Pittsburgh Bodily Harm Attorneys
Our Pittsburgh bodily harm lawyers provide a free, no obligation consultation. We handle all injury claims — from falls on negligently maintained proper to vehicle accidents. And, there never a fee until we win your case in court or at the settlement table.
You Deserve the Best
Our law firm invites you to read our reviews (click here) and learn what others have said about our skill, focus, and ability to get results in cases (plural) where other lawyers said it couldn’t be done. We put intense focus on each case, so those suffering serious harm can rest assured, knowing their case is getting serious attention.
Free Consultation and Guidance
Call us any time for a free, no obligation consultation. There are important things to discuss early on and we will make time, don’t worry, to fight for maximum compensation. Plus, we look at every detail, and seek, for example, to avoid impairment to your credit for unpaid medical bills for when insurance companies are “too busy” to look out for you. We do.
Top Level Handling Of Your Case
Right upfront, you will meet the co-owner of our 7 lawyer firm, Mr. Elliott; he will personally work on your case. Plus, no “junior associate” will ever touch your case. We won’t even think about it. Mr. Elliott will apply 24 years of experience and personalized attention to every detail of your case. In fact, he won’t just supervise a “team” working on your case. Rather, he wants everything to be perfect. Your serious case will get around the clock attention. Click here to to read about how well Mr. Elliott communicates with his clients.
Experience
Mr. Elliott handles most new injury cases at our firm. If he pulls another lawyer into your case, that lawyer will have no fewer than 20 years of experience. Guaranteed. Plus, all our lawyers have the experience and expertise to sort out all the issues and explain the matters to you in plain English.
We are very aggressive about getting you a the highest possible recovery in all kinds of cases: serious head injury case, falls, car accidents, motorcycle crashes, biking injuries, and more. Our injury lawyers have also handle — and write extensively about — pedestrian injuries (those walking), and damages from a motor vehicle collision on a bicycle (bike or pedalcycle), e-bike and e-scooter.
Fighting For Top Dollar
We perform a top-flight investigation into the facts of your case and fully educate ourselves, because your case may be won or lost during the investigation stage. This early and focused attention gives us leverage to fight for top dollar for pain, suffering, medical bills and expenses (including co-pays), lost wages, lost earning capacity, disfigurement, and other claims.
Knowing the Nuances of Bodily Injury Law
You should think before retaining a “generalist” lawyer to pursue your injury claim. For example, our Pittsburgh injury lawyers will help you understand what money needs to be paid back out of your settlement, such as payment for medical benefits. This is called a medical “lien” and we work to get those negotiated down as much as possible.
However, in terms of having to pay back insurance money paid to treat injuries, the law treats automobile accident cases differently, as compared with slap and fall or other injuries. Click here for more.
Limited Tort. Motor vehicle law also has something called “limited tort.” A person who selected “limited tort” when purchasing auto insurance (for slightly lower premiums) will find her claims limited when injured in a motor vehicle accident as a driver or passenger of a vehicle. This law is complicated. However, while many law firms pass on “limited tort” cases, our Pittsburgh limited tort lawyers take and aggressively work up these cases.
In fact, we obtained numerous six figure recoveries over the years in limited tort cases, alone. Plus, we look for all possible sources of insurance coverage for all kinds of injury cases. We also handle first party benefits claims, UM/UIM claims, first party bad faith, product defects, and more.
Understanding the Law As it Relates to Different Kinds of Accidents
As mentioned, are important difference between slip-and-fall cases versus motor vehicle accidents. PA’s Motor Vehicle and Financial Responsibility Law carves out major exceptions to the general common law governing accident claims in PA. For example, when injured in PA, you can sue the negligent party for your lost wages from the accident, without question.
However, this is not true in your were injured in a motor vehicle accident. There, you must bring a claim on your own auto carrier for your lost wages, first. Otherwise, you are bared from recovering any damages for lost wages from the negligent driver. Click here for more.
Legal Updates
Check back with us for updates concerning the law:
Fair Share Act
In 2011, Pennsylvania enacted the “Fair Share Act,” providing that each defendant sued could be only be liable for his causal portion of the harm, unless certain exceptions would exist. Before that, a party 1% liable could be “jointly and severally” responsible to pay the entirely of damages, especially if the other defendants were judgment proof.
However, in a Recent superior Court case — Spencer v. Johnson, 249 A. 3d 529 – Pa: Superior Court 2021 — the superior court opined that the Fair Share Act would not apply unless the Plaintiff were comparatively at fault. This opinion was merely “dicta” (not a part of the court’s ruling and therefore not binding on subsequent cases). However, it does show that the appellate courts may restrict the application of the Fair Share Act in the future.
Pain and Suffering – Compromise Verdict
A jury may also enter a “compromise verdict,” explained here. Thus, for example, even if a jury does not believe your case is serious enough to overcome limited tort, such that it cannot award you money for “pain and suffering,” the jury can reach a compromise. In one case, the jury awarded the Plaintiff $50,000 for future medical medicals, possibly as a compromise to give the Plaintiff something for “pain and suffering,” even though the law did not allow it.
