What is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury cases are civil court cases and have nothing at all to do with the criminal court system. The goal of a personal injury case is to hold someone else responsible after you've been hurt because of their actions or negligence.

What Should I Look for in a Personal Injury Lawyer?

You probably see billboards and television commercials for personal injury lawyers every day, but not all personal injury attorneys are the same. Here's a checklist of what you should look for:

Immediately talk to an attorney on your first phone call to the law firm or expect a quick return call.
You should tell the details of your accident to a lawyer, not a paralegal.
Expect to work directly with your attorney at all times. A case worker or paralegal should never be your day to day contact at the law firm.
Work with a lawyer who works in YOUR community. Hiring a large statewide law firm doesn't mean you'll get better representation.
Ask "what the attorney will do for free." The answer to that question should be very clear.

What are Damages?

Victims who file a personal injury lawsuit are usually trying to recover money that can help pay for the costs of getting hurt. These are called "damages" and include:

Getting paid back for the medical bills you've racked up because of an accident.
Psychological harm that you've suffered after an accident.
Lost income because you can't work when hurt.
The costs of repairing or replacing a wrecked car or motorcycle.
Future expenses if you're severely injured and need long term medical care.
Pain and suffering.
Out of pocket expenses. This means any money you've spent because of your accident, incuding mileage to and from doctor's visits, renting a car while yours get fixed, costs of renting or buying medical equipment, etc.
Punative Damages are meant to financially punish a person or organization if what they did to hurt you was intentional or grossly negligent.

How Do I Pay for a Personal Injury Lawyer?

The simple answer is, you don't pay anything up front. A personal injury lawyer gets paid when the other side either loses in court or agrees to settle your case. The lawyer is paid a portion of the money the other side owes you. Our personal injury clients never pay a retainer or cash up front. This is called a contingency payment and means you only pay us if we win money for you. All of our clients have access to experienced legal representation without worrying about legal fees up front. It means anyone from any economic background an afford to hire us as their personal injury lawyer on a contingency basis.

Contact Buckman and Buckman for a Personal Injury Case Evaluation

At Buckman and Buckman, we believe you should work one-on-one with a lawyer, not a paralegal. Our attorneys will take your calls personally and talk directly to you through every phase of your case. It's personal attention that few other firms are willing to offer their clients.

Contact Buckman and Buckman for a free Personal Injury case evaluation at (941) 923-7700 or fill out our online case evaluation form.