We never charge a fee unless we recover money for you. We never ask you to pay in advance for costs to be incurred in your case, no matter how substantial those costs may be. You only pay our fee and costs if we make a recovery for you. The fee you pay is based on a percentage of the amount we recover.
You will briefly describe your enquiry to us, and if there is a basis for investigating further, we will set up a meeting in our offices. If it is hard for you to get to us, we can arrange to meet at a place that is convenient to you. At the meeting you will tell us what happened and we will try and provide an early indication of the strength of your claim. Sometimes that cannot be done before a more extensive investigation. We will always tell you what we candidly believe about your case.
Clyde Bartel encourages clients to call him whenever they have a question. Calls are always returned. Letters that are sent out from the office are copied to you on a routine basis, so you can see how your case is developing.
That depends on the facts. If it is a car accident which the other party caused, and your medical treatment is completed within six months, a settlement demand can be made at that time and if all parties agree on the negotiated figure, the claim is over. Most cases take longer than that, because it takes longer for people to heal from their injuries. If the party who you believe is at fault contests liability, you have to sue that person and prove he was negligent either in court or through alternative dispute resolution.
ADR is a process that allows litigants the chance to resolve the suit by means other than trial. If all parties agree, the case goes before an arbitrator or mediator, and that person hears the case instead of a judge and jury. An arbitrator will decide if the person claiming has won, and if so, how much that person should get. A mediator will hear the case and recommend a settlement figure to the parties, who will then negotiate through the mediator. Most times this process results in a successful conclusion. Usually, each side shares the cost of the arbitration or mediation equally. The ADR process can save parties a lot of legal expense while arriving at a just resolution.
The law puts a limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. In personal injury cases based on negligence in Pennsylvania, that is generally two years. In medical malpractice cases, sometimes a medical injury is not discovered until years after it is inflicted, in which case the two year period begins to run from the date the injury is discovered, with reasonable diligence. But there is a limit there as well. In 2002 Pennsylvania passed a Statute of Repose that places a seven year limit on even later-discovered medical malpractice, with narrow exceptions. It is essential to talk to a lawyer about time-based issues of your case. If you do not file your lawsuit on time, you will be forever prevented from recovering your damages.
Please contact us today at (610) 740-9076 for a free, immediate consultation.
Law Offices of Clyde Bartel
609 W Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 740-9076