Lump Sum Settlements in Reading, PA
A lump sum settlement is a single, comprehensive payment that resolves an injury claim in full, replacing ongoing weekly or periodic benefit payments. In Pennsylvania workers’ compensation, this agreement is formally called a Compromise and Release (CR), and it appears in personal injury and insurance claims as well. For injured people, the decision whether to accept one is significant and permanent.
Liever, Hyman & Potter has represented wrongful injury victims since 1959. Our four attorneys handle only wrongful injury and death claims. Lump sum settlements are a regular part of that work across both workers’ compensation and personal injury cases.
Ready to evaluate your settlement options? Call us for a free consultation at (610) 885-1991. You pay nothing until we recover for you.
Why Injury Victims Choose Liever, Hyman & Potter
With more than 115 combined years of practice devoted entirely to wrongful injury and death law, our attorneys bring a depth of focus that general-practice firms can’t match. In a recent three-year period alone, we recovered more than 500 awards and settlements for clients in the Berks County area and beyond, including multiple million-dollar and multi-million-dollar results.
Documented settlements include a $3.5 million trucking crash settlement, a $3.265 million drunk driving wrongful death settlement, and a $6.5 million settlement for a teenage client who suffered a brain bleed resulting in hemiplegia. These aren’t cherry-picked outliers. Since 1959, we’ve won thousands of awards and settlements for victims and their families.
Lead attorney John R. Badal was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1978 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991. His entire career has been devoted to representing wrongful injury victims. He is a member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, memberships tied to documented results at those thresholds, and has served as Chairman of both the Civil Litigation Section and the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Berks County Bar Association.
The broader legal community recognizes our record. A significant portion of our clients come to us through referrals from other law firms, satisfied former clients, and community members who know our results, which is why we’ve earned the recognition “The Lawyers’ Lawyers” within the legal community. Every case we take is reviewed and assigned to a civil trial attorney qualified to handle it.
Our fee structure removes financial barriers to hiring us. You pay nothing in fees and nothing in case expenses we advance on your behalf until we recover money for you. That applies to every client and every case. Your free consultation costs you nothing either.
Should You Accept a Lump Sum Settlement?
In Pennsylvania workers’ compensation, a Compromise and Release agreement is voluntary. An insurance carrier can’t force you to accept one. But before you sign, you need to understand what you’re giving up. Once a CR agreement is approved by a Workers’ Compensation Judge, who confirms you understand the terms and what rights you’re waiving, your claim is closed permanently. Even if your condition worsens later, you generally can’t reopen the claim or seek additional benefits for that injury.
Settlement tends to make sense when you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), meaning your condition has stabilized and no significant further recovery is expected. It can also make sense when you want to avoid the ongoing medical exams, insurer monitoring, and benefit-modification petitions that remain available to carriers while weekly benefits stay open. Under Pennsylvania law, the earliest a workers’ compensation claim can typically be settled is four months after the date of injury.
Settlement in a personal injury case carries its own finality considerations. The tradeoffs differ by case type, and the terms need to be evaluated against your specific circumstances. This is exactly the kind of analysis our attorneys have performed across thousands of cases since 1959.
How Lump Sum Settlements Are Calculated
In Pennsylvania, calculating a lump sum settlement involves weighing several factors specific to your claim. The severity of the injury, your pre-injury wages, your ability to return to work, and the strength of supporting evidence all shape what a settlement is worth. Claims involving higher wages, significant medical expenses, and well-documented injuries typically carry higher values.
Medical Expenses & Future Care
The calculation includes immediate medical expenses and anticipated future treatment costs, including ongoing care for chronic conditions. If you accept a settlement that closes out medical benefits, you assume responsibility for those future costs. For injured workers who may be eligible for Medicare, this also means understanding whether a Medicare Set-Aside account is needed to protect Medicare’s interests. It is the recommended method under the Medicare Secondary Payer statute for ensuring Medicare doesn’t pay costs that should be covered by the settlement.
Lost Wages & Earning Capacity
Another critical factor is the injury’s impact on your ability to work. The settlement calculation accounts for wage loss benefits and any reduction in your future earning capacity, covering both the income you’ve already lost and what you may lose going forward. In personal injury lump sum settlements, damages typically extend beyond workers’ compensation alone to include pain and suffering and other losses that a third-party claim can recover.
