You may have been injured unexpectedly and believe another party was at fault. In that case, you may be able to launch a successful personal injury lawsuit. However, not every injury actually falls under personal injury law. This can lead to some confusion. To help, below are cases you should know are covered under personal injury.
Auto Accidents
Some people may think auto accidents are not covered under personal injury law due to the existence of auto insurance. While auto insurance may pay for some things, it may not pay for everything resulting from a serious auto accident. If you have debilitating injuries or permanent disabilities that resulted from the accident and can prove the other driver was at fault, you certainly have a case.
Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip and fall accident occurs when a person accidentally walks onto a tripping hazard of some kind and injures themselves as a result. In some cases, they may have even fallen from a significant height. If you have had an accident like this, you should contact a lawyer. The owners of the property open to the public have a duty to ensure that things like sidewalks are salted during the winter or that drop-offs are cordoned off with railing.
Wrongful Deaths
Personal injury law just doesn’t cover those that survived their injuries. It also covers those that succumbed to those injuries and perished. While you may assume that the deceased can’t sue, the estate that survives them in death certainly can. If you have a loved one that died due to another party’s negligence, you should hire a wrongful death attorney.
Medical Malpractice
We tend to trust doctors, nurses, and surgeons with our lives and well-being. However, sometimes these professionals don’t act so professionally and make huge errors that end up irreversibly harming patients. If this is the case for you, you should certainly seek a lawsuit. All medical professionals are held to a very high standard, including by courts.
Dog Bites or Animal Attacks
If you were bitten or attacked by an animal and that animal belonged to someone else, you probably have a very good case to make in a personal injury lawsuit. While human beings may not technically control the actions of animals, the owners should have enough good sense to protect innocent people from animals that may be dangerous or liable to act out. So long as you’ve done nothing to provoke or attack the animal, you would definitely have a case of personal injury against the animal’s owner.
There are of course many other kinds of cases that fall under personal injury law. If you received a significant injury that caused you substantial harm and another party’s negligence was at fault, you probably have a very good case to make. Contact an attorney and discuss your options.
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
