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Negligent individuals, companies, and third-parties should be held accountable for the injuries they cause, however many people who suffer serious harm delay contacting a lawyer because they do not want to sue or go through lengthy litigation before a judge. Whether your injuries resulted from a car wreck, defective product, neglectful property owner, or medical professional who has failed to uphold a standard of care, you deserve full and fair compensation to help you recover. Very few personal injury cases actually end up in court and our personal injury lawyers in Southaven and Hernando resolve the majority of cases we handle through settlement agreements.
The law firm of Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman PLLC provides experienced representation to anyone seriously hurt in any type of accident. We are aggressive yet compassionate and work diligently to protect your rights and help you get compensation you need.
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This 2013 case involved a young woman who was rear-ended by another vehicle in DeSoto County, Mississippi. The force of the blow fractured her neck and, unfortunately, she died at the scene of the crash. The at-fault driver had a large liability insurance policy but the defense attorney tried to argue that the deceased’s tail lights were not functioning. Mr. Gilder and Mr. Howell hired a top expert in the field who performed tests on the vehicle and proved that the tail light bulbs were fully functional at the time of the collision. The Defendant’s insurance company paid a settlement in the amount of $1,450,000.00 within about 6 months of the accident.
In this case, the plaintiff’s decedent had a box fall off the back of his truck into the roadway at Craft Rd. and Church Rd. He apparently turned his vehicle around to come back and parked in the center median lane just beyond where it becomes a turn lane for the intersection. He had his lights on facing into the oncoming traffic. It was still dark and there was a light rain. He was hit by a vehicle driven by Ruark in the lane near the back end of where his truck was parked. The police department concluded that the pedestrian plaintiff’s decedent was the sole cause in the accident. CGHP opened an estate for the purpose of conducting discovery and POSSIBLY filing a suit. After subpoenas were issued, and the box found on site, we were able to prove that Ruark saw a box in the road and was looking to try to change lanes when he hit Mr. Wisdom. Mr. Wisdom had crossed two lanes picked up the box and was returning to the his truck when he was hit and that although Mr. Wisdom was wearing dark clothes the box had a metal carrying case that would have been visible to an attentive driver. We were also able to locate uninsured motorist coverage on the company vehicle in order to maximize our client’s recovery. The case settled pre-suit for policy limits.
At our firm, you can rest assured knowing that you are being taken care of at every step of the legal process. You will always work directly with an experienced attorney from our firm, not a paralegal. When it comes to your questions, you can rest assured that they will be answered promptly.
A majority of our clients come to us having suffered two injuries: one to their person and the other by the insurance company handling their claim. When you have been mistreated by an insurance company, our lawyers will do everything we can to get you the money you deserve.
At Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman PLLC, we believe that a jury of 12 fellow citizens is the fairest way ever devised to determine what is right and just, but we understand your personal injury case belongs to you. We only file lawsuits after we have exhausted every other avenue of getting fair compensation.
Mississippi’s law Title 15, Ch. 1, Sec. 15-1-49 states that the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three years. This means injury victims have three years from the date of their injury to file a claim or they will most likely lose their right to pursue compensation. If you claim is against a government worker or entity you have only 90 days to file a claim. Mississippi does recognize some exceptions to this law, as long as the claimant meets specific requirements. An injury attorney from our firm will be able to let you know if you qualify for an extension to the statute of limitations.
Generally, there are three categories of damages claimants can pursue compensation for in a personal injury claim, economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive. Economic and non-economic damages are both punitive damages, this means that their main purpose is to compensate the injured party for a specific loss. Together both economic and non-economic damages are meant to compensate the injured party for all losses they suffer. More specially, economic damages, also called special damages, compensate for financial losses associated with suffering an injury such as medical expenses and any missed days at work due to the inability to work.
Non-economic damages, also called general damages, compensate for the more abstract losses associated with an injury such as emotional distress and pain and suffering. Punitive damages, the last type of damages, differs from compensatory damages in that their main purpose is the punish the negligent party instead of compensating the injury victim. As such punitive damages are not often awarded and are usually reserved for cases where the defended knew their actions would cause harm but did them anyway.
Unlike insurance companies, Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman PLLC are true advocates on your side, fighting for your best interest at every step. Insurance companies are looking out for their company’s best interest and bottom line, not what you need in order to recover well from your injuries. On top of that, many people find that their injuries become more severe in the following days or weeks after they sustain them. If you accept a insurance settlement before you know how serious your injuries are, you may find your settlement amount no longer covers all your expenses. Our attorneys can fight to protect your rights and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
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