Personal Injury Law: The Basics

Personal Injury

The law covers a wide variety of topics and issues, but one that most people should be familiar with is personal injury law.

Personal injury law protects you and/or your property when harmed or injured at the fault of someone else. In most cases, the person who is at fault will need to compensate the person they injured, and personal injury law can help you if you are ever in this situation.

What exactly is covered under personal injury?

Personal injury, otherwise known as tort law, is extremely common. A person can file a personal injury lawsuit against someone who has harmed or injured them physically or mentally. These suits can be filed if the injury was intentional, or even if was negligence, which means that someone’s actions caused harm and/or an injury.

What are some examples of personal injury cases?

Personal injury cases cover a large spectrum of scenarios. The most popular examples include car accidents, work-related accidents, assault, home accidents, vacation accidents, and/or tripping accidents. Personal injury cases also cover medical negligence (sustaining an injury or harm due to medical accidents).

You can also file a personal injury claim against your employer if you sustained an injury or were harmed on the job. For example, personal injury would cover occupational deafness, respiratory issues, or even continuous muscle strain that is a result of your working conditions or negligence by your employer.

What happens if I file a personal injury lawsuit?

If you want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you should first contact a personal injury lawyer who can help you better assess your case. This individual will be able to discuss your options. Sometimes, you may be able to get a settlement, in which you are given a specific dollar amount and the case doesn’t go to trial. In other scenarios, you may have to go to trial, and you will only receive “damages” if you win.

What are damages?

Damages refer to the compensation you will receive as a result of the injury you sustained. In most cases, this will typically cover the medical expenses you endured as a result of the injury. Sometimes, it may even cover time away from work due to the injury too. In other cases, you may earn more or less than what you were hoping to attain. Again, the amount of damages you receive will depend on the specifics of your case.

 

When should I file a personal injury lawsuit?

If you are going to file a personal injury lawsuit, it’s always in your best interest to do so as soon as possible. This will allow your wounds to be fresh, and it will allow you to provide better proof of your sustained injuries. If you wait too long, you may not only hurt your chances of winning, but you may also fall past the statute of limitations in your state, which means that you legally cannot file the suit due to the amount of time that has passed.