According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of people each year need treatment for injuries caused by someone else’s mistake or negligence. This figure is alarming because it shows how often other people’s misconduct can ruin an innocent person’s life.
It is necessary to hire the right injury lawyers if you want to ensure that your personal injury case will be successful in your favor. Here is everything you must know about the types of injuries covered by injury lawyers and why this matters.
What Is a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury can occur when a person suffers from harm because of another person’s carelessness. If someone has been negligent and their actions have led to your injuries, you may be able to get compensation.
For example, if someone with road rage has caused an accident that endangered your life, you can claim compensation for your treatment. Personal injury is an area of law covering injuries and accidents that cause emotional or physical harm.
The victim’s medical bills may be accumulating, and they may also be missing a lot of work due to hospitalization. This is where compensation becomes necessary to cover these costs.
After all, why should an innocent victim suffer financially from an accident that is not their fault? Sometimes, some people also get lifelong injuries because of another person’s mistakes.
This becomes challenging because the patient can no longer work to afford life as they once did. Check out this company for more information.
Personal Injuries Covered by Injury Lawyers
In personal injury lawsuits, three key issues appear after an accident. These are actual bodily harm, emotional distress, or pain and suffering. It is relatively easy to understand the concept of actual physical harm.
This is where if a person is hurt in a car accident by a crazy driver, the injured person would be in an excellent position to get compensated. Their compensation would cover medical bills and other anticipated future medical costs.
This can include home care and physical therapy the person needs to return to some form of everyday existence. Pain and suffering are trickier to get through. This is when lawyers push their clients to work with mental health professionals.
This is necessary because mental health professionals must help document all of your pain and suffering. So, if you are pursuing a claim, you must be able to record everything that you enjoyed before.
Then you can show how and why you can no longer have the same kind of healthy and fun lifestyle as before. In some states, people who are not immediate parties to the injured can also seek compensation for pain and suffering.
Emotional distress is one of the most challenging personal injury cases to win. This is because emotional distress can be seen as intentionally inflicted.
1. Motor Vehicle Accidents
These are the most common kinds of personal injury cases. Motor vehicle accidents can encompass auto, motorbike, trucking, rideshare, and pedestrian accidents.
Auto accidents are typically the most common subtype of personal injury claims. Every automobile accident is different. Your personal injury lawyer should help ensure you receive the best possible representation.
The most common types of auto accidents are rear-end collisions. But rear-end collisions are also less likely to cause grave harm than other types of automobile accidents.
These types of accidents can happen if a driver is too distracted to pay attention to the road. Especially if they are using their phone or fiddling with their sound system. Sometimes, a person may also follow your car too closely before causing an accident at a stop light.
Sideswipe collisions are also frequent when it comes to automobile accidents. These collisions also involve distracted drivers. Especially if they weave in and out of lanes without paying attention.
In a sideswipe collision, you risk losing control of your vehicle if another car ends up brushing against yours. A sideswipe collision is most likely to happen on highways where cars go at high speeds, so the injuries can be very severe. T-bone collisions occur mainly at stoplights.
These happen when someone tries to beat a red light and another driver jumps into the intersection. This can cause a front-to-side collision where the cars form a “T” when they are perpendicular.
Finally, head-on collisions are the most frequent and terrifying type of automobile accidents. Even though there are seatbelts and airbags to protect people, nothing can prevent the massive damage caused by a head-on crash. Especially if the cars are driving fast.
2. Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a physician or a healthcare provider causes someone’s injuries. This can happen through misdiagnosis, surgical problems, or incorrect prescriptions.
Note that winning medical malpractice claims requires having an expert medical witness on your side. Otherwise, these cases can become very scientifically complex and challenging to prove.
Medical negligence is a grave issue. Imagine if you go to see your doctor for treatment and put your trust in them. Then, they provide the wrong medication or advice that worsens your condition.
This affects many people, and many are unaware of their rights and what to do if they have been a victim of medical malpractice. Medical negligence or malpractice happens when a medical professional fails to deliver the standard of care that every patient deserves.
The physician’s negligence can also cause death for a patient. This is what makes medical malpractice so serious. People would never be able to trust their doctors if these laws did not exist.
Depending on the severity of medical negligence, legal action can be taken against the person or healthcare provider.
Every patient should be informed of their rights. Then they can take the necessary actions with the help of their personal injury lawyer to ensure that they receive the best compensation.
3. Product Liability
Product liability claims are responsible for some of the most unique kinds of personal injury lawsuits. This is because a product liability claim comes into play when a person suffers harm from a dangerous consumer product.
