Lebanon, VA Personal Injury Lawyer for Catastrophic Accidents
Each year, over seventy million people seek medical treatment for injuries.[1] For those injured in severe accidents, suffering through the initial pain and recovery can be difficult and financially straining. If you have sustained a devastating injury a loved one died as a result of someone else’s negligent behavior, you have a right to seek damages from those responsible during this challenging time.
At the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we have a passion for helping injury victims and their families in seeking the full compensation they deserve. Over the last three decades, experienced Lebanon, Virginia personal injury attorney Mark Hurt has helped clients secure millions of dollars in compensation. Call our offices’ today to schedule a free consultation to learn how Mark may be able to help you.
You Only Pay a Fee If Compensation is Recovered
We represent personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we do not collect a fee for our services unless we successfully obtain compensation for you. We also advance all costs associated with litigation while your case is ongoing; typically, these expenses are repaid from damages awarded by a jury or from settlement proceeds.
The Role of a Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury attorney represents individuals who are harmed as a result of another person’s negligence or failure to use reasonable care. Often, personal injury cases involve insurance companies for the person who may be responsible, such as a negligent driver. Without legal representation, these insurance companies will often try to take advantage of those who are injured, either through the refusal to pay damages or a “low-ball” settlement offer.
Unfortunately, insurance companies are more concerned about their profits than the welfare of an injured person or doing “what is right.” They typically will look for excuses or loopholes to deny claims, and they may also use information provided by a victim against them. An experienced personal injury attorney can form the first line of defense against insurance companies desiring to take advantage of the unrepresented.
As a Lebanon, VA personal injury lawyer, Mark Hurt understands the proof needed to substantiate a personal injury claim and knows how to work with insurance companies to get fair and just compensation for injured clients. In order to maximize a recovery, it is usually necessary to meticulously build a client’s case, not only through proving fault, but also proving the full extent of damages, both those that occurred in the past as well as future damages. Only by building a strong cases are defendants (and their insurance companies) likely to pay a settlement for full and fair compensation. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, Mark will take a client’s case to trial.
Mark has significant trial experience gained over the course of 30 years practicing law. He has represented clients at trial in number of counties in Virginia, and has also represented clients in state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He is tenacious in seeking to hold accountable those responsible for causing injury and collecting every dollar that is deserved.
Cases That We Handle
In the US, a person is accidentally injured every second and killed every three minutes by a preventable event.[2] In Lebanon, automobile crashes along US 19 lead to severe injuries and even fatalities every year.
Our firm provides representation to clients in injury and wrongful death cases arising from a wide variety of causes, including:
- Car and Vehicle Accidents
- Dog and Other Animal Bites
- Defective Products
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycling Accidents
- Construction accidents
- Slips and Falls
- Other Premises Injury (such as falling merchandise in “big box” stores, and parking lot assault)
- Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
- Wrongful Death
In addition to these causes, we also represent clients in almost every type of accident in which others are legally responsible and where we can make a difference in seeking damages for a client. If you become our client, we can explain Virginia law and your rights in understandable terms, gather crucial evidence before it becomes inaccessible or disappears, and create a strategy that highlights the liability of the other party. After compiling sufficient evidence and establishing the other person or company is at fault, we will work tirelessly in seeking to obtain a fair settlement from those responsible.
If a fair settlement cannot be reached and litigation is necessary, Mark Hurt can file a lawsuit to help recover the compensation you rightfully deserve. Under Virginia Code § 8.01-243, a personal injury claim must be filed within a strict, two-year time limit, known as the statute of limitations. If the lawsuit is not filed within the statute of limitations, the court will refuse to hear your case, and you may be unable to recover from the defendant. Because timing is critical, it is advisable to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that filing deadlines are met.
Wrongful Death Case Representation
We offer our sincerest condolences if you and your family have lost a loved one due to the negligence or reckless actions of someone else. At the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we have witnessed firsthand the devastating emotional and financial aftereffects that can arise from a wrongful death. Unexpected expenses (such as medical bills and funeral costs) and lost income often place a severe financial strain and stress on surviving family members, which is compounded as a result of the emotional void resulting from a loved one’s death.
At the Law Offices of Mark Hurt, we have been helping surviving family members in seeking compensation after a loved one’s wrongful death for decades. As an experienced injury lawyer, Mark Hurt will represent you throughout the litigation process and demand justice from those responsible, including the full compensation you and your family deserve.
Do Not Skip or Delay Doctors’ Visits
Many victims believe that they have not sustained severe injuries and refuse medical treatment at the accident scene, only to have symptoms occur later. Many injuries may not be readily apparent until several days after an accident, leading individuals to underestimate the extent of the physical harm.
When filing an injury lawsuit in seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages, medical documentation can be critical to the outcome of a settlement or lawsuit. Without proper medical documentation describing the extent of the injuries and treatment progression, it can be difficult to prove damages; consequently, a case can be inadvertently weakened.
As a result, after an injury or accident, it is important to have a doctor perform a physical evaluation as soon as possible, even if you feel your pain is minimal. If too much time expires between the accident and medical treatment, insurance companies might argue that your injuries were unrelated to the event or insignificant.
It is equally important to attend follow-up doctors’ appointments and to adhere to treatment recommendations. If you are non-compliant, an insurance adjuster or attorney may argue that your failure to attend visits or follow the prescribed treatment plan worsen your condition, making you partly responsible for some of your injuries.
Call Us for a Free Consultation to Learn How We Can Help
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident, one of the worst things that you can do is delay or not speak to an attorney. At the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we have decades of experience holding those who are responsible for causing injury liable to the fullest extent of the law.
Mark Hurt graduated with honors from Duke Law School, and he is known as a zealous advocate who fights to secure every dollar that his clients deserve. We invite you to call our offices today to schedule a free consultation and to learn about how we can help with your case.
[1] National Center for Health Statistics – All Injuries, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm.
[2] Injury Facts, National Safety Council, www.nsc.org/membership/member-resources/injury-facts.
