Frequently Asked Questions

Our Personal Injury Lawyers Answer Your Questions

At Zukerberg & Halperin we believe knowledge is power. So don’t let a slick insurance company fool you. Get your FAQ’s answered here:

Top Ranked Questions:

Our only focus is on serious personal injury case.  That’s because our Washington DC personal injury attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience. As a result, we are top lawyers in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. What’s more, we have a well-train and sympathetic staff.  Finally, our clients get our personal cell phones and can call us 24/7.

To help you, we have convenient offices in Glen Allen, Virginia and Washington, D.C.  However, we visit homes, hospitals and nursing homes throughout Maryland and Virginia. Finally, our dedicated lawyers even prisons and jails throughout the region.

As a consequence, you can trust Zukerberg & Halperin with your important case. Therefore, we care about you as a person. Our commitment to you is reflected through how hard we work.

Additionally, Paul & Jonathan are top-rated trial lawyers. So we have years of experience in the courtroom. Finally, our attorneys are near you in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

Contact us today to hear more about how we can help you!

If your injury was caused by someone else, you need to have your case evaluated by an experienced lawyer. However, don’t trust the opinion or advice of an insurance company. Call Zukerberg & Halperin for your fee case evaluation.

For best results, call a Washington DC Personal Injury attorney at (202) 232-6400 whose focuses is in personal injury or wrongful death law today.

Every case is special, including yours. We will see that you are compensated for all the damages you have suffered.

Therefore, we will evaluated the severity of your injuries.  Perhaps they are permanent or disfiguring.  Another factor is the amount of time from work.  Second, there is the amount of your past and future medical bills.  Maybe you needed surgery.  We also evaluate the amount of  available insurance coverage. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you determine the specifics of your situation and estimate the potential of your case.

Again, because each case is different, it is generally not possible to decide at the beginning of the case whether or not a lawsuit will be necessary in your particular situation. It will depend on many factors, such as whether the defendant admits liability, and whether or not they question your injuries. Also, though you may have to file lawsuit, you may settle before trial, for example by attending non-binding mediation with defendant(s). Though complicated, you will be led through the process by an experienced, communicatory attorney and staff.

The length of each case varies depending on the nature of the injuries, type and facts of case, type of defendant, the particular court where the lawsuit is filed, and who the insurance carrier is. In short, it could be months or over a year, depending on the circumstances. Medical malpractice and product liability cases often take longer due to the amount of investigation involved and the need for expert witnesses.

If an insurance company is not treating you fairly, you should consult an attorney specializing in personal injury law. Statistics have shown that those who retain an attorney make a substantially larger recovery from insurance companies than those who do not. If you have questions about the specifics of your case, we encourage you to contact us for a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation by one of our attorneys. If we are unable to assist you with your case, we can likely refer you to an attorney who can.

Each case and client are different, so we address each one in a unique process tailored to achieve maximum results, but there is an overall process you can expect.

First, you will talk with an experienced personal injury attorney. We will then request your medical records and bills, lost wage information, police reports and other evidence. Finally, we will interview witnesses. We want to know how your injury affected your life.

Once we have all information necessary, we will evaluate your case for settlement, and recommend to you a settlement value for your case. We will then compile all of the available information and documents and submit a thorough and detailed demand letter (with your records, bills, lost wage information and any other relevant documents or photographs) to the defendant’s insurance company. If they don’t pay what you deserve, we’ll see them in court.

Paul & Jonathan are Top-Rated Trial Lawyers

Once the defendant’s insurance company makes their initial offer, your attorney will call you to discuss it and how to move forward. He will negotiate back and forth to reach a settlement that is fair (compensating you fully). If a fair settlement cannot be reached, the attorney will prepare, file and serve a lawsuit on the defendant(s).

The litigation process begins with the filing of a “Complaint,” which is the filing of a lawsuit in court. After the filing of the suit, both sides exchanging discovery requests, which are questions for you to answer regarding the accident, your health and your history, as well as requests for copies of documents. With your help, we will put together the answers and send them to defense counsel.

Depositions of all parties, your doctors and any witnesses may also be scheduled before trial. A deposition is like an interview, where the attorneys ask the witness questions under oath and a court reporter is present to make a record of everything that is said. Depositions are used by both sides to gather information about what happened, who was hurt, how badly they were hurt, etc.

Regardless of the course of your particular case, the attorneys and staff of Zukerberg & Halpering, PLLC PLLC will be with you through this difficult time. Let us focus on resolving your case while you focus on healing.

