Common Types of Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims are a type of civil legal proceeding focused on seeking compensation for an injured person’s damages from the party responsible or liable for the situation. Personal injury claims or lawsuits tend to fall into one of several common categories, depending largely on how the injury occurred and who may be responsible for it.

If you suspect that your own or a loved one’s injuries or death may have been caused or contributed to by the negligent or intentional conduct of another party, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims may help cover damages including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, andmore.

Common types of personal injury claims include:

• Motor vehicle/traffic accidents: Motor vehicle and traffic accidents cover a wide range of accidents that happen on the road. From pedestrian and bicyclist accidents to standard passenger and even commercial vehicles such as large trucks or big-rigs, whenever someone is injured due to the negligent operation of another party’s vehicle, they may be eligible to seek compensation in a personal injury claim. As is unfortunately the case in many traffic accidents, if someone is too injured to contact an attorney, a loved one may do so on their behalf.
• Premises liability accidents: Any situation in which a serious injury or death occurs due to unsafe conditions on public or private property may qualify for a premises liability lawsuit. Cracked pavement, broken stairways, and missing railings are just a few examples of features that might make a premises unsafe and could result in serious injuries. Property owners and businesses alike are required to provide a reasonable level of safety for anyone staying on or passing through their premises.
• Product liability accidents: Whenever an injury or death occurs due to a potentially unsafe or defective product, the injured party and/or their family may be eligible to file a product liability claim. Common examples of product liability cases include children’s toys, cooking appliances, car parts, and even harmful pharmaceuticals or medical devices. Product designers and manufacturers are required to meet strict safety standards for their specific industry; failing to do so can put consumers at risk of sustaining severe and even fatal injuries.
• Workplace accidents: Some workplaces may contain more inherent hazards than others; however, all employers are required to create and implement sufficient safety protocol to ensure that employees are as protected as reasonably possible. When an accident occurs at work due to the negligence of an employer, co-worker, or third-party, the injured worker may be eligible to file a workplace injury claim in addition to receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Jobs that require manual labor and/or the use of heavy equipment/hazardous materials are more likely to see severe injuries in workers, but all employers are required to provide the necessary safeguards for their industry.
• Medical malpractice: Although most medical providers are highly trained professionals dedicated to the health and wellbeing of their patients, whenever a mistake in medical care results in a new/worsened condition or even death for a patient, medical malpractice may have occurred. Medical malpractice is defined as any deviation from the accepted standard of care and often occurs due to understaffing and poor communication among medical staff. Red flags that may indicate medical malpractice include symptoms after a medical treatment/procedure that are not in line with the expected recovery symptoms, and/or medical staff being unwilling to discuss details of the treatment with the patient and their family.

To learn more about the different types of personal injury claims, or to discuss the possibility of your case, reach out to a personal injury attorney in your area.