Most people think that with the proper preparedness and precautions, they can avoid any and all danger.
While it does pay to be prepared, there may be times in life wherein you simply cannot avoid an accident. In some instances, the negligence of another person can lead to life-changing injuries. In such scenarios, calling Hilton & Somer, LLC personal injury attorneys is necessary in order to get back on your feet financially. The last thing you want to do is suffer in silence from injuries you received due to the negligent actions of another party.
When faced with traumatic injuries, you need to contact the personal injury attorneys at Hilton & Somer, LLC. For many years, we have helped accident victims receive compensation for their injuries. This financial gain is generally used to pay medical bills and help alleviate the monetary strain of having missed work due to traumatic injuries.
Taking on all of the financial burden that usually accompanies a traumatic personal injury can create a lot of problems in your life. With our help, you will be able to get the money you need to start rebuilding your life. We will work tirelessly to ensure that you are able to get the full and fair compensation that you deserve.
Details About Traumatic Personal Injuries
A traumatic personal injury is generally classified as an injury that produces trauma on both a physical and emotional level. There are a number of personal injury cases which include circumstances that can be devastating and make returning to work or even a semblance of normal everyday life nearly impossible.
We have helped numerous individuals suffering from intense traumatic personal injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Injuries to the spine
- Amputated limbs
- Burn injuries
- Loss of hearing
- Vision loss
- Accidents causing paralysis
- Facial injuries that leave severe scarring
Generally, the physical therapy involved throughout the recovery phase of these injuries can be substantial. Most people who experience these types of injuries will have their lives irreparably altered by the limitations they now face.
In most cases, these conditions can put a strain on the victim’s relationships, due in no small part, to the hardship it places on their family and friends. Usually, the treatments required to recover from such injuries can lead the victim down the road toward financial problems. If the injuries are severe enough, where the victim has to stop working altogether, they will find themselves unable to provide for their families without legal help and support.
There are severe cases in which a traumatic personal injury could require a person to undergo round-the-clock treatment, which also creates a massive expenditure that may not be covered fully or at all by healthcare insurance providers. Instead of having to bear the cost for these treatments yourself, you can pursue a personal injury claim against the negligent party in order to receive fair compensation.
The Virginia, Maryland and DC personal injury attorneys at Hilton & Somer, LLC. are passionate about helping victims of traumatic personal injuries in their pursuit of fair monetary compensation. Once we are advised of the circumstances and details of your case, we can give you a legal opinion on what your options are.
Vehicular Accidents in Virginia, Maryland and DC
One of the most common ways traumatic personal injuries are sustained is in a vehicular accident.
In Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, there are financial responsibility laws in place which state that the at-fault driver in a vehicular accident will be burdened with the financial responsibility pertaining to legal injuries suffered by the injured parties on account of his/her negligence. Legal injuries are not limited to physical injuries. You may also use tort law to recover monetary damages for mental, emotional, reputational, and economic loss or harm.
Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia are what is called tort states (or at-fault states) in terms of liability in vehicular accidents. That means that any injured parties involved in a vehicular accident, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, scooter riders and passengers, are within their rights to file a claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party.
However, Virginia, Maryland and DC also follows a doctrine of common law known as contributory negligence, which states that if a person was injured in part due to his/her own negligence (his/her negligence “contributed” to the accident), the injured party would not be entitled to collect any damages (money) from another party who supposedly caused the accident. Under this rule, a badly injured person who was only slightly negligent could not win in court against a very negligent defendant.
If someone dies as the result of a car accident or due to the negligent action of another party, the deceased’s next of kin are within their rights to file suit against the negligent party. This is called a wrongful death action and is used by families to receive compensation for the loss of their loved one, particularly if the deceased was the main financial provider in the home. The damages that can be recovered in a wrongful death case include economic damages, such as medical costs, funeral costs, the loss of the decedent’s financial contributions, and noneconomic damages that can include compensation for grief and the loss of companionship.
That’s why it is so important to obtain good legal advice immediately following a vehicular accident. The burden is on the plaintiff (the injured party) to prove that they were not contributorily negligent (they didn’t contribute at all to the accident) and that the defendant (the other party) was a 100% at fault.
Why You Need to Act Quickly Following Your Accident
Another reason for contacting our personal injury attorneys immediately following your accident is to find out when the statute of limitation expires in your case (the maximum time set after an event) within which a legal proceeding may be initiated or the claim is settled. When the time specified in a statute of limitations passes, a claim might no longer be filed and waiting too long could cause you to miss out on the opportunity to collect fair compensation for your injuries.
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia is as follows:
- Virginia: Two years from the date of the accident or injury to file a claim/lawsuit or settle the case.
- Maryland: Three years from the date of the accident or injury to file a claim/lawsuit or settle the case.
- District of Columbia: Three years from the date of the accident or injury to file a claim/lawsuit or settle the case.
How We Help
We provide consultations to all of our prospective clients and help you determine the best legal course of action by laying out the best and worst case scenario.
The first step in the process once we are brought on board is determining who was liable for your injuries and how we can prove that. This is especially important in Virginia, Maryland, and in the District of Columbia because of the contributory negligence rules. We must establish that the negligent party was at fault (whether a doctor failed to provide the standard of care; a driver not obeying the rules of the road; a dog owner not obeying leash laws, a faulty product caused an injury, etc.) We then notify the other party of our representation and start gathering all pertinent documentation and evidence necessary to determine the damages in your case.
We must establish that the injuries suffered and all economic damages such as cost of medical care, loss of income as well as the pain and suffering were proximately caused by the accident and the negligence of the party at fault. Once all medical treatment is completed and you are recovered from the injuries sustained in the accident, we present your claim to the insurance company and start the negotiation process.
Why You Need Hilton & Somer, LLC. On Your Side
Our law firm has helped countless injury victims and can do the same for you. Attempting to handle these complex claims on your own may lead to you being under compensated or losing out on damages altogether. Our Virginia, Maryland and DC personal injury attorneys will help to make sure that you get the fair settlement you are entitled to.
Contact us today at 703-560-0700 and schedule a consultation to find out more about how we can help you. Don’t suffer in silence, call us now and get the help you need.
