Practice Areas

How to File a Personal Injury Claim in Pennsylvania (Part B)

Response to Complaint in Pennsylvania Personal Injury Claim

After a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer has a summons and complaint served to a defendant, the defendant prepares an answer, which is a response to the complaint.

In the answer, the defendant usually:

admits the plaintiff's allegations;
denies the plaintiff's allegations; or
states that they have insufficient knowledge to admit or deny the allegations.

The defendant could also answer with an affirmative defense that applies to the case. Affirmative defenses are used in an attempt to either limit the defendant's liability or excuse it altogether.

Documents in a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Claim

Several documents could be filed in your Pennsylvania personal injury claim.

These documents include:

Counterclaim - the defendant might file a claim against you saying you were responsible for your injuries or injuries to them.
Reply to counterclaim - your Philadelphia personal injury lawyer will file an answer to the counterclaim.
Cross-claim - when there are 2 or more defendants or plaintiffs in the same case, a claim might be submitted by one co-defendant or co-plaintiff against another.
Answer to cross-claim - the co-plaintiff or co-defendant answers to the cross-claim.
Third party complaint - the defendant might say someone else (another defendant not named in the initial complaint) was at fault for the accident. For example, a driver who failed to brake in time to prevent an accident may blame a manufacturer's defect for the accident, thereby bringing a third party into the suit.
Answer to third party complaint - the third party defendant will have to answer to the complaint.

As you can see from those numerous back-and-forth exchanges, filing a Pennsylvania personal injury claim can be very complex and tedious. With that in mind, it would be in your best interest to consult with an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer who has experience in dealing with accidents that are similar to your own.

Contact a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been severely injured in a Philadelphia accident, you shouldn't have to suffer and pay for expensive medical bills that were caused by another person's negligence. Contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at White & Williams LLP today. We will provide a no-cost, no-obligation consultation on your case - 877-944-8396.

Get Your Copy Of This Pennsylvania Personal Injury Book - FREE!

A Consumers Guide to Choosing a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney is intended to help individuals who have been seriously injured in the state of Pennsylvania. I've prepared a report to help people who've been seriously injured in accidents in Pennsylvania find and select the very best Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer for their individual case. You NEED to get this free report before you select an attorney to handle your personal injury case.

Click here to get your complimentary copy.