Utica Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one have recently suffered illness or injury as a result of another party’s negligence, a personal injury lawyer at Douglas and London wants to meet with you. Our award-winning personal injury law firm proudly serves New York State, including Utica, in the mountainous Mohawk Valley region of Oneida County. Get the ball rolling with a FREE CASE EVALUATION. We ask for NO PAYMENT up front. You only pay us if we win.   

When To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer

For most cases, New York State allows up to TWO YEARS for accident victims to file a personal injury lawsuit. Exceptions may apply if you were a minor at the time of the accident or if the nature of your injury was not immediately apparent. It takes skilled Utica personal injury lawyers to overcome a statute of limitations defense.

Working with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible is your best bet for securing maximum compensation, as you ideally want to have counsel every step of the way– from evidence-gathering at the accident and finding the best medical specialists, to negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf and representing your interests before judge and jury, if necessary.

Do You Need A Lawyer?

If you were involved in a minor car accident or slip-and-fall where you’re likely to make a full recovery within two weeks, then you may not need a lawyer. Chances are, you can afford your payments out-of-pocket or the insurance offer will cover the inconvenience. For any kind of serious injury, you will want representation to even the playing field against deep-pocketed insurance carriers that will do anything to guard their reputations and bottom-line profits.

Lawyers not only file paperwork but:

  • Help you find the right medical team
  • Investigate what happened
  • Interpret medical records
  • Gather and preserve evidence
  • Stave off medical bill collectors
  • Liaise with insurance providers and other parties
  • Listen to you with compassion to lend emotional support
  • Negotiate behind closed doors on your behalf
  • Pursue maximum compensation before judge and jury

New York Personal Injury Laws That May Impact Your Case

Several New York State laws may impact your personal injury claim:

  • Shared Fault – New York follows “pure comparative negligence,” meaning that you can receive a reduced amount of compensation if you were partially at-fault for causing the accident. For instance, if your losses are worth $10,000 and you’re deemed 10 percent to blame for the accident, you can still collect $9,000. 
  • No-Fault – For car accidents, New York follows a “no-fault” rule, where victims collect compensation for medical bills and property damage through their own car insurance policy, regardless of who was at fault. If your accident meets the definition of “serious injury,” you may step outside this system to file a lawsuit. Significant disfigurement, bone fractures, body organ limitations, body system limitations, or 90+ days of disability all qualify as “serious.”
  • Government Claims – In some personal injury cases, the plaintiff needs to sue the local government. For instance, if there is a slip-and-fall on a sidewalk outside city hall, or if there was an assault in a publicly funded school, you must file a formal claim within 90 days.

Douglas and London Utica personal injury lawyers are ranked among the Top 5 Mass Tort firms in the nation. Over the past two decades, we’ve secured more than $18 billion for our clients. If you are hurt and don’t know where to turn, contact us immediately. The help we provide goes beyond paperwork to assist you in piecing your life back together.