Millions won for victims, including Luzerne County's largest medical malpractice verdict.
Certified Trial Advocacy
Led by one of few female Board Certified Trial Advocates in Pennsylvania.
Zero Upfront Cost
You don't pay a penny out of pocket, we only get paid when you do.
Years of Experience
100+ combined years of experience in personal injury, medical malpractice, and criminal defense.
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Hurt in Old Forge, PA, because someone else was careless or reckless? Maybe it was a car crash on Main Street, a fall at a local business, or a tractor-trailer wreck near I-81’s Exit 180 in neighboring Moosic. Our personal injury lawyers at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., pursue payment for your hospital and therapy bills, lost paychecks, and the pain you live with. When negligence costs a life, we stand with the grieving family too.
Our attorneys have recovered millions in verdicts and settlements, including a $3,500,000 wrongful death settlement and a $1,500,000 jury verdict with punitive damages. Founder Melissa A. Scartelli has practiced law in Pennsylvania since 1988 and is board certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Tractor-Trailer Crash. Several Vehicles. A $2,200,000 Settlement.
A commercial truck crash on a local highway pulled several vehicles into one wreck and left our 28-year-old client seriously hurt. With more than one driver and company involved, fault was hard to pin on any single party. Our personal injury lawyer team investigated parties behind the crash and negotiated a $2,200,000 settlement.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is unique and the value of any claim depends on its specific facts.
How to Tell If Your Old Forge Injury Is a Legal Claim
An Old Forge injury is a legal claim when someone else’s negligence caused it and the harm cost you something real. Pennsylvania law requires proof of four elements:
Duty of care: Drivers on Moosic Road and owners of shops along Main Street owe the people around them reasonable care.
Breach: Someone fell short of that care, for example by speeding through the business district or leaving a broken step unrepaired.
Causation: That failure caused your injury or worsened a condition you already had.
Damages: You lost something measurable, such as medical bills, wages, or the ability to handle daily tasks.
The claims Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. handles include crashes on the road, falls on someone else’s property, medical errors, and deaths caused by negligence. Our personal injury attorneys serving Old Forge take on the at-fault party’s insurer and pursue full compensation, so your focus stays on healing.
Car Accidents
An Old Forge car accident claim asks the at-fault driver’s insurer to pay for the losses your own policy does not cover. Rear-end and side-impact collisions along Main Street and Moosic Road can cause whiplash, broken wrists, and concussions. Our Scranton car accident lawyer team handles these claims for Old Forge drivers and passengers.
Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents
A tractor-trailer claim can name more than the driver: the motor carrier, the company that loaded the cargo, and the shop that maintained the brakes can all share fault. Electronic logging device records can show whether a driver broke the federal hours-of-service limits in 49 C.F.R. Part 395. Carriers must keep those records for at least six months, so our Scranton truck accident lawyer team requests them early.
Motorcycle Crashes
A rider has little protection in a crash, and Pennsylvania’s mandatory $5,000 first-party medical benefit does not cover motorcycles. Your claim depends mainly on the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, plus underinsured motorist coverage if you carry it. Because that claim turns on fault, our Scranton motorcycle accident attorneys push back when insurers blame the rider for the crash.
Pedestrian Accidents
When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the injuries are often catastrophic. Our pedestrian accident lawyer acts immediately to secure traffic footage and cell phone records, holding negligent drivers accountable and recovering fair compensation for your losses.
Slip and Fall Injuries
A slip and fall claim holds a property owner responsible for a hazard the owner knew about or would have found with a reasonable inspection and failed to fix. Icy restaurant entrances, loose stair treads in rental units, and unlit parking lots are typical Old Forge examples. Our Scranton slip and fall lawyer team won a $1,000,000 verdict in a premises liability case.
Medical Malpractice
A medical malpractice claim charges a doctor, nurse, or hospital with care below the accepted standard. Pennsylvania requires a certificate of merit, based on a licensed professional’s written statement, within 60 days of filing the complaint. Our Scranton medical malpractice attorney team won a $10,000,000 jury verdict, one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Luzerne County history.
Catastrophic Injuries
A catastrophic injury changes how you live or work for the long term: a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, an amputation, severe electrical burns, or a birth injury. We work with neurologists and life care planners to prove those lifetime costs. Our attorneys secured a $6,500,000 settlement for a motorcycle crash victim who suffered brain damage.
Wrongful Death
Pennsylvania gives a grieving family two claims, usually filed together: a wrongful death action for the spouse, children, or parents, including medical and funeral bills, and a survival action for the pain and lost earnings of the person who died. Old Forge families can speak with our compassionate wrongful death lawyer in Scranton.
Your injury doesn’t fit one of these?
Call (570) 346-2600, describe what happened, and our experienced attorney will tell you which claim may fit and who may be responsible, free of charge.
The Pennsylvania Rules Behind an Old Forge Injury Claim
Miss it and the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas will usually dismiss your case; injured minors get more time.
