Frequently Asked Questions

Except for worker’s compensation claims, just because you are hurt does not mean than you can recover money. In general, if you are hurt as a result of the carelessness or negligence of someone else, or as a result of a defective product, you may recover an amount to compensate for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

In most cases you need an attorney. If the person who caused your injuries is insured, shortly after the accident you will probably be contacted by that insurance company. The person contacting you is called a "claim representative" or "adjuster". It is important for you to remember that the adjuster’s job is to minimize the amount of money which the insurance company may be obligated to pay you. The adjuster is highly trained, and probably has much more experience than you in handling bodily injury claims. If you attempt to deal with the adjuster on your own, you probably will not receive full compensation for your injuries. And you will probably harm your case by trying to do it on your own and contacting an attorney only when you cannot settle the claim. An experienced injury attorney will make sure that you receive full compensation for your injuries. Attorney Richard Teitell has more than 25 years experience in representing clients with injury claims.

Most bodily injury claims are handled by attorneys on a contingency fee or percentage fee basis. This means that the attorney fee will be a percentage of the amount of money recovered on your claim. If there is no recovery, the attorney earns no fee. Make certain that the attorney provides you with a written attorney fee agreement which sets forth the amount of the attorney fee.

You should not speak with anyone, other than your doctors and any investigating police officer, about the incident until you have had an opportunity to speak with an attorney. If this was an auto accident, you may report the accident to your insurance company, but do not provide a tape-recorded or signed statement until you have consulted with an attorney. DO NOT CONTACT OR SPEAK WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR THE PERSON WHO HURT YOU UNTIL YOU HAVE CONSULTED WITH AN ATTORNEY!!

Remember, insurance claims employees are very well trained. Their job is to limit the amount of money you receive on your claim.

The value of all claims for bodily injury depends on the nature and extent of your injuries, and the amount of any economic (money) loss you have suffered. Generally, if your claim is successful, you are entitled to an award for the amount of any medical bills for which you are responsible to pay, the amounts of any wages you lost, and an amount to compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured in the past, and may endure in the future, and disfigurement or scars you may have suffered.

In Pennsylvania, and many other states, even if you are partially at fault In causing an accident you may still recover money. However the amount of money you receive will be reduced by the percentage of your fault. For example, if you are 25% at fault in causing an accident, and the full value of your injury is $100,000, the amount of money you receive will be reduced by 25%, so that you will receive $75,000. In Pennsylvania, once you are considered to be more than 50% at fault you will receive zero dollars.

The word negligence is a legal term which generally means the failure to use ordinary care. That is, the failure of a person to do what the average, reasonable person would do under the same or similar circumstances, or doing what the average, reasonable person would not do under the same or similar circumstances. For example, a motorist going through a red light is an example of failure to use ordinary care.

Most vehicle owners, businesses, and homeowners have insurance which will pay any amounts they may become obligated to pay because of their negligence (mistakes they make). This is called liability insurance.

If you have been injured and are unsure whether your injury was caused by negligence, you should consult a lawyer who is familiar with accident claims. In addition to negligence there are other legal theories an experienced injury lawyer can use to obtain money for you if you are hurt. Attorney Richard Teitell has more than 25 years experience in representing clients with injury claims.

Each state has its own time limit, which is called a "statute of limitations". In Pennsylvania, and many other states, the time limit is two years. Some states may have a one year time limit. Some states, for example Florida, have a longer time period. It is very important to promptly consult an attorney in the state where the lawsuit may be filed to determine the time limit which is applicable to your claim.

It is very important to contact an experienced injury attorney promptly after being hurt in an accident. The attorney will do everything needed to protect your interests, including preserving evidence, taking photographs and/or video, and obtaining witness statements.

In Pennsylvania, and most other states, if you are hurt while performing your job, you are entitled to worker’s compensation benefits. The types of benefits and the procedure to obtain those benefits differ in each state. The issues involved in a worker’s compensation claim can be very complicated. It is best to consult with an experienced worker’s compensation attorney if you have been injured at work so the attorney can review your specific potential claim with you. In Pennsylvania, there are generally two types of benefits: payments of medical bills and payment of lost wages (there are also benefits for facial scars, loss if use and death).

Attorney Richard Teitell has more than 25 years experience in representing clients with injury claims. Call attorney Teitell at 610-668-6424 for a FREE AUTO INSURANCE POLICY CONSULTATION.

Medical Malpractice (also called medical negligence) occurs when a physician or other health care provider fails to properly treat a medical condition, and that failure causes an injury to the patient. Medical malpractice cases can happen under a variety of circumstances, such as misdiagnosis of a medical condition, incorrect treatment of a correctly diagnosed condition, a surgical error during an operative procedure, failure to obtain a patient’s informed consent to a medical procedure, and improper use of a medical device or implant..

Medical malpractice cases are usually complex and expensive to pursue. If you believe you suffered an injury as a result of medical malpractice, you should consult with an attorney who is experienced in representing clients in this type of case.

ATTORNEY RICHARD TEITELL HAS MORE THAN 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN REPRESENTING CLIENTS WITH INJURY CLAIMS. CALL ATTORNEY TEITELL AT 610-668-6424 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.