Personal injury is defined as a physical injury inflicted on a person’s body, as opposed to property damage or slander/libel (damage to a person or entity’s reputation). It can take a while to recover from a personal injury. People hire personal injury lawyers when a physical injury has been inflicted on them by another party.
An estimated 400,000 personal injury lawsuits are filed every year. People usually seek the guidance of specialized lawyers to help them. Many personal injury lawyers specialize in car accidents, but personal injury goes far beyond the scope of motor vehicle accidents. Here are 12 examples of injuries and accidents that can be handled by a personal injury lawyer.
#1: Bicycle Accidents
More and more people are using cycling as their main form of transportation, as opposed to driving. This can be because of affordability, convenience, health, or becoming more eco-friendly. However, more and more bicycle accidents have occurred on the roadways because drivers are not used to cyclists on the road.
#2: Birth Injury
A birth injury is a type of medical malpractice that results in a serious injury to a baby during birth. Some of the most common birth injuries include shoulder dystocia, facial nerve palsy, brain trauma (which can result in cerebral palsy), and brachial plexus (which can result in Erb’s palsy).
#3: Car Accidents
Car accidents are pretty self-explanatory, and this is due to the unfortunate fact that they’re pretty common compared to other types of personal injury. This is likely the reason that many personal injury lawyers specialize in car accidents.
#4: Class Action Lawsuits
Class action lawsuits are a large group of people who’ve suffered the same/similar injuries grouped as one plaintiff. The claim is controlled and represented by an individual, known as a “representative plaintiff”. These criteria must be met:
- Questions of law or fact common to the class
- Claims of the representative parties are typical of the claims of the class
- The representatives will protect the interest of the class
#5: Mass Torts
Mass torts are similar to class action lawsuits, except that they usually have a smaller group of people, particularly people in the same geographic area. This is used in place of a class action lawsuit if all of the legal criteria aren’t met. An attorney will bring multiple lawsuits against the same defendant.
#6: Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor, nurse, or any other medical professional causes injury (either intentionally or unintentionally) to a patient. Surgical errors (including cosmetic procedures), misdiagnosis/diagnostic errors, and anesthesia errors are some of the most common types of medical malpractice.
#7: Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents are similar to bicycle accidents, as neither type of bike is the dominant form of transportation on the road. Even though motorcycles are more common than bicycles in most cases, car drivers still aren’t used to seeing them on the road, and therefore, don’t share the road with bikers.
#8: Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse is the emotional/mental/physical/sexual/verbal abuse and even neglect that patients in a nursing home or other type of assisted living facility experience during their stay. Neglect is always caused by nursing home staff, whereas abuse can be caused by staff, visitors, or other patients.
#9: Premises Liability
Premises liability is when an injury occurs on another person’s property. This can be personal/private property or a public place, such as a grocery store or shopping center. If an injury occurs due to an owner’s negligence (e.g., slippery floors, dim lighting), then the victim may be entitled to compensation.
#10: Truck Accidents
Truck accidents refer to commercial 18-wheelers/semi-trucks/tractor-trailer accidents, not personal vehicles that happen to be trucks. These are more serious than car accidents because these big rigs are the biggest vehicles on the road (weighing thousands of pounds) and can cause serious damage even when going under 60 mph. Truck accidents require a lawyer in the majority of cases because truck corporations are experienced in defending claims and placing blame on car/motorcycle drivers/riders.
#11: Workers’ Compensation
If you’re injured at work (due to no fault of your own), you’re entitled to compensation that covers anything from lost wages to medical expenses. Your family is also entitled to funeral and burial costs if you die as a result of your injuries.
#12: Wrongful Death
All of the injuries listed above can result in death, and the death is deemed “wrongful” if it could have been prevented. Many personal injury lawyers also handle wrongful death lawsuits because several preventable accidents can be fatal.
Some personal injury law firms may cover more injuries that aren’t listed here, so it’s important to research different personal injury law firms to make sure that they specialize in your specific injury.