Negligence is when a person is at fault for a physical injury or property damage caused by their actions. It is also referred to as civil responsibility. In other words, negligence is the legal term for mistakes or failures to take care of your actions, property or possessions. If someone else’s negligence hurts you, you may be able to file a negligence claim. It may take time and patience to pursue the right claim, but it is possible. You can file various types of negligence claims, as discussed below.
Car Accidents
If you were in an accident while driving a car, you should contact your insurance company immediately (within minutes) if you want to maintain coverage after the fact. This will minimize any financial risks on your part, so you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket before you know what happened. The reason it’s important to call your insurance agency promptly upon receiving notification of an auto collision is because most insurance companies provide 24/7 customer service. A personal injury lawyer will charge fees upfront to help with the costs of filing a claim and pursuing the case. But once the lawsuit is complete, personal injury lawyers will offer some contingency fee arrangement where they get paid a percentage of the money recovered.
Workplace Injuries
If you’re injured at work, the first thing you need to do is report the incident to your employer. Then, follow up immediately with your medical care. Your employer is required under state law to provide healthcare benefits to workers who suffer workplace injuries even if those benefits aren’t covered by insurance. Most employers are obligated to provide workers’ compensation benefits for minor workplace injuries. They must also make sure you get proper medical treatment and, depending on the circumstances, provide temporary disability income benefits. If you believe there are grounds for suing your employer, talk to a personal injury lawyer about whether this could apply to your situation.
Construction Site Accidents
Construction sites often expose employees to dangerous conditions. These include unsafe machines and equipment, bad building materials, high heights, toxic substances, poor safety training, etc. All these things put people at risk of getting hurt on construction sites. Construction employers are legally responsible for ensuring that job sites are safe for both their employees and the general public. However, not all construction accidents qualify for workers’ comp. Some situations require a civil suit instead. This usually happens when someone gets hurt due to a lack of adequate safety measures. To pursue workers’ compensation or civil lawsuits against construction employers, you need to hire a personal injury attorney working exclusively on construction site cases.
Product Liability Claims
Products are manufactured to perform certain tasks in specific ways. When these products fail to live up to expectations, consumers may sue manufacturers for damages. If a product causes harm to its user, the manufacturer may be held liable. Many times, manufacturers only place warnings on their products. A defective product does not necessarily mean a lawsuit will result. Consumers sometimes feel that the government should step in and protect them from faulty goods. But if a consumer can prove that a manufacturer acted unreasonably, negligently, or illegally when manufacturing their product, they may be entitled to monetary compensation. An experienced personal injury attorney will evaluate the facts of your case and guide you through the process of filing a product liability lawsuit.
If you’ve been injured due to another person’s negligence, a slip and fall incident caused by a property owner’s failure to repair a broken sidewalk, an automobile crash caused by the negligent driver of another vehicle, or any other type of accident, a personal injury lawyer can help you seek justice.
Author information: Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2.
