Kentucky Personal Injury Lawyers
Finding the right personal injury lawyer can be challenging. The last thing you want or need is further setbacks after your life has already been turned upside down by an injury.
At Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima, we appreciate the challenges you’ve been through, and we will take the trust you put in us seriously. Our Kentucky personal injury lawyers have decades of experience helping people in your shoes. We have won millions in compensation for injury clients. Our team will handle your case with the utmost dedication.
$7 million settlement: Our lawyers secured maximum compensation for a client who suffered a severe brain injury in a truck accident.
Types Of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
With many decades of experience, our attorneys have handled virtually every kind of personal injury case, from the relatively straightforward to the extremely complex. You can turn to us for trustworthy legal guidance on:
- Motor vehicle accidents: After a traffic accident – whether a car crash, truck accident, bicycle crash or pedestrian accident – you can rely on our lawyers to stand up for you. We know how to work with insurance companies to secure maximum compensation.
- Catastrophic injuries: We handle cases involving severe and lifelong impairments such as paralysis, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries. We have a strong network of experts to prove the economic impact of these injuries over the course of a lifetime.
- Wrongful death: If you have lost a loved one in a tragic accident, you can turn to our team for diligent, compassionate guidance.
We will take a strategic approach to your case, laying the groundwork from the outset for a successful outcome. Often, we can secure a favorable result through an out-of-court settlement. We are always prepared to go to trial when necessary.
How Much Is My Kentucky Personal Injury Case Worth?
Every personal injury claim is unique, with its own set of facts and consequences for the plaintiff. Exactly how much compensation you are entitled to depends on many factors, such as:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- How much your injuries have affected your quality of life and ability to work, and how much they will do so in the future
- Your age, income and earning capacity when the accident happened
- How much you negligently contributed to the accident, if at all
- Whether the defendant intentionally harmed you
Proving these and other factors can have a huge impact on how much you receive in a settlement or trial verdict.
What Is The Statute Of Limitations On Injury Claims In Kentucky?
Your time to take legal action after an accident is not unlimited. States impose statutes of limitations on personal injury claims. These laws set time limits on how long a potential plaintiff has to file, usually starting from the date their injury occurred or was reasonably discovered.
Kentucky’s statute of limitations is fairly short. You only have two years from the date of a car accident, or one year for certain other incidents, to file a claim. After that, your claim will be dismissed.
This is why it is vital that you contact us as soon as possible after a serious injury. If you wait too long, you will lose your chance at financial recovery.
Kentucky Personal Injury FAQ
You are not the only one who has questions about how personal injury cases work in Kentucky. Here are a few more answers to some questions many of our clients ask.
How is pain and suffering calculated in Kentucky?
Pain and suffering does not create direct economic harm like lost wages and medical bills, but it can have just as much of an impact on your life. It includes the pain and discomfort that your injuries have caused you, as well as any mental anguish you have suffered. It can be a challenge to put a specific dollar figure on pain, but factors that juries will consider include:
- How much your pain and suffering has changed your life. For example, whether your pain limits your ability to support your spouse and children and enjoy your favorite hobbies.
- Time spent treating the pain in the hospital, physical therapy and so on.
- How long your recovery is supposed to take and if your doctors expect you ever to recover fully.
What types of damages can I recover in a personal injury claim?
Pain and suffering, which we discussed above, is a type of noneconomic damage suffered in a negligent accident. Noneconomic damages include those that do not directly impact you financially. Along with pain and suffering, common noneconomic harms include reduced enjoyment of life and your spouse’s loss of consortium.
Economic damages are those where it is clear what direct financial harm you have experienced. Examples include the wages you have lost because you could not work or had to take a lower paying job and the wages you expect to lose in the future. You can also seek compensation for the cost of your medical care and for repairing or replacing your vehicle.
Why should I hire a personal injury lawyer?
You might feel confident that the evidence is on your side and that you have a clear-cut claim for recovery. However, insurance companies use sophisticated strategies to try to get out of paying valid claims in full. The company might try to make it seem like your injuries were preexisting before the accident or that you are exaggerating them. Or the adjuster could drag out their “investigation” to make you desperate enough to accept a lowball settlement offer.
An experienced personal injury attorney can deal with the insurance company on your behalf, present a clear, evidence-based case for compensation and counter their tricks.
We Can Help You Build A Better Life After A Serious Injury
Our goal is to get you the compensation you need for a more comfortable life going forward. To learn more about how we can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us online or by phone at 859-495-1669. We have a convenient office in Florence.