After a serious personal injury, it can be difficult to know where to turn for help. First and foremost, it’s important to find the proper medical care to help you recover from your injuries. If someone else’s carelessness caused your injuries, you may have legal rights. Choosing the right Syracuse personal injury attorney is one of the most important decisions you may ever make.
Experience Matters
The skills and experience of a personal injury attorney will enhance your ability to recover full and fair compensation. Your attorney can help you resolve many important legal issues. Evaluating your damages is the first order of business, and it is vital to obtain and preserve evidence to support your claim. The supporting documentation will include information from medical professionals, financial experts, and independent accident investigators to assist in determining the actual value of your claim. It’s also important to evaluate the long-term impact of the injuries on your income-earning capacity. An attorney who focuses strictly on personal injury cases has the knowledge, insights, and experience to resolve injury claims on favorable terms.
The lawyers at Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates in Syracuse focus exclusively on personal injury and accident claims. We represent people who have been seriously injured through the careless actions of others. These cases may involve a:
- car accident
- truck accident
- motorcycle accident
- medical malpractice claim
- construction accident
- slip and fall
- dog bite
Our lawyers have recovered on behalf of clients millions of dollars in damages. We offer a free case evaluation to assist you. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you will owe no legal fees unless we negotiate a fair settlement or obtain a verdict at trial on your behalf.
Negligence: The Key Legal Element in a Personal Injury Case
All personal injury cases hinge on the legal concept of negligence, which is essentially a failure to exercise reasonable care towards others, as a prudent person would do in similar circumstances, or taking an action that a reasonable person would not do under similar circumstances. For example, a “reasonable person” would not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or drive at an excessive speed, or be distracted by a cell phone while driving. A medical professional would employ the accepted standard of care in treating a patient, as would a similar medical professional in similar circumstances.
The evaluation of your case will involve determining whether another party was negligent in his or her actions. In some cases, a company, hospital or other entity could be held liable in an injury case if systems were not in place to avoid serious errors.
The Value of a Personal Injury Claim
The value of personal injury cases varies widely. Each individual case must be fully reviewed to determine the amount of compensation to seek. Cases of catastrophic injury, such as birth injuries leading to permanent damage for an innocent child, or traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injuries, or injuries in which a person is permanently disfigured, have higher monetary values as the injured individual faces a lifetime of challenges. Personal injury cases have two types of damages, economic and non-economic. Punitive damages may also come into play.
Economic Damages
Economic damages measure the actual economic losses resulting from negligence. They include loss of income from work (present losses and future estimated losses), medical costs, and all associated costs (such as home refits, medical equipment, transportation, medications and the costs of long-term nursing care). These damages must be carefully and thoroughly calculated, based on the number of years the injuries are expected to impact the financial health of the personal injury victim.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are losses that are personal and not easily quantifiable, such as pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and loss of companionship. Seriously injured persons can expect the value of non-economic damages to be high, given the extensive impact of the injuries on them and their loved ones.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, punitive damages may be relevant. Punitive damages are designed to punish the wrongdoer, rather than compensate an injured individual for his or her damages. These damages are paid to a victim when the act of negligence is egregious. Punitive damages are typically determined on the basis of the degree of the harm suffered by the victim.
Years of Experience and Success in Personal Injury Law
At Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, we take on some of the toughest personal injury cases and win. We are completely dedicated to our clients, and are determined to achieve justice. Our firm’s founder has the highest peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell® – AV Preeminent® in personal injury law. We have proven to be powerful advocates for our clients, and we are proud to have achieved justice in many difficult injury cases. Our specific areas of practice include:
Open Communication, Dedication and Professionalism: What We Can Do For You
Regardless of the type of injury and what occurred, you can count on the experienced attorneys at Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates in Syracuse to treat you with compassion and respect, and to aggressively pursue justice for you. Every case we handle commands our full attention. We know how important each case is to each individual client. We work diligently to resolve your case as quickly as possible.
We understand that accident victims need to stay informed about the progress of their case. That’s why we make constant client communication a priority. We keep our clients up-to-date about the status of their cases, and we make ourselves available to answer all questions and concerns. Our goal is to return phone calls and reply to email messages promptly – usually by the end of the day, even on weekends.
Help from an Experienced Syracuse Personal Injury Attorney When It Really Matters
To work with one of our attorneys, contact us today for a free consultation. Call toll free or fill out our online contact form.
When you or someone you love has been harmed by the neglectful actions of others, your life can change in an instant. Our attorneys work hard to get our clients the compensation they deserve so they can move forward after their injury.
To find out how Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates can put its years of legal experience to work for you, contact us today for a free initial evaluation of your case. We handle virtually all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you owe us no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
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Last updated Dec. 5, 2014