Carbondale Personal Injury Lawyer

Hurt in a crash on the Casey Highway or another accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Carbondale, PA? At Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., our personal injury lawyers serving Carbondale and the Up Valley pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain when a careless driver, property owner, medical provider, or company caused the harm. From our Scranton office, we handle car and truck crashes, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and wrongful death claims throughout Lackawanna County.

Led by founder Melissa A. Scartelli, who has practiced law in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1988, our legal team has recovered millions for injured Pennsylvanians, including $3,000,000 for a client hurt by a defective product and $1,000,000 for a car crash passenger. See more of our case results.

Call (570) 346-2600 or book a free consultation to speak with our team about your Carbondale injury. 

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is unique and the value of any claim depends on its specific facts.

Hear From People Who Were in Your Shoes

Do You Have a Personal Injury Case in Carbondale, PA?

You may have a personal injury case in Carbondale when another person’s or business’s negligence caused an injury that cost you money, time at work, or your health. Pennsylvania courts look for four elements in every negligence claim:

• Duty: The other party owed you reasonable care, the way every driver on Route 6 owes care to everyone else on the road.
• Breach: The other party failed that duty, for example, by texting at the wheel or leaving ice at a store entrance.
• Causation: That failure caused your injury or made a condition you already had worse.
• Damages: The injury produced real losses, such as treatment bills, missed shifts, or lasting pain.

Signs tell you the claim needs a lawyer now:

• An adjuster for the other driver or property owner has asked you for a recorded statement.
• Your doctor ordered imaging, surgery, or physical therapy.
• Missed work has cut into your paycheck.
• The other side says the accident was your fault.

Each element needs records behind it, and our article on the evidence needed to file a successful personal injury claim in PA lists what to keep.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Carbondale Residents

Our Carbondale personal injury lawyers handle claims for vehicle crashes, unsafe property, defective products, medical errors, and fatal accidents across Lackawanna County and the Up Valley, all on a contingency fee.

Car Accidents

A car accident claim seeks compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer for injuries such as whiplash, fractures, and spinal damage. The most common crash types behind these claims are rear-end collisions, T-bone crashes at downtown intersections, and head-on wrecks on two-lane roads. Every Carbondale crash claim gets the same preparation our Scranton car accident lawyer team brings to cases in the county seat.

Truck Accidents

Truck accident claims reach past the driver to the motor carrier, and sometimes to the shipper or maintenance company behind the rig. Federal rules limit driver hours and require inspections, and electronic logging devices record whether a driver broke those limits. Tractor-trailers share the Casey Highway with Up Valley commuters. A multi-vehicle truck crash that injured a 28-year-old ended in a $2,200,000 settlement, the kind of case our Scranton truck accident lawyers build.

Motorcycle Accidents

Riders struck by a left-turning driver bring motorcycle accident claims against that driver’s insurer. Pennsylvania’s first-party medical benefits exclude motorcycles, so liability coverage on the other vehicle, plus your own underinsured motorist coverage, determines how much money is available. PennDOT counted 219 motorcycle deaths statewide in 2024. Our Scranton motorcycle accident attorneys counter the assumption that the rider caused the crash.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

A pedestrian or bicycle accident claim often arises when a driver fails to yield, passes too closely, or isn’t watching the road. Pennsylvania sends an injured walker’s or cyclist’s medical bills first to an auto policy in their household, then to the policy on the vehicle that struck them. We pursue the driver’s liability insurer for pain and suffering, lost wages, and future care, subject to your tort option.

Slip and Fall and Dangerous Property (Premises Liability)

Property owners are responsible for dangers they knew about or would have found with reasonable care, and that duty is the basis of every slip and fall claim. Unsalted ice at store entrances, broken stair treads, and dark parking lots cause many Lackawanna County falls, though Pennsylvania limits claims over generally slippery winter conditions. Falls inside hospitals count too: our Scranton slip and fall lawyer team won a $970,000 verdict for a 91-year-old patient who fell from a hospital bed.

Dog Bites

Pennsylvania dog bite claims are usually paid through the owner’s homeowners or renters insurance. Under the Pennsylvania Dog Law, the owner or keeper pays the full cost of the victim’s medical treatment. Recovering pain and suffering and lost wages requires proof that the owner acted negligently, such as ignoring the dog’s history of aggression or breaking a leash requirement.

