When individuals sustain injuries caused by the negligent actions of others, they should have a way to recover compensation for their injuries and any expenses arising due to the incident. At Ciccarelli Law Offices, we are here to help if you need a West Chester personal injury lawyer by your side. We will not hesitate to stand up for your rights when dealing with insurance carriers, and our team will fully prepare your case for trial.

Why Choose Ciccarelli Law Offices for Help?

At Ciccarelli Law Offices, our team has an extensive track record of success in helping individuals recover compensation when they have been harmed due to the negligence of another. We firmly believe that injury victims should have the right to recover compensation either through an insurance settlement or due to a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party.

• We have a team of attorneys who focus specifically on personal injury lawsuits, so we understand what it takes to encourage positive insurance settlements.
• Our team has no problem fully preparing a case to go to trial if that is what it takes to ensure our clients are treated fairly.
• We get results because we are respected. The legal community knows that when we are involved in a case, we mean business.

Most Common Personal Injury Cases We Assist Clients With

Our team has extensive experience handling complex injury claims throughout Pennsylvania and right here in West Chester. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Car Accidents – Your motor vehicle accident injury case is our priority. We work with clients who are injured in a Pennsylvania car accident, in need of financial and medical help they need to get their lives back on track. We demand fair and just financial compensation for your injuries.
• Medical Mistakes – A medical error, failure to diagnose or negligence in your care by a medical doctor or healthcare provider can result in serious injury and death.  We investigate the matter thoroughly to build a strong case for full compensation.
• Workers Compensation – Speak to attorneys experienced in pursuing workers’ compensation cases.   Our personal injury firm is ready when you or a loved one faces a work-related injury or suffers injuries that occurred at work or because of an unsafe workplace.
• Product Liability – A defective or dangerous product caused by the neglect or carelessness of a business or company can bring great pain to you and your family;  to get justice and fair compensation through a personal injury claim to pay medical bills and other costs.
• Slip and Falls – Our team works with you when you or a family member has been injured by a slip, trip or fall caused by the negligence of a property owner or business that could and should have been discovered and avoided; they need to receive fair compensation through a personal injury claim to pay medical bills and other costs.

This is certainly not a complete list of the types of claims that we handle, and we encourage you to reach out to a member of our team for a free consultation so we can help guide you toward the best path for recovering compensation for your losses.

Do You Have a Personal Injury Claim?

It can be challenging to understand whether or not you have a personal injury claim that could lead to compensation recovery. There are various ways that these claims arise, as you can see by the types of injuries we help clients with. When examining whether or not there is a viable personal injury claim, we will look at whether or not the four elements of negligence are in place.

1. Duty of care. It is important to show that the plaintiff (the injury victim) was owed a duty of care by the defendant (the person or entity alleged to have caused the injury). The duty of care owed by the defendant will look different depending on the type of situation at hand. For example, all drivers on Philadelphia roadways owe a duty to others around them. This duty includes operating the vehicle safely. A separate type of duty of care is in place for property owners. They have a duty to ensure that their premises are secure and free from hazards so that no one is harmed. The duty of care that a doctor owes a patient will look entirely different. An attorney can examine the situation and determine whether or not there was a duty of care between yourself and the person who allegedly caused you harm.
2. Breach of duty. After establishing that there was a duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff, the next step is showing that the defendant somehow breached their duty of care. The breach of duty, again, will look different depending on the situation at hand. For example, drivers can breach their duty of care in a number of ways, including operating their vehicle while distracted or impaired. Doctors can breach their duty of care if they fail to uphold an adequate standard of care for their patients.
3. Causation. Once a breach of duty has been established, your attorney will need to show that the breach directly or indirectly led to the actual injuries.
4. Damages. The last step is showing that the plaintiff suffered some sort of monetary loss as a result of the breach of duty and their injuries. This can include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage expenses, and various types of pain and suffering losses.

How Much Compensation is Available?

There may be various types of compensation available for personal injury victims in the West Chester area. At Ciccarelli Law Offices, we strive to recover both economic and non-economic damages on behalf of every client that we assist.

• Economic damages. Economic damages associated with a personal injury revolve around calculable expenses that the victim incurs. We say calculable because we can gather receipts, bills, invoices, or some other documents to help definitively prove the actual losses. Some of the most common economic damages associated with a West Chester personal injury include the following:
  • Any medical bills associated with the injury
  • Lost income if a person cannot work
  • Property damage expenses
  • Various out-of-pocket expenses 
  • Rental vehicle costs
• Non-economic damages. These types of damages are often referred to as “pain and suffering damages,” but they are more nuanced than that. These losses are not as easily calculable because there are typically no direct bills or receipts available. However, these types of losses are equally as important, and they are meant to provide compensation for a personal injury victim’s physical pain and suffering, emotional and psychological trauma, and loss of quality of life damages.

Time Limit to File a Personal Injury Claim in West Chester

It is important for personal injury victims to file their claims promptly. Under Pennsylvania law, personal injury victims have two years from the day the injury occurs to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party. Failing to do so will likely result in a dismissal of the claim, leaving the victim unable to recover compensation for their losses.

As a Pennsylvania injury and accident law firm, our attorneys handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis.  At Ciccarelli Law Offices are West Chester Pennsylvania based Personal Injury lawyers are both passionate in what they do and compassionate in their treatment of their clients.