Personal injury cases are legal disputes that happen when you suffer harm from an accident or injury that someone else may be legally responsible for. It’s important to know what types of cases constitute as personal injury cases so you can take the appropriate actions following the incident. Here are the most common personal injury cases that you should know:
Motor Vehicle Accident
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, whether you’re the driver, pedestrian, or passenger, you might be entitled to monetary compensation for the personal injuries you sustained and for financial loss. When this happens, you should get in touch with a car and truck accident attorney. These kinds of accidents also include bicycle accidents, of which there are many instances. In this case, you should work with a bicycle accident lawyer to protect your rights throughout the legal process. You’ll find plenty of reputable ones in Lynnwood and other areas.
Medical Malpractice
Negligence of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff and medical professionals can cause serious injuries. Medical malpractice can happen in different ways such as improper treatment, surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication mistakes, birth injury, and failure to diagnose serious health conditions. These cases are complex and require the prowess of a medical malpractice attorney.
Workplace Accident
A personal injury lawsuit may not be filed against an employer when their employees are injured or killed while working for them. But it is possible to institute a claim which requires employers to provide benefits to the injured worker and adequately compensate them for their injuries. These may include covering the cost of medical treatment, temporary total disability (wages), or a lump-sum payment (permanent partial disability). These compensation laws vary from state to state, which is why it’s important to hire an attorney who is well-versed with worker’s compensation.
Defamation
Defamation may come in the form of libel or slander and refers to the process of harming a person’s reputation through a series of untrue statements. People who file these lawsuits may need to prove that an untrue negative statement was made about them and demonstrate the actual harm that came from it (usually financial loss). Public figures or celebrities may often need to prove actual malice, meaning they need to prove that the untrue statement was made intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth.
Premises Liability
Premises liabilities are accidents that are caused by a dangerous or defective condition on someone’s land. These accidents may happen just about anywhere, including grocery stores, malls, retail stores, restaurants, and gas stations. Even someone else’s home or a public swimming pool may fall under premises liability. The situations that necessitate such a claim may involve tripping over an obstacle, slipping on a wet surface, or falling down a staircase. Always remember to document the defective condition that brought about the accident as soon as it happens.
Dog Bites
If you own a dog, you are often financially responsible for bites and injuries caused by your dog, although these laws may vary from state to state. Some states are quite strict about dog bite damages even if your dog has never shown any aggression. While others practice a “one bite” rule wherein an owner only becomes responsible for any personal injury damage if there is proof that the owner knew their dog was aggressive or prone to biting and if the dog has a history of aggression and biting incidents.
Keep these in mind so that you can protect yourself and ensure that you get what you are due.