Defective Products and Vehicles

A product liability claim holds the manufacturer, distributor, or seller responsible when a defective product injures its user. Pennsylvania applies strict liability to these claims, so the injured person proves the defect and the harm rather than the manufacturer’s carelessness. Failed airbags, seatbelts, and roof structures fall into this category, along with appliances, power tools, and work equipment.

Medical Malpractice 

Patients harmed by care below the accepted medical standard bring medical malpractice claims against the doctor, nurse, hospital, or pharmacy involved. Pennsylvania requires a certificate of merit, backed by a qualified professional’s written statement, within 60 days of filing the complaint. In one case, our Scranton medical malpractice attorney team tried, and the jury awarded $1,500,000, with $300,000 of it punitive, after a doctor amputated a patient’s finger without medical need.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Bedsores, repeated falls, and unexplained weight loss are common grounds for a nursing home neglect claim against the facility and its owner. Federal regulations at 42 C.F.R. Part 483 set residents’ rights in facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid. Care plans, medication logs, and Pennsylvania Department of Health inspection reports show whether the facility met those standards.

Catastrophic Injuries 

Catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, severe electrical burns, and birth injuries, all of which can change how you live and work for years. Neurologists and life care planners help us document the full lifetime cost. In one case, our attorneys secured $6,500,000 for a crash victim with brain damage.

Wrongful Death

When negligence takes a loved one’s life, Pennsylvania gives the family two claims: a wrongful death action for the household’s financial and emotional losses and a survival action for what the person lost before death. The personal representative of the estate brings both in most cases. Grieving Up Valley families can speak with a wrongful death lawyer in Scranton on our team about both actions.

Not sure which of these fits what happened to you? Call (570) 346-2600. We tell you whether you have a claim and who is responsible, at no cost.

Pennsylvania Personal Injury Laws That Affect Your Carbondale Claim

Pennsylvania personal injury laws decide whose insurance pays first, whether you recover pain and suffering, and which deadlines apply to your claim. Below are the key rules that shape most Carbondale injury cases.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Injury

Any person, business, or (in limited cases) government unit whose carelessness contributed to your injury can be held liable, and many Carbondale cases involve more than one responsible party. Insurers prefer a simple story with one defendant. Our investigation looks past that story to every party whose conduct played a role:

• Drivers and vehicle owners, the core defendants our Pennsylvania car accident lawyers pursue, plus employers whose workers were driving for the job
• Trucking companies, cargo loaders, and repair shops behind a commercial vehicle crash
• Property owners and landlords who ignored a hazard, under the rules of premises liability in Pennsylvania
• Manufacturers and sellers of defective vehicles, tools, and consumer products
• Bars and restaurants that served a visibly intoxicated driver
• Hospitals, physicians, and nursing homes that fell below the standard of care

The party an insurer blames is not always the one who pays. Call (570) 346-2600, and we will identify every party we would pursue in your case.

Compensation We Pursue in a Carbondale Personal Injury Claim

Compensation in a Carbondale personal injury case covers your financial losses, your physical and emotional suffering, and, in cases of outrageous conduct, punitive damages. Pennsylvania groups recoverable damages into three categories:

• Economic Damages: Past and future medical expenses, trauma surgery, ICU and rehabilitation, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, long-term care, in-home assistance, adaptive equipment, vehicle and property loss, and out-of-pocket expenses tied to your injury.
• Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, and a spouse’s loss of consortium. Limited tort drivers face the serious injury threshold for this category.
• Punitive Damages: Awarded only for outrageous conduct, meaning an evil motive or reckless indifference to the safety of others. In malpractice cases against an individual doctor, Pennsylvania caps punitive damages at 200% of compensatory damages unless the doctor acted intentionally.

Insurers count on injured people accepting the first offer before future costs are known. Settling before you reach maximum medical improvement can leave future surgery, therapy, and lost earning capacity unpaid.

Our article on the different types of personal injury damages explains how each category is valued.

Our Verdicts & Settlements for PA Clients

The results below come from cases our attorneys handled for injured Pennsylvanians and their families.

