When you’re injured in a serious accident, you may be left with significant medical bills, lost income due to the inability to work, physical pain, as well as lost quality of life. When someone else was responsible for causing your injuries, you should not have to shoulder the financial consequences on your own. An Abingdon personal injury lawyer from Arrington Schelin can help you demand justice for what you’ve been through.
For more than 40 years, our personal injury law firm has fought to protect the rights and interests of accident victims like you. We have extensive experience handling many types of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on motor vehicle accident claims. Our legal team will work tirelessly to identify and pursue all possible sources of compensation in your case. We will also provide the support and guidance you need for your physical and emotional recovery.
Reach out to us today for a free initial case review with a knowledgeable Abingdon personal injury lawyer. We do not charge any fees upfront to begin work on your case. In fact, you only pay attorney fees if we recover money for you.
What Do You Have to Prove in a Personal Injury Claim?
To successfully recover compensation in a personal injury claim, you must prove that someone else’s negligent actions or failure to act caused your accident. You must also show that the accident left you with injuries and losses for which you can be compensated.
For example, if someone drives under the influence and causes an accident, the crash victim may be entitled to pursue payment from the impaired driver and his or her insurance company. Through a personal injury claim, the accident victim may seek compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
How Can Our Abingdon Personal Injury Lawyers Help You?
The experienced Abingdon personal injury lawyers at Arrington Schelin can help you pursue a legal claim if you have been injured in accidents such as:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boating accidents
- RV accidents
- ATV accidents
Do not hesitate to get the straightforward legal advice you need after a serious accident. Contact us now for a free consultation.
How Much Is Your Personal Injury Claim Worth?
A personal injury claim enables you to pursue compensation for the expenses and losses you have suffered due to your injuries. Financial recovery in your case may include:
- Reimbursement of medical expenses, including hospital bills, surgeries and other medical procedures, prescription drugs, doctors’ appointments, physical therapy, and purchases of medical or mobility assistance equipment
- Expenses for home health services or long-term care required if you suffer disabilities because of your injuries
- Past, ongoing, and future lost wages or income
- Lost future earning ability if you cannot work due to injuries or permanent disability
- Physical pain and emotional distress or trauma
- Loss of enjoyment or quality of life due to disfigurement, scarring, or physical disabilities that interfere with daily living
Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Claims in Virginia
Under Virginia law, the statute of limitations on personal injury claims generally gives you only two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit seeking compensation. If you wait until after the statute of limitations has run out, you will lose your right to seek financial recovery.
Building a personal injury case takes time. The sooner you speak with a Abingdon personal injury attorney, the better off you will be.
Steps to Take to Protect Your Rights After an Accident in Washington County
When you’ve suffered injuries in an accident caused by someone else, you can take certain actions to protect your legal rights and to begin the process of pursuing a personal injury claim. Steps to take after an accident in Washington County include:
- Recording or documenting any important information or evidence from the accident scene, including taking photos or videos, getting eyewitness contact information, and preserving physical evidence from the accident
- Seeking medical attention as soon as possible so a doctor can examine you and identify any injuries you sustained
- Following all treatment recommendations and instructions your medical provider gives you
- Keeping copies of all medical bills and invoices or other receipts for purchases or services, as well as copies of your income records if you miss time from work after an accident
- Refraining from giving a written or recorded statement to any insurance adjusters who contact you
- Staying off social media, as even seemingly innocent posts could hurt your case
- Speaking with a trusted Abingdon personal injury lawyer at Arrington Schelin to go over your options and next steps for pursuing a claim for compensation
Common Types of Catastrophic Injury Cases
At Arrington Schelin, our attorneys have a proven record of helping clients make a financial, physical, and emotional recovery from catastrophic injuries. Some of the common types of injuries we see include:
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Traumatic amputation
- Facial injuries
Personal Injury FAQs
Do you have questions about your personal injury case? Here are some of the most common questions we receive. However, when you’re ready, we’re here to address all of your questions in a free case review.
Abingdon Personal Injury Lawyer
When do you need a personal injury lawyer?
You should talk to a personal injury lawyer in Abingdon as soon as possible after an accident. By retaining an attorney as quickly as possible, you give your lawyer the best opportunity to investigate your case and recover evidence before it is lost or before people’s memories fade. Even if you are not sure whether you have a case, you should contact an attorney for a free consultation.
What should I say if an insurance adjuster contacts me?
If an insurance adjuster contacts you after an accident and asks you for a statement, politely decline and request that they speak to your Abingdon personal injury lawyer instead. Insurance adjusters are highly experienced in obtaining statements or other information from victims that they can potentially use to deny a claim or offer minimal compensation. Your personal injury lawyer can provide the insurance adjuster with the information they need while also protecting your rights and interests.
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?
At Arrington Schelin, we represent personal injury victims on a contingency-fee basis. This means that you will not need to pay any money upfront to hire us for your case. Instead, we are paid only if we secure compensation for you in a settlement or at trial. If we do win compensation for you, we get paid an agreed-upon percentage of the total financial recovery we have obtained in your case.
How is pain and suffering calculated in Virginia?
Compensation for pain and suffering is not calculated according to any specific formula. Instead, the amount of compensation for pain and suffering is usually based on the severity of injuries you sustained in an accident. When you have suffered serious or catastrophic injuries, you are usually presumed to have experienced greater pain and suffering. Insurance companies also rely on prior jury verdicts in personal injury cases similar to yours to estimate what a jury would award for pain and suffering in your case.
Is a personal injury settlement taxable?
Personal injury settlements based on physical injuries are normally not considered taxable at the state or federal level. The compensation obtained in a personal injury claim constitutes reimbursement of losses that you have sustained due to your injuries, rather than taxable income. However, certain specific types of compensation may be taxed, so don’t hesitate to talk to your attorney about what to expect.
How Our Abingdon Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help with Your Case
Pursuing a personal injury claim can seem complex and intimidating if you have not had any experience with the legal system. The Abingdon personal injury attorneys of Arrington Schelin can help you with all the aspects of your claim, including:
- Investigating the accident that caused your injuries to preserve all possible evidence
- Identifying liable parties and potential sources of compensation, such as insurance coverages
- Preparing your formal claim, including working with expert witnesses to build persuasive arguments to support your case
- Handling communications and settlement negotiations with the insurance companies and at-fault parties to demand maximum compensation for you
- Advocating for you at trial if that is the best option for obtaining fair and full compensation
If you were harmed by someone else’s negligence or recklessness, contact Arrington Schelin today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an Abingdon personal injury attorney. We’re here to help you determine the best path for pursuing the compensation you need and deserve.