Lee County Personal Injury Lawyer
Unfortunately, accidents can happen at any time: while driving to work, running an errand, visiting a friend, or enjoying leisure time in a public park. No matter the circumstances that led to you getting hurt, you may have grounds for civil litigation if you can definitively trace your losses back to another person’s reckless or careless actions.
If you want the best possible odds of success with your civil case, working with an experienced Lee County personal injury lawyer is a virtual necessity. Your dedicated attorney could help you understand all your legal rights and options, work with you to construct a comprehensive case against a negligent defendant, and ensure that no legal roadblocks get in the way of the restitution you need.
The Basics of Civil Liability
With very few exceptions, personal injury lawsuits in Lee County and throughout the state revolve around a concept called “negligence.” In short, negligence is a legal principle that allows someone to bear financial responsibility for damages they cause someone else to suffer, even if the negligent individual did not knowingly or intentionally cause anyone any harm.
Proving someone else negligent first requires proving that they did something reckless or careless enough to constitute a violation of a “duty of care,” which is an implicit or explicit responsibility someone owes another person to keep them reasonably safe from harm. Then, the “plaintiff” filing a civil lawsuit against—or seeking a private settlement from—the allegedly negligent “defendant” must show that the defendant’s breach of duty was the direct cause of a specific accident, which in turn was the direct source of the plaintiff’s compensable losses.
Upon proving through “a preponderance of the evidence” that all these criteria for legal negligence apply to their claim, a personal injury victim can hold a negligent defendant financially liable for every form of harm that particular incident caused them to suffer. Depending on the circumstances, a Lee County personal injury attorney could help seek recovery for, among other things:
- All medical expenses, including those for rehabilitative care and prescription drugs
- Repair or replacement of damaged personal property
- Lost income due to missed time at work
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Permanent disability and/or disfigurement
Potential Roadblocks to Recovery
Successfully obtaining a civil settlement or favorable court verdict is never as straightforward as alleging fault by a defendant and cashing the check. Defense lawyers and insurance companies fight hard to avoid financial liability for accidents, often by accusing plaintiffs of being partially at fault for their own injuries. Under Virginia’s harsh contributory negligence system, this could result in a plaintiff being barred from recovery altogether.
Another legal obstacle that could prevent a personal injury victim from getting any compensation at all is the statute of limitations on civil litigation. As per Code of Virginia §8.01-243, anyone in Lee County who fails to file a personal injury lawsuit—or have a trustworthy lawyer do so for them—within two years of discovering their injuries is ineligible to seek financial restitution.
Get Help from a Lee County Personal Injury Attorney
Whether it stems from a car wreck, a sudden fall, a mistake by a healthcare provider, or even an attack from a domesticated animal, a serious personal injury could fundamentally alter the course of your life and leave you with extensive personal and financial losses. Fair financial recovery for your damages is often key to preserving your future prospects, so you should not accept anything less than the compensation—and the qualified legal assistance—you deserve.
A knowledgeable Lee County personal injury lawyer could be a tenacious and essential ally from the start to the finish of your civil claim. Call today to learn more.
