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Q. Personal injury – How do I know if I have a case?
Personal injury happens in many ways but to have a personal injury case, a few elements must be present. There needs to be an injury to a person or damage to property. A personal injury case requires that the injury or damage happened because of someone else’s negligence.

Q. What does negligence mean?
Negligence is defined in West’s Legal Dictionary as “The failure to do what a reasonable person would have done under the same circumstances. A departure of the conduct that would be expected of a reasonably prudent person under like circumstances. A tort with the following elements: (a) a duty of reasonable care owed to the injured person, (b) a breach of this duty, (c) proximate cause, (4) actual damages.” Things like “reasonable care,” “breach of duty,” “proximate cause,” and “actual damages” are all technical terms used by lawyers and judges.

Q. What is a tort?
A tort is defined as a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction.

Q. If I think I have a personal injury case, when should I contact a lawyer?
If you have been injured or your property has been damaged and you believe it is because of something someone else did, you should contact a personal injury lawyer immediately. Every state has certain time limitations called “statutes of limitations,” which mandate the time within which you have to file a personal injury case. If you miss the deadline for filing your complaint, you can lose your legal rights to damages for your injury. In addition, if a lawyer is contacted as soon as possible after the injury occurs, the lawyer can work to preserve evidence and to reconstruct the details of the case.

Q. When I meet with a lawyer for the first time, what should I bring?
At Feldman Shepherd, we work to make the intake process as seamless as possible. Before a meeting is scheduled, our lawyers and/or paralegals will provide you with a list of relevant items that you should bring to the initial meetings. Some of the things to consider are: documents relevant to the case, photos that illustrate what happened before and/or after the injury, names and contact information of potential witnesses, copies of medical reports and bills.

Q. What will it cost me to meet with a lawyer for a personal injury case?
There is no fee to meet with a Feldman Shepherd personal injury lawyer to discuss whether or not you have a potential case. In fact, Feldman Shepherd does not bill its clients for personal injury consultations. Rather, our fees and expenses are deducted from the favorable verdict or settlement on behalf of our clients.