Personal Injury FAQ
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Notice: The client quotations above are not to be construed to guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case undertaken by any attorney of the Law Office of William R.F. Conners, P.C. Each case result depends upon a variety of factors unique to each case and client.
Law Office of William R.F. Conners, P.C.- Information for car accident victims
Experienced Leesburg/Loudoun and Northern Virginia Personal Injury and Car Accident lawyers. Read below for free info, and call us at 703-777-6106 for a Personal Injury consultation.
Phone: 703-777-6106 | Fax: 703.777.0015 | E-Mail
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident and I am still treating. Should I speak with an attorney?
(A) You should schedule a Personal Injury Law Consultation as soon as possible to explore your rights, obligations and the potential nature and value of the personal injury claim you may have. Don’t wait.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident. How much time do I have to either settle or litigate my claim?
(A) In Virginia, the statute of limitations for motor vehicle personal injury actions is two (2) years. If the case is not resolved by settlement or sued upon within two (2) years from the date of the collision, you will lose your claims.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident. What can I do to prepare my personal injury claim?
(A) You should compile a folder with all the documents relating to your case including the following documents: a copy of your auto insurance policy, a copy of the insurance policy of each person in your home, the accident report, any information exchanged with the other driver, photos of the place where the collision occurred, any pictures of damage to the vehicles involved, any medical records and copies of prescriptions, a list of all treating locations and providers, receipts of all out of pocket expenses, a copy of any disability insurance or claim forms you completed, all correspondence from your and the other insurance company, etc. You should bring the aforementioned documents to the Personal Injury Law Consultation.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident. The other insurance company is trying to have me provide a recorded statement. Am I required to do so?
(A) No. In fact, before providing any statement to the other insurance company, you should consult with a personal injury attorney.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident. Should I notify my insurance company?
(A) Yes. You are required to do so and to cooperate with your insurance company.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident. I don’t have photos of my damaged car but know where it is being stored. Should I have photos taken of the car?
(A) Yes, you should have extensive photos taken of the car to document the extent and type of damage.
(Q) I was injured in a motor vehicle accident but have suffered prior injuries. Should I tell my lawyer?
(A) Yes, you should disclose all prior relevant injuries to your attorney so that they can best represent your case.
(Q) What is liability coverage on my car insurance?
(A) Your liability coverage is the money that your insurance company would pay out if you negligently injured someone with your vehicle. You should have a minimum of $300,000 of coverage to protect your assets and safeguard your financial future.
(Q) What is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage?
(A) Uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist coverage is the coverage that your auto policy which you can claim for pay out to you in the event that you suffer a personal injury claim and the liable party has little or no insurance coverage. Your UM/UIM should be at the same level as your liability coverage. Most insurance companies do not encourage purchase of higher UM/UIM coverage limits because it is less profitable to them. However, good UM/UIM coverage is essential. The minimum liability policies in Virginia have limits of $25,000. That amount can easily be exceeded leaving an injured party holding the bag. The roads are full of drivers with inadequate liability (and UM/UIM) coverage. Protect yourself. Contact your insurance company and demand better liability and UM/UIM coverage. It is much more affordable than you may think and worth every penny.
(Q) How are fees for legal services assessed?
(A) For personal injury law matters, the fee arrangement consists of a contingency fee. That means that we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you through settlement or an award at trial. However, clients are responsible for out of pocket expenses that are incurred on the case which are discussed in detail with the client before they are incurred.
Contact the Law Office of William R. F. Conners, P.C. for assistance with your Family Law, Criminal Defense, and Personal Injury matters.
Consultations offered by appointment • Credit cards accepted • No cost consultation for Personal Injury and Car Accident case consultation
DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.
Can I Have a Civil Claim for Suffering Injury Due To Assault and Battery?
If you have been injured due to an assault and battery, there may be two different types of claims against the person who injured you, criminal and civil. In a criminal case, the assailant may be prosecuted by the government. If the party is found guilty of assault and battery, he or she may be punished. Punishment may be imprisonment, probation, restitution or other types of punishment as determined by the court. Alternatively, in a civil claim for assault and battery, compensation for the victim’s injuries is the goal of the case, not punishment. As a victim, you may have a civil claim against the person who harmed you for damages sustained due to your injuries. If you succeed in your civil case, you may be awarded compensatory damages from the defendant.
Compensatory damages are intended to reimburse the plaintiff for wrongs done to him or her by the defendant. The court will consider the amount of medical costs, treatments costs, lost wages, loss of household services, the severity of the injury, pain and sufferings and other factors, when determining the amount of compensation due to the victim. Additionally, in some jurisdictions, punitive damages may also be awarded by the judge or jury. The intent of punitive damages is to punish the defendant (financially) for wrongs perpetrated on the plaintiff, in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are not available in all jurisdictions and are awarded by fact finders (judge or jury) at their discretion, based on the facts of the case. It is important to speak to an attorney about pursuing a civil case for assault and/or battery and the types of damages that may be available in your jurisdiction.
What is Assault and Battery?
Assault and battery are actually two separate legal claims. Most commonly, they go together, but they do not have to. It depends on the circumstances of your injuries; you may have a claim for assault, a claim for battery or both. Both claims require that the assailant intended to harm the victim. The harm may be to induce fear in the victim, or actual physical injury. Assault occurs when a victim is threatened with physical injury/violence. The victim must actually fear that physical harm to them will take place. A verbal threat may not be enough to show assault. Additionally, the fear of immediate harm, that the victim felt, must be reasonable for the situation. The court may determine what was reasonable in the situation based on the facts of the case presented to the court.
Likewise, battery is when the injury, in fact, takes place. Battery is most often the result of an assault. When a battery takes place, the assailant does not have to be the person who came in direct contact with the victim. However, the physical injuries sustained must have been caused by the defendant’s actions. It is enough that the defendant’s actions created a situation that caused the victim’s injuries. An example may be if the defendant was playing a practical joke on the plaintiff and as a result of the joke, the plaintiff was physically injured. The defendant did not intend for the plaintiff to be hurt, but did intend the joke, which resulted in circumstances that caused injury to the victim.
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DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.
Contact the Law Office of William R. F. Conners, P.C. for assistance with your family law, criminal defense, or personal injury claim.
Free consultations offered by appointment • Credit cards accepted • Nominal Fee charged for consultations relating to divorce/family law matters.