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Personal Injury Laws: What Every Accident Victim Should Know

Did you know there were a staggering 12.5 million car crashes in the United States alone? Over half of these accidents included passenger cars. Suffering from an injury after an accident changes your life permanently. People often focus on the physical scars, but the emotional scars are also significant.

Accident victims look at multiple damages costs, such as medical bills, loss of wages, and alterations in daily routine. The steps following an accident can confuse the victims since many of them will experience the personal injury law for the first time.

There is a common assumption that victims cannot afford a reasonable attorney. Personal injury law is what comes in the spot at that moment. It exists to assist the victims in bringing their lives back to normalcy.

The law also helps hold the party at fault to pay for the damages. If you are an accident victim or know someone who is, start reading this comprehensive guide about Personal Injury Law.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

The other name of Personal Injury Law is Tort Law. The American Bar Association defines Personal Law Injury as:

“A law designed to protect you if you or your property is injured or harmed because of someone else’s act or failure to act. In a successful tort action, the one who caused the injury or harm compensates the one who suffered the losses.”

The Ripple Effect Of Personal Injury

Here is a scenario for you to see more about a personal injury. A boy is texting and driving, and you get into a car accident with him. You suffer from a spinal cord injury, and you will need medical treatment.

For medical treatment, you will have to bear expenses for surgical repair. There is also a great chance you cannot perform your job efficiently due to the injury. It is also possible that it decreases your quality of life.

All of these are a consequence of one person’s negligence during driving. Personal law injury helps you get fair compensation for this ripple effect of the accident. You can get a certain percentage of return on your medical bills, property damage, and much more.

What Type Of Legal Claims Does The Personal Injury Law Cover?

Personal injury law covers different kinds of legal claims. It may include one or all of the following situations;

  • Injuries due to accident – Personal injury law applies when you get hurt due to somebody’s else negligence. It also includes failure to perform a professional obligation, such as medical malpractice. Examples of such scenarios include a doctor accidentally hurting a patient or even you fail to maintain a rented-out space.
  • Claims for Liability – You can still make a personal injury claim if you get hurt because of someone’s actions or inactions. An example of this scenario includes hurting yourself due to a faulty product. In such cases, the manufacturer or victims can sue the manufacturers responsible for your loss.
  • Intentional Accidents – As the name states, this case includes all those actions that hurt you intentionally. Examples of these cases include battery, assault, and torture.

A law attorney can guide you better on how you can apply personal injury law to your situation. They can also help you understand the Compensation that you can use.

What Sort of Compensation can you receive in a personal injury case?

There are different types of damages that you get Compensation for according to personal injury law. It even includes minor accidents that do not cause significant physical injury. Discuss with your law attorney about you can account for the difficulties it caused you. They will also help you place a precise value on your hardships. Damages can either be economic or non-economic. Here are examples of a few;

  1. Economic Damages

Such damages are those that have a clear value associated with them. The most common economic injuries include

  • Medical Bills
  • Future Medical Bills
  • Property Damage
  • Loss of Earning Potential

You must keep a track record of all your losses to compensate for economic damages. Keep the invoices, receipts, and documentation to help build yur case.

  1. Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are those losses that do not have a price tag. You will not find any invoices or receipts for them. These primarily include the personal hardships you faced due to the accident.

Suppose you suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident. The doctor tells you that you can no longer climb a flight of stairs. It will impact the quality of life that you live. An attorney will help you to put a price tag on it. Common examples of non-economic damage include

  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of companionship
  • Decrease in quality of life

What Steps Can You Take After You Get In to An Accident

People often forget how to react when they get in an accident. It gets difficult to remember anything since people are shocked after an accident. No one plans for such a situation, but knowing the protocol may improve how you react. In case you do not get severely injured, follow these steps to ensure that the attorney can build a case for you;

Step 1: Ensure Your Safety

Protect yourself from any severe injuries. If you are in a car accident, turn on the hazard lights. Try taking some pictures of the accident before moving the vehicle.

Step 2: Gather Evidence

Gather evidence of the scene. It will help in filing and strengthening your personal injury law case. You can take pictures from different angles or make a video.

Step 3: Contact The Authorities

Always call the police after you get into an accident. Reporting police about what happened helps most personal injury law cases.

Step 4: Examine Your Injuries

Accidents may come to you as a shock, and some injuries may take hours or even days to appear. Injuries such as concussions or hemorrhages are challenging to diagnose on the spot. Get an examination from professionals so that they can detect these injuries.

Step 5: Exchange Information With Other Witnesses Or Victims

There may be around you who can help you. It can be beneficial if they are victims themselves. Take their essential information such as name, contact number, and address.

The Steps of a personal injury lawsuit

The process of a personal injury lawsuit is straightforward. Taking the first step is all you need to process your case. Here are the actions of a personal injury lawsuit

  1. Hiring a personal injury lawsuit
  2. Filing a complaint and serving the defendant
  3. The Pretrial process involves evidence from both sides and information from witnesses.
  4. Parties agree on a settlement. In some cases, the lawsuit may go to a trial. But that happens in rare cases. Both the claimant and defendant can settle the dispute at any point in the process.

Conclusion

Any person can get into any accident. It can be a slip and fall or a major car accident. Understanding personal injury lawsuits, their process and their types are important for anyone so that they can receive proper Compensation for the losses.

A personal injury creates a life-altering ripple effect and affects the victim’s physical and emotional well-being. Take prompt steps after you get into an accident, and also be aware of the steps to record evidence in such cases. Personal injury law helps accident victims reclaim their life and ensure they receive the justice they deserve.

The post Personal Injury Laws: What Every Accident Victim Should Know appeared first on Lawyers Corner Legal Blogs.

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