If you have been involved in an accident due to someone else’s carelessness, you may be wondering what your options are. You do not deserve to pay out of pocket for your medical expenses and damages. Here are some things you need to know in order to become eligible to file a personal injury claim.
What is a Personal Injury?
If someone’s negligent actions have caused an injury to you, then it would constitute as a ‘personal injury’. For a successful personal injury case, you have to prove that the party responsible for your injury had a duty of care toward you but they were careless in fulfilling this duty. For example, if you were involved in a motor vehicle accident where the at-fault driver ignored a stop sign or violated the traffic rules, then their behavior would be considered negligent by law.
You further need to prove negligence has caused your personal injury. In the case above, this would mean that you suffered physical or mental injuries owing to your crash due to the driver’s negligence. Finally, you need to prove that the injuries resulted in harm such as monetary damages. In the above example, it would mean that you had to incur medical expenses, salary loss, and pain or suffering resulting from your injuries.
Personal injury cases are often complicated, and it may not be evident if the victim has grounds to file a personal injury claim. Even if your case has merit, if there are any weaknesses in the claim, the defendant, or insurance company may use it against you to reduce or deny your compensation.
Common Examples of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury cases cover a wide array of accidents and subsequent injuries resulting from them. Some of the common examples where you would be eligible to file a personal injury case include
- Motor vehicle accidents
- DWI accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction site accidents
If you are a victim of an accident that has resulted in personal injury, it is recommended to hire personal injury attorneys who will review your case and inform you about your legal options. Additionally, if you have been injured in an accident, it is recommended to seek medical assistance immediately following your accident. Some injuries such as whiplash injuries are not evident right after the accident but can have lasting damage. Hence, it is best to consult a medical professional even if you believe that your injuries are minor.
How Can A Good Personal Injury Lawyer Help You?
Each accident case is unique and the settlement amount received may vary depending on the factors that contributed to the accident. Some accidents may result in serious injuries such as broken bones, burns, laceration, spinal cord injuries, brain damage, and so on. Hence, it is important to have a good personal injury lawyer by your side as they have knowledge and experience in negotiating settlements and litigating cases. A seasoned personal injury lawyer can help collect evidence, represent your case, and help you receive compensation that you rightfully deserve.
