Expertise
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Content written by Samuel Meirowitz
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
- How Is Fault Determined in Pennsylvania Auto Collisions?
- What Is Considered a Serious Injury in Philadelphia?
- How Long After an Accident Can You Sue in Pennsylvania?
- Types of Compensation
- Do’s and Don’ts After an Auto Accident
- Why Choose Meirowitz & Wasserberg?
- Fight Back Against the Insurance Companies With an Experienced Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer
- Our Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys
"The law defines serious injury pretty specifically. Things like death, dismemberment, disfigurement, fractures, permanent loss of a bodily function or organ."
Why Choose a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer From Meirowitz & Wasserberg?
If you’ve been injured in a car crash caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have incurred substantial medical bills and lost time from work while healing. You might also have endured considerable physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress.
Our Philadelphia car accident lawyer team understands what you’re going through in the aftermath of a collision—and we are committed to helping you recover the compensation you deserve.
Insurance companies often attempt to pay out as little as possible to car accident victims, regardless of the severity of their injuries. This is why it helps to have a qualified personal injury lawyer who can work to maximize your payout, whether through negotiations with the insurance company or by bringing your case to trial.
Our firm has an impressive track record of securing significant settlements and verdicts for our clients. Through our experience, expertise, and knowledge, we have secured over $500 million in compensation for victims who have suffered injuries in motor vehicle collisions.
Our Philadelphia Car Accident Settlements
Our firm is dedicated to helping clients recover the compensation they are entitled to for their car accident-related injuries. We are adept at negotiating with insurance companies and are aware of the tactics they may use to minimize your payout. If the insurance company is not willing to settle your case for a fair amount, we will advocate tirelessly on your behalf in the courtroom.
The results we have achieved for our clients speak for themselves:
- $1.175 Million for a client who suffered a ruptured aorta and spinal paralysis in a three-car collision.
- $790,000 for a client who suffered left shoulder supraspinatus tendinopathy with infraspinatus and subscapularis in a three-car collision.
- $600,000 jury verdict for a client who sustained a neck injury and post-concussion syndrome in a car crash. Before jury selection, the insurance company only offered $25,000.
Types of Compensation Available After a Car Accident in Philadelphia
A car crash victim may be entitled to a wide range of compensation for their injuries. A knowledgeable Philadelphia car accident lawyer can help you recover both your economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses you suffered due to an accident. Non-economic damages are meant to cover the losses that are much more difficult to quantify, such as your pain and suffering.
By filing a personal injury action after a car accident, you may be eligible to receive compensation for the following:
- Unreimbursed medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Future lost earnings
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Loss of consortium
If the other driver’s conduct was particularly egregious, you may be entitled to an award of punitive damages. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate a victim but rather to punish the wrongdoer and deter others from engaging in similar wrongful behavior.
Who Is at Fault in a Philadelphia Car Accident?
Pennsylvania uses a choice no-fault system, which means determination of fault can be tricky. Technically, Pennsylvania’s system is known as a modified comparative fault standard. This means that you can only claim damages if you are no more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. Any damages you receive will be adjusted based on the degree of responsibility you bear for the accident.
Furthermore, your potential compensation is limited by the type of insurance. You can receive full compensation for all expenses, non-economic damages, and pain and suffering if you have full tort insurance.
If you have limited tort insurance, you will be more limited in what compensation you can receive unless you suffered a serious injury in the collision.
If a car accident case goes to court, the jury’s fault determinations are limited by these laws. Similarly, insurance adjusters use these standards when making their determinations and offering compensation.
What Is Considered a Serious Injury in Philadelphia?
According to statistics published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were 110,382 traffic crashes reported in Pennsylvania in 2023. As a result of these crashes, 1,209 lives were claimed and 66,563 were injured. Close to 5,000 of the injuries were suspected to be serious.
Pennsylvania law defines a “serious injury” as one that results in a fatality, permanent serious disfigurement, or impairment of bodily function. Although the statutory definition is somewhat vague, it has been clarified by legislation and court decisions.
The most common examples of impairment of bodily function are:
- Paralysis
- Second or third-degree burns that cover significant portions of the body
- Broken bones
- Severe wounds with exposed tissue or bones
- Excessive blood loss
- Crush damage
Even if you have a limited tort insurance policy, a personal injury lawyer can advocate on your behalf for additional compensation if you have suffered any of these injuries.
How Long After an Accident Can You Sue in Pennsylvania?
The statute of limitations on personal injury cases in Pennsylvania is two years. This is why it is so important that you receive a medical evaluation as soon as possible after an accident. The clock starts ticking the second the accident happens, and some tests can take weeks or even months to schedule.
Even if you don’t show any initial signs of a significant injury, those signs could materialize over the next two years. Spinal cord injuries from whiplash and traumatic brain injuries, in particular, often don’t fully reveal themselves immediately after a car crash.
Your personal injury attorney at Meirowitz & Wasserberg will connect you with medical professionals who specialize in car accident injuries and can find any “invisible” injuries. We will also keep track of the statute of limitations and ensure you receive additional checkups as the deadline approaches.
