A: If you’ve been injured in an accident in Pennsylvania, you may have a claim for compensation to attempt to make up for your injuries and damages. In order to have a legal case, you will need to prove two things. First, that someone else caused your accident through their negligence, recklessness or intentional actions. Second, you will need to prove that you suffered injuries and damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering or a negative impact on your life as a result of the accident. An experienced Personal Injury attorney can evaluate your case free of charge and, if you have a valid legal claim, help you obtain fair compensation.
For more information about your legal rights after a Pennsylvania accident, contact Tim Rayne at 610 840 0124 or trayne@macelree.com.
A: If you’ve been injured in an accident in Pennsylvania, you might not need to hire an attorney. But, before you talk to the insurance adjuster, sign anything or hire just any attorney to represent you, you should seek advice from an experienced Personal Injury attorney. You should be able to obtain a Free Consultation and, if the attorney believes that you have a valid case, you should be able to retain that attorney on a Contingent Fee basis, meaning that you will not owe any legal fees unless the attorney is successful in obtaining compensation for you. Then, the legal fee will be a percentage of the compensation plus any out-of-pocket costs. I offer Free Consultations at one of my offices, your home or any other convenient location and accept my cases on a Contingent Fee Basis.
A: I offer Free Consultations and you are under no obligation to hire me at the end of the meeting. During the initial meeting, I will evaluate your case and tell you whether or not I believe that you have a valid legal claim to pursue. If I decide to take your case and you decide to retain me, I will handle your case on a Contingent Fee basis. This means that you will not be charged any legal fees or expenses unless I recover compensation for you. If I am successful in recovering compensation, I am reimbursed my out-of-pocket costs and receive a Contingent Fee representing a percentage of the compensation. If there is no recovery, you owe no fees or expenses.
A: Yes. I offer Free Consultations, and you are under no obligation to hire me at the end of the meeting. I meet with potential clients at my offices in Kennett Square or West Chester, Pennsylvania, at their homes or virtually via Zoom or FaceTime.
I can meet with you at my Kennett Square or West Chester, Pennsylvania, offices; my office in Centreville, Delaware; or any other location convenient to you, including your home. I regularly meet with injured clients at their homes because it is more difficult for them to travel to see me than me to travel to see them. I also meet with clients virtually via Zoom or FaceTime.
A: I can meet with you at my Kennett Square or West Chester, Pennsylvania, offices; my office in Centreville, Delaware; or any other location convenient to you, including your home. I regularly meet with injured clients at their homes because it is more difficult for them to travel to see me than me to travel to see them. I also meet with clients virtually via Zoom or FaceTime.
A: Your Personal Injury Case’s Value is determined in one of two ways, either whatever you and the Defendant or the Defendant’s insurance company agree that it is worth in a settlement, or the amount that a judge or jury awards after a trial. You should be very skeptical if an attorney or someone else tells you what they think your case is worth shortly after your accident has occurred. That is because it is impossible to accurately evaluate a case until someone’s medical condition has stabilized. Only when we know the true nature of the injuries and other damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, can we value your case and attempt to settle the case with the Defendant or insurance company.
A: Each case is different, and it is impossible to predict exactly how long a Personal Injury case will take to resolve. In Pennsylvania, the Statute of Limitations is two years, which usually means that a legal case must be filed within two years of the injury or else the injured person will forever lose his or her rights to bring a lawsuit. However, we rarely wait that long to attempt to resolve your case. Instead, once your injuries stabilize, we move forward swiftly and attempt to reach an agreeable settlement with the insurance company. If the insurance company is unreasonable in its settlement negotiations, we immediately file the lawsuit and attempt to resolve the case as quickly as possible, either through a fair settlement or a verdict after a trial.
A: Most Personal Injury cases are able to be settled with the insurance company, some without a lawsuit being filed and some after a lawsuit has been filed. In rare cases, it is not possible to obtain a fair settlement offer and Personal Injury cases must be taken to trial. You should make sure that when you hire an attorney, that attorney has experience settling and trying cases so that he or she can effectively represent you in your case.
A: I believe that I have a different approach to my Pennsylvania Personal Injury practice compared to many attorneys who say that they help accident victims. It centers around three principles: Focus, Experience and Education.
FOCUS: I handle only Personal Injury cases, no other matters. Most of my cases are vehicle accidents, car crashes, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian injuries. However, I also handle Medical Malpractice, Slip and Fall, Dangerous Product, Dog Bite and other Personal Injury cases. I handle all of my cases personally. You are not farmed out to Associates or Paralegals.
EXPERIENCE: I have been negotiating with insurance companies and taking injury and death cases to jury trials since 1995. In addition to my law degree, I have a master’s degree in Trial Advocacy and have been recognized as a “Superlawyer” in Philadelphia Magazine, named in Main Line Today as a “Top Personal Injury Lawyer,” and listed in Suburban Life Magazine as an “Awesome Attorney in Personal Injury.”
EDUCATION: Other than making sure that my clients receive fair treatment from insurance companies, my mission is to educate my clients on their legal rights and the litigation process. I accomplish this through personal advice, articles, books and videos on Personal Injury topics. I also keep my clients up to date on the status of their case every step of the way.
A: No. You should never speak with the adjuster for the other driver after being involved in a car accident in Pennsylvania. You have an obligation to report the accident and to speak to your own insurance company. However, you have no obligation to speak to the adjuster for the other insurance company. The adjuster for the other insurance company represents the other driver and will be looking out for his or her best interest, not yours. The adjuster may try to get you to give a recorded or written statement, sign release forms or offer you money in exchange for a release of all of your claims. You should never sign anything or talk to the other adjuster without first getting advice from an experienced Personal Injury attorney.