The good news is that the injured party does not have to be the same person who bought the item. So, you can also claim product liability if someone else purchased the product and gave it to you.
But, proving a product is unreasonably dangerous can be tricky. You must verify that the item contains a design defect or a manufacturing defect. The item should also not have enough warnings to highlight the product’s dangers.
It is necessary to note that winning a claim against a manufacturer is possible even without proving that they were at fault. But you must prove fault if you want to sue other parties involved in the product’s distribution chain.
4. Workplace Accidents
A general rule is that an injured employee can usually recover compensation after a workplace accident. This is done through their boss’ workers’ compensation insurance.
However, there can be exceptions to this rule. For instance, an employer could fail to have workers’ compensation insurance. In certain states, employees can also bypass the workers’ compensation file.
They can then file a lawsuit in civil court if their employers intentionally hurt them or if there is any gross negligence. Other states also let employees sue colleagues or supervisors who act egregiously to hurt the injured person.
It is essential to note that independent contractors may not be covered by these compensation laws. So, an independent contractor who gets injured at the site will need to sue for personal injury under the subsection of negligence, premises, or product liability.
It is crucial to report a workplace injury to your employer immediately. This will help notify their workers’ compensation insurer. However, whether you are an independent contractor or an employee, you should always see the doctor first if the accident is severe.
In most states, you will be required to have an independent medical evaluation with a physician; they choose to determine the extent of your injuries.
If your employer does not have workers’ compensation insurance, there is a chance for you to sue in civil court. Then you can make a claim against a fund your state may have for employees who get injured by companies without workers’ compensation insurance.
5. Wrongful Death
Any personal injury claim can become a wrongful death if the person does not survive. A wrongful death claim involves a lawsuit to get compensation from a person or a business that acted negligently, especially if their actions lead to someone’s death.
However, it is essential to differentiate that a wrongful death lawsuit is not criminal. This civil lawsuit motivates a financial settlement to help the victims of a wrongful death case.
A wrongful death case will require a breach of duty and proof of negligence. The purpose of a wrongful death claim is to compensate the deceased’s family. These funds will help the loved ones tackle the funeral and other medical costs.
6. Premises Liability
Owners of businesses or anything that is a public establishment and owners of private properties must always ensure their premises are safe for everyone.
For example, ask yourself if your home is safe enough for the mail carrier or a pizza delivery employee to reach your door or post box. Is your business doing everything it can to protect employees?
The majority of premises liability cases are filed against organizations. And the most popular kind of premises liability claim is a “slip and fall.” Whether outdoors or indoors, this is a liability for accidents and personal injuries.
Then it becomes the legal responsibility of property or business owners to keep their premises safe for all users. This is important to note because most premises liability cases involve negligence. So, an individual can easily sue a property owner for not maintaining their grounds.
7. Animal Attacks
Have you been bitten or attacked by an animal? If so, then you may have a cause of action against the accused animal’s owner. They will be liable if they are negligent in restraining and keeping their animal safe to ensure that others do not get hurt.
Most domesticated animals are not dangerous. But owners will not be able to predict attacks in the future and what injuries may occur. So, it is always necessary to have a dog on a leash to prevent someone from unexpectedly getting bitten.
If someone keeps a wild animal, this becomes inherently dangerous. In this case, the owner will be strictly liable for all injuries caused to someone else. The injured person must prove that the defendant owned a wild animal and that they were injured.
The extent of injuries can be supported by medical reports from the injury. Depending on the state, some states ensure that victims do not have to prove that the owner knew the dangers of their animal. Especially if they purposely kept tigers, sharks, lions, wolves, or other wild animals.
8. Boating Accidents
Boating accidents can be dangerous and lead to severe injuries. Therefore, a personal injury lawsuit can help people stay afloat after an accident to avoid drowning in finances.
The most common type of boating accident occurs when a vessel collides with another. Sometimes, someone may have fallen overboard, or there could be collisions with fixed objects.
Other common boating accidents involve explosions, fires, or carbon monoxide poisoning. These personal injuries are more complex than truck or car accidents.
This is because state and federal laws can be implicated depending on the location and nature of the accident.
Talk to Injury Lawyers Today
Now that you know the 8 most common types of personal injuries, it is time to reach out to the best injury lawyers today. Always read a lawyer’s reviews and ask them if they offer an initial consultation.
Then you can let them know about your personal injury and how it has affected your life. Your personal injury lawyer will become your most enormous support to help you get the proper compensation.
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