Most people have heard the term “personal injury” but they are not always certain of what it means. They know it is a legal term and many people know that it involves accidents and injuries. But what qualifies as a personal injury? Keep reading to get the details and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free consultation if you believe you have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Personal Injury: A Definition
Personal injury is a broad legal term that covers a wide range of circumstances involving trauma to one person or party caused by another person or party’s negligent or reckless behavior. The trauma can be physical, emotional, financial, etc. Many people throughout the state suffer a personal injury every year.
When that happens the victim can pursue compensation for their damages by working with a personal injury attorney. The injured party can be entitled to compensation for lost income, past and future medical costs, emotional issues, and many other types of damage. If the victim lost their life then their family may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit that can compensate them for pain and suffering, funeral expenses, and more.
Common Sources of Personal Injury Accidents
There are many injuries a person can suffer that can be considered personal injuries. This includes:
- Highway and road accidents. This involves cars, truck, motorcycles, and even bikes. These are by far the most commonly occurring personal injury accidents.
- Premises accidents. Also known as a slip and fall accident, a premise accident involves a personal falling on the property of another person or company due to negligent care and maintenance of said property.
- Defective or dangerous products. When products are manufactured unsafely, have a design error, or do not include appropriate warnings for the amount of danger they bring, and a person is injured, this is a personal injury case.
- Workplace accidents. Workers can be injured while using dangerous machinery, due to lack of training or lack of safety gear, or for dozens of other reasons. When a person is injured at work they must decide between filing a workers’ compensation claim, which does not require them to prove the company was at fault but comes with lesser damages, or a personal injury lawsuit which requires proving fault.
- Medical malpractice. You cannot sue a doctor because your loved one died but you can potentially sue the hospital for negligent behavior, such as giving a loved one the wrong medication or the wrong dosage.
If you believe you have a personal injury case then your next step is to contact a personal injury attorney to find out if you have a case. You can request a free legal consultation by calling Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707.