Types of Car Accidents To Hire an Attorney For
Depending on the circumstances and severity of the accident, several types of car accidents may require hiring an attorney.
Some of the types of accidents that can happen in Philadelphia include:
- Head-on crashes
- Distracted driving
- Sideswipes
- Rear-end impacts
- Side impact or T-bone accidents
- Bicycle collisions
- Hit and run
- Pedestrian collisions
- Rollovers
- Bus or truck accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Driving under the influence or while intoxicated
Accidents Resulting in Injuries
If you or a passenger in your vehicle suffered injuries in the accident, especially if they are severe or require medical treatment, you might consider hiring an attorney. An attorney can help you navigate the legal process and ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and related expenses.
Accidents Involving Multiple Parties
If the accident involved multiple vehicles or parties, including pedestrians, bicyclists, or other motorists, determining fault and liability might be more complex. An attorney can help you navigate these complex legal issues and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Accidents Involving Commercial Vehicles
If the accident involved a commercial vehicle, such as a truck, delivery van, or public vehicle, you might need to hire an attorney with experience in commercial vehicle accidents. These types of accidents can be more complicated because of the multiple parties involved and the various state and federal regulations that apply.
Accidents Caused by a Negligent Driver
Suppose the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, such as drunk driving, distracted driving, or speeding. In that case, you might want to hire an attorney to help you pursue compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Accidents Resulting in Property Damage
If the accident resulted in significant property damage to your vehicle or other property, you might want to hire an attorney to help you pursue compensation for the cost of repairs or replacement.
Do’s and Don’ts After an Auto Accident
Don’t Leave the Scene of the Auto Accident
In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to leave the scene of a car crash. Doing so can result in hit-and-run charges and license revocation. However, if possible, you should move your vehicle out of the middle of the road to a safe location—especially if remaining would put you at risk of additional injuries.
Do Trade Personal Information With Other Drivers in the Accident
Once all car accident victims are in a safe location and out of danger, trade personal information with the other drivers. Be sure to exchange the following information:
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Driver license numbers
- License plate numbers
- Insurance policy numbers
The best way to collect this information is to take photos of the other motorists’ licenses, insurance cards, and license plates. This helps ensure the information is accurate and that you did not record the wrong information.
Don’t Discuss the Accident
Following the collision, you may be tempted to discuss the accident with other motorists or witnesses. This is a mistake. Anything you say can be used to assign fault to you.
Similarly, do not make any statements that could be construed as an admission of fault to the police when they arrive at the scene. Although you should answer all questions honestly, you can also refuse to answer until you have spoken with an attorney.
You should also avoid making statements to the insurance company. Shortly after the accident, the at-fault party’s insurance company will contact you to obtain a statement. Do not provide one. The adjuster is trained in using a variety of tactics to trick you into saying things that can reduce your compensation.
Do Get Medical Treatment
Even if you don’t think you’ve been badly hurt in the crash, seek medical attention immediately—whether you call 911 and EMTs arrive at the scene, or you go to the emergency room.
Critically, some types of injuries do not become apparent until weeks later. A doctor can determine whether you have any internal injuries and prescribe a course of treatment to prevent them from worsening.
Additionally, medical documentation is essential for building a strong personal injury claim. Without documenting your injuries immediately, it can be more challenging to receive maximum compensation. The insurance company may try to argue that your injuries are not as severe as you claim, or that they were not caused by the accident at issue.
Do Contact a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer
After a collision, it’s best to contact a Philadelphia car accident lawyer right away to avoid making mistakes that could harm your case. A knowledgeable lawyer can guide you through the process of filing a claim, negotiate with the insurance company, and protect your rights every step of the way.
Critically, once counsel represents you, the insurance company can no longer speak with you directly. This means you do not have to worry about making any statements to the adjuster that could be misconstrued as an admission of fault.
Our firm offers free consultations and case evaluations for car accident injury cases. We will investigate your claim, determine the responsible parties, and communicate with the insurance companies on your behalf. If you wait too long to contact a lawyer, you potentially risk not receiving fair and proper compensation.
Our Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys
If you were hurt in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us for a free consultation.
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Personal Injury Settlements:
$200,000
Personal injury settlement
$235,000
Slip and fall injury
$675,000
Product liability injury
$555,000
Premises liability injury
Practice Areas
- Philadelphia Personal Injury
- Philadelphia Car Accidents
- Philadelphia Truck Accidents
- Philadelphia Motorcycle Accidents
- Philadelphia Pedestrian Accidents
- Philadelphia Bicycle Accidents
- Philadelphia Slip and Falls
- Philadelphia Brain Injuries
- Philadelphia Spinal Cord Injuries
- Philadelphia Wrongful Death
- Philadelphia Birth Injury
Our Office
Our Philadelphia, PA Office
- 1800 John F Kennedy Blvd.,Unit 1401,Philadelphia, PA 19103
- (267) 507-9051
Incredibly grateful for the Meirowitz and Wasserberg team. As a resident of the greater Philadelphia area, I’m happy to know that there is a wonderful and caring law firm that will be able to assist me in any future situations.
Ryan Cahaly
