Over 30,000 civil lawsuits are filed in federal court alone each month, and that’s not counting state-level lawsuits!
But, how many different types of lawsuits are there? And what are they used for? Read on to learn about the most common types of lawsuits.
Workers’ Compensation Lawsuits
These lawsuits happen when someone suffers a work-related injury or an injury in the workplace. Workers’ compensation lawsuits are filed to ensure that the employer pays for medical bills (including the costs of rehabilitation), time off work, and disability payments.
In some cases, a settlement is negotiated so that the case doesn’t go to trial. But, you’ll need a good lawyer to go through how to negotiate a good settlement for you. When you’re settling a lawsuit, you still need to make sure your needs are met.
Wrongful Termination Lawsuits
Related to workers’ compensation lawsuits are wrongful termination lawsuits. These lawsuits are filed when an employee believes they are fired for a reason that’s illegal.
There are many different ways that someone can be wrongfully terminated, which can differ based on what state you’re in. Some reasons for wrongful termination can include discrimination, retaliation, refusal to commit illegal acts, and violating whistleblower protections.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
If you believe a doctor has behaved improperly, you may want to consider filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. These lawsuits require that the medical professional failed to provide a certain level of care. They also require that an injury resulted from the treatment given and that the injury had lasting consequences.
A failure to diagnose a health condition, for example, could be grounds to file a medical malpractice suit. Surgical mistakes or unnecessary medical treatment are other reasons someone might file a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Product Liability Lawsuits
Sometimes, defective products are released onto the market, and they may be useless, or they may cause real danger. That’s when product liability lawsuits, or even mass tort litigation, can come in to help those who have been harmed by these products.
A product liability case can be based on breach of warranty, strict liability, or negligence. Strict liability is when a manufacturer or store is liable for any injury caused by the product. Negligence is when someone involved in the manufacturing process failed to ensure that the product is safe.
A breach of warranty occurs when the implied or explicit agreement about the product between the customer and the manufacturer is violated. Defects that cause a recall could include a defect in the design or manufacturing process, or simply a failure to properly instruct customers on avoiding dangerous uses for the product.
A related type of lawsuit is a drug recall lawsuit. These lawsuits occur when a drug is recalled by the Food and Drug Administration.
Avoid These Common Types of Lawsuits Today
Hopefully, you now understand the types of lawsuits you might be at risk for, or what your options are if you need to file a lawsuit. Different types of lawyers specialize in different types of lawsuits, so ask around and find a lawyer that can help you out.
Do you need more information on the law and more? Scroll through a few of our other posts for all the information you need.
