Experienced NJ & NYC Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligence or recklessness of someone else, intentional or otherwise, it may be considered a personal injury, and you could be entitled to compensation.
At Larkin Farrell, LLC, we fight for the victims of personal injury and aggressively pursue the compensation that our clients rightfully deserve for their mental, physical and financial pain.
What Counts as a “Personal Injury?”
Personal injury law is applied to any physical, mental or reputational injury caused by another person or entity.
Such scenarios include:
- Negligence – any injuries caused by another’s carelessness.
- Intentional Injurious Acts – situations in which a person is purposefully harmed by another individual or entity.
- Wrongfully Caused – if an injury is caused by a person or entity that was responsible for ensuring your safety, they may be liable.
- Product Liability – scenarios in which a person is harmed by dangerous or defective products.
Common types of personal injury situations include, but are not limited to:
- Slip and fall cases
- Hit & run cases
- Construction accidents
- Explosion/fire accidents
- Emotional distress
- Defamation
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Trucking accidents
- Boat accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries
- Brain injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Wrongful death
If your injury was caused by another individual (via negligence, recklessness or intentional harm) or is covered under strict liability (specific situations in which responsibility is automatically determined, and you do not need to prove negligence in order to receive damages), you may have a personal injury case and are entitled to fair compensation.
What Do Settlements Cover?
Money received from a personal injury settlement is meant to to compensate you for any present and future damages caused by the injury and its effects.
These damages are categorized as either “general” (physical, emotional) or “special” (financial, quantifiable), and include:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Lost wages/earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and/or scarring
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment and/or quality of life
- Physical impairment
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
- Wrongful death expenses
- Additional expenses
The actual amount of compensation will depend on a variety of factors, such as the severity of your injuries or how much financial damage has been suffered, but an experienced personal injury attorney will fight on your behalf to make sure you reach the best possible settlement for any damages you have experienced.
What to Do if You Have Suffered an Injury
If you or a loved one have suffered a personal injury of any kind, taking the following steps will greatly improve the strength of your case and the likelihood of receiving an appropriate settlement.
First and foremost, seek professional medical treatment as soon as possible.
A medical professional will not only detect and treat your wounds, but they will properly document them as well, along with what caused them.
After you’ve completed this crucial step, your next objective should be to document the evidence and details of the incident to the best of your abilities:
- Photograph/Record Site of Injury – Take as many photos or videos as you can of the location in which the injury occurred, and the surrounding areas. If the injury was caused by a broken step, ice, or other hazard, be sure to clearly document that as well.
- Photograph/Record Injuries – It’s also imperative to document any cuts, bruises, scratches, stitches, bandages, surgeries or more that were caused by the accident.
- Gather and Preserve Evidence – Everything from clothes worn during the event to the items you had with you should be preserved and kept in as pristine of a condition as possible, as they may be needed for the case. Additionally, if the injury was caused by a defective or dangerous product, it is critical that you preserve the offending product, as well.
- Gather Witness Information – If there were any witnesses to the event, try to obtain their contact information (name, phone number, address, etc.), as they may be able to provide important testimony.
- Keep Track of Expenses – Medical bills, lost wages and any additional expenses stemming from the incident should be held on to and thoroughly documented, as they show how much financial damage you have suffered as a result of the injury.
Maintaining a well-organized and easily-accessible case file for all of this information is also an integral step to take, as losing or accidentally damaging important documents and evidence can quickly weaken a case.
To avoid this scenario, keep your case file (including any physical evidence) in a safe and secure place until it is needed.
Additionally, the window for asserting a claim is relatively short, with the statute of limitations for personal injury cases typically lasting only two years in New Jersey, and three in New York. If your claim is against a public entity (such as the state), the timeline is even more strict, as both NJ and NY require that you provide Tort Claims within 90 days of the incident.
These tight timelines means that you’ll need to move quickly or lose your chance to bring your case to court and reach an appropriate settlement.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer at Larkin Farrell, LLC
The knowledge and skill of a lawyer can make all the difference in how much money is awarded in a personal injury claim.
At Larkin Farrell, LLC, our seasoned attorneys will go over every detail of your case with you, and determine the best course of action.
Contact Larkin Farrell, LLC, today to speak with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys, and get the settlement you deserve. All consultations are free of charge. We proudly serve clients in New Jersey and the NYC Metropolitan area.
