What Is Personal Injury?

Anyone can get hurt at any time, but if your injury is due to someone else’s negligence or harmful actions, you may be entitled to compensation. Whether you can make a claim and how much you can claim will depend on the kind of injury and the impact it has. Virginia law allows two years to file personal injury claims from the time of the injury, so you should not hesitate to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately. Our Newport News personal injury law firm can help.

Among the most common kinds of personal injuries that end up paying damages are automobile accidents. Any insured driver is carrying coverage for personal injury to others — you can also add personal injury to your own policy to cover you in the event of an accident with an uninsured driver. Other common grounds for personal injury suits are medical malpractice and dog bites.

You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, property damage (in the case of car accidents, for instance), loss of ability to work, psychological distress and other damages. Collecting these damages will be a matter of proving your losses. No matter how you are injured, you should immediately begin documenting everything pertaining to your case. That includes any details about the incident itself — date, time, where you were, what exactly happened, names and contact information for anyone present, including witnesses—as well as information pertaining to your physical condition, including details of your treatments and recovery. What exactly you should record, and what information you will need, is something that Newport News personal injury attorneys can talk you through.

Personal injury claims can be resolved by a variety of processes, including private settlement with the insurance company, arbitration, mediation or even a court hearing. Whatever the venue, however, a personal injury attorney is important for presenting the evidence and making sure that your paperwork is complete. Given Virginia’s short timeframe for claims, you cannot afford to be delayed by incorrect paperwork.

The attorneys of Forbes and Broadwell specialize in representing individuals involved in personal injury claims. Whether you have been accused of injuring someone else or are yourself the injured party, your livelihood and independence depend on obtaining experienced representation. If you have been injured in an accident, or have been accused of causing injury to someone else, you need to consult the Newport News personal injury lawyers of Forbes and Broadwell today.