MORGANTOWN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

Your initial consultation with us is always free. This no-obligation case evaluation gives you a better idea of what your claim is worth and how our attorneys can help you.

For personal injury cases, Slavey & Shumaker PLLC does not charge clients upfront to get started working on their claims. We handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis.  This means that our legal fees are a percentage of the compensation recovered at the conclusion of your case. If we do not win compensation for you, we do not charge any fees.

Our Morgantown personal injury lawyers will assess your claim to determine what full and fair compensation should be in your case. In many stances, this include some or all of the following:

• Payment for medical bills, including potential medical costs that may be incurred in the future due to the injury
• Compensation for damage to personal property, such as if your car was wrecked
• Lost income, including reduced earning capacity if your injury prevents you from going back to the same job you had before the accident
• Payment to compensate for pain and suffering
• Punitive damages, which are designed to punish the at-fault party where their conduct is extreme

There are a number of factors that effect the time it takes to settle your personal injury claim.  Initially, the insurance company will likely attempt to contact you directly and offer a low settlement quickly.  This is their attempt to try to pressure you to sign away your rights prior to hiring a personal injury lawyer.  The insurance company knows that it is in their interest to resolve your case as quickly as possible because some serious injuries take time to fully develop and be identified.  It also takes time to know what your future treatment costs may be and how your life will be impacted. In most cases, it is best to wait until your doctors decide you have fully recovered so that your situation and claim can be fully assessed.

However, as your personal injury lawyer builds a case for full compensation, the insurance company may try to slow play negotiations with the hope that you get frustrated with waiting for resolution and will accept less than what you truly deserve. The personal injury lawyers at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC understand that when it comes to ensuring you receive full compensation for all that you’ve been through, patience is invaluable.

Remember, you and your personal injury lawyers are in control of this process and can reject or accept a settlement offer at any time. The attorneys at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC are here to ensure negotiations from a position of strength and that you are involved and understand the process each step of the way.

Quite simply: Yes.

It may seem advantageous and you may feel like you can file a claim, deal with an insurance company, and negotiate a settlement on your own. That may be true if you are dealing with only minor property damage, such as a minor fender bender or small dent to your vehicle. However, if you are dealing with any physical injuries, it is worth sitting down with a personal injury lawyer for a free consultation to fully understand your options and how to proceed.  

Assessing the full injuries and damages related to personal injury claims can be time consuming and complicated. Insurance companies have numerous employees, adjusters and a team of lawyers attempting to avoid paying the full amount you deserve. Combining experience from both sides of insurance litigation, the personal injury lawyers at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC understand insurance company strategies and will fight for the compensation you deserve. 

An experienced personal injury lawyer will develop a  strategy and manage the details of your claim so you can focus on other matters and recovering from your injury. The strategy and details our personal injury lawyers provide includes:

• Taking over communication with the at-fault party and insurance companies
• Contacting your health care provider about your medical bills
• Investigating your accident and collecting all the evidence
• Identifying each potentially liable party
• Thoroughly documenting your injuries
• Obtaining the opinions of medical and financial experts to determine the future impact of your injury
• Negotiating with the insurance company
• Preparing to take your case to court to demand maximum compensation for you

West Virginia code sets limits the time you have to file a personal injury claim. In most cases, the time limit is two years from the date you sustained the injury or, in some cases, from the date you discovered the injury to file a claim.

Regardless of the statute of limitations in your claim, you should schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. The Morgantown personal injury lawyers at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC want to gather evidence and build a case as soon as possible to ensure that your case is handled properly from the beginning.

Car crashes, truck accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, mining and construction site injuries, dangerous and defective products, etc., are just a few types of situations that can lead to a personal injury claim. Generally, you have a personal injury claim if:

• Someone owed a duty of care to you (such as another driver on the road or a business property owner)
• The at-fault party did not exercise reasonable care (such as a distracted driver texting and crashing into your vehicle)
• That negligence resulted in your injuries

If you have been hurt in an accident and suspect you have a personal injury claim, contact the attorneys at Slavey & Shumaker PLLC today to scheduled a free consultation.

According to the National Safety Counsel, more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2017. If you have lost a loved one in an accident that was caused by the negligence of someone else, you may be able to pursue compensation in a wrongful death claim. Depending on the circumstances of the case, surviving spouses, children, parents, or representatives of the deceased’s estate may have the right to file a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death compensation can include medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost wages and benefits, loss of companionship, and, in some cases, punitive damages.