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Why Choose Us?



One

No cost for your initial consultation

Our services are convenient and affordable.
Two

We can arrange to come to you

For our clients who are unable to travel, we make it easier for you.
Three

No fees unless we win your case

There are no fees of any kind until we settle or win your case in court.

KentuckyAccident & Injury Lawyers

Based in Louisville, Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC has helped many clients in their pursuit of justice. We understand how to handle complicated Louisville injury and vehicle accident claims. Our skilled team of Louisville injury lawyers fight diligently for the maximum financial compensation for our clients.

If you’ve suffered an injury or disability due to negligence, contact Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC. Our team of trusted Louisville personal injury attorneys can help protect your rights and best interests.

Our Kentucky law firm always takes cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us a single penny unless we secure compensation. You never pay attorney fees out-of-pocket. If you’ve been in a car wreck in Kentucky and you’re in search of an experienced Louisville car accident lawyer, contact our Louisville office today to set up a free initial consultation and case evaluation.

Why Choose The Lawyers at Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC?

We understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll a serious accident can take. We make it our mission to keep the legal process simple yet effective, working towards the best possible legal outcome for you and your family.

Many injury cases settle outside of court without the need for a trial. However, sometimes it is not in your best interests to settle. Our firm has extensive trial experience and will not hesitate to take your case to court if you do not receive a fair settlement offer. Part of our promise to clients is to always do our best to secure optimal case results. We’re proud to say we’ve won multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients in the past.

Some accidents can result in major injuries, significant medical bills, emotional strife, property damage, lost wages from missed time at work, or even the death of a loved one, in which case you should contact our Louisville wrongful death lawyersIf someone else’s negligence caused you any type of harm, you have the right to take the at-fault party or parties to civil court to demand compensation.

How can a Kentucky Injury Lawyer help your case?

In Kentucky, an experienced injury lawyer can help your case in the following:

  • Help going up against big insurance companies
  • Handling the paperwork and legwork on your behalf
  • Settlement negotiators to prevent insurers from taking advantage of you
  • Ensuring important deadlines are met regarding your claim
  • The ability to go to trial to fight for just compensation
  • Getting fair compensation for your severe injuries or losses
  • Peace of mind and confidence going into the claims process

Personalized Legal Representation in Louisville

Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC is easily accessible to clients at all times. When you call our office, you’ll get an experienced trial attorney – not a case manager, paralegal, or assistant. We will help injury victims with their legal claim every step of the way, never leaving them in the dark about our actions or the status of the case.

Our skilled legal team will help you through each step of the injury claims process. Our Kentucky trial lawyers take care of your accident claim so you can focus on healing.

What Types of Injury Cases Do We Handle in Kentucky?

Injury lawsuits can encompass a wide variety of incidents, and each type of injury requires knowledge of the laws and statutes surrounding it. If you require an attorney who is skilled in defending multiple types of injury cases, and has experience going against big-money insurance companies to defend your interests – contact Meinhart, Smith, & Manning, PLLC. Our Kentucky injury attorneys have decades of experience defending our clients against all types of injuries, including:

  • Wrongful death lawsuits
  • Birth injuries, including cerebral palsy, hypoxia, and delayed C-sections
  • Burn accidents
  • Dangerous devices and product liability cases, such as the defective 3M military earplugs, IVC earplugs, and Depuy knee implants
  • Horseback riding accidents
  • Damage due to dangerous medicines, including Taxotere, Inovokana, and the Essure contraceptive
  • Premises liability cases, including slip and falls
  • Medical malpractice cases, including prescription drug errors, surgery errors, and mistakes with administering anesthesia
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Fall accidents
  • Injuries after motor vehicle accidents, including trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and all types of car accidents
  • Bad faith insurance claims
  • Construction accidents
  • Dog bites and dog attacks

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, a serious loss or wrongful death due to the negligence of others, you need a skilled and experienced trial attorney with a proven track record to help you get the compensation you deserve. At Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC we know what it takes to get results.

Kentucky Statute of Limitations on Injury Claims

The statute of limitations, or deadline for filing, for the most personal injury claims involving negligence and/or medical malpractice in Kentucky is one year. However, for injury claims related to traffic accidents, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the accident, according to Kentucky statute § 304.39-230. In addition, different limitations and deadlines exist for those injured by sexual assault. According to Kentucky statute § 413.2485, an individual injured by sexual offense has up to five years to file a personal injury claim in court upon knowledge or identity of the perpetrator, of within five years of the “conviction of a civil defendant.”

Missing this deadline almost certainly means losing your right to file an injury lawsuit. In Kentucky, you have just one year after the date of the incident to bring a claim. This is shorter than the deadline in most other states. Act quickly and contact us as soon as you can after an wreck to make sure you know your legal rights and meet the time limit.

No-fault insurance laws in Kentucky

Kentucky is one of 12 states with no-fault car insurance laws. This means that after a auto accident, regardless of fault, you must seek primary recovery through your own car insurer. You may only seek compensation through a lawsuit if your damages exceed your policy’s (PIP) benefits and if you’ve suffered a serious injury. A “serious” injury can be many things, such as one that results in disability, disfigurement, or loss of body function.

