Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

HELPING PHILLY INJURY VICTIMS

Get The Compensation They Deserve

Whatever their cause, unintentional injuries can be life-changing, both in terms of health and quality of life. The CDC puts the number of physician office visits for unintentional injuries at 39.5 million per year. Of this total, over 60,000 people under the age of 45 die as a result of these injuries — with nearly twice as many deaths for this age bracket as from cancer and heart disease combined.

The tragic truth is that, while many of these deaths and injuries were sustained unintentionally, there is often still someone whose negligence or wrongful actions are ultimately responsible. Because of this fact, it is imperative that you seek out proper legal advice to determine if negligence was behind your accident and subsequent injuries. 

The victims of unintentional injuries often do not know where to turn when it is time to assert their rights. Luckily, Thistle Law maintains a team that is well-versed in the ins and outs of personal injury cases, with a unique history and winning track record.

If you are seeking top-level expertise and care in your case, contact The Thistle Law Firm now at 215-525-6824.

What Do You Need to Know Before Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer?

In the aftermath of a serious accident, you may be dealing with doctors offices, insurance agencies, and mounting costs from missed hours at work. If you’ve never worked with a lawyer before, it can be daunting to understand how to go about finding the right lawyer to help you with your case, in the midst of dealing with a growing list of other new concerns.

A few questions you might want to ask any perspective lawyer you are thinking of hiring might be:

  • What areas of law do you specialize in?
  • Have you ever handled a case similar to mine, and what was the outcome? 
  • How long have you been handling these types of cases?
  • How often will you be communicating with me about my case, and can I contact you directly if needed?
  • Would you be willing to take my case to court if I do not agree to the settlement offered by the insurance company?
  • What are the terms of your legal services agreement and fees you charge?

Remember, if a lawyer contacts you about your case before you reach out to them, be wary – it is against the rules set forth by the American Bar Association for attorneys to solicit business in this way, unless they have some sort of personal or professional relationship with you prior to the accident.

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

Most experienced personal injury lawyers will be working on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not owe them anything unless there is a recovery. Upon recovery, a legal fee will be charged based on a percentage of the gross amount recovered for you. This will usually range between 27-45% of your gross recovery, with the average percentage hovering around 33%. 

The percentage charged for a legal fee will be influenced by the complexity and litigation risk of your case. Personal injury lawsuits have a wide range of costs – a small car accident lawsuit may cost less than a thousand dollars, but complex and serious personal injury cases can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to finance. The contingency fee also provides motivation for your lawyer to win your case, and can give you peace of mind knowing that the lawyer believes your case is worth pursuing.

How Long Does it Take a Personal Injury Case to Settle?

After an accident, the insurance company handling your claim may pressure you to accept a settlement quickly. While this may be tempting, it is not always in your best interest to take the first offer. Some injuries may take months or even years to heal, and you will want to have a firm understanding of the true cost the accident has had on your life before settling on a final amount.

Cases that involve long recovery times, are difficult to prove, or are very high value will naturally take longer to process. When you have an experienced attorney on your side, the insurance companies are more likely to offer you a higher settlement amount, as they want to avoid a lengthy court battle. The attorneys at Thistle Law can help you understand more fully how long your case might take, and whether or not it may need to ultimately go to trial. 

Types of Personal Injury Cases

The Thistle Law Firm has extensive experience in all of the ways that unintentional injuries can manifest. This type of experience is especially important in personal injury law, where your interests are often pitted against the interests of powerful opponents, such as employers, corporations, and insurance companies. 

Studies show that for some types of injury, victims are awarded nearly 3.5 times more in settlements when they are represented by an attorney over those who don’t hire a personal injury attorney. Even more telling is the fact that in some circumstances, insurance companies are as much as 85 percent more likely to settle a claim when the claimant is represented by an attorney.

