West Virginia Lawyer for Serious Injury Claims

Serious injuries have the potential to change your life permanently. Fortunately, the law provides you an opportunity to hold the people or entities responsible for your injuries accountable and to recover the damages you deserve. A West Virginia lawyer for serious injury claims can help you navigate this process and maximize the compensation you recover.

As a law firm that represents victims of personal injury and wrongful death in West Virginia, the attorneys at Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson understand the financial, physical, mental, and emotional strain a serious injury can cause. Our personal injury lawyers are experienced in taking on cases where major or catastrophic injuries have occurred. We know how to properly calculate damages that should be awarded and understand what it takes to prepare and present a persuasive case to achieve a fair settlement or jury verdict.

Causes of Injuries Handled by a West Virginia Lawyer for Serious Injury Claims

While the cause of injury is almost always unique in personal injury cases, some types of incidents and accidents are more likely to cause a serious injury in WV. A WV serious injury lawyer commonly sees injuries related to the following:

• Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
• Construction site accidents
• Fires and chemical explosions
• Defective products
• Premises liability

Regardless of the cause of your injury, when someone else is at fault, you are entitled to compensation. A WV attorney for serious injury claims can help prove the defendant’s responsibility and recover the damages you deserve.

Damages a West Virginia Lawyer for Serious Injury Claims Can Help You Recover

If you’ve suffered a serious injury in WV, you may be entitled to recover economic and non-economic damages. A WV serious injury lawyer can help you maximize this compensation and, in appropriate cases, also show why you may be entitled to punitive damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are also known as monetary damages as they reimburse you for any financial burden resulting from your injuries. Serious injuries often impact your finances, and economic damages reimburse you for any medical expenses incurred due to the injury, including doctor visits, therapy, surgeries, or caretakers.

Should the injury cause you to miss work, you may also be eligible to recover lost wages. Economic damages additionally cover any loss in earning capacity, as serious injuries often diminish or eliminate one’s ability to work. In such cases, you may recover for the loss of future earnings.

Finally, serious injuries generally require future medical treatment, in extreme cases even including full-time medical care. Economic damages will predict the cost of such care and factor it into your total compensation.

Non-Economic Damages

Serious injuries come with physical pain and an associated loss in the quality of life. This is the type of harm that non-economic damages are intended to cover. Loss of life quality is measured by the loss of one’s ability to engage in the same daily activities as before the injury.

When You Can Recover Punitive Damages

When you suffer a serious injury, you can also seek punitive damages when the defendant’s conduct involved actual malice towards the injured party. The responsible party may also be liable if their conduct is determined to have been performed in a conscious, reckless, and outrageously indifferent manner. The plaintiff must provide clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s conduct was intentional or reckless.

Should the jury return a decision for punitive damages, your recovery is limited to the greater of four times the amount of damages or $500,000 pursuant to WV Code § 55-7-29(c). For help establishing your right to punitive damages, it is wise to hire a West Virginia lawyer for serious injury claims.

How a West Virginia Lawyer for Serious Injury Claims Can Help

Navigating a lawsuit is difficult, particularly when you bring it on behalf of yourself or a loved one. Aside from the legal process, you must be to handle the emotional aspect of fighting the person or entity that caused the injury.

An experienced attorney can ease the burden of handling a WV serious injury claim. The attorney helps manage all communication with the court and the other party, gathers evidence, drafts documents, and generally works to protect your rights and interests.

Given the importance of the role, it is best to hire an experienced West Virginia lawyer for serious injury claims. At Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson, we take the time to prepare and argue your lawsuit in a manner to help you recover maximum damages. Contact Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson today at 304-263-0900 or fill out our online contact form.