LEGAL :: JUNE/JULY 2008
Personal Injury Claims
Under what circumstances am I able to recover damages as a result of an accident in Delaware?
If you have been injured through the fault of another person or company, you have the right to bring a personal injury claim.
What if I am hit by a driver who flees the scene of the accident?
If you suffer injuries as a result of the actions of a hit and run driver, you can recover for your injuries if you have uninsured motorist coverage and there is a police report of the accident. A hit and run driver is treated as an uninsured driver and that coverage applies in a hit and run situation.
How long do I have to bring a case?
You must file your case within Delaware’s statute of limitations. In general, a personal injury claim must be brought within 2 years of the date of the accident. There are some exceptions that require shorter notice periods. If you are injured, you need to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible to avoid common mistakes that can have adverse consequences on your case.
How much is my case worth?
How much a case is worth involves a variety of factors, including the type of injury, the frequency of treatment, the duration of pain and disability from the injury, the effect on the injured person’s activities of daily living, the prior medical history of the injured person, and whether medical expenses and lost wages can be claimed in the case. Our lawyers thoroughly evaluate each case in order to advise our clients of the settlement range they can expect to receive.
When should I hire a personal injury attorney?
An experienced, effective Delaware personal injury attorney should be retained as soon as possible. As a person who has no experience in this area, you are at a distinct legal disadvantage against the experienced insurance company personnel. We have had clients who have delayed making contact with us. They have made mistakes that they do not even know they are making, which leads to a disadvantage to them in their personal injury case. Hire an effective and experienced Delaware personal injury attorney promptly to fight the experienced insurance company on the other side.
Morris James Personal Injury Group is pleased to provide free initial consultations to review and evaluate potential cases. For more information or to set up an initial consultation, please contact the Attorneys of Morris James Personal Injury Group:
Susan D. Ament, Esq. & Pete Jones, Esq. at 302.655.2599 in the Wilmington area, Kevin Healy, Esq. at 302.368.4200 in Newark, or Keith Donovan, Esq. at 302.678.8815 in Dover.
PERSONAL INJURY GROUP
Attorneys-at-Law
The Morris James Personal Injury Group is comprised of four partners: Susan D’Alonzo Ament, Keith Donovan, Kevin Healy and Francis (Pete) Jones, who have a combined total of 81 years legal experience dealing with litigation related to motor vehicle accidents. Our lawyers practice in all Delaware Courts. Certain members of our group are admitted in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Our Morris James Personal Injury Group Manager Al Ament, is a retired Delaware State police officer.
Two of the Morris James Personal Injury Group partners, Pete Jones and Keith Donovan, originally started their legal careers as defense attorneys for automobile insurance companies, but realized they were much happier representing injured victims (victims of automobile accidents and victims of insurance companies). They were called upon by well-known insurance companies to represent them in court and provide legal advice.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Donovan bring to the Morris James Personal Injury Group a wealth of inside knowledge as to how our current insurance company opponents think and act. This gives clients of the Morris James Personal Injury Group an advantage. The Morris James Personal Injury Group attorneys have the unique ability to anticipate an insurance companys next tactic before it occurs, and arm our clients accordingly. Our attorneys, because of their unique knowledge, are constantly strategizing and focusing on what is the best tactic in a case to be proactive on behalf of each client. We take a proactive approach as opposed to reacting defensively, to achieve the best possible result for those we represent.
The Morris James Personal Injury Group attorneys not only litigate, we counsel. We believe an effective personal injury attorney must keep each and every client well informed and advised of our planned case strategy. In addition to legal knowledge, we believe compassionate effective communication skills are vital to the attorney/client relationship. Our attorneys are good listeners and all attorneys and their staff respond to client inquiries promptly and respectfully, whether that inquiry be by telephone, e-mail or in-office visit.
Our attorneys are very active outside the practice of law in community service, having been appointed to many church and community service organization boards. The compassion, understanding and respect they feel towards clients in the office, also drives them to serve their community and others in need. When a Morris James Personal Injury attorney represents you, there is more than an attorney/client relationship formed, there is a personal bond. Our attorneys want to get to know each client in order to be able to effectively prove all aspects of the devastation to their lives, as a result of an auto accident. For example, we need to understand how the accident and injuries impacted your life, such as pain and suffering, loss of learning capacity, substitute services that were needed, and, loss of consortium.
We know from our past clients’ comments they benefit from having the advantage of 81 years of legal experience; the inside knowledge to anticipate insurance company maneuvers; the insider knowledge of police investigation procedures; and most importantly caring professional attorneys who have a personal relationship with each client. We have resolved thousands of cases over the years, either through negotiation, arbitration, mediation, or resulting in compensation to our clients’ appropriate level of injury involved. What is vital to us is client satisfaction.
We are pleased to report research shows the majority of our new clients are referred to us by satisfied existing or past clients. We think that shows just how hard each attorney and their staff work to gain the highest level of confidence of every client. The Morris James Personal Injury Group has the resources necessary to effectively litigate significant injury/death cases. We know based on experience where to find and hire the most respected expert witnesses necessary to prove our case in court.
The Morris James Personal Injury Group has three convenient locations throughout the State to serve you:
803 N. Broom Street
Wilmington, DE
302.655.2599 Línea en Español – 302.651.3589
16 Polly Drummond Hill Road
Newark, DE
302.368.4200
29 N. State Street, Suite 100,
Dover, DE
302.678.8815
Morrisjamespersonalinjurylawyers.com
