Personal Injury

Understanding Personal Injury

If you have been injured in an accident due to the wrongful acts of another person, you may be entitled to compensation. However, without experienced legal counsel, the at-fault parties or their insurers may try to avoid their legal obligations. At Peetz Koerwitz & Lafleur, we are your champion, and we will work tirelessly to get you the best settlement possible for your injuries and losses. While our attorneys have handled a variety of personal injury matters, we are particularly experienced in motor vehicle accidents and wrongful death cases.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

In a motor vehicle accident claim, a driver’s negligence causes an accident that results in injuries to one or more persons. In these cases, the injured party is entitled to compensation and damages from the negligent party. Typically, the negligent party will have an insurance policy that provides coverage for these damages; thus, you are often really dealing with an insurance company. If the negligent party has no assets and limited or no insurance, you may be forced to bring a claim against your own insurance policy for under-insured motorist coverage. Of course, insurance companies are typically only concerned with one thing: their bottom line. As a result, you can expect significant pushback when bringing a claim for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident. Our attorneys have successfully represented clients in a variety of motor vehicle accident claims, including accidents involving bicycles, automobiles, and tractor-trailers.

What to Expect

When we represent you in a motor vehicle accident, you can expect that we will thoroughly investigate your accident to determine who was at fault and how we can help maximize your recovery. Since each personal injury case has its own unique details and circumstances, there will be an initial meeting to review your claim and to discuss how we can help you. Essential records to bring to the initial meeting include medical records related to the accident, accident reports, photographs of the accident or injuries, and your insurance policies. Our team will conduct a full investigation into your case, after which the initial settlement demands will be made to the responsible party and their insurance company. In some cases and with some insurers, we have learned that making an initial demand just delays your recovery. In those situations, we will immediately proceed with filing a lawsuit on your behalf. While many cases settle prior to trial, some do not and that is ok. Every step we take is made with the idea that your case will be presented to a judge or jury for determination. Thus, we are always preparing for trial. When an insurer knows that your attorney is prepared to take your claims to trial, you are more likely to be offered a fair settlement.

Wrongful Death Cases

In wrongful death cases, the client is usually the personal representative of the deceased party’s estate. While a wrongful death case often arises from a motor vehicle accident, these cases can come with additional layers of complexity and require a thorough understanding of wrongful death laws as well as state probate procedures. Although the claim is generally brought by the personal representative, the damages recoverable belong to the persons that have suffered economic losses as a result of the death of their loved one. These damages include lost financial support and loss of society, comfort, and companionship. While it is not easy to put a dollar value on the loss of a loved one, you have a right to be made whole to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Losing a loved one is a painful and challenging process that can be vastly more overwhelming if the death resulted from an accident. Utilizing the services of experienced legal counsel can help ensure responsible parties are held accountable and that the decedent’s family receives as much support as possible both during and after the case.