FAQ

It is in your best interests to only provide your contact information to an insurance company until you consult a lawyer. The more significant your injuries, the more imperative it becomes to seek legal counsel before providing any statement.

About 95 percent of personal injury cases filed settle prior to trial.

Pain and suffering includes harm caused by physical injury and mental anguish experienced through avoiding activities you engaged in prior to your accident and the potential of surgery.

Every case addresses three issues:

• Liability — establishing someone’s negligence

• Damages — the amount that will fairly and adequately compensate you for your injuries

• Source of collection — insurance or other assets from which damages can be recovered

Generally, there is no limit except in medical malpractice cases and in cases for punitive damages.

An experienced personal injury lawyer reviews and interprets your case information to determine the appropriate value for your claim, including:

The goal is fair and adequate compensation for your injury and an experienced attorney will know what a reasonable jury would award. The strength of lay and expert witness testimony will likely influence the amount.

You must notify your employer of the injury. You should also tell your employer if you need medical attention. You must also file a claim with the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. Under Virginia’s workers compensation law, your employer and/or its insurance carrier offer you a panel of three physicians from which you must choose. An experienced workers compensation lawyer can help you understand the process and your rights in Virginia and file your claim for you.

Your claim may be denied if you fail to report injuries promptly or fail to cooperate with your employer and authorized treating physician regarding medical evaluations, treatment and rehabilitation services. Your claim can also be denied if you refuse to return to suitable employment. Some other reasons for denial of claims include submittal of fraudulent information and refusal to submit to a medical examination by the authorized treating physician, at reasonable times. You must also file a claim with the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the injury or two years of the diagnosis of an occupational disease.

Benefits are not payable if you are injured while engaged in willful misconduct or if your injury is due to the use of alcohol, drugs, or the misuse of controlled substances.

No.

This is called a third party suit. If your injury was caused by the negligence of a third party other than another person who is also an employee of the company for which you work, you may have a right to sue that party.

Yes; however, Social Security Disability will be offset by your workers compensation benefits.

Yes, and that is why it is possible to receive both Social Security Disability and workers compensation. And, workers compensation could determine you are not disabled and Social Security could determine that you are. Further, insurance companies could define disability in other ways. Attorneys knowledgeable in this complex area of personal injury law, such as Forbes Law Firmcan work with you to explain the differences in easy-to-understand language and help you file all appropriate claims to receive the compensation you deserve.

No. While the insurance company might try to draw a direct correlation between damage to your car and the severity of your personal injury, it is possible that the body sustains damage even if the car did not. The reverse may also be true — a car might experience major impact but people might only suffer minor cuts and bruises.

According to a 2017 report by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, there is a car crash in the state every four minutes, on average, resulting in 179 people injured every day. Statewide, there were 127,375 crashes in Virginia in 2017, with 843 of them involving fatalities. These accidents were caused by a wide range of factors, but among the most common reasons for car crashes are distracted driving, reckless driving, driving while impaired, defective vehicles, improper lane changes, following too close, and failure to yield.

You have a right to seek compensation if you are injured in a car accident due to someone’s negligence or carelessness. Our knowledgeable team can advise you on the best course of action depending on the nature and extent of your injuries

The idea behind a wrongful death lawsuit is the wrongful death, in addition to injuring the person who died, the accident also brought harm to the people who depended on that individual for financial and emotional support. The wrongful act might be:

• A negligent or careless act (e.g., careless driving)

• A reckless act

• An intentional act such as deliberate murder

Virginia has a statute permitting a lawsuit to be brought by the decedent’s relatives in the event of a wrongful act.

Virginia law sets the timeframe for filing. Time begins with the date of the incident or when the party became aware of the injury. The state will not honor a wrongful death claim filed after the legislated timeframe and the opportunity to recover damages for the family will be forever lost.

Wrongful death is a type of damage and malpractice is a type of negligence. Not every wrongful death case involves medical malpractice and not every medical malpractice case involves wrongful death.

Virginia defines the person(s) allowed to bring a wrongful death suit. In Virginia, a spouse and children may file and grandparents or other relatives may also be allowed to sue. Virginia restricts a filing in which one family member sues another for the wrongful death of a third family member.