There are six basic types of personal injury cases that can change your life forever. Each year, billions of dollars are awarded through either settlements or judge/jury awards.
When you think of the long-term effects on a victim’s life, however, it can never be enough. In this article, we examine the most common types of personal injury cases and what to do should you find yourself a victim of one.
Vehicle Accidents
Each year, about 40,000 people lose their lives in traffic accidents involving either a motorcycle, car, truck, or SUV. That 40,000 number barely scratches the surface of how many are injured.
You probably know of some personal injury examples that happened this way in your own life. You might even be living with a debilitating injury suffered as a motorist or pedestrian.
Systemic Injuries
Going beyond vehicle accidents, you are likely to need a personal injury lawyer due to systemic injuries. By that, we mean the medical system.
Each year, many children and adults alike suffer from poor decisions made by nurses or physicians guilty of medical malpractice through misdiagnoses and issuing the wrong treatments. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies can be at fault for unforeseen drug side effects.
Defamation
Defamation of character is another reason to go searching for the best injury attorney to represent you. Libel is one form of this and includes unfounded written accusations designed to damage one’s reputation. Slander is the spoken form of this.
The problem with defamation is that the lies or misreporting of the truth can hang over a person long after their proven false. That can leave staggering damages to a person’s ability to earn as well as their physical and mental health.
Assault and Battery
Search “injury lawyer near me,” and you’re likely to find a number of attorneys willing to take on assault and battery cases. Physical violence can lead to years of suffering, as well as ongoing psychological conditions.
Each year, there are more than 800,000 victims of aggravated assaults. Since many of the perpetrators are known to the victims, it can create a constant threat of violence in the victim’s life. Personal injury attorneys understand the punitive effects this can have on their clients and know damages are more than just what’s compensatory for the injury.
Accidents at Work
Many a personal injury settlement starts with the workplace. Slips and falls are quite common, but there are also issues such as improper training, faulty equipment, and inadequate supervision that can add to a personal injury award.
Dog Bites
Last but not least, Savin Bursk Law notes that personal injury attorneys often see dog bite cases among their heavy case loads. Dog bites usually occur due to some form of negligence from the owner.
This can include failure to address threatening behaviors of the animal, unwillingness or failure to secure the animal around others, and simply not monitoring the animal when it’s out in public. If any of these hold true, juries and judges are likely to award punitive damages in addition to the injury itself.
These Types of Personal Injury Cases Are Commonly Compensated
The types of personal injury cases presented here make up a huge portion of the cases that come across an attorney’s desk each year. Clients should know their injuries usually don’t happen in a vacuum.
Working with a personal injury lawyer can give an individual the knowledge they need to get what’s rightfully theirs. For more legal information, check out some of our additional posts!
