Wilkes-Barre Personal Injury Lawyers

If someone else's negligence caused an injury that needed medical treatment, it is almost always worth a free case review. Most Pennsylvania personal injury claims never become lawsuits — they settle with the at-fault party's insurer — and our attorneys work on contingency, so finding out what your claim is worth costs nothing. Two Pennsylvania rules matter: you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and if you chose limited tort on your own auto policy you generally need a serious injury to claim pain and suffering after a car crash.

Pennsylvania gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524). In practice you should talk to a lawyer within days, not months: crash-camera footage is overwritten, witnesses move, and insurers push for recorded statements early. Claims involving a government vehicle or road defect require written notice within six months. Speaking with an attorney before you give any statement or sign anything protects the value of your claim.

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers typically charge a contingency fee of one-third of the recovery if the case settles before a lawsuit is filed, and up to 40% if it goes into litigation. The percentage is agreed in writing before any work begins, you pay nothing up front, and if there is no recovery you owe no attorney fee. We review the fee agreement line by line at your free consultation.

An insurer's first offer is calculated to close your file cheaply, usually before the full extent of your injuries is known. Once you sign a release you cannot reopen the claim, even if you need surgery later. An attorney documents future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering, and negotiates with the leverage of a possible lawsuit. Injured people with legal representation consistently recover more, even after the fee.

There is no average — the value of a Pennsylvania car accident claim is driven by your medical bills (past and future), lost wages, the permanence of your injuries, how clearly the other driver was at fault, and the insurance available. Pennsylvania's minimum liability coverage is only $15,000 per person, so we also examine underinsured-motorist coverage, employer liability, and other sources. Every case is valued on its own facts.

Nothing — your conversations with your attorney are privileged, and the only thing that hurts a case is a surprise. Tell us about prior injuries, earlier claims, pre-existing conditions, and anything you have posted on social media since the accident. Insurers will find these things, and a lawyer who knows about them in advance can deal with them; one who learns about them from the defense cannot.

You must prove four things by a preponderance of the evidence: the other party owed you a duty of care, breached it, that breach caused your injury, and you suffered damages. Under Pennsylvania's modified comparative negligence rule, you win as long as your share of fault is 50% or less, with your award reduced by that share. Strength comes from evidence gathered early — police reports, medical records, photographs, and witness statements — which is why the vast majority of well-documented claims settle without a trial.