Get the Right Settlement Evaluation
At Liever, Hyman & Potter, our attorneys are committed to making sure you understand what your claim is worth before you make any permanent decisions. We offer free consultations for injury victims throughout the Reading, PA area and the broader Berks County region. Because we advance case expenses on your behalf with no fees owed until we recover for you, there’s no financial risk in calling us.
If you need assistance with workers’ compensation claims, medical malpractice concerns, or other injury matters, our attorneys can help. Call (610) 885-1991 to speak with our team today.
What Our Clients Say
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Working with Liever, Hyman & Potter Law Firm was an excellent experience from start to finish.Christie
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Andrew Fick and his team helped me with everything I needed in pursuing a personal injury case.Carlos A.
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I would highly recommend Liever, Hyman & Potter.Vanessa S.
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Andy Fick and his Liever, Hyman & Potter team fought hard for me.David D.
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He is a well-spoken and passionate attorney who actually cares about his clients.jeffrey r.
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He has always been responsive and professional, taking the time to review my issues.Howard J.
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Not only are the attorneys at this firm dedicated in obtaining successful results, more importantly, they also care about the personal well-being and health of their clients.Kevin B.
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Attorney John Badal represented me and did an outstanding job. The firm is very honest and upfront and does not blow smoke.Roxanne M.
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John went above and beyond to help me.Sean B.
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Between Stacey (paralegal) and Mike, they kept me up to date with emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings; making the entire process seamless.Blayne H.
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Andy gets the job done; he went above and beyond, exceeding my expectations.Nancy K.
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Everyone was thorough, professional, and supportive.Wendy B.
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My friend was impressed by the firm's compassion and genuine concern for his son's well-being.SARA P.
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The professionals of Liever, Hyman & Potter have a robust team of professionals who vigorously and diligently advocate.Adam N.
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Contacted me back very quickly, very professional.P N.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What Kind of Lawyer Do I Need?
The legal world is a complicated environment with countless nuances to take into account. As a result, there is a wide range of specialized attorneys dedicated to specific legal areas, such as criminal lawyers who handle criminal defense. With so many fields, it can be difficult to determine which kind of lawyer is best suited for your circumstances. If you call Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C. and offer an overview of your situation, then they can help narrow down what kind of personal injury lawyer is best suited to handle your case. Our law firm was founded in 1959 and is knowledgeable in numerous areas of personal injury law.
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Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
After sustaining a severe injury, you will need to pay medical bills for treatment, potentially miss time at work, and experience pain and suffering. With a qualified and skilled lawyer’s assistance, it is possible for you to receive fair and full compensation for these damages. A knowledgeable attorney will increase your chances of reaching an acceptable settlement agreement and receiving more compensation than you would on your own. Additionally, personal injury lawyers can help settle a liability dispute to determine who is responsible for an accident.
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How Will I Know I Have a Case?
No one has to make this important decision by themselves. Contact Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., and set up a free consultation to go over your situation in detail. Our attorneys will be able to identify who you can sue and what you can expect to gain based on the facts of the accident and the laws in Pennsylvania. In most scenarios, you’ll have a case if it can be proven that someone acted carelessly and caused injuries. Applying this standard is more complex than it may initially appear, which is why it is important to consult us.
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When to Call a Lawyer After a Car Accident?
If you’ve sustained severe injuries in a car accident, you should reach out to a lawyer shortly after the crash takes place. Not only will a professional car accident attorney help you gather vital evidence before it is lost to help your case, but they can also handle communications with your insurance company and deal with the careless driver’s insurance company.
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What Should I Do if an Attorney or Insurance Adjuster Calls Me?
You should never speak with insurance adjusters for someone else involved in the accident. While they may sound friendly and sympathetic to your case, they are almost certainly trying to get statements from you that would reduce or eliminate the liability of their insured. This is also true when an attorney for another person contacts you.
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How to File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
As previously mentioned, filing a medical malpractice lawsuit starts with contacting a lawyer. However, it is crucial that we have sufficient information before filing the claim because malpractice claims can be significantly more complicated than other lawsuits. Our dedicated attorneys will collect all of your medical records and thoroughly review them.
Your medical malpractice attorney must determine whether the case warrants a lawsuit before they file with the court. If we do go forward, we will rely on highly qualified doctors who will be able to explain why you or your loved one were wrongfully harmed by medical treatment.