Each year, thousands of people are injured in different types of accidents, but not all injuries provide the grounds for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Injuries that arise from accidents that are caused by the negligence or wrongful actions of others may meet the legal definition of personal injury. To determine whether or not you can successfully pursue a personal injury case, consult an experienced personal injury lawyer who can review your specific situation.
What Is A Personal Injury
Under the legal definition of personal injury, a personal injury occurs when a person’s body, mind, or emotions are injured as a result of the negligence, carelessness, or wrongful conduct of another person. Personal injury law is also called tort law. The word tort comes from Latin and means harm or wrong, and tort law encompasses a broad variety of types of personal injury claims.
What Constitutes a Personal Injury Case?
There are thousands of different ways for someone to hurt you, and many of those ways could form the basis of a personal injury case. The essential factor is that the accident was the fault of someone other than yourself.
Here are a few common types of injury cases that a personal injury lawyer could assist you with:
· Workplace Accidents – Many workplace accidents include a third party other than your employer who may be at fault for your injury. A third party can be named in a workplace accident injury claim.
· Traffic Accidents – No matter what type of vehicles were involved—trucks, cars, motorcycles, or others—you are entitled to seek compensation from the driver, construction crew, parts manufacturer, or government agency responsible for your accident.
· Product Liability – If a defective or malfunctioning product injured you when you were using it correctly, you might be able to name the manufacturer in your personal injury claim.
· Premises Liability – If you are injured on another person’s property, he or she can be held legally responsible for any injuries you sustained, such as a fall or burn.
· Medical Malpractice – If you were hurt while under the care of a health care provider because of negligent or careless actions, you might be able to file a medical malpractice claim.
· Personal injury resulting in serious injuries or death of a family member
· Cases of assault and battery
· Insurance companies’ refusal to pay for medical expenses of the injured party or whose coverage is less than what was contracted
· Slander, libel and defamation
Compensation for Your Personal Injury
Personal injuries can alter the course of your life, and getting the compensation you deserve may be imperative to your future health, income, and quality of life.
However, keep in mind that many states have a statute of limitations for filing injury claims, so contacting a lawyer quickly is essential to getting the compensation you deserve.
Here are some of the things a lawyer considers when evaluating your claim to provide you with maximum compensation:
· Current and future medical expenses
· Lost income and lost earning potential
· Emotional and psychological distress
· Property damage
· Reduced quality of life
Seeking Legal Help
If you believe that you might have valid grounds for filing a personal injury claim, it is important that you act quickly. There are statutes of limitations for filing these claims. If you fail to file your claim within the specified time period, you may be permanently barred from seeking a legal remedy for your losses.