Personal Injury Attorney in Salem, Va.

Suffering a serious personal injury in a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, defective product failure, or other accident can be expensive as well as life-altering. A personal injury costs the victim medical expenses as well as lost income during their recovery. In a car accident, there are costs to repair or replace a vehicle, as well.

The Salem personal injury attorneys at Lichtenstein Law Group PLC assist individuals and families in the area who have been harmed by others’ negligence and recklessness. Founding attorney John E. Lichtenstein has successfully resolved hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death.

If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in such an accident, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. The statute of limitations in Virginia for filing most personal injury claims is two years. The clock begins ticking from the date you were injured.

Contact our experienced Salem personal injury lawyers if you have suffered serious harm in an accident that was someone else’s fault. Our injury lawyers in Salem, VA, investigate and prepare each case thoroughly. That careful approach gives us an advantage at the negotiating table and in the courtroom.

For a free case review, contact us today.

What Are the Most Common Types of Personal Injuries in Salem, Virginia?

A serious personal injury can change the victim and his or her family forever. The injured individual suffers not just physically but also emotionally, psychologically, and financially. A family dealing with the new reality of a temporarily or permanently disabled loved one goes through shock, anger, frustration, and grief.

The types of personal injury cases that the Salem injury lawyers at the Lichtenstein Law Group most commonly deal with include:

• Head and traumatic brain injury: The brain damage caused by a blow to the head can cause loss of physical abilities as well as changes in cognitive functioning. In the most severe cases, the person may be left paralyzed or in a vegetative state. The victim may require assistance with basic daily tasks. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in falls, motorcycle accidents, car and truck accidents, sports accidents, bicycle accidents, and workplace accidents.
• Broken bones: Fractures of the hip, pelvis, arms, legs, or other bones can lead to lasting problems with mobility, loss of function, and ongoing pain. As we age, our bones take longer to heal from fractures and may not fully heal. Among the elderly, a broken hip may lead to loss of mobility. Broken bones are common in car accidents, pedestrian accidents and other motor vehicle accidents, falls from heights, and workplace accidents.
• Spinal cord injury: Catastrophic injuries to the back or neck can damage the spinal cord and leave a person partially or totally paralyzed. These injuries typically occur in car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, falls, water sports accidents, and acts of violence, particularly gunshots.
• Burn injuries: An individual can be burned by accidents involving open flames, hot liquids, explosions, electricity, toxic chemicals, or radiation. Severe burns can damage skin, muscles, bones, and nerves, causing permanent disfigurement and excruciating pain. Burn victims are also at high risk for infections. Burn injuries occur in house fires, daycare, and other domestic accidents, industrial workplace accidents, and motor vehicle accidents.
• Internal organ damage: Internal organs are injured by sharp blows, penetrating wounds, or crush injuries. Injuries such as collapsed lungs, a ruptured spleen, and damaged kidneys, liver, or bowels require emergency surgery and can be fatal. Internal organ damage may result from motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents, workplace accidents, sports injuries, and violence.
• Amputation: Severe accidents can cause the loss of a body part or serious injury to a limb that ultimately leads to surgical amputation. Accident victims may lose a limb or other body parts in motor vehicle accidents, industrial workplace accidents, and severe burn injuries.
• Loss of eyesight or hearing: Any injury that results in the loss of vision or hearing is life-altering. Hearing loss is often a cumulative workplace injury but can also occur because of a single blast of loud noise, such as due to an explosion or a product malfunction. Loss of eyesight can be caused by penetrating injury, such as a motor vehicle accident.
• Car accidents: A car accident lawyer can provide invaluable legal guidance and representation to individuals involved in vehicular collisions. They assist in navigating complex insurance claims, ensuring clients receive fair compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Moreover, these lawyers advocate for their clients’ rights, helping them seek justice and holding negligent parties accountable for their actions.
• Truck accidents: A truck accident lawyer offers specialized legal expertise to individuals affected by collisions involving commercial vehicles. They meticulously investigate the circumstances of the accident, gathering evidence to support their client’s case and determine liability. These attorneys negotiate with insurance companies and, if necessary, litigate in court to secure just compensation for medical bills, lost income, and other damages incurred as a result of the truck accident.

How Does the Statute of Limitations Affect Personal Injury Claims in Salem, Virginia?

Virginia’s civil law imposes a time limit on filing a personal injury lawsuit. This law is known as the Statute of Limitations. In most cases, it is two years from the date of the injury. In others, such as a discovered injury that was not initially apparent, the deadline would be two years from when the injury was discovered or diagnosed.

While two years seems like a long time, it is not necessarily. A personal injury claim requires an investigation of the accident to determine liable parties and investigating liable parties to determine whether they have insurance company policies that can be accessed to provide compensation through an injury claim. There is a multi-step process for filing a claim. Most importantly, time is required for the injured to be treated and recover to have a full understanding of the extent of the victim’s injuries and the impacts on his or her life.

It is best to begin the process by contacting a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after a serious accident. At Lichtenstein Law Group, we do not charge hourly fees in personal injury cases. We do not charge any legal fee unless we recover money for you. Contact our Salem personal injury attorney today.

How Is Fault Proven in Virginia Personal Injury Cases?

Our attorneys will need to show by a preponderance of evidence that the defendant was at fault and liable for your injuries to establish a basis for you to receive compensation. Our legal team includes highly experienced trial attorneys. But we settle most cases without a trial by compiling solid evidence and negotiating aggressively with insurers to reach a settlement.

In general, personal injury lawyers must be able to demonstrate that:

• The defendant was negligent, reckless, and/or broke the law and caused an accident or intentional harm
• The accident caused your injury

Further, we need to show what compensation the plaintiff is due, which may include money for:

• Medical care costs and related expenses
• Ongoing and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and benefits
• Diminished earning capacity
• Other costs and expenses, such as property damage in a car accident
• Pain and suffering, mental anguish and inconvenience
• Disfigurement or scarring
• Wrongful death, when appropriate.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Salem, VA

The Salem, Virginia, personal injury lawyers of the law firm of Lichtenstein Law Group PLC have the experience and dedication to help you in a claim for compensation from an auto accident, workplace accident, defective product injury, other accident injuries, medical malpractice, or wrongful death. Our thorough preparation of each case gives us an advantage in negotiations and, if necessary, in court.

If you need a Salem personal injury lawyer, your next steps are to contact us at 540-685-1075 or online today for a free, no-obligation discussion of your personal injury case.