Personal Injury FAQs

 

Q. What is personal injury?

A. Personal injury is a term generally used in the legal profession to describe an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of civil claim and/or lawsuit alleging that an injury has been caused by the negligence or wrongful acts of another.

Although there are many different types of personal injury claims, some of the most common are road traffic accidents, accidents caused by dangerous conditions on property like tripping and falling hazards, boating accidents, electrocution accidents and defective product accidents. The term Personal Injury may also refer to medical malpractice and wrongful death claims.

Q. I have been injured, do I have a case? 

A. In any situation where a legal issue may be involved, the most prudent thing to do is contact an attorney and get a professional opinion about your rights..

Q. I'm a working person, how can I afford an attorney?  

A. In most Personal Injury cases an attorney will accept an injured person's case on a contingent fee basis.

Q. What is a contingent fee?

A. A fee is contingent when it is conditioned upon the attorney's successful resolution of the injured person's case. This contingency arrangement is often referred to in advertisements as: "No fee unless you collect money," or something similar.

A contingent fee is paid as a percentage of your monetary recovery (either settlement or court award). In most contingency fee arrangements, there is no charge for a consultation. In most consultations, an injured person's legal questions will be answered, and there is usually no obligation on the injured person's part in exchange for the consultation.

Schorr Law Firm never charges an attorney fee for a Personal Injury case unless we obtain a recovery for our client. Our fee is a percentage of the recovery and if a recovery is not made, the client owes Schorr Law Firm nothing. Additionally, Schorr Law Firm does not charge a fee to help clients settle their property damage claims, if any.

Q. How long will it take to settle my claim?  

A. There is no set answer. All cases are different. The more complex the case, and/or the more serious the injuries, and/or the more money at stake for the parties involved, the longer it will take.

Every person's injuries and claims are unique, every incident has its own set of facts, and many unforseen issues can arise in any claim or case. Therefore, every case is different and it is impossible to for anyone to determine how long a case will take to settle, if ever. Sometimes injury claims don't settle. In those cases it may be necessary to file a lawsuit.

Q. What is the value of my claim?  

A. Until all the information on your injuries is available and all the facts of your case are known, the value of your case is unknown. Attorneys are prohibited from promising that they will obtain a certain amount of money for a claim. If an attorney promises you that he or she will win a certain amount of money for your case, seek out another attorney immediately. It is an ethical violation for an attorney to predict the outcome of a case as an inducement to you to become a client.