Amount	Case Type	Details
$10,000,000	Medical Malpractice Jury Verdict	One of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Luzerne County history
$6,500,000	Motorcycle Accident Settlement	Traumatic brain injury
$3,500,000	Wrongful Death	Fatal electrocution
$3,000,000	Product Liability	58-year-old woman injured by a defective product
$2,200,000	Tractor-Trailer Crash	Multi-vehicle commercial truck crash on a local highway; 28-year-old client; Luzerne County
$2,000,000	Wrongful Death	Death of a child; Medical Malpractice
$2,000,000	Defective Medical Device	Wrongful death
$1,800,000	Product Liability	Defective work truck found after the case first appeared to be malpractice
$1,500,000	Medical Malpractice Jury Verdict	$1,200,000 compensatory and $300,000 punitive for an unnecessary finger amputation; no settlement offer before trial
$1,000,000	Premises Liability Verdict	Slip and fall
$1,000,000	Car Accident Settlement	77-year-old passenger
$970,000	Hospital Fall Verdict	91-year-old patient; Luzerne County
$750,000	Wrongful Death	U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is unique, and the facts and circumstances of your case may differ from these matters.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is unique and the value of any claim depends on its specific facts.

Your recovery depends on proof, not the first offer. Call (570) 346-2600 or send us your details for a free case review. You owe no attorney fee unless we recover.

How Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. Builds Your Carbondale PI Claim

When a severe injury disrupts your life, taking on insurance companies requires a clear, aggressive strategy. Our Carbondale personal injury lawyers move your claim forward in 4 proven steps:

1. Free Case Review

We listen to what happened, review your insurance and medical records, and give you an honest, straightforward assessment of your claim.

2. Reports and Records

We gather complete records from your doctors, hospitals, and specialists, bringing in medical experts to calculate the cost of your future care.

3. Evidence and Expert Investigation

We immediately issue evidence preservation letters to secure camera footage and crash data before it’s destroyed, bringing in accident reconstructionists to prove fault.

4. Demand, Litigation, and Trial

We demand full compensation from the insurer. While many cases settle, if the insurance company refuses to pay full value, we file suit and prepare your case for a jury at the Lackawanna County Courthouse.

Frequently Asked Questions About Carbondale Personal Injury Claims

Can I Still Recover Compensation If I Was Partly at Fault for My Carbondale Accident?

Yes. Under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence statute, you can still recover if your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants you sue, and your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, a driver found 25% at fault for a crash on Business Route 6 who wins a $120,000 verdict receives $90,000. At 51% fault or more, you recover nothing.

What Happens If an Uninsured Driver Hits You in Carbondale?

When an uninsured driver hits you in Carbondale, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays your injury claim up to its limits. Insurers must offer it, and you have it unless you signed a written rejection. On limited tort, UM pays pain and suffering only for serious injuries. A hit-and-run counts as uninsured if you report it to police and notify your insurer within 30 days, or as soon as practicable.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?

In our experience, soft-tissue cases with clear liability typically resolve in 6 to 12 months. Cases involving surgery, fractures, or permanent injury take 18 months to 3 years because medical recovery must be documented before the case is valued. Medical malpractice and trucking cases often take longer, and cases that go to trial typically take 2 years or more from filing.

How Much Do Most Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?

Personal injury lawyers in Pennsylvania charge a contingency fee in most injury cases, so you pay no upfront or hourly fees. The contingency fee comes out of the settlement or verdict. At Scartelli Olszewski, you pay no fee unless we win, and we advance costs for experts, records, and filings. Our article on how much a Pennsylvania injury lawyer will cost you walks through the math.

Speak to Us About Your Carbondale Injury: No-Cost Case Review

Small Enough to Care, Large Enough to Win.

Medical bills, missed paychecks, and adjuster calls are too much to carry while you heal. Hire us, and our team handles the insurers, the records, and Pennsylvania’s two-year filing deadline. Call us now for a private, no-obligation case review.

Scranton Office: Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., 411 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, (570) 346-2600

Wilkes-Barre Office (by appointment): 7 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701, (570) 822-1400

We represent injured people across Dunmore and the Mid-Valley area, up through the Up Valley communities of Carbondale, Fell Township, Mayfield, Jermyn, Archbald, and Forest City, as well as throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.