Elma, NY Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

The first thing that you have to consider is something called the statute of limitations. For example for an intentional tort such as an assault it is one year. Another possible claim is negligence. For that you have three years to sue from the date of the incident. The question is not only  can you sue but whether if you are successful that you will be able to collect money. To sue a person who has no money or insurance is  a waste of time. Also depending on the claim and the policy there may be a way to get his insurance company on the hook.  The bottom line is that if your injuries are significant it may be worth your time to seek out an attorney. In these type of cases the attorney would be retained on a contingency fee, namely, a percentage of your recovery. If you do not recover any money then the attorney is not entitled to any fee

First, it is difficult to answer your question as you do not indicate whether you are referring to a workers' compensation or a non-workers' compensation. This makes a difference in determining the value of your case. Generally, if you have a workers' compensation case you would be entitled to a number of weeks of Permanent Partial Disability benefits based on the impairment rating assigned by a physician to your left hand. Without knowing your impairment rating, your average weekly wage and how many weeks of benefits you have may have already received I cannot tell what the value of the case might be. If it is a non-workers' compensation case the value of your case is based on its particular facts. Assuming you were not at fault, in whole or in part, you are entitled to be "made whole" or "compensated" for all injuries and damages you sustained. There are a number of factors that determine what a case is worth. Some of these include, but are not limited to: the nature and extent of the injury; whether an injury is temporary or permanent; your medical expenses; lost wages; and pain, suffering and inconvenience. Assuming your injury is permanent you would be entitled to money to compensate you for these items in the future. Without knowing more about your injuries, your medical expenses total, your wage loss and other items I cannot give you a value. Second, you can take a "lump sum" settlement. If you have a workers' compensation case the lump sum settlement must be approved by the Workers' Compensation Court. You may want to consult with either a workers' compensation or personal injury attorney to discuss your case. Most of these types of attorneys offer a free initial consultation so it will not cost you anything to get more information about your rights and possible case value.

What would you sue for? Points? If this is part of a franchise, report him to corporate. They'll send you coupons and take a firm hand with the franchisee.