What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?

1. Do not give any statements to anyone except the police until you speak with an automobile accident attorney.
2. Do not move the cars from the auto accident scene before the police arrive unless the cars create a traffic hazard.
3. Do not leave the scene of an auto accident before the police arrive unless the need for medical care requires you to do so.

How do I know if I have a case?

If you are in a serious accident, you should get the advice of an automobile accident lawyer with experience in personal injury and car accidents. For auto accidents in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, you have only two years to file your case in court or your claim is barred. Prompt investigation and the preservation of evidence are the best actions to protect your legal rights.

Generally, most auto accident attorneys do not charge for an initial consultation. After discussing the facts of your case, the attorney can advise you whether you should pursue the matter.

What if I am partly at fault in the accident?

The law in Pennsylvania provides that you can be up to 50% responsible for an accident and still be compensated for your damages (reduced by your percentage of fault). Usually, a thorough investigation of an auto accident is required before any conclusions can be reached about who caused an accident.

For example, many people think that if they received a ticket for an auto accident and paid it they cannot make a claim. This is not true. A knowledgeable Philadelphia auto accident attorney will tell you that payment of a traffic ticket is not admissible evidence in court. Likewise, a police officer's opinion of who was at fault is not usually admissible evidence unless the officer actually witnessed the accident.

How much does an attorney cost?

We understand that most people cannot afford to pay an attorney by the hour. We work on a contingency fee. That means that we only charge clients a percentage of the money we recover for the client. If we do not make a recovery, there is no fee for the legal services performed.

Other expenses involved in pursuing an auto accident case include the cost of getting medical records, hiring medical experts, investigators and other costs for litigation. Our firm usually pays all these expenses. If there is no recovery, we do not charge clients for any expenses. If our Philadelphia auto accident attorneys are successful in making a recovery for the client, then part of the recovery is used to reimburse us for these expenses.