Since its founding, Stapp Law, LLC has been a leader in resolving personal injury matters in greater Williamsport and throughout central Pennsylvania. Over the past 20 years, we have successfully represented thousands of clients with injury cases and recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.
If you have been injured in an accident or incident in central Pennsylvania that wasn’t your fault or that you believe negligence caused, you can rest assured that a Williamsport personal injury lawyer from Stapp Law, LLC can help you get the compensation you need to recover. We have the proven experience your case requires and the tenacity and dedication to see your case through to the end. Let us give you the legal and financial help you need so you can focus on your recovery and returning your life back to normal.
What Qualifies as a Personal Injury?
The term “personal injury” refers to bodily injury that resulted from an accident or incident, but it can also include mental harm as well as emotional pain and suffering. We generally refer to a personal injury as an injury that’s serious in nature—to the degree that one requires hospitalization, extended medical care, and a large amount of time off work.
In order to file a personal injury lawsuit, the injury must have been caused by one of the following:
- Negligence. Negligence is the most common reason for filing a personal injury claim. When an accident or injury is caused by someone’s failure to behave within a reasonable level of care that someone else would have exercised under the same circumstances, we say they are negligent. Examples of negligence include a driver who caused an accident by texting and driving or a doctor who commits malpractice after forgetting to check a patient’s medical record.
- Strict Liability. Strict liability typically only happens in instances of product liability and premises liability, when an individual or company is legally liable for products having defects, for instance.
- Intentional Wrongdoing. In certain cases, it may be possible for a victim of battery, assault, or another intentional crime to bring forward personal injury charges in addition to criminal charges.
By filing a personal injury claim with the help of an experienced attorney, an injured individual and their family may be able to receive compensation that can go toward their medical bills, other costs of recovery, lost wages, and more. This compensation can make a significant difference in someone’s recovery.
Additionally, filing a claim holds the individual or party that acted negligently or committed a wrongdoing accountable for their actions. Accountability creates change. A company that is held liable, for example, for knowingly selling defective products, will likely not repeat the same mistake. Hundreds and even thousands of consumers might be protected from possible harm.
Personal Injury Claims We Handle
At Stapp Law, LLC, we handle the following personal injury claims in Williamsport as well as throughout central Pennsylvania:
- Auto Accidents, including
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Wrongful Death
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Workers’ Compensation
- Work Injury
Additionally, we’re happy to help clients in nearby Lewisburg and Danville, or elsewhere in Lycoming County.
If you feel you have a potential claim but do not see it listed above, we encourage you to get in touch with us regardless. We may still be able to help you with your case or refer you to someone who can. We work hard to make sure we help everyone who reaches out to our office.
The Process of Building a Strong Claim
With a personal injury lawyer on your side, an investigation can begin that may uncover critical information leading to a successful claim. A typical claim process will begin by carefully examining the following:
- The circumstances of the accident. What happened exactly when the accident occurred? Your attorney will examine all the evidence and documents surrounding the accident and piece together who should be held liable and why. In the case of a car accident, for example, this may include looking at cell phone data to see if the other driver was using their phone at the time of the wreck or looking for other factors that might have caused the accident such as road debris or obstructed road signage.
- Your medical providers’ advice. Your caregivers, such as the emergency room doctor, an orthopedist, a plastic surgeon and/or other physicians, will determine your condition through various methods, including medical imaging and clinical evaluations. They may recommend surgery, therapy, medication and/or rest. They will likely ask you to return periodically for further evaluations and updates. Along the way, it’s important to know what they recommend and to document your compliance with their suggestions.
- Rehabilitation. You may require medical equipment and supplies, a modified van, and/or modifications to your home while you recover from your injuries. Your attorney may consult with a life care planner to determine likely costs of what you will need as you recover. This will assist with the creation of a claim for the compensation you need.
- Your healing progress and process. Sometimes time is the best indicator of how you will likely improve after a serious injury. For example, if you suffered a brain or spine injury, you may need extensive rest and healing time before your doctors are able to predict your ultimate outcome. Vigilant medical experts and legal counsel go hand in hand. Your attorney will speak to medical experts who will be able to determine what your healing process will likely look like, how to maximize your healing process, and what kind of compensation will best aid it.
- Your total losses. Your total losses after a serious injury amount to more than your medical bills and lost wages. Your family may need to pay other people to do household duties that you used to take care of. Your parent-child relationships may suffer because you can no longer care for your young children or your aging parents as you used to. An experienced personal injury lawyer can compile these facts and translate them into a persuasive case on your behalf.
- Possible sources of compensation. Insurance companies cannot always be trusted. If you have reason to believe your insurance company is withholding information about the other party or offering you an unfair settlement offer, a skilled personal injury attorney will be able to find out all the details behind the scenes and work with insurers to make sure you get compensation from every source you’re able to. We work with insurers every day and understand how these companies are run.
After all these points are investigated, we will be able to put together as strong of a personal injury claim as possible. At Stapp Law, LLC, we know and work with local insurance offices and medical offices and professionals in Williamsport, PA on an everyday basis and can use this knowledge to make sure you and your family are able to get the compensation you need to move forward.
Many personal injury lawsuits are settled outside of the courtroom, but we prepare every case with the expectation that we may need to take the case all the way to a jury trial. You can rest assured that you will have an aggressive and skilled advocate in the courtroom if it is needed.
Possible Compensation Awarded from a Personal Injury Claim
In the state of Pennsylvania, the financial compensation you may be able to receive from a successful personal injury claim is broken down into two categories based on the damages, or costs, that you have had to pay or endure:
- Economic Damages. These are expenses that can be objectively calculated and include hospital bills, medical equipment, therapy and rehabilitation costs, medication costs, property damage, lost income, and funeral and burial costs.
- Noneconomic Damages. These are more difficult to quantify but can still be calculated by an attorney. They include damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, and consortium (the loss of a relationship, like a marital relationship).
To file a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania, you will need to file within the state’s statute of limitations. This is the time limit you must file a claim in from the date of the accident or injury. The Pennsylvania statute of limitations is two years in most situations.
We Put Your Needs First
At Stapp Law, LLC, we understand that you have many options when researching lawyers in Williamsport, PA. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions about how we can potentially help or our services. We offer zero-pressure, no-obligation consultations at our office right in downtown Williamsport.