The amount of time you have to make a claim from the date of the accident/injury depends on where the accident happened and the type of claim you are making. In Virginia, the Statute of Limitations runs 2 years from the date of the injury. In the District in Columbia, it’s usually 3 years from the date of injury. For a death case in D.C., it is 2 years. In Maryland, it’s 3 years for nearly all injury claims.

However, there are exceptions, and you should consult with an attorney who specializes in personal injury or wrongful death cases in order to determine how long you have to file a claim.

Throughout decades of legal practice, each of our attorneys have recovered large verdicts and settlements for clients at trial and outside of the courtroom. We have also litigated on behalf of individuals dealing with product liability claims against defective product manufacturers.

We have litigated cases resulting in precedent-setting appellate decisions in:

  • Wrongful death
  • Police misconduct
  • High speed pursuit
  • Premises liability
  • Products liability
  • Civil rights

Unlike larger firms that handle a large volume and a variety of cases, we focus on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. Rather than take on hundreds or thousands of cases as some firms do, we carefully select our cases, offering our clients personal time, attention, and dedication. You will never be just a “number” or “case” to us, and you will have direct  communication with your attorney.

In some larger firms, clients often communicate only with the attorney’s staff (paralegals, secretaries, etc.), sometimes receiving no information directly from their attorney. In contrast, Mr. Halperin provides open communication and compassionate representation, treating you as a person, not just a case.

Each of our attorneys are licensed to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. Our law office is located in Washington DC at: 1790 Lanier Place NW, Washington, DC 20009. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, we can come to you.

Our personal injury lawyers serve all areas throughout Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland including the following areas:

  • Alexandria, Virginia
  • Fairfax, Virginia
  • Ballston, Virginia
  • Arlington, Virginia
  • Leeseburg, Virginia
  • Reston, Virginia
  • College Park, Maryland
  • District Heights, Maryland
  • Greenbelt, Maryland
  • Hillcrest, Maryland
  • Silver Spring, Maryland
  • Rockville, Maryland
  • Cheverly, Maryland
  • Hyattsville, Maryland
  • Lanham, Maryland
  • Wheaton, Maryland
  • Bethesda, Maryland
  • Bowie, Maryland
  • Gaithersburg, Maryland
  • Clinton, Maryland
  • Washington D.C.

Unlike some larger firms, if you are a client of Zukerberg & Halperin PLLC, your attorney will be directly available to you. Though experienced, compassionate staff will also be available to assist you, your attorney will keep you informed and engage personally in necessary communications with you.

No. Your initial consultation with a licensed attorney-not a paralegal or intake specialist-will not cost you anything and carries with it no obligation.

Unlike many of the other distinctions for lawyers, you cannot pay a fee to receive an “AV Rating.” So what exactly does it mean and how does one earn this honor?

Mr. Halperin has earned an “AV Rating” of “Preeminent” (5 out of 5) in The Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™.
This is a significant accomplishment and a “testament to the fact that [his] peers rank [him] at the highest level of professional excellence”. Focusing not only on legal expertise but also level of ethical standards, these ratings are an “objective indicator of a lawyer’s high ethical standards and professional ability, generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and the judiciary in the United States. Reviewers are asked to assess their colleagues’ general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice.”

Mr. Halperin’s rating of “Preeminent” conveys his “adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.” Mr. Halperin’s high Legal Ability rating (5 out of 5) reflects his “performance in five key areas: legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability and legal experience.

LexisNexis, the Knowledge Burst logo, Martindale-Hubbell® and martindale.com are registered trademarks, Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ is a trademark and Lawyers.comSM is a service mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under license. AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent® and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc. Copyright 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

We concentrate on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Though our cases vary widely in detail, we represent clients seriously injured due to the negligence of another person or company. We also represent the families of people who have died as a result of the negligence of another.

Our practice areas within the fields of personal injury, wrongful death, and civil rights law are extensive, including, but not limited to:

We accept cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we are paid a percentage of the amount we recover for you, plus reimbursement of necessary expenses and costs. Of course, the initial consultation with your attorney is complimentary.

While our Washington DC lawyers are investigating, processing and possibly litigating your case, Zukerberg & Halpering, PLLC PLLC will advance all of the necessary case expenses. When your case settles or we reach a trial verdict in your favor, those necessary expenses will be deducted from your recovery. You will not have to pay case expenses up front.

Tell us about your particular situation during a free case evaluation!