Personal Injury FAQ
You will have many questions if you’ve been injured in an accident in Louisville, Kentucky. The experienced Louisville personal injury attorneys at Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery have the necessary answers.
What is a Personal Injury Case?
A personal injury claim gives you the right to pursue compensation from another party when their intentional or negligent actions cause you to get hurt.
You might have a personal injury case if:
- You were injured in a motor vehicle accident because someone else was careless
- You got hurt on someone else’s property
- You got hurt while working in Louisville, KY
- Someone you love was killed in an avoidable accident
- You were injured by a defective product
- You were the victim of an intentional act of violence
Personal injury cases can be based on negligence, strict liability, and/or intentionally harmful conduct. The basis for your claim will dictate what you’ll have to prove to win. For instance, if your claim is based on negligence, you’ll need to prove that someone else breached a duty of care that was owed to you and, as a result, caused you to get hurt.
Winning a personal injury case allows you to recover compensatory damages for your financial losses and pain and suffering.
What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
Personal injury lawyers represent individuals who have been injured or lost family members as a result of:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Dog bites
- Premises liability incidents
- Defective products (product liability)
- Birth injury
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Negligent security
- Assault and battery
- Sexual assault
- Airplane accidents
- Wrongful death
A personal injury attorney in Louisville can help you file a personal injury lawsuit, pursue benefits through an employer’s workers’ compensation policy, or seek disability benefits from the government.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Most Louisville personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs to get the help you need. The law firm fronts the expenses needed to litigate your case. You only pay when the attorney wins compensation for your personal injury claim.
The attorney’s fees – and other case-related expenses – come right out of your financial recovery. Depending on the case and the attorney, you can expect attorney’s fees to equal roughly 30 to 40 percent of your settlement or jury award.
It’s important to discuss fees with an attorney during a free consultation. Some firms calculate their fee based on your gross recovery, while others use the net recovery to determine their cut. How the fee is calculated can affect how much money you’re able to walk away with when your case is resolved.
How Much is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Many factors can influence the amount of money your personal injury case might be worth.
- What kind of accident were you in?
- What injuries have you suffered?
- Are your injuries catastrophic?
- What type of medical treatment do you need?
- Will you require long-term care or treatment?
- Are you able to work?
- Has your income changed?
- Has there been a change in your earning capacity?
- What out-of-pocket costs have you experienced?
- Do you share responsibility for the accident?
- What steps did you take to mitigate your damages?
- Did the accident aggravate a pre-existing injury?
- How old are you?
- How has the accident affected your quality of life?
The more serious your injuries and the more your accident has changed your life, the more you can typically expect to get when your personal injury case is resolved.
It’s best to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Louisville to help you pursue compensation. You won’t want to let the insurance company dictate the terms of your case or tell you what it’s worth. Your lawyer will protect you and help you seek the true value of your legal claim.
What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
Think of your personal injury lawyer as your personal advocate. They’ll handle the ins and outs of your personal injury claim, giving you the time to focus on improving.
Expect your attorney to:
- Carefully investigate the circumstances of your personal injury case
- Evaluate evidence that’s obtained through investigations and the discovery process
- Depose eyewitnesses and other parties to your case
- Consult experts and specialists
- Anticipate and defend against allegations of comparative negligence
- Prepare a persuasive legal claim for damages that’s designed to help you maximize your recovery
- File your claim with the local court and/or insurance company
- Serve the defense with copies of your lawsuit
- Represent you during all hearings and settlement conferences
- Aggressively pursue a maximum settlement during negotiations
- Offer advice to help you make informed decisions about your case
- Bring your personal injury lawsuit to trial if you’re not offered a reasonable settlement
When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you don’t just put an experienced litigator in your corner. You’ll also benefit from the law firm’s considerable resources and network of expert witnesses. As a result, you can set yourself up to walk away with a life-changing financial award.
Is There a Deadline For Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, a one-year statute of limitations applies to most personal injury cases. The one-year clock begins to run on the date of an accident or victim’s wrongful death.
However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For example, cases involving auto accidents are subject to a two-year deadline.
It’s crucial to seek legal advice as soon as possible. You must file your legal claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Once time expires, you lose the opportunity to demand accountability for your losses.
Trusted Louisville Personal Injury Lawyers Ready to Fight For You
You don’t have to struggle with the consequences of an accident in Louisville, Kentucky, on your own. If you’ve been injured because someone else was negligent, now is the time to call Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery.
Our Louisville personal injury lawyers have decades of combined experience handling tough cases like yours. We’ve helped our clients win hundreds of millions in compensation. Let us fight for you, too. Contact our law office in Louisville, KY, to schedule a time for your free consultation at (502) 540 5700.