Johnstown
Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been in a car accident in Johnstown, PA, a Johnston personal injury lawyer can seek financial recovery for your accident-related losses, such as your medical bills and lost income. Having an attorney review your losses, collect case evidence, and determine who to hold responsible for them can help ensure you receive the compensation and justice you deserve.

A Johnstown car accident lawyer with Berger and Green will take care of your entire case at no upfront cost or attorney’s fees. A representative from our law firm can talk with you more about the accident during a free consultation. The sooner you call, the sooner we can start working on your case.

How Our Lawyer Can Help Your Johnstown Car Accident Case

At Berger and Green, we take care of your legal needs so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. For more than 40 years, we have recovered monetary damages for injured clients who were hurt because of someone else’s negligence. We understand it takes time to heal from an accident, so we want to ensure you have the time you need to take care of your health and well-being.

After we talk with you to learn more about the accident and what happened, we can determine how to approach your case. We will start with an investigation to understand what happened in Johnstown. We will collect your medical records and evaluate them. We obtain the accident report from law enforcement and analyze it for accuracy. If the report is inaccurate, we will work with the department to correct it.

We talk to eyewitnesses and obtain surveillance camera footage where appropriate. If accident reconstruction or other expert testimony is necessary, we work with these experts on your behalf. 

Recoverable Damages in a Johnstown Car Accident

You could receive compensation for the financial, physical, and psychological injuries you suffered in the collision. Economic damages are the financial losses you have, such as:

• Medical expenses from treating your injuries
• The income you missed while healing from the accident
• Repair expenses you paid for fixing your car or replacing it altogether
• Other accident-related costs

Non-economic damages are those losses that come with no fixed dollar amount. This includes:

• Pain and suffering, which includes physical and psychological harm you suffered from the accident
• Impaired quality of life, if the accident reduced your ability to care for yourself in any way
• Loss of companionship, if your injuries affect how you relate to your partner or family members
• Loss of life enjoyment if you can no longer do the things you once enjoyed because of your accident injuries

Our Johnstown personal injury lawyers will review your case, identify all recoverable losses, and assign your case a monetary value. In addition, we will handle all negotiations for a settlement that meets your post-accident needs and always update you on your case.

Wrongful Death Damages

If your loved one suffered fatal injuries in the collision, we offer our heartfelt condolences for your loss. We are here for you when you need us. In addition, if you are considering which negligent party or parties to hold responsible for your loved one’s death, we can provide legal guidance so you can know your legal options.

We might be able to recover wrongful death damages. We can review which family members Pennsylvania law designates to receive these monetary awards and how the legal process works regarding these legal actions.  Recoverable losses include:

• Funeral and burial costs
• The decedent’s medical treatment expenses
• Loss of the decedent’s household income
• Loss of companionship or consortium
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of financial support
• Other end-of-life expenses

We will advise you of every loss you could recover and seek the maximum compensation we can that helps you and your family as you move forward.

We Have the Resources and the Time to Fight for You

Our legal team pursues your claim, negotiating with insurance companies and their lawyers and fighting to protect your legal rights. The process of protecting and fighting for your legal rights when you have been in a car accident is complex and stressful. That is why we handle it for you. We have the resources you need to reach a fair outcome on your car accident claim in Johnstown.

As noted earlier, we will do all this without any upfront costs from you. We will work for you on a contingency fee basis. This means that we do not recover anything unless and until you win your case. The consultation is also free, and you have no obligation to use our services.

We Will File Your Accident Case on Time

Your accident case has a filing deadline that our Johnstown car accident must meet. Per PA C.S.A. § 5524, Pennsylvania generally allows two years to sue for personal injury damages. If this deadline expires, you likely will lose your chance to seek financial recovery through the courts if you haven’t filed your case.

The filing deadline is shorter if your accident in Johnstown involved a city, county, or state government agency, per PA C.S.A. § 5522, which says you must serve a notice of intent to sue the agency within six months.

What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Johnstown, PA?

There are two basic needs you must meet to protect yourself and your right to recover compensation:

Your medical needs

If you did not receive medical care at the scene, you need to make a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible. A delay in getting medical care can make the recovery from your injuries more difficult and your claim more complicated.

Once you meet with a doctor, follow all of his/her instructions.

You also need to stay organized. Keep all your accident-related receipts in a safe place. You can recover compensation for everything from surgery to a parking fee at the hospital.

Your legal needs

There are quite a few things you need to do to protect your legal rights to compensation. First, you need to be careful of what you say to anyone about your accident and how it occurred. The insurance adjuster or the other driver can twist you, saying something as innocent as, “I’m sorry” or “I’m OK” into you admitting fault or saying you are uninjured.

Before you speak with anyone about your accident, get in touch with one of our car accident lawyers. We will make sure you know what to say and how to handle calls or requests from insurance adjusters. We can even handle all communications with the insurance company if that makes you more comfortable.

You might also want to refrain from posting on social media. The insurance adjuster can use anything you post against you. For example, say you are claiming that your back pain is so bad that you cannot drive or sit in a car at all, but then you post about a road trip you are taking with your friends. The insurance company will use that post to invalidate your claim.

For more information on what not to do after an accident, read our blog.

How Much Is My Johnstown Car Accident Claim Worth?

Every car accident is different, but you can collect certain types of damages depending on the facts of the case and the type of insurance you have.

Because Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state, you first turn to your insurance company. You must hold at least $5,000 in medical benefits to cover your injuries. If your injuries eclipse these limits and/or there was another party at fault for the accident, you can file against that driver.

In Pennsylvania, you must choose either limited tort or full tort insurance coverage.

If you have limited tort insurance coverage, you can only sue the driver for economic damages (i.e., you cannot get pain and suffering damages) unless you suffered serious injuries, or your accident meets certain criteria. Full tort insurance coverage does not have this limitation.

Serious injuries include: 

• Serious impairment of body function
• Permanent serious disfigurement
• Death

 If you did not sustain a “serious injury” as defined by 75 Pa. C.S.A. § 1702, you may have other options to recover non-economic damages. If you meet any of the following, you may be eligible for pain and suffering damages: 

• The driver was registered in another state;
• The driver was convicted of or received accelerated rehabilitative disposition for driving under the influence;
• The driver caused the accident while intending to injure him/herself or others; or
• The driver was uninsured.

Pedestrians and cyclists involved in an accident automatically receive full tort coverage.

We will take all of this into account while we determine the worth of your case. We examine all your records and evidence and work with financial and vocational experts to determine the true value of what this accident has cost you and your family. 

A Johnstown Car Accident Attorney Can Help You Navigate the Claim Process

In 2015, there were over 127,000 traffic crashes reported in Pennsylvania, reports the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). While victims of car accidents in Pennsylvania have a few options to recover injury compensation, Pennsylvania insurance and personal injury laws are complicated.

A Johnstown, PA, car accident lawyer from Berger and Green can help you navigate the process and determine your best option. 

Call Us for a Free Consultation – We Can Help After a Johnstown, PA, Accident

Injury victims deserve peace of mind and the opportunity to hold negligent parties accountable for their injuries and related losses. The Johnstown car accident lawyers from Berger and Green have helped many across Pennsylvania do just that for more than four decades.

We’re ready to use our years of experience to build your case and fight for the fair compensation you are due. Call us today for your free consultation to discuss your legal rights, the accident, and how we can move forward with legal action that can benefit you and your family.