Thistle Law will represent anyone who has suffered from someone else’s actions, including in the following cases:

  • Auto accidents & trucking accidents: Car and truck accidents are responsible for more than half of all unintentional deaths in the U.S.
  • Birth injuries and trauma: Injuries to a baby during gestation or delivery can cause huge trauma to both the infant and its family and the pain inflicted can be long-lasting.
  • Brain injuries: Whether caused by a car accident or medical malpractice, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are incredibly catastrophic, and the cost of care and rehabilitation can leave a family financially devastated.
  • Burn injury: These injuries may involve cases of liability as well as medical negligence or malpractice.
  • Catastrophic injuries: A catastrophic injury is one that permanently stops someone from being able to work.
  • Construction injury: Laws protecting construction companies from injury liability require skill in navigating.
  • Defamation claims: The cost when someone sullies your reputation can be both tangible and intangible. 
  • Dog bites: Dog bite incidents result in $483 million in damages per year.
  • Hit and run accidents: Whether or not you have identified the driver who hit you, you will need to speak with an experienced attorney to receive the compensation you deserve.
  • Improper handling of COVID-19 outbreaks: Nursing homes have long struggled with infectious disease control practices, and some outbreaks have been linked to negligence on the part of the facility.
  • Professional malpractice: Malpractice is rampant in both medical settings as well as nursing homes.
  • Professional negligence: In any situation where you have been harmed by a company’s shortcomings, you may be entitled to damages.
  • Product liability: If a product you purchased or used caused you injuries due to a defect, Pennsylvania law holds manufacturers strictly liable for these injuries.
  • Rear-end car accidents: Rear-end car accidents are often blameless for the first car’s driver and passengers, and amongst the most dangerous in terms of injury.
  • SEPTA accidents: SEPTA’s rules against liability make the help of an experienced injury attorney even more valuable.
  • Sidewalk lawsuit cases: Property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks in front of their property; when they fail to, accidents may happen.
  • Slip & fall incidents: Slip and fall accidents often result from negligence.
  • Traffic & municipality cases: Negligence may be attributed to authorities in charge of roadways and other public venues.
  • Uber/Lyft accidents: The complicated and ever-changing laws around ride-sharing services can make it difficult to prove who is at fault in an accident involving an Uber or a Lyft vehicle.
  • Wrongful death: When the worst occurs, personal injury claims can help to reverse the spillover effects of tragedy.

What Constitutes a Valid Claim of Negligence?

When bringing a claim based on the negligence of another, it must be shown that: 

  1. The party who harmed you owed you a duty or obligation
  2. That they breached this duty
  3. That this breach caused you harm
  4. That actual damage resulted from this negligence

Unlike negligence claims, claims based on the intentional acts of another are those where the harming person or entity has the express intent to cause injury.

Over 80 Years Of Personal Injury Case Experience.

Our personal injury attorneys have created a leading personal injury law firm in Philadelphia. The Thistle Law Firm helps clients achieve successful cases across Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester counties, and more. Additionally, we serve cases in New Jersey, including central New Jersey, the Jersey shore, and southern New Jersey, as well as other areas within the state.

A WINNING RECORD OF ADVOCACY

The Thistle Law Firm has achieved numerous recoveries in excess of $1 million across hundreds of major personal injury cases. These victories have included:

  • $1,900,000 (RSD pain syndrome caused by nerve damage)
  • $4,600,000 (Premises liability)
  • $6,000,000 (Corporate negligence)

How Our Expertise Serves Your Personal Injury Lawsuit:

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We are sensitive to our clients’ needs and we will work exhaustively to conduct investigations, call in experts and provide the strongest case and recoveries possible.

When bringing a claim based on the negligence of another, it must be shown that: (1) the party who harmed you owed you a duty or obligation; (2) that they breached this duty; (3) that this breach caused you harm; (4) actual damages.  Unlike negligence claims, claims based on the intentional acts of another are those where the harming person or entity has the express intent to cause injury.

Our expertise and dedication to the sensitive needs of our clients aren’t the only features on which we pride ourselves. We take pride in our successful verdicts and settlements, our proven track record, and our many satisfied clients. Our cases range from car, truck, and motorcycle accidents to cases centered on burn injuries, SEPTA injuries, and wrongful death.

Through our combination of integrity, dedication and sophisticated personal injury investigation techniques, and vast knowledge of state and federal laws, our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers have repeatedly obtained high financial awards, winning verdicts and settlements for clients who were suffering from personal injuries.