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Did you suffer injuries in an accident in Fairfax, VA? Was someone else to blame? If so, you should not have to bear the financial burden of recovery alone. You deserve the resources you need to heal and get your life back on track – resources an experienced attorney can help you pursue. You deserve a Fairfax personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison.
For over a century, our firm has tirelessly advocated for the rights and interests of injured Virginians. Our personal injury legal team has since grown into one of the state’s largest and most well-respected personal injury firms. We have 28 injury attorneys backed by a support staff of over 100, giving us the knowledge, experience, and resources to handle the most complex injury cases. Our lawyers have received multiple awards and honors that reflect their track record of success and commitment to maximizing our client’s financial recovery. And because we don’t charge a fee unless we secure compensation, there is no upfront cost to securing our services.
Ready to stand up and demand justice for what happened to you? Then contact the injury lawyers at Marks & Harrison today for a free initial case evaluation to speak with a Fairfax personal injury lawyer about your legal rights to compensation.
What Types of Personal Injury Accidents Do We Handle?
The team at Marks & Harrison represents clients in a wide range of Fairfax personal injury claims, including those involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dog bites
- Premises liability
- Slip and fall
- Brain injuries
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Workplace injuries
- Wrongful death
If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident someone else is at fault for, contact our firm immediately to find out how we can help.
What Types of Injuries Happen as a Result of Personal Injury Accidents?
Some of the injuries that our firm helps clients recover compensation for include the following:
- Whiplash
- Sprains, strains, and tears
- Burns
- Herniated disc injuries
- Spinal injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Facial injuries and scarring
- Hearing or vision damage
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Amputation and limb loss
- Lacerations, abrasions, and degloving injuries
- Broken bones
- Dismemberment and disfigurement
- Emotional injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
You should not be left to face the consequences of an injury that wasn’t your fault. Instead, turn to an experienced attorney to help you demand the compensation you need for your medical treatment and other injury-related losses.
How Do I Know If I Have a Personal Injury Claim?
The term “personal injury” refers to the physical and emotional harm someone experiences due to another party’s actions. Someone who suffers a personal injury may have grounds to pursue a legal claim against those responsible. However, they must show that the injuries stemmed from a deliberate act or negligence – a term for violating a duty to avoid causing injuries to others. They must also prove that they suffered financial or emotional losses for which they can be compensated.
Do you suspect you suffered a personal injury in Fairfax County, VA? If so, a Fairfax personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison can review the details of your case to provide honest, straightforward advice on whether you may have a viable claim and what possible outcomes you might expect from your case.
How Do I Prove Who Is Responsible for My Injuries?
Proving someone else is at fault for your injuries requires building a clear argument through substantial evidence. Depending on the circumstances of the case, that evidence might include any of the following:
- Accident or incident reports
- Police accident reports and arrest or citation records
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Surveillance and traffic camera footage
- Cell phone recordings
- Eyewitness testimony
- Alcohol and drug test results
- Post-accident engineering inspections
- Staffing records
- Maintenance records
- Medical records and healthcare provider notes
- Accident reconstruction expert testimony
The Fairfax personal injury lawyers of Marks & Harrison can thoroughly investigate your personal injury claim to secure evidence. We can then use that evidence to build a persuasive case establishing how another party caused your injuries. Our firm’s support staff also includes eight investigators to help your case, several with backgrounds as law enforcement officers or insurance claims adjusters.
What If I Am Partly Responsible for My Injuries?
In some cases, multiple people are to blame for a person’s injuries – sometimes including the victim themselves. In these cases, the injured person may struggle to recover compensation due to Virginia’s contributory negligence rule. Under this rule, an injured party cannot be awarded compensation at trial if they bear any share of fault for their injuries. In other words, Virginia law bars you from recovering compensation even if you are just one percent responsible for your injuries.
Given the harsh consequences of the contributory fault rule, you need an experienced, aggressive Fairfax personal injury lawyer handling your case. They can fight back to protect your right to compensation if the opposing party tries to save themselves money by shifting some of the fault for your injuries onto you.
Can I Receive Compensation for My Injuries?
Depending on the specific harm you suffered because of your injury, you may be entitled to compensation for the following losses:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation of your injuries, including ambulance services, emergency room and hospital care, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, prescriptions, pain management care, medical or mobility equipment, and physical or occupational therapy
- Costs of long-term care or support you need for physical disabilities, such as home health services, personal aides, housekeepers, home maintenance services, and disability accommodations
- Loss of wages or other income due to missed work or reduced earnings while you recover from your injuries
- Loss of future income or earning potential and employment benefits if you suffer permanent disabilities that leave you unable to return to your job or other kinds of work
- Physical pain and anguish from your injuries or any medical treatments, such as surgeries
- Emotional trauma and distress from the accident, your injuries, and your subsequent medical recovery
- Loss of quality of life you experience due to disabilities, scarring, or disfigurement that negatively impact your daily life
Does Virginia Have a Time Limit for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Virginia’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims gives you two years from the day you were injured to file a lawsuit against any at-fault parties. You may have more time to file suit, depending on the circumstances in your case. However, filing a lawsuit after the limitations period expires means the trial court can dismiss your case.
In addition to limitations periods on personal injury claims, state law requires you to file a written notice of a personal injury claim you have against the state or a local government. You have one year to provide notice of a claim against the state government. Claims against local governments require you to file notice within six months of suffering injuries.
Given the strict deadlines for filing your personal injury claim, you should talk to a Fairfax personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison as soon as possible to confirm the time limit and begin pursuing your case with plenty of time to spare.
How Long Will It Take My Case to Settle?
No one can precisely predict how long any personal injury claim may take to settle. Some of the factors that might affect the timeline of your case include the following:
- The type and severity of injuries you have suffered
- The duration of your treatment and how long it takes you to reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), the point where further treatment won’t help your condition
- Whether you suffer permanent disabilities from your injuries
- Whether you miss time from work, experience a reduction in your earnings as you recover, or become permanently disabled from the workforce
- Whether the incident also injured other people
- The number of parties you may hold liable for your injuries and losses
- The financial resources of responsible parties, including the extent of their liability insurance coverage
- Whether you have applicable insurance coverages you can also recover compensation from
- How long it takes insurers to investigate your case and respond to your claim and other correspondence
- Whether you pursue informal settlement negotiations or alternative dispute resolution measures like mediation
- Whether you need to file a lawsuit to pursue your claim and the schedule of the trial court if you do so
Less complex personal injury claims may only need a few months to settle. In contrast, more complicated cases involving severe injuries may take several years to resolve – especially if a case goes to trial.
Contact a Fairfax Personal Injury Lawyer
Did someone else hurt you or cause you to be injured? Then don’t wait to speak with a Fairfax personal injury lawyer about starting a legal claim to recover compensation for your losses. Contact Marks & Harrison today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about how our firm can guide you through the claims process and advocate for your rights to financial recovery.