Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers

Why Choose Wapner Newman to Represent You In Your Car Accident Lawsuit?

Our Law Firm Has The Right Kind of Experience For Accident Lawsuits

Wapner Newman has been fighting for car accident victims in Pennsylvania for years. Our team routinely recovers significant compensation for our clients so they can rebuild their lives. If you have been in a wreck and need funds, you can rely on Wapner Newman.

When you choose our firm to represent you, you get a firm with:

• Decades of collective experience
• Award-winning attorneys ready to fight for you
• A successful track record of multimillion-dollar wins
• Personalized attention and care for clients
• Around-the-clock access for client concerns and emergencies.

If you are pursuing compensation, you deserve to be represented by seasoned, confident professionals who care. You do not have to settle for anything less.

To schedule a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys, please contact our office at your earliest convenience. We look forward to discussing your case with you and reviewing your options for moving forward. Call (215) 569-0900 today.

Liability for Car Accidents

Safety features such as anti-lock brakes and air bags have prevented many car accidents and minimized the risk of injury for drivers. But even though cars may be safer than they’ve ever been, crashes happen every day – and driver error is usually a contributing factor. People who drive in a dangerous or irresponsible manner and cause an accident that injures other people can be found liable.

Pennsylvania is under a hybrid no-fault/tort system of insurance. Drivers have the option of purchasing insurance under the no-fault system (limited tort insurance) or full tort insurance.

Limited Tort

With limited tort no-fault insurance, drivers are often significantly limited in the damages they can collect, but not always. An injured driver using no-fault insurance can typically only recover economic compensation after an accident, such as:

• Expenses for medical care and treatment
• Lost salary, wages, or other income
• Loss of future earning capacity.

However, non-economic compensation is not ordinarily available under limited tort. Non-economic compensation refers to compensation for losses that are not financial in nature – such as pain and suffering — and they are unavailable to limited tort claimants unless a serious injury is involved.

If a serious injury is involved in a car accident, the accident victim can go outside of the boundaries of limited tort liability and seek full tort compensation. But what is a serious injury? According to Pennsylvania law, a serious injury is a personal injury that causes:

• Death
• Serious impairment of a bodily function
• Permanent serious disfigurement.

If a victim suffers any of these, they can seek the following types of pain and suffering damages, which are not available under limited tort no-fault insurance.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering damages deal with a person’s right to be comfortable and free from pain. When a party causes another party to experience discomfort, pain, and anguish, the injured party can seek damages for their suffering. The compensation paid out for this type of harm covers the past, current, and future pain and suffering a victim might experience.

Loss of Ability to Enjoy the Pleasures of Life

Often, injuries and scars from car accidents are so severe that they prevent their victims from engaging in and enjoying the pleasures of life. For example, a person who loves to stroll and go to theaters on the weekend may no longer be able to do so after being in a car accident. Being unable to engage in this activity they love can be considered to be a loss of ability to enjoy the pleasures of life.

Disfigurement

Accident victims who suffer disfigurement can also seek non-economic damages. Disfigurement refers to the often permanent damage caused by car wreck injuries that alters a person’s appearance for the worse. For example, an amputation or serious burn may be considered to be a disfigurement.

Punitive Damages

You may or may not be familiar with the term punitive damages. It refers to payouts that are not based on compensation but are forms of punishment and deterrence. These payouts are awarded to victims who can demonstrate that the party who harmed them engaged in conduct that was grossly negligent, willful, or wanton. Hence, a mere showing of negligence is not enough to be awarded punitive damages. Additionally, punitive damages are not available under limited tort.

Frequently Asked Questions Our Car Accident Lawyers In Philadelphia Hear

If you have more questions please feel free to call our office to speak with one of our experienced car accident lawyers in Philadelphia.

Do not hesitate to give us a call with your questions. We want to help clear up any confusion you have surrounding car accidents and the compensation process.

Why Swift Action Is Important In Pennsylvania Car Accident Claims

Time Is of the Essence

After a car accident, it is important to understand that swift action is necessary for those who are interested in maximum compensation. Once the accident occurs, a clock starts ticking. The more time that passes, the more vulnerable a claim for compensation typically becomes.

