Whether you were injured in a car accident, slip and fall, workplace accident, or any other type of accident or event, you may have a personal injury claim for your injuries and damages. Some accidents are nothing more than accidents that cannot be prevented, but many accidents and resulting injuries are caused by someone’s negligent or reckless conduct. An experienced personal injury attorney can review the details of your accident and discuss your legal options.
If you or someone you care about has been injured due to the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to compensation. At Tiano O’Dell, PLLC, we are dedicated to helping clients secure the compensation they deserve. Find out how we can help you by contacting our law office today. Providing convenient and affordable legal services is important to us, so our attorneys offer no-cost and no-obligation consultations and case evaluations.
Our Personal Injury Practice
- Our attorneys have committed their services to help injured members of the community. We believe that when someone’s wrongful conduct harms an innocent person, justice should be served. We help determine liability and pursue maximum compensation for our clients from all responsible parties.
- In addition to free consultations and case evaluations, we never charge our clients up-front attorneys’ fees. We take every case on contingency so that we are not paid until we have helped you win your claim. You will never have to pay out-of-pocket for our legal fees.
- Our attorneys are widely recognized and respected for being dedicated legal advocates who get results for our clients. Communicating with our clients, getting to know them, and understanding how we can best help them is a hallmark of our practice. We provide personalized legal services for every client.
What Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Morgantown, West Virginia
“Personal injury” is a legal term used to describe physical injuries to a person’s body as well as psychological and emotional damages a person may suffer. You will most commonly see the term personal injury when a person has been injured due to someone else’s negligent conduct. Personal injury compensation often includes medical expenses, future medical expenses, lost earnings, lost future earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages sustained.
Personal injury cases arise in various ways. Our attorneys have more than two decades of experience handling all types of personal injury cases in Morgantown and across West Virginia. We frequently represent clients in the following types of injury cases:
- Car accidents – Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries and death. Every driver on the road has a duty to operate cautiously and follow the rules of the road. When accidents happen, at-fault drivers and their insurance companies should be held accountable.
- Medical malpractice – Medical malpractice cases involve negligent medical professionals and practices. These cases often involve complexities that are unique to medical negligence cases. If you believe you were a victim of medical negligence, an experienced medical malpractice attorney can help.
- Pedestrian accidents – Pedestrians are vulnerable, and automobile drivers have a duty to exercise caution when pedestrians are present and to yield to the pedestrian’s right of way. Unfortunately, when a pedestrian accident occurs, injuries are often severe.
- Commercial truck accidents – Semi-trucks and other large commercial trucks transporting cargo can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Their size and mass can cause catastrophic and deadly injuries in an accident. Truck accidents are different than regular car accident cases, and there are unique rules and regulations that apply to truck drivers and their employers.
- Bicycle accidents – Like pedestrians, bicyclists are in a vulnerable position when sharing the road with automobiles. Bicycle accidents often occur as a result of vehicles passing too closely, failing to respect bicyclists’ rights, and failing to comply with the rules of the road.
- Construction site accidents – Thousands of people are injured each year in construction site accidents. Falls, burns, defective tools and equipment, and being struck by objects and vehicles are some of the most common causes of construction site injuries.
- Premises liability – Property owners and managers are responsible for maintaining their property and protecting guests and visitors from dangerous conditions. Premises liability injuries can occur anywhere outside of your own property, such as in retail stores, private residences, businesses, schools, and on public property.
- Dog bites – Dog bites are a unique type of premises liability claim. Whether you are bitten by a dog when you were a guest at someone’s house, in a public place, or anywhere else, with few exceptions, dog owners are generally responsible for their pets’ actions and resulting injuries.
- Wrongful death – Wrongful death claims arise when a personal injury accident results in fatal injuries. Surviving family members may seek compensation under a wrongful death claim for their losses, such as funeral expenses and loss of the decedent’s financial support.
- Catastrophic injury accidents – Severe burns, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and brain injuries are some of the catastrophic injury cases we handle. If you suffered catastrophic injuries in an accident, it is critical to have an attorney who knows how to handle these cases. These are typically high-value cases that require sophisticated medical knowledge and experts who can help value and prove your claim.
- Children’s injuries – Every parent wants to protect their children at all times. Unfortunately, parents cannot prevent every injury, especially when they are the result of someone else’s misconduct. Common types of child injuries include bicycle accidents, playground accidents, school injuries, car accidents, swimming pool injuries, and poisoning.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle accidents are often caused by one or more of the following factors: distracted driving, speed, failure to yield, improper lane changes, and intoxicated driving.
- Nursing home abuse – Nursing home abuse is unfortunately common, and it can also be difficult to detect. If you believe your loved one may be the victim of nursing home abuse, an experienced attorney can help investigate your claim and protect your loved one.
- Products liability – Manufacturers and sellers have a duty to ensure that their products are safe for consumer use and that appropriate warnings and instructions are included. If you were injured by a dangerous or defective product, you might have a products liability claim for compensation.
- Camp Lejeune water contamination – If you now reside in West Virginia, but were affected by exposure to toxic compounds while living or working at Camp Lejeune, we can help.
What Does a Morgantown Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
For most personal injury cases, the injured victim will likely need to use an attorney to help proceed with their case. Personal injury cases can become incredibly complex. They often involve extensive investigations to determine the liability of the at-fault party. Your personal injury attorney will be responsible for:
- Obtaining all evidence that relates to the case, including accident reports, eyewitness statements, photo and video surveillance, and more.
- Obtaining your medical records and having them thoroughly evaluated by a trusted medical professional.
- Working with expert economic witnesses to determine the full extent of your losses, including lost income.
- Negotiating with all parties in order to obtain a settlement that covers all of your expenses or preparing the case to go to trial if necessary.
How Can You Achieve Maximum Compensation?
Your first step in achieving maximum compensation for your personal injury case is ensuring that you receive medical attention as soon as possible after an incident. Not only does this ensure your own well-being, but it establishes a link between the incident and your injuries.
Your next step is securing a knowledgeable and experienced Morgantown personal injury attorney immediately. Most individuals who are injured due to another person’s negligence do not have the resources or experience to take on an insurance carrier or other party in a personal injury case. An attorney will have professional resources to handle complex personal injury cases.
You will need to follow the advice of your attorney throughout the entire case. This will include following all doctor’s orders and going to all follow up medical visits. A significant portion of your compensation will revolve around your injuries and medical expenses. By continuing medical care until you are fully recovered, you are showing all parties involved the extent of your injuries.
What Type of Compensation is Available?
There are various types of compensation available to those who are injured due to another person’s careless or negligent actions. This includes both economic and non-economic damages such as the following:
- all medical expenses related to the injury (past, present, and future)
- lost income and benefits if you cannot work while you recover
- pain and suffering damages
- general household expenses
- possible punitive damages against a grossly negligent party
How Long Will it Take For My Personal Injury Case to Settle?
Our clients often want to know how long their case will take, and our answer is that it depends because each case is different. Once we learn about your case and review the evidence, we will be able to give you a better idea of how the legal process will work and how long your case will take to conclude. Several factors impact the amount of time your case will take to resolve, including:
- If fault and liability are disputed
- The extent of your injuries and damages
- Whether or not your case settles
- If your case goes to trial
- How many defendants and insurance companies are involved
Contact Our Morgantown, WV Personal Injury Attorneys
If you or someone you care about is suffering from a personal injury, contact the West Virginia personal injury lawyers at Tiano O’Dell, PLLC as soon as possible. You can request a free consultation online or by calling us at (304) 720-6700.