Did you know 39.5 million personal injury cases requiring medical treatment occur annually in the U.S.?
Whether you’re involved in a car accident as a driver or passenger, slip and fall on someone else’s property, or suffer hardship due to medical malpractice, you’ll want help. Taking time off work, undergoing surgery, dealing with emotional trauma, or getting intensive physiotherapy can cost a small fortune ─ especially if you’re not getting a salary while off the job.
After suffering a personal injury, you’ll want to consult with a personal injury lawyer. Understanding whether you have an actionable case, what your options are, how you can get compensation and medical assistance, and your odds of a successful outcome is essential. And a reputable and experienced legal professional can offer the help you need.
Continue reading to see five personal injury case types that it is essential you know about. Should the need arise, you’ll need to get help and compensation you deserve.
1. Car Accidents
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Vehicle accidents make up a large portion of personal injury cases. Whether you’re the driver, passenger, or pedestrian, injuries can be life-changing. And the recovery process can be a long-term ordeal. Millions of accidents occur across the U.S. annually. Fortunately, not all of them are serious. But for every fatality, there are many more injuries requiring medical intervention.
If injured in a vehicle collision, you might need surgery, physio, and weeks or months off work. It can be a long road to physical recovery. But there’s also the mental trauma. Finding a reputable personal injury attorney can help you start down the road to recovery.
2. Slip and Fall
Who hasn’t suffered a slip, trip, or fall? It can happen in the living room, at work, or around and about town. If injured after a slip or fall event on someone else’s property because of inadequate maintenance, you may be able to file a personal injury case. A slip-and-fall case can apply whether the event occured on public or private property.
Various things can contribute to an accident, such as wet floors, icy sidewalks, broken tiles, or damaged floorboards. Public or private property owners are legally required to maintain their property, so you can pursue a personal injury case if injured due to another’s negligence.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for north of 8 million hospital emergency room visits annually. And one in three U.S. adults who are 65+ experience falls annually, with half being repeat fallers.
If you’re lucky, the only thing you’ll bruise if you slip or fall is your pride. But, unfortunately, such events can lead to severe injuries that require medical attention.
3. Medical Malpractice
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Medical malpractice is another kind of personal injury case you should know about. It’s a scenario you won’t want to experience — particularly since these cases are so difficult to prove. Medical malpractice refers to negligence by a medical practitioner and can involve misdiagnosis, surgical errors, improper treatment, improper medical care, and birth injuries.
Proving negligence is difficult. That’s why you need a lawyer specializing in medical malpractice cases if you face this situation. It’ll be even better if the legal professional has experience helping clients in your shoes.
An experienced and reputable personal injury lawyer can advise you on whether or not you have an actionable case and give you the best possible chance of achieving a good legal outcome.
One source citing hospital records notes that between 65,000 and 200,000 deaths occur due to medical accidents — and between 25,000 and 120,000 of those are due to negligence.
It adds that 0.8% to 1% of hospital patients are medical malpractice victims, and only 2.9% of victims file claims.
Winning a medical malpractice case is an uphill battle, but getting the right personal injury lawyer will increase your odds of getting the compensation you’re entitled to.
4. Dog Bites
More than 4.5 million people suffer dog bites every year in the U.S. Of that amount, more than 800,000 require medical attention. Any dog can bite. Some people assume that only large dogs bite, but that’s untrue. Any dog can bite ─ and children are the most likely victims.
If a dog bite requires medical attention, you’ll want to explore getting compensation. It’s not just the physical damage, either. Many people bitten by dogs suffer from emotional trauma as well as physical damage.
There’s also the risk of contracting a disease, such as rabies, if bitten by an unvaccinated dog. While the odds of that scenario are low, that doesn’t mean it’s out of the realm of possibility.
5. Product Liability
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Yet another type of personal injury case to know about is product liability, which occurs if someone is hurt using a product responsibly.
Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe for consumers. The products should be labeled accurately so that you know about any potential problems. So, if the product is defective or otherwise unsafe and you’re injured using it, you could have a claim.
It’s vital to remember, however, that not all injuries can lead to successful personal injury cases. If you’re injured while improperly using the product or if the product carries inherent dangers like a knife, you likely won’t have an actionable case. But you can ask a personal injury lawyer for a professional opinion. You’ll find out if you can pursue compensation for damages.
Personal injury cases can be traumatic and physically taxing. The five personal injury types mentioned above are examples of some of the more common ones. But there are others. The last thing anyone wants is to suffer a personal injury, but they do happen. They can be life-changing to the extent that you have to accept a new normal once the dust settles.
But knowing what to do and whom to turn to if a nightmare scenario materializes is in your best interests. There are options after suffering a personal injury. It starts with getting the right help.
