Personal Injury Attorneys in Centreville, VA
You’ve suffered an injury because of someone else’s negligence—what happens now? If you’re like most people, you’re already worrying about what type of injuries you may have, how much your medical bills will cost, and how much time you’ll have to spend away from work. You’re not alone. For many people, a serious injury is a huge disruption to daily life that causes significant stress and trauma.
If you can prove that someone else is liable for your injuries, you may not have to shoulder this burden alone. With a personal injury claim, you can hold the other party accountable and get compensation for everything you’ve lost. It all starts with the right Centreville personal injury attorney. Call Olmstead & Olmstead at 703-361-1555 to set up a consultation now.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
A personal injury claim gives a victim the opportunity to seek compensation if someone else is responsible for their injuries. While criminal court cases hold people accountable for illegal actions, personal injury claims seek to make the victim whole through financial compensation.
Personal injury claims often start between the injured party and the liable party’s insurance company. In many cases, the injured party has a Centreville, VA personal injury attorney representing them. If the claim can be settled through negotiations, a lawsuit is never filed. However, if the parties cannot come to an agreement, the injured party can move forward with a lawsuit.
The majority of personal injury claims are settled through negotiations, rather than going all the way to court. This is often a big relief to the victim, who may be nervous about the stress and pressure of a court trial.
If the injured party and their legal team can prove that the other party caused their injuries, they can receive substantial compensation for their losses. Compensation may cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and related expenses.
Personal injury claims cover many types of accidents, including:
- Car, truck, motorcycle, and other vehicle accidents
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
- Dog bites and other types of animal attacks
- Slip and fall injuries
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
Steps to Take After an Accident
After you’ve been injured, taking the right steps can protect your claim and help you get the compensation you deserve. We recommend taking these steps after an injury:
- Report the accident to the proper authorities. This depends on the type of accident you’re involved in. If you’re injured in a vehicle accident, call the police to have them come to the scene of the accident. If a dog bites you, call both the police and the local animal control authority. If you get hurt at a business, notify the manager and fill out the necessary documentation.
- Gather relevant evidence. This often includes pictures of the accident scene, pictures of your injuries, medical records, police reports, incident reports for slip and fall injuries, and contact information for eyewitnesses.
- Seek prompt medical attention. The longer you wait to seek medical care after an accident, the harder it is to tie your injuries to the accident. As soon as possible after an injury, get checked out at urgent care, the emergency room, or a local clinic with openings. Keep copies of any documentation you receive.
- Reach out to an attorney. Before you have any communication with the other party’s insurance company or legal team, find your own personal injury attorney in Centreville, VA. The insurance adjuster has their own best interests in mind, and you need an attorney whose only goal is to protect your best interests. Provide copies of all of the evidence you have to your attorney so they can begin investigating your claim right away.
Getting the Compensation that You Deserve
Receiving full and fair compensation rests on your ability to prove negligence. There are several components involved in demonstrating this proof:
- Duty of care. The other party must have owed a duty of care to you. This looks different in each type of claim. In a car accident claim, for example, the other driver has an implied duty of care to everyone else on the road. In a slip and fall case, a business owner is expected to protect visitors by keeping staircases in working order. In a dog bite case, a dog owner is obligated to keep their dogs under their control at all times.
- Failure to fulfill that duty. Perhaps the other driver was looking at their phone when they caused a crash, or the store owner failed to shovel the walkway after a heavy snow. No matter what type of claim you have, you have to show that the other party failed to take reasonable steps to protect you.
- Proof that the accident caused the injury. You’ll also need evidence tying your injuries to the accident. This is one reason that prompt medical care is so important.
- Evidence of financial damages. Medical bills, paystubs showing time away from work, and other documentation can show that the accident caused you financial harm.
When you are able to prove negligence, it is much easier to get the compensation you deserve.
How Our Team of Centreville Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You
Getting a full and fair settlement can be tough, which is why you need an attorney with extensive experience in personal injury claims. The team at Olmstead & Olmstead is well-versed in the many ways insurance companies try to keep accident victims from getting a fair settlement. We also know what it takes to combat these tricks and ensure that you are treated fairly during negotiations.
Most claims settle in negotiations, allowing you faster access to your money. If the insurance company can’t come up with a fair number, though, we are more than ready to go to court. You don’t deserve financial setbacks because of someone else’s negligence, and we’ll be with you every step of the way as we hold the other party accountable.
Call Olmstead & Olmstead to Talk About Your Legal Options
Whether you’ve been involved in a vehicle accident, a slip and fall, an animal bite, or another type of accident, you can trust the team at Olmstead & Olmstead with your personal injury claim in Centreville, VA. Let’s talk more about your next steps now. Call us at 703-361-1555 or contact us online to get started.