Believe it or not, the place where a personal injury lawsuit is filed has a great influence on the value of a case. For victims of car accidents and personal injury cases in general, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is one of the best locations in the country to file an injury lawsuit. Philadelphia juries typically award much more money than juries located in the surrounding counties (Delaware, Montgomery County etc.) and surrounding states (New Jersey, Delaware, etc.). Generally speaking, city juries award more money than suburban juries in accident cases. Suburban juries typically award higher amounts of money than rural juries. Insurance Companies are aware of the importance of where a lawsuit is filed. In fact, the lawyers working for the insurance companies do whatever is possible to have cases removed from the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The Pennsylvania Rules related to what County a lawsuit can be filed are set forth below:
Rule 1006. Venue. Change of Venue.
(a) Except as otherwise provided by subdivisions (a.1), (b) and (c) of this rule, an action against an individual may be brought in and only in a county in which
(1) the individual may be served or in which the cause of action arose or where a transaction or occurrence took place out of which the cause of action arose or in any other county authorized by law, or
(2) the property or a part of the property which is the subject matter of the action is located provided that equitable relief is sought with respect to the property.
(a.1) Except as otherwise provided by subdivision (c), a medical professional liability action may be brought against a health care provider for a medical professional liability claim only in a county in which the cause of action arose. This provision does not apply to a cause of action that arises outside the Commonwealth.
(b) Actions against the following defendants, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), may be brought in and only in the counties designated by the following rules: political subdivisions, Rule 2103; partnerships, Rule 2130; unincorporated associations, Rule 2156; corporations and similar entities, Rule 2179.
(c)(1) Except as otherwise provided by paragraph (2), an action to enforce a joint or joint and several liability against two or more defendants, except actions in which the Commonwealth is a party defendant, may be brought against all defendants in any county in which the venue may be laid against any one of the defendants under the general rules of subdivisions (a) or (b).
Before you engage an attorney, consider the following factors:
- 1) Is the motor vehicle accident lawyer that you are considering hiring experienced in issues related to where an personal injury lawsuit can be filed? An experienced lawyer like the accident lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates know the ins and outs of the law related to where a lawsuit can be filed. Often, a lawsuit can be filed in Philadelphia County even if the auto accident did NOT occur in Philadelphia.
- 2) Is the auto accident lawyer that you are considering hiring experienced in the Philadelphia Case Management System that Philadelphia County employs? The lawyers as Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates are attending Philadelphia County Case Management Conferences on a weekly basis.
- 3) Most importantly, does the motor vehicle accident lawyer that you are considering hiring have experience trying accident cases in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The accident lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates are constantly trying cases in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The motor vehicle accident lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates are familiar with many of the Judges in the Philadelphia Court System. The lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates have tried many cases in Philadelphia County where juries have awarded six and seven figure sums of money. EXPERIENCE COUNTS!
If you or a loved one is injured in an automobile accident in Philadelphia, call the Law Firm of Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates. Our Philadelphia motor vehicle accident attorneys have extensive experience trying personal injury lawsuits in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Our skilled and knowledgeable attorneys have obtained significant verdicts and settlements for individuals who have been injured in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents and truck accidents. Call us today at 215-567-6600 to review the details of your case or contact us online.