims to seek financial compensation from the person who injured them. The process can take several months from start to finish. Some of the most critical steps include:

1. Collecting evidence. If you were involved in a car accident, then most of your evidence is at the scene. Remember to talk with witnesses and take photographs of the vehicles involved. If you were hurt in a store, then photograph whatever defect or hazard caused your injury.
2. Receiving treatment. You should go to the hospital soon after the accident to begin receiving treatment. Hang onto both your medical records and your bills. Both are helpful for a case.
3. Opening a claim. New York has no-fault insurance for car accidents, so you can immediately tap those benefits. In other personal injury cases, you will instead first look to the defendant’s insurance, so remember to ask for it. When opening a claim, avoid answering detailed questions.
4. Hiring an Elmhurst personal injury lawyer. New York doesn’t require that you hire an Elmhurst personal injury lawyer, but you benefit from having someone in your corner. You can focus on rehab and other medical care while your NY personal injury lawyer gathers additional evidence.
5. Negotiating a settlement. We can settle most personal injury cases, allowing you to receive compensation much earlier than if you had to file a lawsuit. Negotiation can take months before we are on the same page as the other side.
6. Other tasks. Our NY personal injury attorney is committed to doing anything we can to get fair compensation for our clients. We might start litigation by filing a personal injury lawsuit.

New York Personal Injury Laws

Several laws will impact your personal injury case. Our Elmhurst personal injury lawyers follow recent legal developments, so we always know if the law changes. Our experienced personal injury attorney leverages our legal knowledge to your benefit.

Here are some of the most important personal injury laws:

• Statute of limitations. This statute spells out the time you get to file a personal injury lawsuit. The time will vary, depending on your accident and other factors. In many personal injury cases, you have at most three years CPLR § 214(5), but medical malpractice clients get less.
• Comparative negligence. New York’s comparative negligence scheme reduces your compensation by your share of fault or else’s negligence. In other states, you can’t sue if your share of fault is over a certain percentage. New York has a “pure” comparative negligence system, so you can seek full compensation so long as you are not 100% to blame.
• Punitive damages. You might qualify for punitive damages when the defendant acted in a reprehensible manner. Our experienced personal injury lawyer can request punitive damages where appropriate.

This is only a sampling of a relevant personal injury law. There are many more which may impact a case.

What is a Fair Settlement?

Our clients, primarily personal injury victims, are usually left with burdensome bills. You should receive financial compensation that is equal to your losses.

Our NY personal injury attorney seeks financial compensation for:

• All reasonable medical treatment for your injuries. You might require immediate, life-saving treatment, such as surgery and hospitalization. You should also receive compensation for all medical bills including rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescription drugs, and doctor’s visits.
• Lost income or wages, including loss of earning capacity. Injuries usually prevent people from working. You should receive damages for any lost income, even if you are self-employed. Catastrophic injuries can force you to get a new job or keep you from working altogether, so you could have future losses.
• Pain and suffering. Bodily injuries cause acute pain. Even painkillers can’t fully mask the agony or return you to normal. You deserve maximum compensation for any bodily suffering after an accident.
• Emotional distress or mental anguish. Accidents can cause PTSD or leave a victim in a depressed mood. The mental anguish also deserves some financial compensation.
• Property damage. You might have damaged property in an accident. Suppose you are involved in a car accident; you’ll now need to repair or replace your vehicle. The defendant who caused the accident should pay to repair the damaged property.

One limitation on compensation is your comparative negligence, which can reduce what you receive. Another limitation is the defendant’s resources. A defendant who is broke or uninsured might have little ability to pay what you deserve. An Elmhurst personal injury lawyer can help navigate these complexities. Let us review

Schedule Your Free, No-Risk Consultation Today!

Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP, is an established personal injury law firm helping Elmhurst residents when they are hurt in accidents. Call us today to speak with someone on our team. An Elmhurst personal injury lawyer can schedule a free case consultation. The purpose is to review what happened and answer all your questions about your legal rights and options. We can also talk about how we use contingency fee agreements so that you do not owe any legal fees unless we win your case.