Where were you during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks?
Chances are, you remember exactly what you were doing when you heard the news. Shortly after the attacks, the Victim Compensation Fund had 4,445 types of personal injury cases. The payouts for the claims ranged from $500 to $8.6 million, and the compensation awards were completely tax-free.
While you probably don’t think of terrorist attacks as eligible personal injury claims, they fall under the legal definition. Personal injury cases are simply legal arguments to help people who suffer harm from an accident or an injury.
Are you wondering if you might have a case that could receive compensation? Read on to learn about 12 common types of personal injury claims.
1. Slip and Fall Personal Injury Cases
Slip and falls can be 1 of the most devastating types of personal injury cases. Especially when the fall happens to an older adult.
Every year about 3 million older Americans have to seek medical treatment after having a serious fall. However, falls don’t have to be a normal part of aging, especially when the proper safety precautions are in place. Personal injury case examples include slippery floors, poor lighting, or missing handrails.
2. Battery and Assault Cases
While personal injury claims tend to arise from accidents, sometimes the harm is intentional. When someone deliberately does something to damage a person or their property it’s called an intentional tort.
Examples of intentional tort are battery and assault cases. The legal definition of the word battery varies from state to state. However, battery claims are eligible whenever 1 person purposefully causes harm to another person.
3. Motor Vehicle Types of Personal Injury Cases
Car accident personal injury cases can be tricky. Even if you’re hurt after a car crash, you still have to prove that your injuries are a result of the accident. Luckily a qualified personal injury lawyer, with auto accident experience, will be able to make the claim process easier.
Here are a few things you can try to claim in an auto accident case:
- Ambulance bill
- Medical expenses
- Ongoing medical costs
- Long term care costs
- Lost income
- Future earning potential loss
- Funeral expenses
If you or a loved one were the victims of a car accident that involved injuries you deserve compensation. Take a moment to learn more about how hiring a professional attorney can help you win your case.
4. False Imprisonment
Next on our list of common types of personal injury cases, we have false imprisonment. Whenever someone restricts another person’s freedom of movement, you can make a false imprisonment claim. False imprisonment cases fall under the intentional tort category.
5. Medical Malpractice
What types of personal injury claims qualify as medical malpractice?
Here are a few examples:
- Failing to diagnose a condition
- Misdiagnosing a condition
- Administering the wrong medicine
- Surgical mistakes
Keep in mind that medical malpractice and medical negligence are 2 separate cases. Malpractice occurs when a medical professional knowingly ignores the proper standard of care. Medical negligence means the medical professional made a mistake.
6. Dog Bites
For dog bite personal injury cases, the plaintiff must seek immediate medical attention. Next, you have to report the dog bite to the local authorities. The dog bite victim should also get as much information as they can about the dog’s owner.
Finally, look into your local dog bite laws to find out how they handle dog bite cases. While some states have strict rules blaming the owner, other states have more lenient liability standards.
7. Product Liability
Another type of personal injury case is product liability claims. Product liability cases are the result of a company selling a product that for some reason causes an injury.
Here’s what you have to prove in a product liability case:
- A product purchase took place
- The seller had regular consumers
- The product had a defect
- The defect caused danger
- Damages happened because of injuries
There are statute of limitations, or deadlines, for filing product liability claims and they vary from 1 state to the next.
8. Defamation Cases
When someone makes a statement that harms a 3rd party’s reputation, there are grounds for a defamation case. There are 2 types of defamation statements and they are libel and slander.
Libel statements appear in writing, like in the newspaper or a magazine. Slander statements involve someone saying the statement out loud.
9. Emotional Injuries
Not all personal injury cases involve physical injuries. Sometimes the injuries are things you can’t see, like emotional injuries. Examples of emotional distress injuries include anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
The personal injury case can be for intentional inflictions of distress or negligent inflictions. For instance, if you have PTSD after a severe car accident it would be a negligent infliction since it was an accident. However, if someone bullies you they would be causing intentional emotional distress.
10. Wrongful Death
Wrongful death cases arise when someone’s negligence causes another person to lose their life. Here are a few of the most common wrongful death cases:
- Workplace accident
- Pedestrian accident
- Semi-truck accidents
Wrongful death lawsuits can be time-consuming. However, it’s worth the effort since the compensation can help the grieving family have financial security.
11. Dangerous Property Conditions
Personal injury cases can also be the result of dangerous property conditions. For example, let’s say an apartment complex has a pool, but they don’t have a fence up to protect the children. If a child falls into the pool and sustains injuries, the apartment complex could become the defendant in a personal injury case.
12. Construction Accidents
Construction accident cases happen when an employer fails to follow safety procedures. Here are a few common examples:
- Machinery mishaps
- Safety code violations
- Explosions
- Electrocution
In addition to worker’s compensation, employees can also file a personal injury claim based on negligence.
Get the Compensation You Deserve
Now that you know a little bit more about the different types of personal injury cases, do you think you have a valid claim? Perhaps you’re dealing with injuries after a car accident? Or maybe you have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit?
Whatever your situation is, you deserve to tell your side the story. Don’t give up on your injury case, and instead reach out to a legal professional today. For more articles like this, go ahead and explore the rest of this site.
0 Comments