Did Someone’s Negligence Cause an Injury?

When you’re thrown a curveball such as being injured in an accident, you may not know what your next steps should be. Dealing with unexpected medical bills and missing time at work, you may be facing a huge financial burden that threatens to hurt your family. However, if your accident was caused by the negligence of another, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against that individual.

After any type of accident, it is important that you contact a qualified personal injury lawyer immediately to protect your rights and get the compensation that you deserve. For more than two decades, the Mississippi personal injury lawyers at Giddens Law Firm have been helping injury victims throughout Mississippi with their accident claims. We’ve handled all types of personal injury cases and have dealt with insurance companies for the past two decades.

Our personal injury lawyer understands how difficult it is to get a fair settlement. We’ll work with you to make sure you get the maximum compensation for your injuries.

Why Do You Need a Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney for your Injury Case?

When dealing with the insurance claim process after a personal injury, accident victims are easily frustrated trying to get the money needed to pay their expenses. Either they are faced with constant delays or their claim is outright denied. Trying to get the money you need can be difficult and you will need someone on your side to fight insurance companies for you.

An experienced injury attorney at Giddens Law Firm can be the one to fight the insurance company. Our lawyer will negotiate a settlement that will cover your expenses and, if a negotiation cannot be reached, we are ready to head to court to fight on your behalf. Not only can we help you through the insurance claims process, but our accident attorneys can help in the following ways:

• A personal injury attorney can improve your chances of getting a successful resolution to your case. Since they understand the law and have dealt with the insurance companies, they will know all the tricks the insurance adjusters try to prevent paying your claim what it’s worth.
• A personal injury lawyer can help you discover what your claim is worth. It may be tempting to take the first settlement you get from the insurance company, but that settlement usually is much less than what your claim is truly worth. Our injury lawyer will sit down and calculate your expenses and give you a better understanding of how much your claim is worth.
• An experienced personal injury attorney can represent you in court. If the negotiations with our attorneys fail to produce a settlement offer, our personal injury lawyer is not afraid to head to court to make sure you get the maximum amount of compensation that your claim.

If you want to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney in Mississippi about your case, we’re ready to take your call. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.

What Compensation is Available After a Personal Injury?

After an injury caused by someone else’s carelessness in Mississippi, many accident victims are left at a loss. Facing financial hardship, along with ongoing pain and suffering, they may not know what compensation is available to them.

In Mississippi personal injury cases, injury victims may recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are monetary losses you have suffered following an accident. A personal injury lawyer can help victims get the following compensation:

• Current and future medical expenses: Medical expenses refers to any treatment you had after the accident. From the first visit to the ER to ongoing care at home, you will receive compensation that will pay your medical bills.
• Lost wages: Any time you don’t go to work because of the personal injury, you will receive lost wages compensation. This also includes vacation time or PTO you had to take.
• Loss of earning capacity: Sometimes a personal injury is so severe that you are unable to return to your chosen career. Instead, you will need to take a lesser-paying job or go on Social Security disability. When this happens, you could receive loss of earning capacity damages — the reduction of your ability to earn an income due to the injury.
• Property damage: For example, if your car was totaled in an accident, you will receive compensation for the amount that car is worth.
• Funeral expenses: If a loved one dies from a personal injury, the family members can file a personal injury lawsuit in their name. Not only will the claim cover all the above damages but will also pay funeral and burial costs.

Personal injury victims may also be eligible for non-economic damages. This compensation is subjective and will cover any non-monetary losses you and your family experienced. This includes but is not limited to:

• Pain and suffering: Pain and suffering damages refer to any physical pain or emotional distress the personal injury victim suffered because of the injury.
• Emotional distress: An accident can not only damage an individual physically but also emotionally and mentally. A common example of emotional distress is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Loss of consortium: If the accident victim finds it difficult to be intimate with their spouse or significant other after an accident, they may be eligible for loss of consortium damages.
• Loss of companionship: Similar to loss of consortium, loss of companionship is when the victim cannot connect emotionally with their family members.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If the accident victim has lost the enjoyment they once found in daily hobbies or activities, they may be eligible for this type of compensation.

To find out what compensation is available for your claim, it’s important to speak with our Jackson MS personal injury lawyer today.

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?

A personal injury attorney will provide the legal advice and representation you need to recover compensation following an accident. For example, if you get into a car accident with a drunk driver and sustain serious injuries, you may turn to the at-fault party’s insurance company to help pay for your medical bills. However, the insurance company refuses to pay your claim, saying you were at fault for the accident.

But if you hire our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers from Giddens Law Firm, we have the resources available that will prove that you were not responsible for the accident. With expert witnesses, medical experts, and accident reconstructionist, our team will help you get the compensation needed to pay your bills and recoup the expenses you had following the accident.

A Mississippi personal injury lawyer can help in the following ways:

• Tell you how much your claim is worth: Most times, the insurance company will offer a settlement that is the bare minimum of what it’s willing to pay. An initial settlement is never the full amount of what your claim is worth. A personal injury lawyer will be able to give you an estimate of exactly how much your claim is worth so you know if the settlement will pay all your bills.
• Get the evidence needed to prove fault: After an accident, you’re more concerned about your welfare than proving your claim. But hiring our personal injury attorneys can help get the evidence you need to prove who is liable.
• Negotiate with the insurance company: Once evidence is collected and the true value of your claim is estimated, our personal injury lawyers can negotiate with the insurance company to get you the compensation you deserve.
• Fight on your behalf in court: If negotiations break down and a settlement can’t be reached, you’re going to need a skilled personal injury lawyer to fight for your right in the courtroom.

