Sterling Personal Injury Lawyer
Whether it involved a collision between motor vehicles, a failure by a property owner to ensure safe conditions for visitors, a mistake by a healthcare professional, or any other potentially dangerous situation, an accident that causes a serious injury can change your life in an instant. As you no doubt have learned in the aftermath of your accident, the financial, professional, and personal consequences of someone else’s negligence can be immense in both the short term and the long term.
You may have grounds to demand civil compensation for every form of harm another person’s behavior forced you to deal with, but trying to pursue this type of case without a skilled attorney’s help is rarely a good idea. By retaining a knowledgeable Sterling personal injury lawyer, you could put yourself in the ideal position to prove fault for your injuries and seek comprehensive restitution for all their repercussions.
The Basics of Personal Injury Liability
A legal concept called “negligence” forms the backbone of most successful personal injury claims filed in the state of Virginia. The definition of negligence generally agreed upon by civil courts and private insurance companies has four components, all of which must be present based on a preponderance of available evidence for an injured person to have grounds for a case.
First, the “defendant(s)” named in the injured “plaintiff’s” claim must have owed that plaintiff a “duty” to act the way a reasonable person would have in the circumstances immediately preceding an accident. Next, the defendant must have “breached” that duty by engaging in some form of reckless or careless conduct, or by acting with a malicious intent to cause harm.
Then, the plaintiff must show that they sustained at least one injury that necessitated professional medical attention as a direct result of the defendant’s irresponsible actions. Finally, the plaintiff must prove that the “compensable losses” they have factored into their claim stemmed directly and primarily from their injuries. A qualified Sterling personal injury attorney could explain all these elements of negligence in further detail and provide crucial assistance proving their applicability.
Recovering for Damages Within Filing Deadlines
An accident victim who can prove one or more third parties was entirely to blame for their ensuing injuries can demand compensation from those parties for both their economic and non-economic consequences, including past and future medical expenses, lost wages and/or earning capacity, personal property damage, physical pain, emotional trauma, and lost enjoyment of life. Importantly, though, plaintiffs in Virginia cannot recover any compensation at all if they are found partly to blame for their own injuries, as state civil courts take an uncommonly harsh “pure contributory negligence” approach to plaintiff liability.
Furthermore, Code of Virginia §8.01-243 sets a filing deadline of two years on most personal injury claims, meaning that accident victims generally have a very limited time to collect evidence and build a compelling case for damages. Navigating around these and other possible legal roadblocks can be prohibitively challenging without support from a seasoned personal injury lawyer in Sterling.
Consider Working with a Sterling Personal Injury Attorney
The core elements of personal injury litigation may be fairly straightforward, but achieving a positive outcome for a case is usually far from easy. Defendants and their insurance companies will fight hard to avoid financial responsibility for your injuries, and there are plenty of ways they could keep you from getting any compensation at all, let alone the amount you deserve for your damages.
If you want the best chance possible of a favorable resolution to your claim, getting a Sterling personal injury lawyer’s assistance may be a virtual necessity. Call today to discuss your options.