Statute of Limitations In Pennsylvania

Eventually, if enough time passes, valid claims for compensation become void. This is because most legal actions are subject to statutes of limitations. These are time limits that dictate how much time a person has to pursue a lawsuit. In personal injury law, which includes car accident claims, the statute of limitations is set at two years.

After two years have passed, most claims become D.O.A. However, there are a few exceptions that extend the life of claims for certain victims. One deals with minors. If the victim of a car accident is a minor, the minor has two years after they turn 18 to take legal action.

Evidence Issues

Taking swift legal action can also help you avoid problematic evidentiary issues. In most cases, evidence tends to deteriorate or become unavailable over time. Take traffic cam footage as an example. PennDOT and municipalities use traffic cams to monitor roadways and intersections throughout the state. However, they do not hold onto these recordings indefinitely. Waiting too long to file a claim for compensation could mean finding that no footage is available.

Witnesses to a car accident can be powerful evidence in a claim for compensation. However, as time marches on, witnesses sometimes become difficult or impossible to locate.

If you take quick legal action after your accident, you effectively bypass many, if not all, of the issues associated with delay. And as a car accident victim looking for maximum compensation, you need as few problems as possible to challenge your demands.

Common Car Accident Injuries

If you have ever seen the aftermath of a car accident, you understand how much force is generated in a wreck. These same forces act upon the human body during an accident, producing some of the worst injuries seen in hospital rooms today. Car accidents also produce minor injuries. But a minor injury can be just as financially destructive as a more serious injury if the victim’s ability to work is affected.

Common injuries from car accidents include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Bruised, nicked, or severed spinal cord
• Injuries to the neck and back
• Internal injuries and organ damage
• Facial injuries, including injuries to the mouth and eyes
• Burns and abrasions
• Contusions and bruising
• Crushed and broken bones and cartilage

Car accidents also cause serious mental and emotional traumas and injuries that have the power to debilitate car crash victims. Some of the emotional and psychological consequences that car accidents produce include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Nightmares
• Newly developed phobias.

Whether physical, psychological, or emotional, car accident injuries can lead to all manner of difficulties and a compromised lifestyle.

How Car Accidents Often Occur in Philadelphia

It is practically impossible to detail all of the different ways car accidents may occur. That said, most of these unfortunate incidents take place when one or more drivers are negligent, which means car accidents are usually preventable. By exercising proper care, they can be avoided.

However, people are far from perfect and are often selfish. Often, they put their needs and comforts ahead of the safety of others and eventually cause crashes. Some of these negligent behaviors that end up causing crashes include:

• Driving while engaging in distracted behavior
• Driving while drinking or taking drugs
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Failure to obey traffic signs and traffic lights
• Driving while exhausted
• Driving an unsafe vehicle
• Speeding excessively
• Driving aggressively
• Road rage.

The above-listed behaviors cause many accidents each year on Pennsylvania roads. Sadly, these behaviors are common throughout the driving world. Many drivers engage in them and get away with it. So they continue doing such behavior until such time that an accident occurs, which eventually happens to most drivers who routinely act negligently.

Other causes of traffic accidents that may not necessarily implicate a driver include:

• Poor weather
• Poor road conditions, such as potholes
• Faulty traffic signals
• Faulty auto parts.

In these cases, a party other than the driver could be held liable. For example, if a car has faulty brake pads that eventually cause an accident, the brake pad manufacturer can potentially face a claim for compensation. Likewise, a road construction company that performs road work negligently and sloppily may also face liability for a crash it causes.

Contact an Experienced Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney At Wapner Newman Today

Take the Next Step Toward the Compensation You Deserve

Have you been injured in a car accident and are not sure what to do next? If so, it is likely that you are dealing with overwhelming pain and setbacks. But do not panic. The car accident attorneys at Wapner Newman are ready to meet with you and review your case.

If you are suffering from injuries and losses, our team can potentially help you access the compensation that will bring relief to your life. Contact our office for a free consultation, and learn about your options for moving forward. Call (215) 569-0900 today.