Personal injury claims arise as a result of someone suffering an injury due to the fault or negligence of another person or party. Claimants pursue personal injury claims to recover damages that they have suffered after an accident. Accidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and to anyone.
However, it should be noted that all injuries do not result in successful personal injury claims. It is the claimant’s responsibility to prove to the insurance company or court that their injury occurred because of the negligence of the defendant. In most cases, it is recommended that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney to increase the likelihood of receiving maximum compensation for your injuries. More information here. Let’s take a look at the five most common personal injury claims below.
1. Car Accident Claims
More than six million car accidents happen each year in the U.S. It is safe to assume that many of those collisions occur as a result of the negligence or fault of at least one of the drivers involved. More than half of all car accidents cause injuries. A large number of car accidents happen because of drunk drivers, speeding, and distracted driving. After an injury has occurred, it is natural to be concerned about how you will pay for your medical bills, make up for lost income, and get compensated for other damages. Successful personal injury claims can address these issues.
2. Slip and Fall Claims
Slip and falls are a leading cause of severe injury every year. They can occur as a result of your own error, or because of the negligence of a property owner. Many slip and falls occur due to wet floors, uneven ground, unattended ice or snow, or other types of hazards that most people would not be able to avoid. The fault for slip and fall injuries is usually placed on property owners, government agencies, and/or property management companies.
3. Medical Malpractice Claims
Medical malpractice claims are complex, confusing, and usually drawn-out. In most cases, it is recommended that you hire a medical expert that can effectively provide proof that you received inadequate treatment. Common examples of medical malpractice include:
- Misdiagnoses or failure to appropriately diagnose
- Surgery on the wrong site or unnecessary surgery
- Leaving medical tools inside of a patient
- Lack of follow-up or adequate aftercare
- Wrong prescription
- Discharging patient too soon
- Not paying attention to lab results
4. Product Liability Claims
Product liability claims can be pursued when a defective product injures a person. To prove that the product was defective, claimants must show that they used the product as the manufacturer intended it to be used and it caused the injury. Since companies have teams of high-powered attorneys handling cases like this all the time, it is recommended that you hire a personal injury lawyer that has experience filing product liability claims against corporations.
5. Assault and Battery Claims
Most personal injury accidents are unintentional. However, this is not the case with assault, battery, other intentional actions causing injury. Personal injury claims that occur because of someone’s intentional actions are usually pursued after a criminal case takes place. The law allows for victims that have suffered injuries due to someone’s harmful actions to file personal injury claims against the perpetrator in civil court.
