STAFFORD PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Stafford, VA Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have been hurt as the results of someone else's negligence, then you have got a lot on your plate. Chances are that everyone all of a sudden wants to talk to you! However, those people are insurance adjusters, doctors, medical bill collectors, and a whole bunch more. You have more than enough to deal with, without having to fend off all of these people, and their individual interests. Who is looking out for you?

The answer is: Attorney Joe Blaszkow! Joe Blaszkow is the Stafford Injury Attorney. He has been representing injured people in Stafford County, and throughout Virginia, for over 40 years. He has also trained a new generation of associate lawyers and staff members to use the Blaszkow Legal Method, to maximize client outcome, and increase recovery.

If you have been hurt through no fault of your own, then you deserve someone who is willing to fight for the justice that you seek. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, and to hold the negligent person or parties accountable. Speak to an experienced Stafford personally injury lawyer today, and call Blaszkow Legal for a free consultation - 703-879-5910

What are considered personal injury claims?

Anytime that you have been hurt through someone else's negligence, this is known as a personal injury claim. There are a lot of different kinds of personal injury incidents that you may be able to seek compensation for:

• Car accidents

• Truck accidents

• Bus accidents

• Bicycle accidents

• Pedestrian accidents

• Wrongful death claims

• Slip and fall

• Negligent security

• Premises liability

• Brain and Spinal injuries

• Catastrophic injury claims

• Workman's compensation claims

• and more

How does negligence factor into a personal injury claim?

Negligence is one of the elements that you have to prove in making a Stafford personal injury claim. Negligence is generally defined as one of two things:

1. Doing something improperly, or

2. Failing to do something that a reasonable person would have done in the same situation (or should have done!)

Of course, in order for these to apply, the negligent person has to owe you a duty. For example, in the realm of car accident cases, all drivers owe a duty to other drivers to operate their vehicles safely. So, a driver who is acting in an unsafe manner is not only breaking the rules of the road, they are breaching their duty to you, as another motorist on the highway.

There is another type of negligence that you have to be wary of, however. Virginia is one of the states that adheres to a legal doctrine known as contributory negligence. This means that if the insurance companies can allege that you are even 1% responsible for the incident that caused your injuries, that you cannot recover. This is an extremely high bar, that the insurance companies absolutely love. It is extremely important never to give them the ability to make that argument, and so you need to speak to a lawyer immediately!

What compensation can you receive for a Stafford County personal injury?

After suffering a personal injury, you are generally entitled to file a claim for compensation against the negligent parties who have caused your injuries. Those damages are generally broken down into two separate, and distinct categories: economic damages and non economic damages.

Economic damages are those things that are immediately quantifiable, and recognizable (through bills, ledgers, and other documents). We often say that this means it's written down. Some examples of economic damages include:

• Medical expenses

• Forecasted future medical expenses

• Time lost from work

• Future lost wages

• Loss of earning capacity

• Prescription receipts

• Medical Supply costs

• Diminished value of vehicles and other property

Noneconomic damages are not black and white. They are not written down in any law book: a broken arm is not automatically worth X, and a broken leg automatically worth Y. Non-economic damages generally have to be proven through testimony of individuals, and other witnesses.

• Inconvenience

• Pain and suffering

• Emotional distress

• Humiliation

• Permanency of injury

• Scarring

• Disfigurement

• Impairment in activities of daily living

Do I have to go to court for my personal injury claim?

There is always the possibility that your personal injury claim is going to have to be litigated - no personal injury attorney can promise an outcome. However, over 85% of all cases that we handle are able to be settled out of court. A case can settle at any time. We have had cases that have actually settled during trial!

There are times when we will actually recommend our client to litigate the case. This means the filing of a lawsuit and the beginning of the Court process. Two main reasons we would recommend litigation are when 1) the at-fault party denies liability, or 2) when their offer of damages does not sufficiently compensate our client.

Statute of limitations for Stafford County personal injury claims

Personal injury claims in Virginia are generally governed by a two-year statute of limitations (Virginia Code 8.01-243). This means that any lawsuit against the person or company that caused your injury has to be filed within two years of the date of the incident. However, there are some very specific exceptions.

In a wrongful death claim, the underlying lawsuit has to be filed within two years of the date of the decedent's death, rather than from the date of the incident that caused the initial injury. For example, if your loved one was in a horrible car accident, and then died a month later, the two-year period begins to run on the date of your loved one's death, as opposed to the date of the accident.

There are other deadlines that have to be monitored as well, in unique situations. If your injury was caused by an arm of the government, then there are very specific notice requirements that have to be met.

Notices of claim have to be filed with cities, towns, and counties, within 6 months of the date of the incident.
Example: you are stopped at a red light, and rear-ended by a Stafford County Sheriff's cruiser.

Claims against the Commonwealth of Virginia have to be filed within one year.
Example: you are crossing the street in Aquia Harbor and are struck by a VDOT truck that ran a red light.

Claims against the federal government have to be noticed within 2 years of the date of the incident, regardless of what happened, pursuant to the Federal Tort Claim Act. Example: You are a passenger on a Quantico Marine Base shuttle bus, and it is involved in a crash.

Speak to an experienced Stafford personal injury lawyer today!

Stafford County is a wonderful place to live, and work, but personal injury incidents still happen. They can happen anywhere. And if they do happen, and they happen to you or your loved ones, then you deserve experienced, aggressive representation from the team at Blaszkow Legal. Our attorneys, paralegals, and other staff will work hard to get you the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

Contact Blaszkow Legal today for a free consultation!

Alexandria/Northern Virginia Office:
5270 Shawnee Road #102, Alexandria, Va. 22312
703-879-5910

Richmond Office:
7824 Shrader Road, Richmond, Va. 23294
804-273-8929

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