Personal injury law, or tort law, is a subset of the legal industry that focuses on getting compensation for injured individuals.
An injury doesn’t automatically result in the potential for compensation. However, if you’ve been injured due to another person’s negligence or intentional actions, you could have a personal injury case.
Listed below are 9 of the most common types of personal injury cases. Read on to learn more!
1. Car Accidents
A shocking 4.4 million people are severely injured in car accidents every year in the United States alone. Because of the regularity of this type of injury, it’s also the most common type of personal injury case.
We spend a great deal of time behind the wheel. So much time that it’s easy to become a careless driver. In a car accident, if someone wasn’t following the rules of the road or driving as carefully as they should have been, they could be held liable for the injuries of the person in the other vehicle.
2. Workplace Accidents
We always want to believe we’re safe at work, but in reality, workplace accidents happen all the time. When someone is injured or killed while on the job, they are often eligible to receive compensation.
Now, you may have to go through workers’ compensation instead of bringing a lawsuit against your employer directly, but you should receive payment or other benefits either way.
3. Products Liability
When you purchase anything and bring it into your home, there’s always a chance that it will be defective. If the defective product causes you or someone else harm, whether it be at home, work, or in a public setting, you should contact an attorney.
Harmful products can include but aren’t limited to, food, drugs, vehicle parts, and medical devices. There are often specific lawyers for the different types of incidents. For example, if you’re burned because of a defective appliance, you will need to reach out to a burn injury lawyer.
4. Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is terrifying to think about. The last place you want to feel unsafe is at a hospital, but it does happen. Everyone makes mistakes, including doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
There is a wide range of circumstances that constitute medical malpractice, from misdiagnosis to surgical errors to birth injuries. A hospital or doctor can also be held responsible if there is a failure to diagnose a serious health condition such as cancer.
5. Dog Bites
Almost 5 million people are bitten by dogs every year. Less than 20% of these bites result in injury serious enough to require medical care, but if you fall into that group, you could have a personal injury case.
Laws regarding dog bites vary state by state. Some will only allow you to pursue damages if the dog in question has a history of violent behavior while in others, the first time is enough to make the owner liable.
6. Wrongful Death
When someone is killed due to another person’s negligence, there can be a wrongful death suit. Many of these occur as a result of car accidents, medical malpractice, and nursing home neglect.
If someone in your family has suffered a wrongful death, you can pursue recovery of damages from the person or organization responsible.
7. Intentional Harm
Unlike the other types on this list, a personal injury claim as a result of assault, battery, or another type of intentional harm is not based on negligence. Instead, as the name suggests, it happens when someone hurts another person deliberately.
Because the harm was not the result of an accident, criminal charges can often accompany the personal injury suit. The victim can file either or both, depending on the severity of their injuries.
8. Premises Liability
If you’re injured due to dangerous conditions on someone else’s property, you may have a premises liability case. This can be at a grocery store, mall, restaurant, or neighbor’s home, just to name a few.
These are usually slip and fall cases. For example, you slip at the grocery store because of an unmarked spill in the aisle. Or perhaps you fall down the stairs at your neighbor’s house because their handrail is broken.
In order to pursue this type of case, it’s important that you document the condition that caused your injury as soon as you can after the accident. Be sure to take plenty of pictures to prove your case.
9. Defamation
Defamation is the only circumstance that doesn’t involve physical injury. Instead, a defamation case is brought when someone’s reputation is damaged with false statements.
In a defamation case, you must prove that the person not only made untrue statements about you but also that these statements caused you harm or financial loss.
Additionally, the plaintiff will likely need to prove that the false statement was made with malicious intent. This can either be intentional or with reckless disregard for the truth.
Learning the Types of Personal Injury Cases Can Benefit You
By learning the most common types of personal injury cases, you can be better prepared in the event of injury to yourself or a loved one.
If you’re injured in a car accident where the other driver is at fault or bitten by a dog on your walk around the neighborhood, you’re a candidate for a personal injury case.
The compensation gained from pursuing this option can help you pay for any medical expenses or make up for time missed from work. The last thing you need after suffering an injury is to struggle financially as well.
Looking for even more information regarding the types of law and their corresponding cases? Be sure to take a look at our blog!