A personal injury occurs when one party suffers either emotional, physical, or mental harm out of another person’s negligence. While no personal injury is the same, the law allows all injured victims to seek compensation from the perpetrator after proving that the latter is at fault.
The process of proving fault requires you or your personal injury attorney to show that the accused owed you a duty of care and that they breached it to cause an accident. Next, you have to prove that your injuries resulted from the other party’s negligence and that you suffered various forms of damage in the process.
Below are the most common types of personal injury cases that attorneys come across:
Car Accidents
This is, by far, the most common form of personal injury. 2024 statistics show that the number of crashes happening on the roads is rising at an alarming rate.
If you have suffered this type of injury out of someone’s negligence, car accident lawyers can help you put forward a viable claim. They will first investigate the accident to prove fault, then negotiate with insurance companies for your compensation. Learn more on this page.
Bonus: But What Exactly Should You Do After Experiencing Car Accident
It doesn’t matter how mentally strong you are. When a car accident occurs, you will definitely be surprised and shocked. The first thing you should do is to try to stay calm as much as you can. We know this is going to be a big problem, but with a clear mind, you will manage to react properly. Check out if you or any of the other participants experienced any serious physical injury. In that way, you will ensure whether you or anyone else from the accident should move or not.
After you check that out, the next thing is to get your phone and call 911. It doesn’t matter whether you are guilty or not. Do exactly the same thing even if there are no people that are injured a lot. It may happen that you will not manage to find your phone because of the shock that you experienced. Because of that, invite the people that are around to call the police and ambulance as soon as they can.
There are a few good reasons why you should do this as soon as you can. First of all, if someone is injured, the quick reaction may save his or her life (or even yours). On the other hand, many drivers would be scared and simply run away (especially if they are guilty). Doing this on time is going to help you a lot on the court.
In case you are not injured, take your smartphone and take a couple of pictures. Documenting everything is going to be good evidence in court. That is the reason why you should picture the damage that occurred, the position of both vehicles, etc.
Another thing you should document is the car insurance card of all the people that participated in the accident as well as their ID. This is the only way that the other parties will simply not disappear (something like this is possible even when there are a lot of cameras on the streets).
When the ambulance arrives, don’t just say “I am fine”. It may happen that there are no visible signs of injury around your body. However, certain problems such as internal bleeding and shellshock do not appear immediately many times. You may start feeling consequences 24 hours after the accident. Plus, a high level of adrenaline will probably reduce the sense of pain. After the ambulance confirms you are fine, we recommend you visit the doctor once again to check out if your injuries are too dangerous or not. This will also be good evidence on the court.
As mentioned, one of the steps that you should definitely make is to invite a car accident lawyer. If you already have one, it would be recommendable to invite him to come to the location where the accident happened. In that way, he will see all the pieces of evidence in person and tell you which ones can be extremely important for the court. Yet, the purpose of this part is to help you handle the pressure when a car accident happens. As you see, there are many things you should do before hiring a lawyer.
Medical Malpractice
Doctors and health specialists have a duty of care to provide the best and right treatment to patients. Failure to do this, victims can suffer minor to catastrophic injuries, including death.
A personal injury attorney can help you lodge a medical malpractice lawsuit against a physician or healthcare institution to get compensation for all damages.
Product Liability
Manufacturers are required by law to produce goods that are safe for use and consumption by human beings. When this does not happen, a victim can hold the manufacturer, dealer, or store liable for any harm caused.
An example of product liability is when a laptop manufacturer releases a laptop to the market with the knowledge of the possibility of the charging system blowing up when plugged into power.
Premise Liability
Property owners and tenants must provide a safe environment for every visitor. The most common type of injury that happens within premises are slips and falls facilitated by hazards like a wet floor.
When this happens, you can sue the person under the ownership of the building for physical injuries and lost wages.
Workplace Injuries
Any injury that occurs while an employee is in the line of duty qualifies as a workplace injury. While most of these accidents affect blue-collar workers, individuals working in the office can also suffer harm.
Each employer with one or more employees is required to have workers compensation insurance to reimburse victims of such cases.
Wrongful Death
When any of these injuries lead to loss of life, the resulting claim is known as a wrongful death lawsuit. A majority of such cases arise from road accidents and medical malpractice.
Normally, the surviving family and dependents of the victim file a lawsuit to claim compensation for things like lost wages, emotional pain, loss of love, and pending medical bills.
Dog Bites
There are specific dog breeds that are more likely to hurt a person even when unprovoked. If the owner is aware that their dog has a probability or history of biting, they are required to take necessary measures, such as putting them on a leash when in public. When a dog bites, the victim has a right to seek necessary compensation from a negligent owner.
Slander and Defamation
Slander or libel occurs when someone spreads false information, impacting the other party’s reputation. Plaintiffs have to show that the defamation caused actual harm such as lost occupation.
For celebrities and other public figures, the defense attorney has to prove malice or that the defamation was intentional and meant to cause harm.
