Frequently asked questions

For the most part, the answer is no. Punishment like jail sentences or fines come from criminal cases. Accidents and personal injury are civil cases. If your case goes to trial, juries and courts may award punitive damages if they determine a defendant’s intentional acts injured you, but these awards are rare.

Three years is the statute of limitations, the time you have to file a lawsuit, for most personal injury cases in New York State. That said, the facts and details of such cases matter greatly, and it is important to get documentation and evidence of them as soon as possible.

In short, yes. To sue a government body, you must first file a “Notice of Claim,” and the timeline for doing so is generally shorter than suing a private entity. This is why it is extremely important to contact Catalano Law for a free consultation as soon as possible if you suffered an injury at the hands of a government entity. Common scenarios for this situation would be poorly maintained sidewalks in front of a county building, or a police car running a red light and hitting your vehicle.

You should never admit fault if an insurance company reaches out to you in the aftermath of an accident or injury. It is not up to you to determine whether you were at fault or partly at fault for an accident.
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That said, even if it is determined you were partly at fault for an accident, New York State and many other jurisdictions have a legal system that recognizes “comparative negligence” or “contributory negligence.” That means that even if you were partly at fault, you can still receive a large percentage of a settlement.

Many people fail to seek out justice for an accident or injury because they have a pre-existing condition. This is a mistake.

Insurance companies will often seek to reduce or even deny compensation for pre-existing conditions, which is why it is important to retain an experienced accident and personal injury lawyer.

There is a large body of legal doctrine that protects people with pre-existing conditions. It is important to be totally honest and disclose such pre-existing conditions, as they can affect your case, but they will not outright prevent you from pursuing justice and getting your fair compensation.

Yes, our personal injury lawyers can definitely help you. Many personal injury and accident claims never go to court. An experienced attorney will typically build a case strong enough to prove your claim to the other party’s insurance company. 

That means we will typically resolve your case with the insurance company, not a court of law. At that point, we will be able to settle your case and get both justice and fair compensation for your injury or accident.

The biggest mistake you can make if you are involved in any type of accident is not to seek medical help or call the police to document the evidence at the scene. Even if you do not feel hurt, the full extent of your injuries may not become apparent for days or weeks. It is extremely important to get medical help right away. If you wait too long, you can seriously damage your case if substantial injuries and effects do arise down the road.

Yes. A doctor you see to treat your injury has much more credibility than a hired witness. It is important to seek out medical help as soon as possible after any kind of accident or injury, especially for a personal injury case. If you wait too long, you may lose credibility, even when you have legitimate injuries. 
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After initial treatment, you should also continue with all recommended follow-up appointments, rehabilitation, and other treatments. Strictly following your medical care provider’s instructions helps you to maintain your case. 

A final consideration is your doctor’s reputation. If you can, avoid doctors who advertise for their role in personal injury cases. Any suggestion of a conflict of interest can affect your case.

You are under no obligation to hire a personal injury lawyer if you’re considering filing a claim. However, the personal injury claims process can be complex, and you’ll be facing insurance companies and attorneys who know the law and the process thoroughly. Navigating these challenges with no prior experience can be incredibly challenging, especially when you’re dealing with serious injuries.

We strongly suggest you consider seeking legal help. You can focus on your health and recovery while your attorney handles your claim on your behalf. If you’re debating whether or not to hire an attorney, contact our Syracuse personal injury lawyers for a free, no-obligation case review.

The short answer is: You do not and cannot necessarily know on your own if you have a personal injury case.
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You should contact the Syracuse personal injury lawyers at Catalano Law and set up a free consultation. There are many factors to accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles that can mean the difference between a strong case and no case at all. Circumstances surrounding slip and falls, worksite accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and prescription drug harm are also all dependent on the specific facts.

In many situations, you may have a case if someone acted carelessly or violated existing laws and regulations. However, this standard is more complex than it sounds. Catalano Law has handled hundreds of cases and knows the specific things to look for in each practice area that can build the strongest case and put you on the path to the most just compensation.

Catalano Law uses a contingency fee contract approved by the New York State Bar Association. We accept a fixed percentage, typically one-third.

When you work with Catalano Law, you will only ever pay attorney’s fees if we win or settle your case. There are no hidden fees or upfront costs. We have structured our fee like this because we want to defend those who need it most, and many cannot afford the upfront cost of a strong lawyer.

The personal injury claims process can be complicated, and it is impossible to give a timeframe upfront for how long it will take to settle a claim, even when the details of the case are known. Some cases are resolved within six months, while others can last from 1 to 3 years.

You may be contacted by an insurance adjustor. If one contacts you, you should remain polite, but you are not required to go into detail about any accident or injury you suffered. Be sure to get their information, like their name and the name of the company they work fork.

Only give them limited personal information. Your name, address, telephone number, and the name of your employer. Do not tell them anything about your income level or work schedule.

If they ask about the accident or the extent of your injuries, you do not have to tell them anything. In fact, it is best if you did not. Do not give them a statement or share any details. Politely refuse to allow them to record your conversation or give a recorded statement.

Remember, the insurance adjustor’s job is to set a limit on your compensation or deny your claim altogether. They are professionals and this is their job. It is important to let another professional, like Catalano Law, deal with the insurance companies. You are not on even footing with them.

Settlements can take months or years to resolve and be paid out. This creates an obvious hardship for people who have suffered serious injuries. Commonly, our clients will use medical insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare to pay their medical bills. In some cases, these options are not available. This is where Catalano Law’s great experience in accidents and personal injury comes into play. We serve all of your clients’ needs, not just getting fair compensation for you. We are experienced in helping clients find ways to pay for their medical bills, exploring all your options while working on your case.

We really need to examine the specifics of your case to make any quantitative judgments. But there are a few important things you should know about the potential value of your claim.

The first is that you should not accept any private settlement offers from another party, such as a check or cash on the spot. Doing so jeopardizes a settlement later. Second, do not rely on an insurance adjuster’s injury calculation for your compensation. Each accident and injury is specific and has factors that can both cost you more money in medical care, suffering, and lost wages and merit more compensation from the other party.

There are two main factors to calculate the total value of a claim: general damages and special damages.

General damages, also called non-economic damages, are the intangible losses you have suffered and will continue to suffer in the future. These include pain and emotional trauma.

Special damages, also called economic damages, are the measurable amounts of money you lost and will continue to lose due to the at-fault party’s negligence. These are things like lost wages and medical bills.

Absolutely. Most personal injury claims never go to court. And we strive to build a case strong enough to prove your claim to the other party’s insurance company, so there will be no need for a trial. 

The majority of cases don’t go into the courtroom. Typically, the other side’s attorneys will understand the value of a claim, which means that the case will be resolved through a settlement.

Catalano Law does not collect any fees unless we win your case or successfully settle and get compensation for you. This is called a contingency fee agreement.

Our No Fee Guarantee means you pay us nothing unless we win your case.

‍Such an arrangement means that you can retain high-powered lawyers to help you stand up to the experienced legal representation that corporate entities and insurance companies have at their disposal. By offering our services on a contingency basis, there are little to no charges a client has to pay until the case is over.