Car Accident Lawyer in Pennsylvania

A serious car accident can result in medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, and injuries that continue long after the crash. Understanding the insurance coverage available and protecting your right to compensation can become complicated quickly.

Sklarosky Law represents people injured in car accidents throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Attorney Michael Sklarosky handles claims involving negligent drivers, disputed liability, serious injuries, uninsured and underinsured motorists, and insurance companies that fail to fairly compensate accident victims.

Car accident cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no attorney's fee unless a recovery is obtained.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Pennsylvania

Many Pennsylvania car accidents result from driver negligence. Common causes include:

• Distracted driving, including texting and cell phone use

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

• Speeding and aggressive driving

• Following too closely

• Unsafe lane changes

• Improper turns

• Running red lights or stop signs

• Failing to yield

• Fatigued or inattentive driving

Determining how a crash occurred can require reviewing police reports, photographs, witness statements, vehicle damage, medical records, video footage, and other available evidence.

Full Tort vs. Limited Tort in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania drivers generally select either Full Tort or Limited Tort when purchasing automobile insurance. That selection can have an important effect on an injured person's ability to recover noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering.

Full Tort generally preserves the right to seek compensation for pain and suffering without having to establish that an injury meets the statutory serious-injury threshold.

Limited Tort generally restricts recovery of noneconomic damages unless the injured person suffers a serious injury or another statutory exception applies.

Importantly, having Limited Tort does not necessarily mean that you cannot pursue a claim for pain and suffering. Pennsylvania law recognizes circumstances in which the Limited Tort restriction may not apply. Whether an exception exists depends upon the particular facts of the accident and the applicable insurance policies.

Sklarosky Law recommends that Pennsylvania motorists consider purchasing Full Tort coverage when selecting automobile insurance.

Who Pays Medical Bills After a Pennsylvania Car Accident?

Pennsylvania uses a no-fault system for automobile medical benefits. In most cases, an injured person's own automobile insurance provides the first layer of coverage for accident-related medical expenses regardless of who caused the crash.

Pennsylvania drivers are generally required to carry at least $5,000 in first-party medical benefits.

When medical expenses exceed the available automobile medical coverage, additional issues can arise involving health insurance, liens, coordination of benefits, and recovery of damages from the responsible driver.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims

Sometimes the driver who caused an accident has no insurance or does not have enough liability coverage to compensate an injured person for the harm caused.

Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage can provide important additional protection in these situations.

UM/UIM claims can involve your own insurance company, but that does not necessarily mean the claim will be straightforward. The policy limits, available coverage, stacking, waivers, and other insurance issues should be reviewed when evaluating a serious automobile accident claim.

What Compensation Can Be Recovered After a Car Accident?

The damages available depend upon the circumstances of the accident and the injuries involved. A Pennsylvania car accident claim may include compensation for:

• Medical expenses

• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity

• Pain and suffering

• Scarring or disfigurement

• Loss of life's pleasures

• Future medical treatment

• Other accident-related losses

The value of a claim depends upon many factors, including the nature and permanence of the injuries, available insurance coverage, liability, medical treatment, and how the injuries have affected the person's life.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident

If you are involved in a Pennsylvania car accident:

1. Call 911 and report the accident.

2. Seek medical attention for your injuries.

3. Exchange insurance and contact information with the other drivers.

4. Photograph the vehicles and accident scene if you can safely do so.

5. Obtain contact information for witnesses.

6. Report the accident to your automobile insurer.

7. Keep copies of medical records, bills, photographs, and insurance correspondence.

8. Consider speaking with a Pennsylvania car accident attorney before providing detailed statements or accepting a settlement from the at-fault driver's insurance company.

Obtaining medical care is particularly important. Apart from protecting your health, medical records can document the nature of your injuries and their relationship to the accident.

Rideshare Accidents Involving Uber or Lyft

Accidents involving rideshare vehicles can present additional insurance issues.

The coverage potentially available after an Uber or Lyft accident may depend upon what the driver was doing when the collision occurred, including whether the driver was logged into the application, waiting for a ride request, traveling to pick up a passenger, or transporting a passenger.

Determining which insurance policies apply can therefore be an important part of investigating a rideshare accident claim.

Areas Served

Sklarosky Law represents car accident victims throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, including:

• Luzerne County, including Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Hazleton, Pittston, Nanticoke, Dallas, Mountain Top, and surrounding communities

• Lackawanna County, including Scranton and surrounding communities

• Monroe County, including Stroudsburg and the Pocono region

• Carbon County, including Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, and surrounding communities

• Columbia County, including Bloomsburg and surrounding communities

• Wyoming County, including Tunkhannock and surrounding communities

If your accident occurred elsewhere in Pennsylvania, contact Sklarosky Law to discuss whether the firm can assist with your claim.

Contact a Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you were injured in a car crash, don't wait. The sooner you contact a lawyer, the stronger your case will be. At Sklarosky Law, we offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Call us today at (570) 283-1200 or use our online contact form to schedule your consultation.