Auto Accidents FAQs

You should not accept a settlement offer from your insurance company without first speaking to an experienced personal injury lawyer. Once you sign a settlement, you waive your right to further damages.

Highly, highly unlikely. Remember, an insurance company is a for-profit business, and the agent works for the insurance company — not for you. The sooner the insurance company settles your claim, the less it is likely to have to pay. And the less it pays out in claims, the more profit it makes. Your insurance agent’s interests are diametrically opposed to your interests.

Even though you may be eager to resolve your case, it is vital that you have a full understanding of the extent of your injuries before you accept a settlement offer. For example, symptoms of brain damage may not show up for weeks after your car collision, and doctors may not be able to provide an accurate prognosis without extensive testing and analysis of your rehabilitation progress.

Under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence doctrine, you cannot recover damages if you were more than 50 percent at fault for the motor vehicle wreck. Furthermore, your damages will be reduced by the percentage that you are found at fault for the accident.

Under Pennsylvania’s Fair Share Act, each party is responsible for her or his own proportionate share of the blame. Before the act took effect in 2011, Pennsylvania was a “joint and several liability” state, which meant that each negligent party was liable for the full amount of the damages, regardless of degree of fault.

The minimum amount of auto insurance coverage mandated by Pennsylvania law may not be enough to protect you if you are involved in crash that results in severe injuries. You can pay extra for more coverage.

Depending on the facts of your individual claim, you may recover damages for:

• Medical bills
• Anticipated healthcare expenses
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Disabilities
• Disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Property damage

If you were injured while driving for a work-related purpose, you may be entitled to worker compensation benefits, auto insurance payments and personal injury damages.

GLS Injury Law handles your case on contingency, meaning you do not pay us any fees until you recover compensation for your injuries.