Lancaster Personal Injury Lawyer
Help with Personal Injury in Lancaster & Southeastern Pennsylvania from a Board-Certified Trial Specialist
John P. Stengel focuses his legal practice on the representation of persons who have been injured due to the negligence of another in Lancaster and throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. As a board-certified civil trial specialist with 25 years of experience in personal injury law, Mr. Stengel knows what it takes to get a full and fair amount of compensation for his clients who have been harmed through no fault of their own. Contact our experienced Lancaster personal injury lawyer to handle a wide range of personal injury matters, including all of the following:
Auto Accidents – Distracted driving accidents are on the rise, as more and more information, communication and entertainment technologies force their way into our lives and demand our constant attention. When drivers refuse to put down their phones and focus on the traffic around them, John P. Stengel holds them accountable for their failure to drive with the duty of care owed to others on the road.
Truck Accidents – Truck drivers and trucking companies routinely ignore federal regulations designed to make trucking safer, like limiting how many hours a trucker can stay behind the wheel or requiring that tires and brakes be routinely inspected and maintained. This negligence and recklessness puts the lives of other drivers at risk and should not be tolerated.
Motorcycle Accidents – A motorcycle can be harder to spot on the road than a larger vehicle, and negligent or distracted drivers may change lanes without checking to see if a motorcycle is approaching, or they may turn into the path of an oncoming bike, fatally misjudging the motorcycle’s speed. Motorcycle riders fare much worse than automobile drivers in traffic accidents, and injury victims need strong, effective representation to be compensated for the full extent of their injuries.
Slip & Falls – A slip or trip and fall can cause serious injury, including broken bones, facial lacerations, head injuries, back injuries, and even death. John P. Stengel holds negligent property owners accountable for their failure to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition, or to warn others about existing dangers they knew or should have known about.
Defective Products – Manufacturers can and should be held strictly liable for putting profits ahead of people and releasing dangerously unsafe products on the market with design or manufacturing defects. Civil lawsuits are a primary means of forcing companies to do the right thing and make their products safer for everyone, while obtaining much-needed compensation for victims of product defects.
Workplace Accidents – Workers’ Compensation may not be the only recourse for an injured worker to find financial assistance to deal with their injuries. John P. Stengel holds third parties liable when their negligence lays at the heart of an on-the-job injury.
Dog Bites – Dog owners are responsible for keeping their animals from harming other people, and they can be held liable for dog bites or attacks regardless of whether they were being careful or negligent, or whether they had any prior knowledge that they may be the owner of a dangerous animal.
Wrongful Death – No amount of money can make up for the loss of a loved one, but a wrongful death action can bring much-needed financial help to assist bereaved family members with funeral costs and the loss of income or household support, while also holding negligent actors accountable for the damage they have caused.
How Personal Injury Law Works
Pennsylvania law imposes a duty on people to act with reasonable care toward one another when driving, maintaining their premises, making or selling products, controlling their dogs, and a host of other activities. Breaching or failing in this duty of care is called negligence. When one person is injured by the negligence of another, the injury victim has a claim against the negligent party for damages, such as present and future medical expenses, present and future lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of quality of life, and other similar damages.
Receiving this compensation, however, is not always a simple matter. The negligent party’s insurer may be quick to offer a cash settlement to the victim in exchange for a release of liability, but the insurance company’s initial offer to an unrepresented person is always far below what the claim is actually worth. By litigating the matter and preparing your case for trial, you show the insurance company that you know what your claim is worth, and that you are willing to fight for it.
When litigating a personal injury case, the burden is on you to prove that the other party was negligent, and that their negligence caused your injuries. You must also be able to prove your injuries and justify the amount of compensation you are seeking, including both present and future legal damages. Having a knowledgeable and effective personal injury attorney with courtroom experience is key to obtaining the best result, whether negotiating a settlement with the insurance company or taking your case to trial.
Help is Available after Serious Injury in Southeastern Pennsylvania
If you have been the victim of somebody else’s negligence in southeastern Pennsylvania, contact Lancaster personal injury lawyer John P. Stengel in Lancaster at 717-290-7971 for a no-cost consultation on your claim. There is no fee until we recover for you.
