Wilkes-Barre Car Accident Lawyers

Our car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no upfront costs or hourly fees. We only get paid if we win your case, typically taking a percentage of your final settlement or court award. This arrangement ensures everyone can access quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation.

In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the date of the car accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is known as the statute of limitations. There are exceptions, so consult an attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Suits for crashes in Luzerne County are filed in the Court of Common Pleas on North River Street in Wilkes-Barre; Lackawanna County cases go to the courthouse on North Washington Avenue in Scranton.

In a car accident case, you may be entitled to various types of compensation, including:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering damages
• Emotional trauma and psychological treatment
• Property damage and vehicle replacement
• Loss of enjoyment of life and daily activities
• In severe cases, punitive damages against negligent drivers

Our attorneys carefully calculate all potential damages to ensure you receive fair and comprehensive compensation.

You should never accept an initial settlement offer from an insurance company without consulting a car accident attorney. Insurance companies typically offer low initial settlements hoping you'll accept before understanding the full extent of your injuries and damages. Our attorneys evaluate whether offers are fair based on your specific injuries, recovery prognosis, and all applicable damages.

Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule. Even if you were partially at fault, you may still recover compensation as long as you were less than 51% responsible for the accident. Your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were 20% at fault and your damages were $100,000, you could recover $80,000. Our attorneys work to minimize your assigned percentage of fault by gathering evidence and presenting strong arguments on your behalf.

The timeline for resolving car accident cases varies depending on several factors, including the severity of injuries, clarity of liability, insurance company cooperation, and whether the case goes to trial. Simple cases with minor injuries might settle in 3-6 months, while complex cases involving severe injuries typically take 1-2 years to reach optimal settlements. Our attorneys work efficiently to move your case forward while conducting the thorough investigation needed to maximize your compensation. Throughout this process, we provide regular updates on your case progress and fight for interim payments when possible to help with immediate financial needs.

If you were injured and another driver was at fault, yes — most car accident claims here resolve with the insurer without a trial, and a contingency fee means a free case review costs nothing. The main exception is limited tort: if you selected it on your own policy, you generally need a serious injury to claim pain and suffering, though exceptions apply (a drunk driver, an out-of-state vehicle, or a commercial vehicle among them).

You have two years from the crash to file suit in Pennsylvania, but the useful window is much shorter. Intersection cameras and dash-cam footage are overwritten within days or weeks, and the other driver's insurer will call for a recorded statement almost immediately. Hiring an attorney before that call is the single most effective way to protect your claim. Order the police crash report early too — PennDOT charges $22 and takes 5–15 days; we obtain it for every client at no charge.

Typically one-third of the recovery for a pre-suit settlement and up to 40% if a lawsuit is filed, agreed in writing before we begin. No hourly fees, no retainer, and no attorney fee if there is no recovery. Case costs such as expert reports and filing fees are advanced by the firm and repaid only from a settlement or verdict.

The value depends on your medical expenses, lost income, whether injuries are permanent, how clear fault is, and the insurance available — Pennsylvania's minimum liability limit is only $15,000 per person, so we look beyond the at-fault driver's policy to underinsured-motorist coverage, employer liability, and vehicle defects. No honest lawyer will quote a number before reviewing your records.

There is nothing you should hide from your own lawyer — the conversation is privileged. What damages a car accident case is a fact the defense discovers first: a prior back injury, an earlier claim, a gap in treatment, or a social media post showing you active. Tell your attorney everything up front so it can be addressed on your terms.

Car accident cases are usually the most provable kind of personal injury claim: a police report, physical evidence, and Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code violations establish fault clearly. You recover as long as your share of fault is 50% or less. The real fight is over damages — which is why documentation of every medical visit and lost workday from day one matters more than anything else.