What You Should Know About Personal Injury Cases

Every family should be familiar with how personal injury lawsuits work.

This way, if you’re ever the victim of a personal injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you can feel confident taking legal action.

But what does that really mean? And what qualifies as a personal injury?

Lawyer explaining legal situation to her clients - What You Should Know About Personal Injury Cases

 

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The Basics of Personal Injury Lawsuits

Let’s start with the basics of a personal injury lawsuit. If you’ve been personally harmed in any way because of another person’s action (or lack of action when they had a responsibility to act), you may be entitled to compensation for that harm. For example, if you were in a car accident that was someone else’s fault and you broke your arm, the offending party would hypothetically be responsible for paying for any and all costs that arise from that broken arm.

You’ll work together with a personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case and move forward with a claim. Together, you’ll present evidence, negotiate, and potentially go to trial; at the end, if you’re successful, you should receive more than enough money to cover all your expenses.

Important Things to Know About Personal Injury Lawsuits

If you’re unfamiliar with personal injury cases, these are some of the most important things you should know:

  •       There are many types of personal injury claims. Personal injury claims can come from a wide variety of different injuries and incidents. If someone personally attacks you, if you were involved in a car accident, if you were bitten by someone’s dog, or if you fell on their property because of a neglectful action, you may qualify for compensation. These types of incidents are just the tip of the iceberg; any time you’re injured because of someone else’s action or inaction, a personal injury claim may be possible.
  •       There are many types of damages to pursue. You should also know that there are many types of damages you can pursue in a personal injury claim. Most people know that you can file a lawsuit to try and win compensation for all your medical expenses. But you may also qualify for compensation for any lost wages you have, any secondary expenses that arose from the injury, and even for your subjective pain and suffering.
  •       The first step is always talking to a lawyer. No matter what type of personal injury you received or how you received it, the first step in any personal injury claim is talking to a lawyer. Your lawyer will help you understand the details of your case, the nature of the law, and the potential outcomes of this claim. They’ll also provide you with advice for how to proceed from here. Take this advice seriously.
  •       You have a limited time to file a lawsuit. Though the time frames differ from place to place, you always have a limited time to file a personal injury lawsuit. You can’t file a claim against someone who hurt you 35 years ago. You should always act quickly to talk to a lawyer and consider legal action — preferably within the first few days of suffering the injury.
  •       Medical attention should be your priority. While it’s a high priority to talk to a lawyer, medical attention should always be your first priority. Even if the future of your case is uncertain, it’s vital for you to attend your medical appointments, take prescribed medications, and generally do your best to recover quickly.
  •       You should always follow instructions. During this time, you’ll be working with multiple different professionals, including doctors and lawyers. In both medical and legal settings, it’s important to follow the instructions of professionals who have more knowledge and experience than you do. You’re welcome to ask questions, scrutinize instructions, and develop a better understanding of your current position – but at the end of the day, you’re almost always better off following advice instead of your own intuition.
  •       Preserving documentation is essential. The more hard evidence you have, the better. Gather and preserve any documentation you can throughout the process, including your medical records.
  •       Personal injury lawsuits typically settle out of court. Only a small minority of cases actually go to trial. The vast majority settle out of court, as a lawsuit is both expensive and inconvenient for all parties involved.
  •       It can take time to see results. Even if you settle out of court, it can take some time to see results. It may be months before negotiations are finalized, and even after you reach an agreement, it can take weeks to receive your money.

If you or a family member has been personally injured, it’s important to take the matter seriously. Gather any evidence you can, start documenting your medical visits, and talk to a lawyer for further instructions as soon as you can.

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