FAQ

If you or someone in your family has been injured, you should seek legal advice as quickly as possible to see if you have a claim for personal injury. The cause of an injury may not always be obvious, and there may be one or more parties responsible. Crowe & Mulvey, LLP can help determine the cause of an injury, and whether someone is legally responsible.

Crowe & Mulvey, LLP will request all of the medical records and other information necessary to evaluate and pursue your case. However, you can help by saving any papers or things that are related to your claim. These might include copies of any medical records and correspondence concerning your injury; appointment calendars showing important dates; notes or tape recordings of conversations or other events; photographs and videotapes of injuries and accident scenes; a product that caused injury; and instruction sheets, warnings or discharge instructions that you receive. It is particularly important for you to save "original" items that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Over the course of time, memories may fade, and documents may be lost or altered, and so your "originals" may become a very important part of your case. We recommend that you get a large envelope or a box and simply add relevant documents or photographs to it as you find them.

You should not discuss your injury or the way in which it happened with anyone until you have consulted a lawyer. The statements you make might be incorrect, incomplete, or taken out of context, and may become harmful to your case at a later date. Do not file any written reports or descriptions, sign any papers, or agree to any settlement, as this could affect your ability to recover full compensation for your injuries.

If someone causes you harm, the law entitles you to compensation from those responsible for your injuries. In addition, by bringing a claim, you may help to prevent someone else from suffering the same type of injury. The experience of being sued may cause doctors to become more careful, manufacturers to make products safer, and businesses to employ better safety practices.

There are laws called "statutes of limitation," which prohibit the bringing of old claims. For many claims, these statutes of limitations may be as short as three years, and sometimes even less, although there are several exceptions. You should consult with a lawyer as soon as you are aware that you have been injured. Even if you were injured some time ago, you may still be able to bring a claim.

We understand that most people who have suffered a serious injury or death in the family cannot afford to pay hourly legal fees or large expenses. Crowe & Mulvey, LLP represents all of its clients on a contingent-fee basis. If we accept your case, you pay no legal fees or expenses unless we are successful in obtaining compensation for you. If no money is recovered, you owe nothing. Unlike some other firms, Crowe & Mulvey, LLP will not expect you to pay a retainer fee or to bear any costs associated with the evaluation of your claim. If we review your claim, and decide that we cannot represent you, you owe us nothing. You will only pay us if and when you receive compensation for your injuries.

There are certain expenses, such as court costs and expert witness fees, involved in bringing a personal injury claim. Crowe & Mulvey, LLP will pay these expenses as the case proceeds. You do not have to reimburse us for these costs until the conclusion of the case, if and when money is recovered for your claim. If there is no recovery, Crowe & Mulvey, LLP will not ask you to reimburse these expenses.

Surprisingly, your claim will not require a great deal of your time. After the initial interview, Crowe & Mulvey, LLP will do most of the work for you. In the typical personal injury case, you would be required to come to the office two or three times to answer written and oral questions about what happened. Aside from these questions, which are a routine part of the court process, very little of your time will be required. We also ask that you call or write to us if there are significant changes in your family or medical situation that might affect your case.

You will not have to go to court unless your case cannot be settled and must be tried. The vast majority of claims are settled before trial; however, because of the many factors involved, it is impossible to predict whether your particular case will be settled or decided by a jury.

Almost all personal injury claims are defended by insurance company lawyers and paid by insurance coverage, so the person or corporation you sue will not have to pay any money out-of-pocket. A personal injury claim is a civil case, not a criminal case, and the defendant will not go to jail because of the claim.

Yes. In addition to medical expenses, you may be entitled to compensation for many other aspects of your injury, such as time lost from work, scarring or disfigurement, future medical expenses, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

The value of your claim depends on a wide variety of factors, such as the severity and permanency of your injury, the amount of your medical expenses, the liability of the defendant, and whether the case is settled or decided by a jury. It is impossible to estimate the value of a claim until all aspects of the case have been fully investigated, and you should be wary of anyone who tries to tell you the value of your claim at an early stage. After we have completed a thorough investigation of your case, we will be in a position to offer you our opinion as to the value of your claim and its likelihood of success.

If the insurance company offers to settle your case, we will discuss the proposed settlement with you, and give you our advice about whether to accept the amount offered. Of course, the final decision whether to accept an insurance company's offer of settlement or to allow a jury to determine the value of your injuries is always up to you. We will give you our best advice, but it is your case, and you will make the decision.

The initial evaluation of a claim usually takes a month or so, except for medical malpractice claims, which may take three to six months. After a lawsuit is filed, the length of time depends on how crowded the court calendar is, and whether the insurance company is willing to settle the claim before trial. Most cases take between one and four years to complete.