Kentucky Comparative Fault Law Guidelines

In Kentucky, you could still receive a damage award even if you were partially at fault for your accident. The state’s comparative fault law means the courts will assign each party a percentage of fault for the accident in question. If you receive a portion of fault, the courts will reduce your compensation award by an amount equivalent to your percentage of fault. For example, you would receive $90,000 of a $100,000 award if you were 10% at fault for a Louisville vehicle crash.

Types of Compensation You Can Recover in Kentucky

When you suffer an accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Kentucky, you can claim compensation for your losses and injuries through either a lawsuit or insurance claim. You can claim both economic and noneconomic damages for your injuries.

Economic damages refer to out-of-pocket losses you incur because of your accident – they are easy to quantify because you can produce documentation to prove those losses. Noneconomic losses, or emotional damages and injuries, are more difficult to calculate because you cannot attach a number to them.

You can claim the following types of damages in your lawsuit or insurance claim in the state of Kentucky.

  • Past and future medical expenses related to your injuries, including hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, therapies, mobility equipment, and doctors’ visits
  • Lost wages due to recovery from your injuries and a loss of earning potential because of the long-term effects of your injuries
  • Property damage to your vehicle, home, or any possessions that you suffer damage to in the course of your accident
  • Emotional distress and mental anguish
  • The development of mental health conditions because of your accident, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Chronic pain, permanent disability, impairment, and disfigurement
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Any other types of pain and suffering you incurred as a result of your accident

In Kentucky, the state does not place a limit on the amount of economic damages you can claim in an injury lawsuit. Many states place a cap on the amount of noneconomic damages you can claim in your case – but Kentucky is not one of them.

If you are filing an insurance claim for your injuries, you will have to adhere to the policy limits set by your insurance company. If you are filing a car accident insurance claim, for example, you may only receive compensation up to the minimum amounts set by the state of Kentucky – $25,000 for injuries per person, $50,000 for all injuries in an accident total, and $10,000 for property damage. Your injuries may exceed these minimums. In these situations, filing a lawsuit may be the best option for getting compensation in Kentucky.

Maximizing your compensation

Kentucky attorneys of Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC are dedicated to helping victims of a wide variety of injuries – including those caused by negligence, medical malpractice and accidents– get the compensation they deserve.

View more results
$6.0M

Birth injury settlement

$2.1M

Medical malpractice verdict

$7.4M

Medical malpractice verdict

Our experienced Kentucky accident injury lawyers have helped many clients to successfully gain compensation for their injuries or losses.

Proving Negligence in Kentucky Injury Claims

When you file an injury lawsuit in Kentucky civil court, your Kentucky accident lawyer will have to prove that the at-fault party or parties in your claim acted in negligence and caused your accident. The basis of proving negligence in your injury claim will depend on the circumstances of your case.

However, you and your Kentucky trial attorney will generally need to establish four elements to successfully prove negligence in a Kentucky personal injury case.

  • First, your attorney will need to prove that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care at the time of your injuries. Establishing this duty of care will depend on the circumstances of your case. For example, if you were in a car accident and the at-fault party was another driver, you can automatically establish this duty of care because all drivers have a duty to drive responsibly, safely, and obey all traffic laws. Doctors owe a duty of safe and standard care to their patients and property owners have a duty to keep their premises free of known and reasonably known hazards.
  • After you establish the duty of care, your lawyer will need to prove that the at-fault party breached his or her duty of care in some way. Proving this element will also depend on the circumstances of your case. For example, a driver who runs a red light breaches his or her duty of care. Doctors who administer the wrong medication or property owners who fail to repair broken stairs also breach their respective duties of care.
  • Once you establish the breach of care, your attorney will have to establish causation. Causation refers to proving that the breach of care led to your injuries, either being the primary cause of your injuries or a substantial factor in causing your injuries. For example, if a driver runs a red light and crashes into your vehicle, you can prove that the crash led to your injuries. If the doctor prescribing the wrong medication led to the development of serious side effects, you can also prove causation. If you fell down the stairs that the property owner failed to fix, you can establish causation as well.
  • Finally, your legal counsel will need to prove that your injuries led to damages that you can claim in your lawsuit. You can claim both economic and noneconomic injuries in your claim, supported by testimony, documentation such as medical bills and invoices, and evidence from your injury attorney. You can claim past and future medical expenses, lost wages, a loss of quality of life, and many other types of damages in your settlement.

Schedule Your Free Consultation with a Kentucky Injury Lawyer

Anytime you want to talk to a knowledgeable Kentucky injury lawyer about your recent crash, personal injuries, or the potential for financial recovery, call (502) 589-2700.

We offer free, zero-obligation consultations to give you the chance to chat with an experienced injury attorney about your future. If you can’t make it to our Louisville office, we’ll come to you at your home or hospital. Let our Kentucky law firm be your go-to team of attorneys after any type of injury in Louisville and all throughout Kentucky. Schedule your free consultation today.

Is Hiring a Kentucky Accident Lawyer for Injuries Really Worth It?

Many people try to go through their claim without the representation of an experienced attorney. Insurance company representatives are very skilled at reducing or eliminating compensation. It’s extremely difficult to maximize the value of your injury case without skilled legal representation on your side.

Testimonials

“Chris Meinhart has been my “go to” attorney for several years now, and has been invaluable on a number of different levels. He is able to navigate the system of courts, other attorneys, judges etc to the benefit of his clients in a expeditious and ethical way, always having his client’s best interest in mind. When I need a legal opinion, Chris is always my first call.”

Casey C.
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