Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer

Helping Car Accident Victims Receive Fair Compensation for Their Car Accident Claims

Car crashes, though fairly common in the United States, are almost always frightening and traumatic events that can occur when we least expect them. In most cases, the car accident victim can walk away from the auto accident more or less unscathed, but in some serious accidents, motorists and their passengers are not so lucky. If you or a loved one have suffered serious injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, you need the legal guidance of Philadelphia car accident attorneys to help you with your claim.

Philadelphia car accident lawyer Duane Lassiter has extensive experience helping personal injury victims, including those who’ve suffered injuries in motor vehicle crashes. At our personal injury law firm, we understand and respect the impact that a car accident injury can have on you and your family members. Not only does a crash typically result in property damage, but it could also result in physical pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Car accident victims in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, can seek compensation for their injuries and other losses.

In pursuit of maximum compensation for your auto accident case, you are recommended to work with an experienced personal injury attorney. As your lawyer, Duane Lassiter and his experienced legal team will help you with the filing of your personal injury lawsuit and assist you with negotiations with the insurance company in pursuit of a fair and full settlement. To learn more about the legal services offered by our personal injury law firm, please contact us to discuss how your car accident occurred, the injuries sustained in the accident, and other facts related to your auto accident case. Our legal team offers free consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our legal services.

How Common Are Car Accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 40,000 people die annually in auto accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death for young people in America. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also estimates that there are millions of nonfatal personal injuries suffered in car accidents every year. However, these statistics do not consider the number of injuries that go unreported.

In 2023, there were more than 110,000 reportable car accidents in Pennsylvania. These auto collisions claimed more than 1,000 lives and injured more than 66,000 people. Thankfully, the total number of motor vehicle accidents fell by over 5,000 cases compared with 2022. However, the fatalities increased by 30.

Based on the 2023 population of Pennsylvania, one out of every 53 people has been involved in a reportable auto accident, one out of every 195 Pennsylvanians was injured in reportable traffic crashes, and one out of every 10,721 people was fatally injured in a reportable car crash in Pennsylvania.

If you are an auto accident victim, you require knowledgeable legal representation from attorneys with experience in Pennsylvania law. Contact personal injury lawyer Duane Lassiter to discuss your car accident case in a free consultation today.

What Should You Do After an Auto Accident?

Immediately following a car accident, check yourself and your passengers for potential injuries. Call 911 to request emergency medical services as soon as you are able. If you are not badly hurt, proceed to check on the status of anyone else involved in the car crash.

While you should remain polite with other drivers involved in the auto accident, do not go so far as to say you’re sorry, admit fault, or dismiss the severity of your injuries. Simply exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved.

Photograph and video the accident scene. These images could be valuable evidence to a Philadelphia personal injury attorney.

While awaiting the arrival of law enforcement and ambulances, seek out witnesses to the accident and get their contact information. If they are willing, record their eyewitness statements while still at the scene of the accident.

Notify your insurance company as soon as you are able. While you should remain honest about the car collision, do not go so far as to admit faults or speculate about details you are not sure of. Do not sign any documents or provide a recorded statement without legal representation.

You must seek emergency medical attention immediately following a car wreck. Even if you believe your injuries are minor, they could worsen with time, and you want to create a paper trail of medical records to support your personal injury claim.

When police question you at the accident scene, attempt to provide them with an accurate accounting of how the car accident occurred. Police reports will be valuable evidence to your attorneys.

If you have not done so already, now is the time to contact a Philadelphia lawyer about your car accident case. Please contact personal injury lawyer Duane Lassiter to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Types of Car Accident Cases Do Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers Represent?

Regardless of how the car accident occurs, our legal team would be proud to represent your rights and fight tirelessly on your behalf in the pursuit of fair compensation for your injuries.

Common types of auto collisions and wrecks which our law firm represents include the following:

Bicycle and motorcycle accidents
Collisions with fixed objects
Commercial truck accidents
Drunk driver accidents
Head-on collisions
Hit-and-run incidents
Multi-car pileups
Pedestrian accidents
Rear-end collisions
Rideshare accidents
Rollover accidents
Single-vehicle crashes
T-bone accidents
Uninsured and underinsured accidents

If you’ve been in a serious car accident, you require dedicated legal representation to assist you with your personal injury claim. With valuable evidence, such as medical records, an accident report, and photographic evidence, your Philadelphia personal injury attorney can help you seek justice and financial recovery.

What Are Common Causes of Philadelphia Car Accidents?

There is no shortage of causes for auto accidents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In most motor vehicle accident cases, it comes down to driver negligence. However, other causes may need to be investigated after a car accident occurs.