What Are the Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Jackson?

Giddens Law Firm handles most of the common types of personal injury in Mississippi. This includes but is not limited to:

Truck Accidents

Truck accident claims in Mississippi are usually more complex than a simple car accident. Not only do truck accidents result in catastrophic injuries but you’re more likely going to deal with more than just the driver and their insurance company. Multiple parties could be held responsible for your 18-wheeler accident such as the truck company, the shipping company, and possibly other third-party brokers.

Giddens Law Firm focuses a major part of its practice on trucking accidents in Mississippi. Our Mississippi truck accident attorneys have the resources, experience, and skills needed to take on everyone involved. We have dealt with major trucking companies before and are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with them to get our clients the compensation they deserve.

Car Accidents

Mississippi is an at-fault state. This means when you get into a car accident, the at-fault driver is responsible for paying your expenses. But the insurance company will do whatever it takes to make sure your claim is denied or place blame on you to prevent paying out your claim.

If you experienced a severe injury in a car accident anywhere in Mississippi, you’re going to need the assistance of an experienced Mississippi car accident attorney in Jackson to negotiate with the insurance company and make sure your claim is paid.

Bike Accidents

Mississippi’s Natchez Trace Parkway is known as a popular spot for biking enthusiasts. People all around the country flock to our beautiful state just to ride The Trace. Unfortunately, drivers fail to yield to bicyclists, leading to serious bike accidents.

If you get into a bicycle accident, you may not understand your legal rights or know how to file a claim. Fortunately, our Mississippi bicycle accident lawyer can give you the legal advice you need and help you with your claim to get you back on your feet.

Motorcycle Accidents

When a motorcyclist is involved in an accident in Mississippi, the results are usually catastrophic. The biker does not have enough protection compared to the occupants of a car or truck. In many cases, the motorcycle ride will be facing a long recovery period with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt.

In order to get the compensation you need, it will take an experienced Mississippi motorcycle accident lawyer to fight for your rights.

Premises Liability

Property owners have a responsibility to keep their premises safe for any visitor. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. From slip and falls at the grocery store to a neighbor’s dog attacking you during a walk to accidents in swimming pools, when you have an accident on an individual or a commercial property, you have the right to compensation.

A Mississippi premises liability lawyer at Giddens Law Firm can walk you through your claim and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

Workers’ Compensation Claims

The workers’ compensation process can be extremely difficult to navigate on your own. And many times, the insurance company will deny a claim if they find the smallest issue with your injuries. If this happens to you, it’s always best to speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer in Jackson to understand your rights and learn what can be done to get the compensation you need to help you heal from your workplace injury.

The Mississippi workers’ compensation attorney at Giddens Law Firm can also help you with a third-party claim against another party who may have been responsible for your on-the-job injury.

Wrongful Death

Losing a loved one is always an upsetting experience. But losing a loved one because of someone’s negligence is devastating to the family. However, you do have the opportunity to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible.

If you’re not sure what needs to be done, contact our Mississippi wrongful death attorney right away. We are sensitive to your needs and will fight for your loved one, making sure you and your family are properly compensated for this tragedy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury in Mississippi

How Do I Know I Have a Personal Injury Claim?

According to tort law, personal injury is defined as a physical, emotional, or mental injury to an individual caused by another individual or organization. To put it simply, if you were injured by someone else’s negligence, then you have a case. For example, if you get into a car accident with a drunk driver, and you were seriously injured, then you have the right to file a lawsuit against that drunk driver.

How Long Can I Expect My Case to Take?

The timeframe of a personal injury lawsuit can vary from case to case. Depending on the complexity of your case, the severity of your injuries, and how willing the at-fault party is to work with you, a case can take a couple of months to a couple of years.

Our Jackson personal injury attorneys will keep you informed throughout the entire process so you know what’s happening with your case every step of the way.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?

In Mississippi, you have up to three years from the accident to file legal action against another individual. Although it may seem like a long time, a lot can happen in three years and evidence can easily be lost. So the sooner you hire a personal injury lawyer, the better your chances are.

What Are the Elements of a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

There are four basic requirements for any personal injury case:

• The at-fault party had owed you a duty of care. This means they were responsible for keeping you safe and not bringing you harm. A common example is a medical professional who has the legal responsibility in keeping their patients safe from harm and giving them the same standard of care as they give everyone else.
• The at-fault party breached that duty. Using the example of a medical professional, a surgeon did not read the patient’s chart before surgery and had cut off the wrong leg. Therefore, the medical professional failed to follow the medical standard of care when taking care of a patient.
• The negligent party caused your injuries. Because of the surgeon’s negligence, the patient will have to go through another surgery and will now have to live their life without either leg.
• Because of the breach of duty, the personal injury victim suffered damages. This refers to the economic and non-economic damages every accident victim deals with, such as medical costs, lost wages, and mental anguish.

Need a MS Personal Injury Lawyer? Contact Giddens Law Firm Today

If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, call the Mississippi personal injury lawyer at Giddens Law Firm at (601) 355-2022. The initial consultation with our personal injury lawyer is free of charge. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid for our services if there is a monetary recovery for you and your family.

In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before a certain date, known as a statute of limitations. Time is often not on your side after an accident. To ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation, it is imperative you take immediate action as soon as possible. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.