It is normal for an individual to want to contact an attorney in hopes of suing someone when there has been wrongdoing. It is even more typical for someone to want the individual that did them wrong and caused them pain of some sort to pay. However, not every incident qualifies as a personal injury case.
In order to pursue a personal injury claim, it is important to understand what personal injury is. Personal injury claims typically stem from someone’s negligence. Individuals who are guilty of said negligence are usually the ones who are required to pay in a personal injury claim. Individuals have a “duty of care,” and when they fail to uphold that duty and cause harm to others, they need to be held responsible. When a personal injury claim is filed, this is the hurt individuals attempt to hold them to their responsibilities.
Examples of Personal Injury Cases
There are a plethora of incidents that lead to injury due to the lack of care on an individual’s behalf; however, it is important to know which occurrences are considered personal injury incidents. Some examples would be:
- Automobile accidents: These are the most common and therefore most familiar.
- Medical malpractice: These can occur in several different ways.
- Dog bites: These seem easily avoidable but are still very possible.
- Premises liability: Slip and falls usually fall under this category of personal injury.
- Product liability: These issues occur and sometimes, you don’t always even know how they happened.
- Work-related injury: Very common personal injury cases.
- Wrongful death cases: These can occur due to any of the above listed as well.
By understanding what occurrences are classified as personal injury cases, it is easy to know when to contact legal representation. Contacting a personal injury attorney, like a personal injury attorney in Atlanta, GA, is one of the first steps, but not always the most important. Once an injury occurs, please be sure to first seek medical attention and contact law enforcement for an unbiased analysis of the incident.
How to Proceed with a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Once a personal injury attorney is contacted, he or she will be able to explain the best next steps for you or your loved one, as well as the potential of your case. With an attorney’s involvement, the ultimate objective is to have the negligent party pay for what harm they caused. This is called “damages” in a personal injury claim, and damages vary as well. Some of these include:
- Incurred medical expenses related to and due to the injury.
- Lost income based on time off, being laid off, or even being unfit to work in the future.
- Non-financial burdens such as pain and suffering.
Contact an Attorney
The right personal injury attorney will review the details of your case, verify that you do have a case, and work diligently to ensure those responsible are indeed held responsible. Contact a personal injury attorney for a better understanding of your options should you or someone you know suffer an injury.
Thanks to the law office of Andrew R. Lynch for their insight into what defines a personal injury lawsuit.