Wilmington, MA Personal Injury Lawyer
We often assume that when people get hurt, the police get involved, and criminal charges might be assessed. While this is sometimes true, not all injuries are caused by criminal acts, and personal injury lawsuits can help injured victims get justice.
A personal injury lawsuit often involves accidents like car crashes, slip and falls, and workplace injuries, to name a few. Your claims, damages, and evidence will vary based on how you were injured. In many cases, important evidence will come from the accident scene, although more evidence might be gathered elsewhere. Damages might include economic losses and injuries in addition to non-economic injuries like pain and suffering. Many plaintiffs would rather avoid a full trial for a variety of reasons. In that case, your attorney can help you work out a settlement agreement, so you get compensation without enduring a grueling legal battle.
If you are unsure whether you have a strong personal injury claim, speak to our Wilmington, MA personal injury lawyers for help. Call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 to schedule a free case review.
How to Tell if You Have a Personal Injury Case in Wilmington, MA
Personal injury lawsuits always involve plaintiffs with some sort of physical injury. There are many reasons to file lawsuits, but if you suffered any bodily harm at the hands of another, you likely have a personal injury case on your hands. Since there are many possible ways to experience an injury, there are tons of personal injury claims, each with its own rules and process. Our Wilmington, MA personal injury attorneys have experience with various personal injury claims and can assist you with your case.
One way to determine if you should pursue a personal injury lawsuit is to examine your expenses and injuries. Many plaintiffs are left with painful injuries and large expenses they cannot cover alone. If you are injured and left with significant debts, you should talk to an attorney about taking legal action as soon as possible.
Your injuries do not necessarily have to be permanent or life-altering to warrant a lawsuit. Even relatively simple injuries that heal quickly deserve justice. For example, if your neighbor’s rickety stairs caused you to fall and break your leg, and your leg fully healed quickly, you can still sue your neighbor for damages. The fact that an injury is not life-threatening does not mean you do not deserve justice and compensation.
Evidence You Might Need in a Wilmington, MA Personal Injury Lawsuit
Evidence is hard to describe in general terms because it is unique to each case. For the most part, evidence might include almost anything that is relevant to your case and tends to show one way or the other whether the defendant was negligent and should be held liable. Since evidence might be anything, plaintiffs are sometimes overwhelmed with the potential search for evidence. Our Wilmington, MA personal injury lawyers can help you find what you need.
In many personal injury cases, accident scenes do not last for very long because law enforcement usually clears them away. As such, much important evidence might be lost. To prevent the loss of important evidence, you should document the scene by taking photos and recording videos. Your photos and videos might preserve important information about who was present, the surrounding area, and your injuries.
We should also present your medical records as evidence of your injuries. Many plaintiffs fully recover from their injuries by the time of the trial, so jurors cannot see the injuries for themselves. Instead, we can use your medical records to prove that your injuries existed. These records also often prove just how bad the injuries were, and a medical expert might be able to testify about how the injuries probably happened.
Strong cases have been built on witness testimony, even if physical evidence is difficult to obtain. Accidents, especially large accidents, tend to be noticed by those in the area, and there might be numerous potential witnesses. If the police investigated your accident, there might be a police report with the names of potential witnesses.
Damages Available in Personal Injury Cases in Wilmington, MA
Damages refer to your injuries, losses, expenses, and negative experiences connected with the accident. Damages, much like evidence, vary greatly between cases. The extent of your damages, and the overall value of your case, depends on the unique circumstances of your situation. Our Wilmington, MA personal injury attorneys can help you evaluate your damages so you get the most compensation possible.
Economic damages are related to money. Most economic damages are simple to evaluate because they are based on an explicit cost, price, or value. Medical bills are often quite significant in personal injury lawsuits and often make up the bulk of a plaintiff’s economic damages. Additional economic damages might include lost income because you missed work due to injuries, and the value of lost or damaged personal property.
Non-economic damages are more complicated because they often do not cost money but are still compensated with money. Evaluating non-economic damages is difficult because they vary not only by case but also by the plaintiff. Your personal experiences connected with the accident (e.g., pain, suffering, humiliation) can be evaluated by analyzing how they impact your daily life. If you are deeply affected by your injuries and trauma, your non-economic damages might be great.
Should I Negotiate a Settlement for My Wilmington, MA Personal Injury Case?
Most civil lawsuits never make it to a courtroom and are resolved through settlement agreements. In a settlement agreement, the defendant agrees to pay you a certain sum of money for your damages, and you agree to drop the lawsuit. How much money you get from a settlement agreement depends on how our Wilmington, MA personal injury lawyers negotiate the deal.
A good settlement does not always cover all your damages, but it should cover most of them. If a settlement would leave you with debts you cannot pay, it is probably not a good settlement. Whether you should take a settlement is a personal decision you should discuss with an attorney. While many plaintiffs would rather take the money and move on with their lives, many others want their day in court.
Call Our Wilmington, MA Personal Injury Lawyers for Help
Personal injury law is hard to pin down because it encompasses many possible accidents and situations. Our Wilmington, MA personal injury attorneys can help you determine if you have a strong case and the best way to get compensation. For a free case review, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407.