Common causes of Philadelphia car accidents include the following:

Aggressive or reckless driving
Dangerous weather conditions
Distracted driving
Driving at excessive speeds
Driving under the influence of drugs
Driving without a license
Drowsy driving and driver fatigue
Drunk driving
Failure to obey traffic signals and rules of the road
Road rage
Running red lights and stop signs
Tailgating or driving too closely behind the lead vehicle
Failure to yield to the right of way
Failing to check rearview mirrors
Inattentive driving
Motor vehicle defects
Poor road conditions
Road debris
Talking on a cell phone while driving
Texting while driving
Unsafe lane changes
Unsafe road design

Even if you are a safe and responsible driver, you can still fall victim to a negligent motorist’s behavior on the road. If you are an auto accident victim who has suffered injuries or property damage after a car wreck, you deserve legal counsel who is in your corner throughout the entire process. Contact our law firm to schedule your free case review today.

How to Determine Fault After a Motor Vehicle Accident?

Most motor vehicle accidents occur because one or more drivers violated a number of traffic rules. In some cases, it is easy to determine fault and assess blame. However, in other car accident cases, determining fault may not be quite so easy.

Pennsylvania is a modified comparative negligence state, meaning that multiple parties can be held accountable for causing an accident, and the fault is rarely ever assigned 100% to a single party.

Determining fault is essential because it dictates who must compensate a car accident victim and how much that compensation should be. A Philadelphia car accident lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of your auto accident case and attempt to prove your claims that establish fault rests on the shoulders of the other parties.

How to Prove Driver Negligence?

In most motor vehicle accident cases, it is necessary to prove negligence on the part of the at-fault parties.

Firstly, you must demonstrate that the defendant owed a certain legal duty of care. In Pennsylvania, all motorists owe other drivers a certain level of care, meaning that they must adhere to the rules of the road and operate their motor vehicles responsibly to prevent harm from befalling others.

You and your personal injury attorney must show that the defendant failed to fulfill their duty of care through reckless, negligent, careless, or malicious actions, and, as a result of a breach of that duty, the accident occurred.

As a result of that breach of duty, the accident occurred. You and your Philadelphia car accident attorney must be able to prove that the car crash would not have occurred if it wasn’t for the defendant’s negligence.

Finally, you must provide evidence of your personal injuries and losses suffered as a result of the auto crash. You may not have a valid personal injury claim if you suffered no real losses due to the automobile crash.

Who Can Potentially Be Held Accountable in Pennsylvania Car Accident Cases?

In the aftermath of an accident, it becomes necessary to determine accountability when seeking financial recovery. In Pennsylvania, more than one party may be held at fault for the cause of an accident.

Potential parties that could be held accountable for your car accident injuries and other losses include the following:

Other drivers
Bars or restaurants that served alcohol to an obviously intoxicated patron
Motor vehicle manufacturers
Government entities
The employers of at-fault drivers
Construction companies that do not properly mark construction zones

Our law firm will thoroughly investigate liability in hopes of holding the appropriate parties accountable for your pain and suffering. To discuss your motor vehicle accident case in more detail, please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today.

What if You Are Partially to Blame for the Cause of the Car Crash?

It is possible for car accident victims to have contributed in some way to the cause of the accident. Under Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence laws, if you are deemed partially responsible for the car crash, this will affect how much you may recover in terms of financial compensation. However, under our modified comparative negligence doctrine, if you are more than 50% at fault for causing the accident, you will be barred from claiming any damages from other parties.

Given the potential of these laws significantly affecting how much you may recover in terms of pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage expenses, and more, it is critically important that you work with an experienced personal injury attorney to represent your case.

Our legal team has the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of state laws and present your case in a favorable light as you pursue the maximum compensation for your injuries and other losses.

What Are Common Car Accident Injuries?

Our personal injury law firm represents clients suffering from the following types of car accident injuries:

Back and neck injuries
Broken bones
Burns
Complete or partial paralysis
Disfigurement
Head trauma
Internal bleeding and organ damage
Loss of limbs
Lost vision or sight
Soft tissue injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Whiplash
Wrongful death
And more

Medical bills can add up quickly following a motor vehicle accident. As your legal representation, personal injury lawyer Duane Lassiter will attempt to maximize the compensation you stand to recover from your accident. To learn more, please contact our law office today.

What Type of Compensation is Possible with a Car Accident Lawsuit?

After a Philadelphia car accident, you need a personal injury law firm in your corner to help you recover damages from the at-fault party and their insurance company. These damages may come in the form of both economic and non-economic damages.

You could be entitled to compensation such as the following:

Past medical bills and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Lost future income-earning capacity
Property damages and vehicle repairs or replacements
Physical pain and suffering
Mental anguish and emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Lost companionship or consortium
Wrongful death and funeral costs

In some car accident cases, a judge will also order punitive damages, which seek to punish at-fault parties for their actions and deter others from repeating them.

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Philadelphia, PA, Today

Several factors will determine the value of your Philadelphia car accident claim. Such factors may include the severity of your injuries, the outcome of settlement negotiations, your long-term medical prognosis, the percentage of fault for your injuries, and more. As your legal representatives, our team will do everything within our power to maximize your compensation so that you can be made whole again, at least from a financial perspective.

Lassiter & Associates is a personal injury law firm located in Philadelphia, PA. We have years of experience representing clients in complicated car accident cases, and we would proudly represent your interests as you seek financial compensation.

You may get in touch with us by calling us at 267-682-8918.