Advocates for Injury Victims – Personal Injury Attorneys
Many people are injured in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania every day because of the careless, indifferent or intentional actions of others. Whether you suffer are rear-ended by a drunk driver or you fall on a slippery floor in a restaurant, you can suffer severe injuries that cause emotional distress, intense pain and spiraling medical bills. While personal injury victims have the legal right to pursue a personal injury claim against individuals whose wrongful acts caused injury, insurance companies are staffed with adjusters, attorneys, experts and substantial resources all focused on the task of avoiding paying claims.
Why You Need an Experienced Personal injury lawyer
The civil litigation process is complex and inundated with procedural requirements and deadlines that make it virtually impossible for an injury victim to obtain a positive result without representation by an experienced personal injury law firm. In most cases, individuals, businesses or public entities that cause injury to another will have an insurance company handling their defense and payment of the claim. Insurance companies handle thousands upon thousands of claims each year, and someone injured in a car crash or by a negligent doctor typically lacks the legal expertise and access to experts to take on an insurance company.
When you suffer serious injury because of the conduct of another, you will want to seek out a personal injury attorney in Philadelphia who can balance the scales of justice in your favor. Steven Chung has assisted hundreds of injury victims and their families in navigating the legal, procedural and practical challenges to obtaining fair compensation. Mr. Chung provides a distinct advantage to his clients because he handled a wide range of liability claims as an insurance defense lawyer. His background provides extensive insight into the defenses and litigation tactics of insurance carriers. Mr. Chung also has an established network of experts across many specialty areas with whom he works closely when constructing a persuasive claim for his clients.
Common Basis for Personal Injury Actions in Philadelphia
The majority of personal injury actions in our state are based on Pennsylvania’s law of negligence. Essentially, negligence is the failure of a person to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable harm to someone who is owed a duty of care. Depending on the situation, a defendant may owe more than a duty of “reasonable care” or “ordinary care”. A doctor, for example, owes a patient a higher duty of care predicated on the standard of care exercised by doctors with similar training and experience. Entities that provide transportation services to the public at a scheduled rate, such as bus companies or trains also owe a higher duty of care.
In other cases, a party may be liable to an injury victim based on a “strict liability” basis, which means liability without fault. If a dog owner fails to abide by a local leash law, the dog owner might be liable to a dog attack victim based on strict liability. This is an example of the doctrine of “negligence per se”, which imposes liability on individuals who disregard public safety statutes if the violation causes the type of harm contemplated by the statute. A final example of legal claims where strict liability might be imposed involve dangerous drugs or defective products. When a customer is injured by a faulty product, any entity in the production or distribution can be exposed to liability.
Our Philadelphia personal injury law firm also represents those injured by intentional and/or malicious acts. These types of injury claims, which are referred to as “intentional torts,” can include rape, homicide, sexual assault, battery, molestation, physical assault and other violent acts or threats. When someone is injured by this type of misconduct, punitive damages often are imposed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct in the future. Despite the potential for punitive damages, the wrongdoer in these cases might not be in a position to pay a damage claim. Mr. Chung carefully evaluates the facts in these types of cases to identify potential third parties that also might be liable and possess insurance to cover the claim. An example might include the owner of a condominium development that fails to provide adequate security despite the premises being located in a high crime area.
Some of the types of personal injury claims that Mr. Chung handles include:
- Premises Liability Claims: Slip and fall accidents, dog bites, swimming pool drowning
- Medical Malpractice: Failure to diagnose, improper treatment, anesthesia errors, birth injuries
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car Accidents, motorcycle crashes, 18-wheeler collisions, bicycle and pedestrian accidents
- Construction Accidents: Falls from scaffoldings and ladders, exposure to toxic substances, electrocutions, heavy equipment accidents, defective tools, trench collapses
- Serious injury cases involving other perils and inappropriate conduct
Personal Injury Law Firm – Seeking the Compensation You Deserve
Although many personal injury lawsuits settle prior to trial, Steven L. Chung is a respected litigation attorney whose reputation is founded on aggressively representing his clients against insurance companies. His proven success and reputation among his peers has earned him the designation of Pennsylvania Rising Star from Super Lawyers on two separate occasions. If you or someone you care about has been injured, you should seek prompt medical attention, gather evidence at the site of the accident and obtain prompt legal advice.
Lawsuits requesting damages for serious and catastrophic injuries are subject to strict timing requirements. Failure to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations will typically result in a permanent bar to bringing a lawsuit. Steven Chung offers a no obligation free consultation to evaluate your case and advise you of your rights and options. Call Steven Chung at 215-688-5777 to learn how we can help.