The media tends to portray personal injury cases in a bad light, as if the defendants in these cases are just searching for some easy money. However, the reality is that most people who file personal injury claims are doing so because they have been severely injured and are unable to pay their medical bills or work.
There are a variety of different types of personal injury cases filed every day in the United States. Here are a few of the most common types and what they entail.
Car Accident Cases
Not all states allow personal injury claims to be filed after a car accident, but in the states that do allow them, these are one of the most common types of personal injury claim filed. Why? Well, many times insurance just doesn’t cover the medical bills and loss of wages that a victim can face after a car accident. Many defendants in car crash cases were not breaking any traffic laws or driving in an unsafe manner. They were simply hit by an intoxicated or distracted driver at no fault of their own. As the attorneys at Tate Law Offices, a group of car accident lawyers in Texas, explain, car crash attorneys help victims get the compensation they need to recover from their accident with dignity.
Worker’s Compensation Cases
Worker’s compensation claims are often filed when workers are injured on the job. The injury has to occur at no-fault of the defendant, and the defendant has to prove that the injury occurred as a result of their employer’s negligence. Many of these claims are filed successfully without any legal assistance. However, As Bennett Schiller, a workers compensation lawyer in Rock Hill, SC explains, if an initial claim is denied, the worker may hire an attorney to represent him or her as they file an appeal.
Medical Malpractice Claims
Medical malpractice claims are another very common type of personal injury claim. These claims are filed when a patient is injured due to the negligence of a medical care provider. These claims are not as easy to settle as the media portrays, though. The defendant must prove that the injury occurred because of the negligence of the medical provider, and they must also show that they suffered significant personal loss as a result of the injury. Defendants in medical malpractice cases are also generally required to hire an expert medical witness to testify on their behalf that the situation that caused the injury was indeed caused by medical negligence, and was not part of a normal risk during a surgery or other procedure.
Product Liability Claims
When you buy a product, you expect it to work as advertised. What you don’t expect is for the product to cause you an injury. However, each year, thousands of people are hurt by unsafe products. Product liability claims are filed when people are injured by a product. The defendant has to prove that the manufacturer was negligent in a way that caused the injury to occur in order to have any chance of winning a settlement.
Pedestrian Accident Claims
When someone is hit by a car or other vehicle while walking, serious injuries are likely to occur. When this happens, the victims often file a personal injury claim to help pay for medical bills, loss of wages, and other expenses. As St. Louis MO pedestrian accident injury lawyer Benjamin Sansone explains, this compensation can allow a victim to focus on recovering from injuries instead of stressing about lawsuits.
These are just a few of the most common types of personal injury claims filed in the US each year. If you are hurt at no fault of your own, you should get a free consultation with a legal professional to find out what your options are.