Personal Injury Attorneys FAQ’s

At Patino Law Firm, we are here to help you through the process of filing an injury claim, getting all the information you need for the claim. If you have any worries about legal terminology, the amount of compensation, or the length of your case, we are here to help you make this a smooth process as possible.

Personal injury attorneys work on a no-win, no-pay agreement, called a contingency agreement, meaning you’ll only pay them if and when you get paid.

This depends on the strength of the claim and willingness to settle. If a settlement is reached in the early stages, the lawsuit could be over in months. But, if you want total compensation, this will take time.

If you have concerns about how your case will proceed, get in touch with us today, and we can give you a more specific time frame.

The power to file a legal claim is usually reserved for the injured individual’s select, immediate family members. For example, parents have the right to sue on behalf of their children or children on behalf of their parents — if their parents are medically unfit. These legal powers may be extended to grandparents, grandchildren, and other relatives, depending on circumstances.

The statute of limitations is a legal term referring to the number of times a person or party has to take legal action against someone else. If an accident occurs, the statute of limitations starts from when an individual suffered or became aware of their injury. It is essential to discuss your situation with an attorney as soon as possible to avoid losing the chance to seek compensation.

After the statute of limitations has passed, it is typically no longer possible for an injury victim to pursue compensation.

The amount of compensation depends on the case. However, the majority of damages won are linked to the costs involved with the claimant’s injury.

If a claimant settles directly with the party responsible, that settlement could be less than a successful case that passes through the full court process.

The sum of the compensation shouldn’t be affected by tax, as personal injury compensation won’t be considered income by the federal government. In rare instances such as punitive damages, tax may occur, but this is a rare instance.

A defendant can offer to settle with a claimant at almost any point after an injury occurs, including after the official filing of a personal injury claim. Depending on the amount of compensation offered, you will need to go over your options carefully.

If you have been offered a settlement after an injury caused by malpractice, product liability, or another accident, we can help you determine your next steps.

Negligence is a legal term that applies when a person owes someone else a duty, fails to perform that duty, and causes an injury, thus failing. Negligence can take several forms ranging from car accidents to workplace injuries.

To pursue compensation for negligence, a claimant will have to prove the defendant had an obligation to keep them safe or reasonably free from harm and failed to do so. This failure will have directly contributed to the plaintiff’s injury.

If you have sustained an injury due to another person’s careless behavior and are considering legal action, we might be able to find the legal information you need.

Known as the discovery rule, the statute of limitations — a time limit placed on claimants for filing personal injury lawsuits — doesn’t typically begin until a person has reasonably realized they were injured. For example, someone who developed neck pain months, if not years, after a car accident may still be entitled to sue from the date they first noticed the injury.

“Informed consent” is the legal term for the ability of a patient to provide their agreement to undergo medical care with a fully informed understanding of the risks, benefits, alternatives, and other such information regarding the procedure.

If a doctor fails to secure a patient’s consent before pursuing treatment, they may be entitled to financial compensation.

“Informed consent” is the legal term for the ability of a patient to provide his or her agreement to undergo medical care with a fully informed understanding of the risks, benefits, alternatives, and other such information regarding the procedure. When a doctor fails to secure a patient’s informed consent before pursuing treatment, he or she may be held liable for any negative consequences.

If you believe that you were not fully informed regarding a procedure before your doctor treated you, you may be entitled to financial compensation. To learn more about informed consent, please contact Patino Law Firm, today by calling our offices to speak with an experienced attorney.

Depending on the defendant’s financial situation, they may pay the total amount at once or using a structured settlement method over a set period.

Depending on the defendant’s financial situation, they may pay the total amount at once or using a structured settlement method over a set period.

When a person is injured due to the careless behavior of another, the court could assign additional compensation unrelated to your injury case, for lost wages, etc., also known as “punitive damages.”

In the court’s eyes, this is further punishment for the reckless, wrong behavior of the defendant.