Shared fault (comparative negligence)
You recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants, and your award drops by your share (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102).
A driver found 30% at fault for a Moosic Road crash keeps 70% of the award.
Tort option
Limited tort bars pain and suffering damages unless the injury is serious or a statutory exception applies; full tort keeps that right (75 Pa.C.S. § 1705).
Check your declarations page before you speak with an adjuster.
Government defendants
Written notice within six months of the injury (42 Pa.C.S. § 5522). Damages are capped at $250,000 per person against the Commonwealth and $500,000 in total against a local agency.
A road defect claim on Main Street or Moosic Road usually runs against PennDOT. Anyone hit by a government or municipal vehicle in Pennsylvania faces the same six-month clock, though federal vehicles follow a separate two-year claim rule.
Damages We Help You Recover After an Old Forge Accident
An Old Forge injury claim recovers mainly three kinds of damages: economic losses, non-economic losses, and, in rare cases, punitive damages.
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, mental anguish, 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.
Pennsylvania places no general cap on compensatory damages against a private person or business, so your claim’s value turns on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the evidence, your share of fault, and the insurance available. A signed release ends the claim for good, so we price future care before we negotiate.
What Happens After You Call Us
Our personal injury lawyers serving Old Forge move your claim through four steps, starting the day you hire us:
Free Case Review
We hear what happened, check the tort option on your auto policy, and give you a straight answer on your claim.
Reports and Records
We gather records from your hospital, specialists, and therapists, and retain experts to explain the care you need in the future.
Evidence and Experts
We send preservation letters to trucking companies, businesses with cameras, and insurers to help keep footage and vehicle data from being erased, and we bring in accident reconstruction and medical experts when the case calls for them.
Demand, Suit, and Trial
We demand full value. Most injury claims settle without a trial, and when the insurer refuses, we file suit and prepare your case for a jury.
Were You or a Loved One Seriously Injured? Put Your Recovery in Experienced Hands.
Call our trial-tested personal injury lawyers in Old Forge for a confidential, no-cost case review.
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
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 value of any claim depends on its specific facts.
Your recovery depends on proof, not the first settlement offer. Call (570) 346-2600 or send us your details for a free case review.
Old Forge Personal Injury FAQs
Will I Be Suing a Neighbor or a Local Business?
On paper, yes, but their insurer usually pays. The neighbor or business is the named defendant, while their liability insurer hires the defense lawyer and pays covered damages up to the policy limits. In a close-knit borough of about 8,500 people, that distinction lets many clients move forward without straining local relationships.
What Is the Hardest Injury to Prove?
The hardest injuries to prove are soft-tissue injuries, mild traumatic brain injuries, and chronic pain, because they rarely show up on an X-ray or CT scan. We prove them with treating-doctor records, neuropsychological testing, and testimony from family and coworkers.
What Not to Say to a Personal Injury Attorney?
Never hide a prior injury, guess at a detail you don’t remember, or downplay how badly you were hurt when you talk with your personal injury attorney. That conversation is confidential, and the defense can usually obtain relevant past medical records through discovery. Save your caution for the other side’s adjuster.
Which Court Will Hear My Old Forge Injury Case?
The Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas in Scranton hears most Old Forge injury lawsuits. Claims of $12,000 or less can go to Magisterial District Court 45-1-01 at 1 Maxson Drive in Old Forge, which serves Old Forge, Taylor, and Moosic (42 Pa.C.S. § 1515).
How Much Do Most Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?
Most personal injury lawyers charge a contingency fee, a percentage of the money they recover, with nothing owed upfront. Pennsylvania requires that agreement in writing, stating how the fee is calculated (Pa.R.P.C. 1.5(c)). At Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., you pay no attorney fee unless we recover, and costs we advance for records, experts, and filings are repaid only from a recovery.
Call for a Free Old Forge Case Review
Small Enough to Care, Large Enough to Win.
One call gets you clear next steps: whether you may have a claim, which deadline applies, and who may be responsible for paying.
Call us now.
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
If you would rather start online, request your free case review through our contact form. We represent injured people in Old Forge and the neighboring boroughs of Moosic, Taylor, and Duryea, along with communities throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
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What Our Clients Say
I don't think I could have picked a better team to represent my case. My situation was unique and extremely complicated but it was handled with the utmost care and professionalism. The firm's strong and organized representation ultimately brought great results and helped reconcile a tragic event.
- Jeremy S.
Was wrongly accused of a very serious Felony 3 account and hired Peter Paul Olszewski. The entire firm of Scartelli Olszewski worked tirelessly to have the Pike County Assistant District Attorney as well as the District Magistrate Judge Dismiss the charges! Very pleased with the outcome of this Law Firm and recommend this Law Firm.
- Kerry S.
Dealing with the attorneys over at Scartelli Olszewski was nothing short of satisfactory. Through the entire 4 year process we had, I was constantly kept updated and cared for. More than doing their job, they truly care for their clients which I felt off the first meeting with Melissa. Both my family and I are forever thankful for them!
