Personal Injury

Do I Have A Case?

That’s the first question that most people ask when they suffer an injury that’s severe enough to disrupt their lives, and the answer is not always clear. Experienced personal injury lawyers know that every injury and the circumstances surrounding it are different, so your first step is to call Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat for a consultation. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys will examine all the factors involved in your injury; if we believe that your case merits legal action, we’ll represent you and seek just compensation for your injuries. Be advised a personal injury lawsuit may take months or years to resolve, and we can help you navigate this difficult time.

Representing the Lancaster County Community

Our Lancaster-based personal injury attorneys have successfully represented many clients, and our mission is to protect you when you’re most vulnerable. When you or a loved one is hurt on the job, on the road, or anywhere else, you need a team of seasoned personal injury lawyers who are dedicated to assuring that the life you and your family lead will continue as normally as possible.

As Lancaster County’s premier personal injury attorneys, the Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat PC team is committed to assisting you in a critical time of need. It is not easy being the victim of negligence or recklessness that results in personal injury, but experienced legal representation by a member of our team, chaired by attorney Gabriella Hashem Farhat, will be your assurance that everything possible will be done to bring you justice and fair financial compensation for your injuries.

Please contact a personal injury lawyer on our team if you or a loved one is involved in any of the following:

Personal Injury Specialties & Practice Areas

*A contingency fee arrangement usually applies.

Our Expert Personal Injury Attorney for Lancaster County

Personal Injury Resources

Before you decide to retain us as your personal injury attorneys, here are a few self-help guides of things that could happen in your case over the course of handling your case. We hope that this provides you with some general guidelines concerning personal injury law, answers some of the many asked questions about your case and familiarizes you with the legal system.

JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS PERSONAL INJURY?

Personal injury cases encompass a variety of injuries or incidents such as being involved in:

  1. an automobile accident,
  2. a slip and fall incident on certain premises,
  3. a slip and fall incident due to ice or snow conditions,
  4. a product that leads to your injury, or
  5. a dog bite incident.

If you have been injured as a result thereof; you may have sustained both economic and non-economic injuries. As personal injury attorneys working on your behalf, we make those determinations, discuss them with you, and proceed accordingly.

Basic benefits to which an injured individual may be entitled to are:

  1. Certain economic (monetary) benefits, including wage loss, medical bills, past, present and future; property damage; motor vehicle damage; rental of motor vehicle.
  2. Certain non-economic benefits, past, present and future, including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and life’s pleasures, inability to sleep and inability to participate in activities as you did before the accident or incident.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

Usually, the following occurs:

  1. You treat for your medical condition(s) arising from the subject accident/incident;
  2. Once your physician can make a clear diagnosis and prognosis of your condition(s), we make a demand of settlement upon the party/parties at fault for your injury/injuries. The party may be an individual, a corporation, a manufacturer, a partnership, an owner. or an operator. The two options then are as follows:
    1. One option: Settlement
      1. If the demand of settlement made on your behalf is not met or a counter-offer made to you is not to your liking, and the possibility of settlement does not seem inevitable, we will discuss this with you and file a lawsuit on your behalf if we deem it to be in your best interests.
    2. Another option: Lawsuit/Litigation
      1. A complaint is usually filed in the county where the accident /incident occurred to initiate litigation.
      2. The other party/parties must file an appropriate responsive pleading to the complaint.
      3. Once the other side has filed its answer/response, a “discovery” period ensues; both parties have an opportunity to review pertinent documents and other information related to your injury. In addition, both sides are entitled to depose* each other and/or witnesses who have knowledge of the facts in your case.

        *We will thoroughly explain and prepare you for the deposition process which entails basically a question and answer session under oath, in the presence of a court reporter, the parties, and counsel for the parties.
      4. Once all sides have shared the requisite information, your case may proceed in three (3) ways, depending on the type and value of your case:
        1. Arbitration.
          It may proceed through an arbitration process, in front of an Arbitration Panel, which is typically a group of three (3) lawyers who hear and judge your case, as if it were before a jury, but only in a less formal setting. If you are not pleased with the Arbitration Panel’s award, or if the Panel does not award in your favor, upon payment of costs, you may appeal the decision to the Court of Common Pleas. Please note that any party to the action has a right of appeal.
        2. Trial.
          lt may proceed before a judge and/or a jury to determine the merits and value of your case. At trial, like arbitration, it must be proved that you were injured as a result of the other party’s conduct or lack thereof. Please note that it is possible that a finding of no fault or a finding of no damages are possible results, which of course we are unable to guarantee.
        3. Alternate Dispute Resolution.
          This option will be discussed more thoroughly with you, as needed.

IS THE DECISION OF THE JUDGE OR JURY FINAL?

This will be discussed with you as needed. However, a possibility exists that an appeal may billed.

WHAT IF I AM IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, A SLIP AND FALL INCIDENT, OR SUFFER A DOG BITE OR AN INJURY DUE TO A PRODUCT?

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Do the following:

  1. Treat with your doctors as needed;
  2. Keep copies of your medical, hospital and prescription bills. Send them to our office on a regular basis;
  3. Keep a pay log for any bills you pay out-of-pocket;
  4. Keep an accurate record of how many days you have missed work as a result of your injury;
  5. Keep us advised of any change of address or telephone number;
  6. Feel free to contact our Paralegal (Debi) or Legal Assistant (Leslie) about any problem with or question about your case. They will attempt to help you; if not, the question will be referred to the attorney for further handling.

WHAT SHOULD I AVOID AFTER AN INJURY OR INCIDENT

Do NOT do the following:

  1. Discuss your case with anyone except with members of our office;
  2. Become frustrated or concerned when you do not hear from us all the time;
  3. Become frustrated if you think the legal system is taking too much time.

Remember: Our main objective is to obtain for you all the benefits to which you are entitled under the applicable law. We understand that this process is probably new to you, and going through it along with treating for your injury is a stressful process. Therefore, please be assured that we are working on your behalf to obtain the best result for your condition, and should you have any questions or fears regarding the process, do not hesitate to contact us.

It will be our pleasure to assist you in any way possible.

Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyers