An accident occurs -- someone close to you is injured or killed. What to do?

Many folks, once they have weathered the immediate storm, decide to hire a lawyer to assist them with investigating the accident and potentially pursuing a claim. As a lawyer with 30 years of experience representing individuals and family members, let me provide some insight into what you should be looking for when selecting a personal injury lawyer.

If you are injured in a "tort" claim, you generally have the right to be compensated for your lost wages or lost income due to your inability to work or earn income due to your injury. In other words, if you cannot work due to your injuries, the at-fault party should be responsible to pay your lost income.

If you are injured due to an act of negligence or other tort (torts are violations of standards of care that result in injury, such as an injury caused by someone being negligent, a product defect causing an injury or an intentional act such as an assault), you can be awarded damages for the medical bills incurred to treat your injuries, lost wages or income due to your injuries, compensation for your pain and suffering and mental anguish due to your injuries, compensation for any impairment due to your injuries and compensation for any disfigurement resulting from your injuries.